Film Review
After the success of
Murder She Said (1961)
Margaret Rutherford was more than happy to reprise the role of
Miss Marple in what would be the second of her four outings as Agatha Christie's
spinster detective (five if you include her cameo appearance in
The Alphabet Murders).
Christie may not have approved of Rutherford's interpretation of her famous
creation but audiences loved her in the role and it became one of
her most famous. The actress was both a born eccentric and a
supremely talented performer, two qualities that made her perfect for the
part, which she clearly relishes playing. 'Murder most foul!' she
declares with an exuberant lust for adventure, and just look how
enthusiastically she dances the twist. You can bet that
Joan Hickson never had half as much fun with the role in her
television series as Miss Marple.
Murder at the Gallop is
arguably the best and most enjoyable of the four Miss Marple films made
by MGM. Director George Pollock strikes an appropriate balance
between suspense-drama and comedy and takes a leaf or two out of
Hitchcock's book, planting red herrings all over the shop and using the
camera imaginatively to build the tension. The performances are
equally creditable, with a particularly memorable turn from Robert
Morley, an actor with a rare talent for appearing sinister and funny at
the same time.
The film is based on Agatha Christie's novel
After the Funeral, in which the
murder mystery was solved by Hercule Poirot, not Miss Marple, not that
it matters (can you imagine Poirot doing the twist?). In the film,
Miss Marple admits that she is a
great fan of Agatha Christie, which clearly cannot be the case, because
if she had read
After the Funeral
she would have cracked the case in five minutes. The only
explanation is that Miss Marple is either an habitual
liar or an egomaniac. And she seemed such a sweet old lady...
© James Travers 2009
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
Whilst collecting money for a charity, Miss Marple and her friend Mr
Stringer pay a call on the reclusive Mr Enderby. They are amazed
when the old man suddenly appears at the top of his staircase and drops
dead at their feet. When Inspector Craddock rejects her theory
that Enderby was scared to death by a cat, Miss Marple embarks on her
own investigation. Those who stand to gain from the death are the
four heirs to the Enderby estate. Eavesdropping on the reading of
the will, Miss Marple hears one of the beneficiaries, Aunt Cora, assert
that Enderby was murdered. Realising that Cora knows something
about the death, Miss Marple pays her a visit at her cottage, but when
she arrives Cora is dead, murdered with a hatpin. Her only clue
being the footprint of a riding boot, Miss Marple checks into a
hotel-cum-riding school named The gallop, where all of Enderby's heirs
are gathered. The amateur sleuth is certain that one of them is a
murderer and lays a trap to catch the killer...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.