Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: 4:50 from Paddington (1987 TV Movie) User Reviews

Hickson the Best Miss Marple of All Time -- Christie Would Have Approved

[classicalsteve · 8/10 · 15 March 2012]

Many actresses in the twilight of their careers have taken on the role of Miss Marple, including Margaret Rutherford, Helen Hayes and the seemingly immortal Angela Landsbury. However, I believe the one actress whose claim to being closest to Christie's original vision was Joan Hickson. Joan Hickson in the 1980's literally was Miss Marple, not unlike Vivian Leigh who was Scarlett O'Hara. These two actresses were nearly born to play these roles, and whenever I read a Marple mystery, I imagine the likes of Hickson. Marple was probably Christie's most interesting creation, simmultaneously polite and sweet yet irritating and needling. She was always helping out on cases where Scotland Yard felt it was none of her business, which makes her quite an enigma. The little old spinster with the mind of an Einstein, Marple is the female equivalent of Sherlock Holmes.

These BBC productions are still some of the best adaptations of the Miss Marple cases written by Agatha Christie. Some viewers have criticized them for being rather plodding and slow. Ever read a Christie novel? These books were written deliberately in a rather slow and detailed manner because they were meant as literary puzzles. Christie's novels were not so much about insight into the human condition, such as in the work of P.D. James. Rather, Christie's books were specifically designed to offer the reader all the facts of the case, and the reader could try to solve the puzzle before the solution is revealed at the end.

"4:50 from Paddington" involves a friend of Miss Marple, Mrs McGillicuddy, who is traveling on a train from Paddington. At one point, her train passes another going the other direction. For a split second, she sees a murder being committed on the other train before it disappears. McGillicuddy just happens to be on her way to Miss Marple's hometown, St. Mary Mead. Mrs McGillicuddy visits Miss Marple and describes what she saw. While there have been no reports of any murder, Miss Marple believes her, begins to investigate, and pieces together the case.

One of the best Joan Hickson performances, and one of the better Miss Marple mysteries in general. If you've not seen Hickson as Marple, you have yet to see Miss Jane Marple in the flesh. I also have to give honorable mention to the sweet music which opens and closes these Marple mysteries. The oboe melody seems to be a perfect musical portrayal of one of the most memorable characters in the Mystery genre.

An authentic and high quality adaptation.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 7 October 2015]

Whilst travelling by train to visit her friend Jane Marple, Elspeth McGillicuddy wakes from her slumber and witnesses a man strangling a woman on a passing train. With no other witnesses and no trace of a body the Police don't believe her story, so Miss Marple engages Lucy Eyelesbarrow to help uncover the mystery.

It's a very faithful, beautifully made version, production values are incredibly high. The music is lovely and melodic, it's never invasive, it helps generate atmosphere.

Some totally iconic scenes too, the whole sequence of Lucy discovering the body is one of the most memorable bits of TV from my childhood. It's beautifully filmed and the music is superb, it adds to the tension. The set and props are wonderful.

Beautifully acted, some wonderful performances, my favourite being Joanna David's, she is superb as Emma, making her down trodden and meek, but wonderfully believable. Maurice Denham is wonderful as always, Jean Boht's cameo as Madame Jolie. Jill Meager puts in a very good showing, but.......

One gripe I have with Lucy Eyelesbarrow, she has men falling at her feet, desperately in love with her, I'm so sorry to say it but with Jill Meager, I just don't see it. With Amanda Holden's character I get it. (Is that Bertram's Hotel I spy for their first meeting?)

The ending is well staged. It seemed at the time like she was always using Somerset House.

