Mayflower Pictures was formed in July 1937 by German-born film producer Erich Pommer and British actor Charles Laughton.
They announced they would make three films, all to star Laughton – Vessel of Wrath (1938), St. Martin's Lane (1938) and Jamaica Inn (1939).
Jamaica Inn was the last film directed by Alfred Hitchcock before he left for America and marking the star debut of Maureen O'Hara, who was put under contract to the company.
[5] The fourth film would be a version of The Admirable Crichton with Laughton, Elsa Lanchester and O'Hara[6] There were also plans to make a movie about a journalist written by Bartlett Press.
[7] However the disappointing financial performance of the films saw the company lose its main backer, John Maxwell.