| Mark of the Phoenix | |
| Director: | Maclean Rogers |
| Producer: | W.G. Chalmers |
| Based On: | novel The Phoenix Sings by Desmond Cory[1] |
| Starring: | Julia Arnall Sheldon Lawrence Anton Diffring |
| Music: | Wilfred Burns (uncredited) |
| Cinematography: | Geoffrey Faithfull |
| Editing: | Harry Booth |
| Studio: | Butcher's Film Service |
| Distributor: | Butcher's Film Service |
| Runtime: | 78 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
Mark of the Phoenix is a 1958 British 'B' drama film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Julia Arnall, Sheldon Lawrence and Anton Diffring.[2] An American jewel thief comes into possession of a newly developed metal.
A newly developed and valuable metal is stolen and formed into a cigarette case for transportation to East Germany, but an American jewel thief comes into possession of it and finds himself a target.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This spy story has all the usual trimmings as tough, handsome American jewel thief, portly art-collector gang leader, shot scientist, secret formula and brutal foreign agents as but almost makes up for their familiarity by lively pacing. This turns out to be the film’s sole virtue, however, since direction, dialogue and performances are on a distressingly amateurish level.”[3]
In British Sound Films David Quinlan wrote: ''Feverishly complicated thriller, not too well acted.''[4]
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 1/5 stars, writing: "This dismal low-budget thriller has a corkscrew plot involving rare metals, jewel thieves, international blackmail, the Cold War and much else. [...] The mediocre cast is typical of British B-movies of the period, with the sole exception of Anton Diffring."[5]