It's an excellent production, a little doddery in parts, but very faithful to the book. Hickson is excellent as always but somewhat takes a back seat in this one, she's very much an observer. Sunday teatime viewing. 8/10

Not my favourite of the Hickson adaptations, but still very well done

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 23 December 2010]

I really like the book, it is very clever and the characters are memorable, and as far as the Geraldine McEwan while not perfect by all means was one of the better ones, at least in my opinion. This version is superior though, and is very well done not only as an adaptation but on its own merits. I will say my only real problem with this film was the pacing. While not as sluggish as They Do it With Mirrors, for me this is one of the slower moving Hickson-Marple adaptations. However, so much compensates. 4:50 From Paddington is rather slow and perhaps a tad too long as well, but it still has the clever story and memorable characters. As usual, the production values are wonderful, and the music is very atmospheric here. The dialogue is well written, the story is easy to follow and I loved the build-up to the finding of the body which was genuinely creepy. The direction is solid and the cast is excellent. Miss Marple doesn't have as much to do here, but Joan Hickson still plays her marvellously, and I was very impressed with Joanna David. Overall, while not a favourite I do recommend 4:50 From Paddington. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Joan Hickson trivia

[bozo-16 · 11 May 2004]

I've been a mystery fan for most of my life and particularly fond of Agatha Christie's well known characters, Jane Marple and Hercules Poirot. I was surprised recently when viewing one of the old films in my collection, "Murder, She Said" from 1961. This was the first of four movies starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple. The film was loosely based on Christie's "4.50 From Paddington". Marple poses as a domestic to investigate a murder. One of the other servants in the home is played by none other than Joan Hickson. This may not be completely relevant in commenting upon the later version, but I thought it was interesting that Hickson appeared in a Marple film 26 years before this one was released. The Rutherford movies aren't very faithful to Christie, but they're very entertaining. However, if you're an avid Miss Marple fan, you'll be overjoyed with these productions featuring Hickson. She truly embodies Agatha's character like no other actress. I highly recommend these to any mystery fan.

Paddington, my favorite London Station

[Dr_Coulardeau · 10/10 · 9 February 2011]

This is a classic of great fame and force and it works marvelously, so marvelously that it has not taken one single wrinkle with age. Of course it is a story within a rich family and the motivation of the murderer is money and greed. Miss Marple or Agatha Christie definitely thought that the rich old families of Great Britain had something rotting away in their rose gardens, like in Hamlet's Denmark. But you will have to find the details at the end of the film. But Miss Marple is a lot better than just that. She is no Sherlock Holmes after all. So she manages to bring some children in the picture and some antiques that are more frightening than attractive. And of course there is a niece of hers who is her own agent within the crime scene, and the niece is of course in love with one of the members of the family, the crazy RAF pilot who is able to sell his own house to buy a small plane just to be able to land in front of the manor and alight and salute his girl friend who is slightly annoyed but finds him so original and irresistible. This particular production of the story is just quaint and fragile in that life style (1959, Gagarin has just flown around the earth) and it insists on these things that were going to disappear so fast in the coming five years: coal-burning trains for one and the ritualistic rite of tea and breakfast. Delicious old ladies, delicious ancient world that has by now been erased from our globalized memories. Luckily Miss Marple is still here to tell us the old story of it.

Almost Perfectly Produced

[Warin_West-El · 9/10 · 19 January 2023]

I've just finished watching this episode for the second time and it held up well for both showings.

Some reviewers don't seem to like the Miss Marple series but you have to wonder, why on earth are they watching? Miss Marple is never going to morph into Mike Hammer or James Bond, so why are you complaining about the slow pace?

What you CAN complain about with credibility is how did Lucy (portrayed as an exceptionally bright woman) allow herself to be man-handled by the arrogant roguish heel, Cedric? That scene was creeeepy.

And thank your lucky stars that when Lucy opens the sarcophagus they filmed in the style of Alfred Hitchcock: No blood or gross manifestations. The audience experiences the horror via the expressions of the heroine. That was classy.

A refreshing change of pace was the introduction of a law enforcement official that appreciated Miss Marple's off-beat way of solving crimes.

CHIEF INSPECTOR DUCKHAM: Where is she?

INSPECTOR SLACK: She's not in.

