Member of the Jury

Plot

After a long spell of unemployment Walter Maitland gets a job with Sir John Sloane. On Maitland's first day work of, Sir John is arrested on for murder, and – coincidentally – Maitland is picked for jury service at his trial. Since he knows that his job depends on Sir John's acquittal, Maitland refuses to convict him, until he is finally able to reconstruct the case so that Sir John's innocence is demonstrated.

Cast

Ellis Irving as Walter Maitland

Marjorie Hume as Mary Maitland

Franklyn Bellamy as Sir John Sloane

Arnold Lucy as uncle

Roy Russell as Attorney General

Aubrey Pollock as Defence

W.E. Holloway as Judge

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The long arm of coincidence plays a leading part in this unconvincing and artificial story. The dilemma in which the chief character finds himself is a real one, but lack of firm direction results in a frittering away of interest in a welter of trivial incidents and irrelevant details. The dialogue is feeble, and the acting stilted."

Kine Weekly wrote: "Trial drama too conflicting in its testimony and closely related to theatrical coincidence to interest other than unsophisticated audiences. Although the film is never true to life, it might have been good theatre had the producer put fundamentals before fictitious furbelows."

The Daily Film Renter wrote: "The long arm of coincidence is stretched almost to its limits in this unconvincing story, while legal procedure is not always believable, and dialogue frequently trite. The Old Bailey setting is good, but judge and clerk of the court are made to appear stock figures unlikely to strike a note of realism. The acting is undistinguished, save, perhaps, for an unnamed artiste who gives a deft study of a newspaper-seller called upon by the defence."