The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Jonathan Hales (screenplay) and
Barry Sandler (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the murderer among them all?

Plot:

Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.

Plot Keywords:

Miss Marple | Agatha Christie | Nipples Visible Through Clothing | See Through Brassiere | English Country Village

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Angela Lansbury	...	Miss Jane Marple
Wendy Morgan	...	Cherry
Margaret Courtenay	...	Mrs. Bantry
Charles Gray	...	Bates, the Butler
Maureen Bennett	...	Heather Babcock
Carolyn Pickles	...	Miss Giles
Eric Dodson	...	The Major
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Vicar (as Charles Lloyd-Pack)
Richard Pearson	...	Doctor Haydock
Thick Wilson	...	The Mayor
Pat Nye	...	Mayoress
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Scout Master
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Ella Zielinsky
Tony Curtis	...	Martin N. Fenn
Edward Fox	...	Inspector Craddock
Rock Hudson	...	Jason Rudd
Kim Novak	...	Lola Brewster
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Marina Rudd
Marella Oppenheim	...	Margot Bence
Anthony Steel	...	Sir Derek Ridgeley (Murder at Midnight)
Dinah Sheridan	...	Lady Amanda Ridgeley (Murder at Midnight)
Oriane Grieve	...	Kate Ridgely (Murder at Midnight)
Kenneth Fortescue	...	Charles Foxwell (Murder at Midnight)
Hildegarde Neil	...	Lady Foxcroft (Murder at Midnight)
Allan Cuthbertson	...	Peter Montrose (Murder at Midnight)
George Silver	...	Da Silva (Murder at Midnight)
John Bennett	...	Barnsby (Murder at Midnight)
Nigel Stock	...	Inspector Gates (Murder at Midnight)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pierce Brosnan	...	Actor playing 'Jamie' (uncredited)
Bill Dean	...	1st man in Vilage Hall (uncredited)
Sam Kydd	...	Film technician (uncredited)
Richard Leech	...	Director of Photography (uncredited)
Derek Lyons	...	Queen's Guard (uncredited)
Angus MacKay	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Robert Raglan	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Guy Hamilton

Writing credits
Agatha Christie		(novel) uncredited
Jonathan Hales		(screenplay) and
Barry Sandler		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Brabourne	....	producer
Richard B. Goodwin	....	producer (as Richard Goodwin)

Original Music by
John Cameron

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard Marden

Production Design by
Michael Stringer

Art Direction by
John Roberts

Set Decoration by
Peter Howitt		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton

Makeup Department
Alexandre	....	hair stylist: Miss Taylor (as Alexandre de Paris)
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Helen Lennox	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Jim Brennan	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derek Cracknell	....	first assistant director

Art Department
John Paterson	....	construction manager

Sound Department
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
John Richards	....	sound recordist
Bill Rowe	....	sound recordist
Nicholas Stevenson	....	dubbing editor (as Nick Stevenson)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Palmer	....	camera operator
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
John Clark	....	best boy (uncredited)
Gary Cross	....	electrician (uncredited)
Nobby Cross	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Betty Adamson	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Roy Birchley	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Cameron	....	conductor

Other crew
Gordon Arnell	....	publicist
Robert Ellis	....	title designer
Brian Harris	....	supervising accountant
Michael John Knatchbull	....	location manager (as Michael-John Knatchbull)
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Elisabeth Woodthorpe	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• EMI Films
• G.W. Films

Distributors

• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1980) (UK) (theatrical)
• Associated Film Distribution (AFD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• EMI Films (1980) (UK) (all media)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (video)
• Lumiere Home Video
• Lumière Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Studio Canal (1980) (UK) (DVD)
• Thorn EMI Video Australia
• Universal Home Video (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (worldwide) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)
• Panavision UK  filmed with Panavision equipment (as Panavision equipment)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Ireland:PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (1981) | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Kent, England, UK

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

Pierce Brosnan's first brush with James Bond has him working with Guy Hamilton, director of Goldfinger (1964). It would take another 15 years before Brosnan landed the role of 007 .

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Jason Rudd is trying to find a pulse on the victim's neck, her eyes move although she is supposed to be dead.

Quotes:

[forgetting he's in England and picking up the phone]
Marty N. Fenn: Get me the coast... What do you mean, what coast?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Biography: Angela Lansbury: A Balancing Act" (1998)

A mysterious mirror

This is almost a 10. Highly underrated. Good plot, great atmosphere, wonderful star performances and a mystery that's hard to solve. What's not to like? No, it's not academy award material, and wasn't meant to be. MIRROR CRACK'D rates up there with EVIL UNDER THE SUN. Wish more films of this ilk were made today. Pure escapist entertainment with no special effects or gory scenes. Fine for the whole family. TAYLOR, LANSBURY, CURTIS and especially NOVAK are top notch. An actress named Maureen Bennett is also very good in her small role. Also note a young Pierce Brosnan in a bit role. This is really a well done who and why done it. Try seeing it a second time to spot some of the clues you've obviously missed the first time.