CHIEF INSPECTOR DUCKHAM: Well, don't let me keep you, my dear fellow. You can send a car back for me.

INSPECTOR SLACK: No, no, we'll wait.

(Miss Marple approaches, looking through her purse for her door key. Then she looks up and sees the two inspectors.)

MISS MARPLE: Oh! Oh, I AM so sorry. It's Mary's afternoon off.

CHIEF INSPECTOR DUCKHAM: Were you successful, Miss Marple?

MISS MARPLE: Oh I think so, yes thank you. I bought four very nice pillowcases from Derry and Tom's. Do come in, won't you?

MISS MARPLE: OH . . Oh yes I see, I see of course what you mean.

LOL So what if she's not as sharp as James Rockford. Scenes like this are a hoot and SOOO enjoyable.

Where I thought they let the audience down was, there needed to be one more scene of Harold hunting. Or they needed to show him up close, instead of through the window. The filmmakers failed to dwell on Harold. So when he disappeared, it had no effect. All good magicians show the audience the white rabbit several times before they put it into the hat and make it disappear.

As one reviewer mentioned, even the other characters seemed nonplussed at Harold's disappearance. The filmmakers wasted the effect of that murder, so the tension didn't build as strongly as it could have.

Also, I was disappointed with the opening. They took great pains to tell us about the itinerary of the two trains and how one was faster than the other but only at certain points in the journey. They also cut to clocks several times to emphasize the chronology. So I was expecting the murder to involve the clever use of how the trains travelled that night. But no such angle existed in the plot. Which made me wonder, why did the filmmakers bother with all of that timetable claptrap if it didn't figure into the main plot?

One reviewer said "Marple is the worst detective ever devised." Well, that just shows you some people will never get it. The whole Marple shtick is, she's right-brained. She solves crimes through intuition, a gift that left-brained people do not possess. If you want a left-brained detective then you need to watch Poirot. We like Miss Marple just the way she is, thank you.

EXTRA: At 40:49 you'll see the same bright red MG that was featured in the opening of Sleeping Murder.

A Bit Above Average.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 11 December 2011]

Ordinarily, movies that have a lot of stars and celebrities in small roles are a nuisance, but Agatha Christie's stories, as they appear on television, could really use some recognizable faces attached to the many names. Characters come and go and the plot gets more elaborate and names pop up and down and before you know it, your brain has turned to tofu.

The problem is avoided in most of the feature films, not only because the actors are more likely to be recognizable but because more time is available, so a viewer gets to know each character better.

I could keep the characters and their names more or less straight here, which was a big help. Also there are some memorable moments, such as Jill Meager pushing back the lid of a sarcophagus in which a two-week old corpse has been stashed and being repelled by the whoosh of cadaverine.

The name of Meager's character is Lucy Eyelesbarrow. That's one of the things I enjoy about Agatha Christie's work. She's no Dickens when it comes to inventing names but just look at them -- Slack, Crackenthorpe, Quimper, Duckham. And the place names: High Muckle, Dogditch Road, Gravesend, Deep Bilking, or whatever.

A couple of things I didn't get. Meager consistently finds John Hallam, Cedric Crackenthorpe, repugnant, yet in the kitchen she allows him to quote poetry, praise her contours and colors, smooch his way up her neck, and then turn her and kiss her without any sign of resistance. The Big Reveal came and went too quickly for me to grasp, too.

Still, it rambles less than other episodes, and you must love that cobwebbed Etruscan statuary.

Jill Meager is the Highlight

[JCF1129 · 10/10 · 27 September 2020]

I am not in the habit of writing reviews but the reviewer who took exception to Jill Meager provoked me to rebut his comment. She was the "Highlight" of this episode and the reason I viewed it several times. Being extremely attractive, charming and projecting intelligence are clearly reasons enough for any red-blooded male to crawl on all "fours" for Her.

I confess that I only started watching this series just recently even though I was aware of it for many years. This was partly out of prejudice on my part. I wrongly assumed it would be something very staid; people making exits and entrances between long patches of dialogue.

