The Blind Goddess

Film still

The Blind Goddess - 1948 | 87 mins | Drama | B&W

The Production Team

Director: Harold French.
Producer: Harold French.
Executive Producer: Betty E. Box.
Script: Muriel Box and Sydney Box. (from the play by Patrick Hastings)
Cinematography: Ray Elton.
Editing: Gordon Hales.
Costume Design: Yvonne Caffin.
Sound Department: M. Hobbs.
Original Music: Dr. Bernard Grun.

The Cast

Eric Portman - Sir John Dearing
Anne Crawford - Lady Brasted
Hugh Williams - Lord Brasted
Michael Denison - Derek Waterhouse
Claire Bloom - Mary Dearing
Nora Swinburne - Lady Dearing
Raymond Lovell - Mainwaring
Frank Cellier - The Judge
Clive Morton - Mersel
Maurice Denham - Lord Brasted's Butler

Plot Synopsis

Courtroom melodrama based on a stage play by Patrick Hastings. Michael Denison proves to be a solid lead but the film belongs to Eric Portman and his enjoyably authoritative performance as a skillful King's Counsel, whilst Claire Bloom makes her film debut. Harold French’s direction is stagey and the talky script is attributed to husband-and-wife team Sydney and Muriel Box. The title refers to blind justice.

Young Derek Waterhouse (Michael Denison) learns that his employer, Lord Brasted (Hugh Williams), is concerned in the disappearance of immense sums of money intended for an international post-war fund. Brasted denies the story, significantly however, he offers Derek a job abroad and makes him a present of £10,000. News comes that Count Mikla, Derek's informant, has committed suicide. Believing it to be a case of murder, Derek sends the facts to the Prime Minister, He writes an affectionate note for the girl he loves, Mary Dearing (Claire Bloom), but she has already left for abroad and never gets the letter.

Lord Brasted issues a writ for libel and engages Sir John Dearing (Eric Portman), Mary's father, as his counsel. The case goes badly for him until Sir John produces his trump card - a letter said to have been written by Derek to Lady Brasted (Anne Crawford), with whom he used to be in love. Actually it is Derek's letter to Mary; Lady Brasted had filched it to help her husband. Derek loses the action and is ordered to pay £10,000 damages. Mary hurries back to England and convinces Derek that she did not receive the letter. Her father discovers another falsification in the evidence. Lord Brasted, unable to face the consequences, kills himself. Derek, freed from scandal, asks Mary to marry him.