Eric Portman
Sir John Dearing KC
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Drama
Justice, the poets have it, is a blind goddess. Eric Portman stars as the lawyer defending a lord, Hugh Williams, accused by his secretary Michael Dennison of having diverted public funds for his own use.
Top Billed Cast
| Release Date | 1948-09-14 |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 1h 27m |
| Directors | Harold French, Ray Elton, John Hollingsworth, B. C. Sewell, Alf Keating |
| Producers | Betty E. Box, Harold French |
| Writers | Muriel Box, Sydney Box, Patrick Hastings |
Eric Portman was ideal for this part. His clipped phraseology and static style of acting suited his character - barrister "Sir John Dearing" down to a T. He is called up to prosecute "Waterhouse" (Michael Denison) who has been accused by "Lord Brasted" (Hugh Williams) of trying to blackmail him for the enormous sum of £20,000. Having reach the upper echelons of the British government, accusations of large scale bribery and embezzlement force a court case that grips the land. There are letters, accusations of infidelity, forgeries and a courtroom informality that I found quite enjoyable for just under ninety minutes. The ending has a sort of stiff-upper-lip convenience about it which rather disappoints, but the rest of this drama is well propped up by a solid cast - Anne Crawford and Nora Swinburne primary amongst them - and the courtroom intrigues have just enough complications to keep it interesting.
— CinemaSerf