I was "all wet." This is one of the most memorable Series I have seen.

John Fedinatz, New York, NY

Crackenthorpe Family Values

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 23 November 2013]

4:50 From Paddington Station was also the first Agatha Christie Miss Marple story to be adapted for Margaret Rutherford in Murder She Said. Comparing the two is six of one, half a dozen of the other.

For the big screen the characters of the woman who saw the strangling on a passing train and the woman who Miss Marple sends in as a housekeeper to scout out the terrain are eliminated. Rutherford's character serves as both and one of the biggest strengths of the film is Rutherford doing her own scouting and sleuthing and her scenes with ailing family patriarch James Robertson Justice are a hoot and a half.

Joan Hickson's Jane Marple is a milder sort, but still a woman who doesn't miss much. This version is faithful to the Christie story and has a friend of Miss Marple see the strangling of a woman and her being thrown out the window of a train going the other way. But no body turns up near the tracks. At that point Hickson goes into action and determines that the body was most likely thrown off near the Crackenthorpe estate. At that point she sends in Jill Meager as an operative so to speak.

The Crackenthorpes are wealthy British family, new money, they got rich manufacturing breakfast cereal. And they've got an ailing patriarch with one of those crazy wills that provide a host of relatives as suspects.

I will say this, the same perpetrator in the Margaret Rutherford movie does the deed again in 4:50 From Paddington Station. And nearly gets away with it, but for an unexpected witness.

A little slow, but more is explained and the murder itself doesn't seem quite as contrived as the Rutherford film.

4:50 From Paddington

[Bernie4444 · 10/10 · 17 April 2021]

A woman is being strangled and there is a witness. The police cannot find any evidence. So, it is up to Miss Marple (Joan Hickson) with help from Lucy Eyelesbarrow, an independent housekeeper.

The story does not follow the book, yet it has the unmistakable Aunt Jane feel.

Notice how Aunt Jane is always several steps ahead of the others in planning. Watch the expressions when Aunt Jane grates on David Horovitch as Detective Inspector Slack. "...When one of us is clever enough to find the body."

I have seen this movie several times, but I never noticed the train scene music until I watched "Brief Encounter - Criterion Collection" (1945) Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto. Listen to the type of music during the scene where the two trains pass.

John Hallam has fun playing randy Cedric Crackenthorpe watch him again playing "Lord Rhysart" in "A Morbid Taste for Bones" (1997).

Miss M takes a back seat

[Iain-215 · 7/10 · 4 April 2008]

Miss Marple takes rather a back seat in this mystery and hands over a lot of the spadework to the efficient Lucy Eylesbarrow who goes to Rutherford Hall to investigate the murder seen by Mrs McGillicuddy on the train. This story actually had quite a reasonable outing in the Margaret Rutherford film 'Murder She Said' (easily the best of that series) and the more recent McEwen version was, in my opinion, extremely good.

For the BBC, Hickson is excellent as always and there is good sense of tension, particularly in the build up to the finding of the body. I thought the incidental music in 'Paddington' was particularly good (again especially when the body is found) and the general melancholy tone of the piece is very appropriate. Casting is a bit mixed but Joanna David is very good as downtrodden Emma and Mona Bruce is appropriately solid and respectable as Mrs McGillicuddy. Jill Meager's Lucy suffers a little in comparison with her ITV counterpart and (bizarrely) Maurice Denham's Luther can't quite compete with James Robertson Justice for Rutherford! As an aside, why is Lucy even remotely attracted to the dreadful satyr that is John Hallam's Cedric? This version of Paddington is good but no better, in my opinion than the McEwen version...and even the Rutherford has its merits!

4:50 from Paddington

[coltras35 · 9/10 · 12 April 2024]

Miss Marple's friend witnesses a murder in a railway carriage running parallel to her own, so Miss Marple engages a resourceful young woman to investigate. The search leads to a decrepit estate, where they suspect the body was dumped. But the seemingly innocent family who live there have secrets of their own.

