Murder She Said (1961)

Director:

George Pollock

Writers:

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

Release Date:

7 January 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Who is the blonde in the box?

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 | Cooking

Cast

Margaret Rutherford	...	Miss Marple
Arthur Kennedy	...	Dr. Quimper
Muriel Pavlow	...	Emma
James Robertson Justice	...	Ackenthorpe
Thorley Walters	...	Cedric
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Craddock (as Charles Tingwell)
Conrad Phillips	...	Harold
Ronald Howard	...	Eastley
Joan Hickson	...	Mrs. Kidder
Stringer Davis	...	Mr. Stringer
Ronnie Raymond	...	Alexander
Gerald Cross	...	Albert
Michael Golden	...	Hillman
Barbara Leake	...	Mrs. Helen Stainton
Gordon Harris	...	Bacon
Peter Butterworth	...	Ticket Collector
Richard Briers	...	Mrs. Binster
Lucy Griffiths	...	Lucy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nadia Pavlova	...	Murder Victim (uncredited)
Martin Stephens	...	Alexander (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
George Pollock

Writing credits
Agatha Christie		(novel "4·50 From Paddington")
David D. Osborn		(adaptation) (as David Osborn)
David Pursall		(screenplay) and
Jack Seddon		(screenplay)

Produced by
George H. Brown	....	producer

Original Music by
Ron Goodwin

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Faithfull		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ernest Walter

Art Direction by
Harry White

Makeup Department
Eddie Knight	....	makeup artist
Pearl Orton	....	hairdressing

Production Management
Jan Darnley-Smith	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Hickox	....	assistant director

Art Department
Mickey O'Toole	....	stand-by props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert Carrick	....	dubbing editor
J.B. Smith	....	sound recordist
Cyril Swern	....	sound recordist
A.W. Watkins	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Tom Howard	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Austin Dempster	....	camera operator
Norman Hargood	....	stills cameraman

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Felix Evans	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Ron Goodwin	....	conductor

Other crew
Beryl Booth	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (as A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture also)
• George H. Brown Productions (for)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1961) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Turner Home Entertainment (1990) (worldwide) (all media)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Agatha Christie's 'Murder, She Said'" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

USA:87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:G | Brazil:10 (DVD rating) | UK:PG (tv rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1990) (2003) | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The part of Alexander was dubbed by child actor Martin Stephens, who had appeared in such films as Village of the Damned (1960) and The Innocents (1961).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The train overtaking Miss Marple's train is being hauled by an ex-GWR locomotive number 2221, but the image is reversed.

Quotes:

Albert Ackenthorpe:I've just been thinking. If that woman was foreign...
Cedric Ackenthorpe:You should think of women more often, Albert. It might bring about some interesting changes in you.
Albert Ackenthorpe:I know it's laughable...
Cedric Ackenthorpe:I agree.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Murder Most Foul (1964)

Grand-Dame Good Film

Grand Dame Margaret Rutherford gives a fine performance as super sleuth Jane Marple in this, the first of four films based on Christie's detective. Agatha Christie was upset with the casting of Rutherford in the role of her dowdy, inquisitive, rather passive detective who solves crimes more on what she hears from other people more than anything else. And who cannot understand her concerns, initially? Rutherford is the antithesis of the fictional Marple. She is a battleship on screen with her plump, statuesque build, her one-of-a-kind visage, her English aristocratic bearing and wit, and her anything but passive behaviour. To put it bluntly, Christie's character was only that character in name.....but....this does not detract from the film in the least for me. And I should expect that only die-hard fans of Miss Marple will not enjoy this film for it is a good mystery, has excellent character acting, a zippy score, and some wonderful witty dialogue. Most of all, it has Dame Margaret Rutherford give a larger-than-life performance that promises to bring you many smiles and some good laughs.