Murder at the Gallop (1963)

Director:

George Pollock

Writers:

James P. Cavanagh (screenplay)
Agatha Christie (novel)

Release Date:

December 1963 (Austria)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

(The Raciest Mystery of the Season!)

Plot:

When a wealthy old man appears to have been "frightened to death" by a cat, Miss Marple suspects one of his four relatives, all heirs to his estate, of his murder.

Plot Keywords:

Miss Marple | Murder | Cat | Heart Attack | Heart Failure

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Margaret Rutherford	...	Miss Marple
Stringer Davis	...	Mr. Stringer
Robert Morley	...	Hector Enderby
Flora Robson	...	Miss Milchrest
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Inspector Craddock (as Charles Tingwell)
Gordon Harris	...	Sergeant Bacon
Robert Urquhart	...	George Crossfield
Katya Douglas	...	Rosamund Shane
James Villiers	...	Michael Shane
Noel Howlett	...	Mr. Trundell
Finlay Currie	...	Old Enderby
Duncan Lamont	...	Hillman
Kevin Stoney	...	Doctor Markwell

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Murder at the Gallop (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

81 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:16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 | UK:U | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Aldenham, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

George H. Brown Productions

Trivia:

Miss Marple refers to "The Ninth Life" by Agatha Christie. This was an in-joke; her creator wrote no such book.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the valuable painting at the center of the intrigue was first introduced it appeared that the picture wasn't very large. However when Stringer sets off for London to have it appraised, it looked like it grew to twice the size.

Quotes:

Inspector Craddock: For goodness sake, Miss Marple! Why didn't you ring?
Miss Jane Marple: The law may have a long arm, Inspector. Unfortunately, I haven't.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Murder Ahoy (1964)

Brisk Agatha Christie mystery moves at a gallop...

This is possibly MARGARET RUTHERFORD's most satisfactory excursion into Agtha Christie-land and she's helped by a delightful Ron Goodwin score that emphasizes her character with an infectious main theme and the gorgeous B&W photography, full of sinister shadows and proper atmospheric effects.

Furthermore, Miss Rutherford is surrounded by some formidable British talent, such as Stringer Davis (his Mr. Stringer is always a delight), Robert Morley (blustery but fun), and most notably, FLORA ROBSON, remarkable as the timid companion of an elderly woman.

I've seen most of these Miss Marple mysteries from the 1960s, and this has got to be one of the best. It moves at a swift gallop (unlike some of the more tedious, slow-paced BBC versions), and the accent is on the humorous characterization that Rutherford is capable of. Purists may not think it serves Agatha Christie well, but taken on its own as a piece of comedy/mystery entertainment, it stands up well in that genre.

Highly recommended.