Another solid adaptation of a book I love, though the actress who played Anna - Miss Marple's spy - didn't express an interest to the creepy cad - Played excellent by John Hallam - judging by her face expression. It was commented that she was attracted to him! She looked disgusted by him. Of course, in the novel, she found him charming. Aside from this, a gripping episode with Joan Hickson doing her best, though she doesn't appear much.

Good in parts

[lucyrfisher · 7/10 · 1 March 2020]

There are some very good moments in this adaptation: Lucy tidying the kitchen, the sinister barn full of "Egyptian" sculpture and sarcophagi, wonderful performances from Joan Hickson, Jean Boht (as a northern ballet impresario) and David Horowitz. It follows the story through from beginning to end, sticking fairly faithfully to the book, with excellent costumes and a fabulous setting in a Victorian country house. (The garden has some fairly sinister statuary, too.)

Some reviewers have called this version "stiff" and "plodding". It does seem a bit slow, looking back from 2020. Some of acting is /literally/ stiff. Does Lucy have to be so literally unbending? (Likewise Joanna David.) Perhaps they were trying to be convincingly "ladylike" in a 50s mould.

There is no dramatic underscoring, there are no flashbacks, no close-ups of dripping blood or spiderwebs. And tho it takes us through the plot, the story is a little hard to follow and must be a bit baffling for those who haven't read the book. Miss M could have used Lucy as a Watson, with updates and recaps! (Christie often includes these.)

Christie thought that Lucy would run away with Cedric - John Hallam is convincingly horrible in the role! Her other suitor, Brian the ex-RAF man, is far preferable and nearer her age. There is a little confected "drama" over her choice, which doesn't quite come off. The strong woman who "moulds" a weaker husband is a Christie trope. (Neither of her husbands fit the description.)

Have I just watched an abridged version on cable, though? Wasn't there a poisoning episode in which we lost the affable Alfred and the "tontine" plot becomes more obvious? And they all seem rather unconcerned by the disappearance of Harold.

Really Terrible

[onepotato2 · 2/10 · 24 June 2011]

This is pretty bad. I started if about 5 times falling asleep each time before I could reach the end. It's just assembled as if your interest is taken for granted. It doesn't build at all. The music is quite stupid (British marches/fanfares)

There's nothing wrong with English Manor murder mysteries. But there is something very wrong with Miss Marple. Marple is the worst detective ever devised. She can't walk much, she doesn't drive. So clues and witnesses generally need to arrive at her doorstep. And all her scenes involve sitting or standing still. She has no special sleuthing technique, or personal characteristics that loan themselves to solving crimes. The premise becomes "murders are so uninteresting that a doddering old lady can solve them in her spare time." The character just gets more and more unlikely. They devise a police inspector a thick-headed and 2-dimensional detective (Slack - !) in the hopes that Marple standing next to him will look brigth or exceptional.

Hickson is a particularly bad choice for the role. She injects no energy or technique into this moribund role.

"Streets ahead of ITV's Miss Marple series."

[jamesraeburn2003 · 29 December 2004]

Miss Marple's best friend, Elspeth McGillicuddy (Mona Bruce), witnesses a man strangling a woman on a passing train. When nobody believes her, Miss Marple (Joan Hickson), conducts her own investigation in order to bring the culprit to justice.

Carefully constructed adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1957 mystery of the same name. It was filmed twenty-seven years earlier as MURDER SHE SAID (1962) with Margaret Rutherford playing Miss Marple. Interestingly Joan Hickson appeared in the latter film as the Crackenthorpe's housekeeper Mrs Kidder. Rutherford wasn't exactly faithful to Christie's original character, but she made the part entirely her own and she was always a joy to watch. Hickson makes a convincing Miss Marple and she is more to the letter of the book than Rutherford, but alongside each other they are still the best two actresses to have played the character. This film moves at a good pace and Hickson is most ably assisted by a first rate supporting cast including Maurice Denham as Luther Crackenthorpe, Joanna David as Emma Crackenthorpe, Jill Meager as Lucy Eyelesbarrow and John Hallam as Cedric Crackenthorpe. The only slight weakness in the film is that it sometimes tends towards the stodginess of an old drawing room play, which was quite common with so many of the BBC's dramas at this time. Still there is a good feeling for period detail and this is streets ahead of ITV's latest attempt to bring Miss Marple to television. See Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: The Body In The Library (2004).

