Murder She Said (1961)

Director:

George Pollock

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
David D. Osborn (adaptation)

Release Date:

7 January 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Agatha Christie-The First Lady of Mystery and Margaret Rutherford-The Last Word in Detectives, Bring You a Killer of a Suspense Yarn...No Ifs, Ands or Butlers About It!

Plot:

Whem Miss Marple reports witnessing a murder through the window of a passing train, the police dismiss her has dotty spinster when no trace of the crime can be found.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Miss Marple | Murder | Manor | Librarian

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Margaret Rutherford	...	Miss Jane Marple
Arthur Kennedy	...	Dr. Paul Quimper
Muriel Pavlow	...	Emma Ackenthorpe
James Robertson Justice	...	Ackenthorpe
Thorley Walters	...	Cedric Ackenthorpe
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Inspector Craddock (as Charles Tingwell)
Conrad Phillips	...	Harold Ackenthorpe
Ronald Howard	...	Brian Eastley
Joan Hickson	...	Mrs. Kidder
Stringer Davis	...	Mr. Jim Stringer
Ronnie Raymond	...	Alexander Eastley
Gerald Cross	...	Albert Ackenthorpe
Michael Golden	...	Hillman
Barbara Leake	...	Mrs. Hilda Stainton
Gordon Harris	...	Bacon

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's 'Murder, She Said' (USA)
Meet Miss Marple

Runtime:

USA:87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

George H. Brown Productions

Trivia:

Miss Marple gives her address as Old Pasture Lane, Milchester.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The locomotive shown leaving the station is not the right type to be leaving Paddington. In fact the station does not even look like Paddington.

Quotes:

Mr. Stringer: What a frightful looking man.
Miss Marple: What a frightful looking dog.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Murder Most Foul (1964)

Delightful depiction of Miss Jane Marple

So yes, Miss Agatha Christie herself did not quite care for Miss Margaret Rutherford in the role but Miss Rutherford made of the part her own in her own inimitable fashion even going to the extent of having her very own obedient side-kick, her real-life husband Stringer Davis, known as Jim Stringer in the series, inserted into it. She called the shots and kept the studio afloat. And what a series!

This is the first in it and it evokes the era extraordinarily well, the quick murder and disposal of the body, the old country house, the many suspicious relatives and one of my favourites, James Robertson Justice heading up the entire clan. He even gets to propose to the lady herself, so impressed is he with her detecting.

Add the requisite cute kid, Ronnie Raymond, an excellent bit part by Joan Hickson (the future Miss Marple in the excellent BBC series) and what faults are there to be found in this unique first film of four in the series.

8 out of 10.

Incredibly entertaining, wonderful use of black and white film medium and a really good score.