Fair but a bit plodding

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 15 September 2008]

This is my first experience with Joan Hickson as Agatha Christie's second most famous sleuth, Miss Marple, so I will refrain from making any strong judgements on her portrayal yet (after all, she doesn't really get THAT much screen time here, as Lucy Eyelesbarrow and the two police inspectors have at least equal, if not bigger in Lucy's case, parts). As for the film itself, I found it fair but a bit plodding. The script and direction hold your attention without ever really cranking up the suspense, and the performances are perfectly fine without being outstanding. It's a film that gets the job done, but rarely (as in a moment where the first victim's boss recollects her past) goes above that level. Fans of grand old English country houses will get an eyeful, in any case. (**1/2)

Unusually the McEwan version is better than this

[SunnyDaise · 6/10 · 30 December 2022]

Generally I prefer Hickson's series to McEwan/McKenzie where the plots/characters were rewritten too much. However I found some of the men too creepy in this 1987 version and would rather watch the 2004 cast and chemistry. That aside, both contain the usual cops v Marple situation - the usual do they appreciate her, or get fed up? Overall, the 2004 series was often style over substance, with the writing really letting down everything else, set, make-up, fashion, props etc, which really did a good job of contrasting the conservatively dressed elderly Marple with the trends of the day. The Hickson version is not as lavish but has that fantastic theme tune.

Dull cast nearly derail 4:50 from Paddington

[gingerninjasz · 6/10 · 29 June 2023]

4:50 from Paddington is one of Agatha Christie's more famous novels, though not necessarily one of her best. As mentioned in a number of reviews, the 1961 film Murder, She Says - based on the novel and what was basically the Margaret Rutherford mysteries - featured a young(ish) Joan Hickson as a cook. She would go on to play Miss Marple 23 years later and make the role her own, but the film version of this only serves to remind us of some of the flaws in this adaptation and the novel.

The story begins very excitingly, with Miss Marple's friend Mrs McGillicuddy (Mona Bruce) travelling down by train to visit her one evening, only to witness the murder of a young woman being strangled in the train travelling alongside when the blind comes undone. She and Miss Marple both go to the police to inform them of the crime, but as the Inspector at home turns out to be Inspector Slack (David Horowitz) there is little chance of being believed, especially when they can find no trace of a body on the train. Reasoning that even British Rail and the police would be able to tell a corpse from among the usual stiff enert passengers, they trace the route of the journey and discover that it passes not far from the grounds of Crackenthorpe House, which would make a very handy place to dump a body. To discover if this is the case she calls on Lucy Eyelesbarrow (Jill Meagher), a independent professional woman who likes to take on interesting jobs, and asks her to apply for a job at Crackenthorpe House as a housekeeper in order for her to go over and case the joint for a body - though she doesn't put it quite like that!

So far, so good. But once a body is found this mystery becomes very ordinary indeed. And it isn't helped by some rather dull casting among the suspects. The house is occupied by old Luther Crackenthorpe (Maurice Denham) and his daughter Emma (Joanna David), while the sons who turn up for a visit merely to oblige a family inheritance every year are Harold (Bernard Brown), Alfred (Robert East) and Cedric (John Hallam), along with Luther's son in law Bryan Eastley (David Beames) and his young son Alexander (Christopher Haley). Also there in the background is Luther's medic Dr Quimper, played by Andrew Burt, who seems to of moved up from vetting animals on Emmerdale Farm to treating people. Maybe if he'd of shouted "Who's up for their temperature being taken?" it would of livened up the cast, but part of the problem here is also highlighted in the 1961 film, and that is the Crackenthorpe clan are just not a very exciting bunch. Some of that criticism has to be levelled at the book, but even then you'd think that the cast would do more than just go through the motions. The 1961 film has much the same problem, but at least it had James Robertson Justice in the part of Luther. He was a perfect fit for the role, but while he growled and added some personality to his part, Maurice Denham merely grumbles and is a pale shadow by comparison. Bernard Brown is so anaemic as Harold that when he is later found murdered they could of had him stuffed and propped up in the corner of the room and I doubt anyone would of noticed! Robert East fairs little better as Alfred, while the only actor among the sons with any charisma is John Hallam, but he is badly miscast as the bohemian artist Cedric. His arrival sees him become a love rival with Bryan Eastley for the attentions of Lucy Eyelesbarrow, but instead he comes across as a hungry wolf looking for a nibble and the chemistry between him and Jill Meagher is non existant, as demonstrated by the kiss they share in the kitchen. He also looks a little decrepid when next to young Lucy, but he does at least add a spot of personality. Of the rest, Jill Meagher is a decent enough lead as Lucy, but lacks real passion for the romantic moments, and looks far more comfortable in scenes hunting for clues or playing with Bryan's son Alexander. And although David Beames, Joanna David and Andrew Burt are fine enough in their roles, their performances hardly set the mystery alight. The best performance comes (surprisingly) from Jean Boht in a small role as dance instructor Madame Joliet when the police try and discover the identity of the dead girl. As well as giving her role some much needed oomph and humour ("What a bloody shambles" she declares when trying to conduct a ballet with a flu ridden dance troupe), she also provides some emotional depth as she reminisces about the dead girl and her fruitless efforts to make it big as a dancer. "Dear God, what an epitaph. One rehersal and I was forgotten," she sums up sadly.

As well as the dull performances, it is not helped by the novel it's adapted from. But when you are short of exciting moments, it seems inexplicable to remove one of the more dramatic moments in the novel where the family are stricken down with food poisoning, leading to another death. The scene is kept in the 1961 film, but bizarrely not here, which doesn't help it's cause. And yet, despite all it's flaws, this adaptation does have two standout moments that are remarkably effective and stay long in the memory. One is the actual murder at the beginning, where Mrs McGillicuddy witnesses the murder on the train. The build up and incidental music is wonderfully effective and gives you hope for what is to come, but sadly the mystery never really builds on from there. The other memorable scene is when Lucy discovers where the body is hidden. Yet again the musical score plays so crucial a part in building up an atmosphere of dread, not least because Lucy is alone when she makes her discovery, and the whole scene is genuinely creepy. It's a superb scene, but it makes it even more infuriating that the rest of this adaptation could not follow on from such high standards.

Overall, it's not a bad mystery. Inspector Slack is back, though this time David Horowitz doesn't really add much to the role other than just grumble a lot. He's aided - and hindered - by Chief Inspector Duckham (David Waller), who some viewers will recognize from the marvellous detective series Cribb, and who insists that Slack assign Miss Marple to the case, despite how ridiculous that sounds. Joan Hickson is sadly not as involved in the plot as Miss Marple, but she is there to provide the trap for the killer when it comes at the end. Summing up it's a somewhat stodgy mystery that starts off very promisingly and has a couple of memorable stand out moments, but is let down by it's uninspired casting. It's a decent mystery, but a trifle dull at times.

Surprisingly Brilliant

[deansscreen · 18 November 2019]

A great rendition of a classic tale. Naturally, the Margaret Rutherford version is fabulous in its own way, but this version offers viewers colorful landscapes and colorful characterizations to go along with the totally old-fashioned old-school formality of the characters. Much of the acting is subtle and unforced, as is typical of British productions, with Inspector Slack a real study in irony, a decent man masked in a facade of tough-guy impoliteness and impatience. The story unwinds in a dignified manner, never boring and never rushed. As a bonus, the somewhat intricate plotting gets explicated in a way that even I could follow and understand (Inspector Morse offers a contrasting technique, almost always baffling, while Midsomer Murders at least wraps its illogic in humorous tongue-in-cheek mischief). Overall, a superb production for fans of mystery and rich atmospheric production.

Missed Train

[tedg · 13 September 2003]

The Marple stories - many of them - are lessons in narrative placement. We start with the basic notion of the mystery narrator shuffling through multiple created realities looking for what makes sense. Marple turns that into the clever notion of detection as gossip: the constructed realities of small town busybodies imposing a simple order on what they hear.

Read this story and see how wonderfully it plays this intelligent game. Now watch this movie version and see how it completely loses this neat idea.

Instead, they follow the BBC rule of exploiting interesting faces and spaces. Lucy IS lovely, but the magic of the mystery is long gone.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

An average mystery tale that is slow and not easy to engage with

[bob the moo · 27 December 2005]

Mrs McGillicuddy is on her way to see her friend Miss Marple when she looks out of the train window and sees, in an adjacent train, a woman being strangled by a man. Disturbed and doubted by the police she asks Miss Marple to look into it. With nothing but mockery from Detective Inspector Slack, the pair try to pinpoint the location of the murder and thus the possible places where the body would be dumped. The most likely would be the ample grounds of the Crackenthorpe estate but they can't go wandering around that looking for a body. So instead Marple turns to her niece Lucy Eyelesbarrow for help – getting her to take a job within the grounds to allow her to look around.

Although I am more into the Columbo's of this world, an enjoyable mystery is an enjoyable mystery and I thought I would take the opportunity to revisit the Miss Marple stories as told by the BBC back in the late 1980's. This film opens well enough, with a seemingly impossible murder to track down far less solve but gradually it does. After the actual crime the film does drag a little for the first hour as we get to know the characters and Lucy looks around. Once the body is found I had hoped it would spring into life a little bit but it didn't really and the "facts" and the discoveries didn't grab my interest that much. The stiff and proper approach is all well and good and I could live with that but I didn't like the way it seemed to infect even the narrative and the delivery. It is all delivered slowly and without any particular hook to grab the audience and I must admit that I found myself caring less and less as the film went on.

The cast are all reasonably good. Hickson was a good Miss Marple and it is not her fault that the film forgets her for the first hour and then uses her sparingly for the second. Meager is OK as Lucy but it is too much of an ask in my opinion for her to carry the majority of the film by herself. The support cast is all fairly reliable without anyone marking themselves out; Horovitch does his usual Marple-weary thing to good effect.

Overall an OK film but nothing special. The slow pace is not a problem but the uninvolving story and slow mystery meant I wasn't really hooked at any point – a bit of a weakness for a mystery story. The cast are all OK but the specific nature of the resolution meant it was being told to me rather than carrying me along. Marple fans will probably like it but the majority of viewers will struggle.

One of my favorite TV moments

[aramis-112-804880 · 3 May 2023]

An old Pal of Miss Marple's claims she saw a murder committed on a train. Or did she, as Inspector Slack thinks, dream it?

Miss Marple is too old and infirm to dart around the countryside snooping out bodies so she enlists the helpful Lucy Eyelesbarrow to scout around.

One of my favorite moments in TV is when Lucy Eyelesbarrow (Jill Meager) locates the decaying body.

Maurice Denham plays a crotchety old codger and titular head of clan Crackenthorpe (what names!--a by-product of Christie producing so many books, I expect).

After the body is found the story settles into a more typical mystery. And the ending is more psychologically satisfactory all around than the adaptation in the later "Marple" series.

As usual, David Horowitz's Inspector Slack is a delight. And while Jill Meager isn't particularly pretty (why should she be?) she's a delight from start to finish and her character holds the piece, like the household, together.