Murder at the Gallop (1963)

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.

Director:

George Pollock

Writers:

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

Stars:

Margaret Rutherford, Stringer Davis, Robert Morley

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

The old and wealthy Mr. Enderby dies of a heart attack but the ever suspicious Miss Marple has her doubts. Who or what gave him a heart attack? Enderby's poor relatives gather at the The Gallop, a combined boarding-house and riding school. Miss Marple also gets there to find out if any of them had any particular reasons to see him dead.

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Plot Keywords:

cat | heart attack | murder | charity | heart failure | 

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Taglines:

(The Raciest Mystery of the Season!)

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1963 (Austria)

Also Known As:

Der Wachsblumenstrauß

Filming Locations:

Misbourne Cottage, Village Road, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios, George H. Brown Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kevin Stoney is dubbed by another actor.

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Goofs

As was customary film practice at the time, the lightbeam from Crossfield's torch in Black Jack's stable was provided by an actual studio light rather than the actor's prop. This is obvious as the light spot on the wall remains fairly constant whilst the character moves frantically - and at one point the torch casts a clear shadow in its own light.

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Quotes

Inspector Craddock: There have been stupid murderers, you know.
Miss Jane Marple: She's a timid woman, not a stupid one.

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Connections

Followed by Murder Ahoy (1964)

User Reviews

Mrs. Black, in the drawing room, with the dagger

Over the years, several actresses have played Agatha Christie's creation, Miss Jane Marple, spinster of the parish of St. Mary Meade. Their portrayals have generally ranged from understudied to vapid. Margaret Rutherford's performance was unquestionably the most forceful and feisty, though perhaps not very close to Agatha Christie's character as intended. Likewise, "Murder at the Gallop" is rather a pastiche of scenes from a Hercule Poirot novel, "After the Funeral", rather than being a single Miss Marple novel.

Also featuring were Robert Morley, playing, well, Robert Morley, and Duncan Lamont in his usual role as a surly underling.

The film is a departure from most films, even for the period, in being shot in sharp-focus black-and-white.

Plotwise, in "Murder at the Gallop", Miss Marple first witnesses the apparently natural death of a wealthy man while trying to rattle a charity collection box at his home. Her suspicions aroused, she subsequently investigates in blunt fashion, and discovers the dead man's sister, also murdered. Even though the police are now involved, she continues to poke and pry; and it turns out that Miss J. T. V. Marple was a champion horsewoman in her youth.

The final uncovering of the murderer lacks the usual drama, and is arrived at through a literal process of elimination, the other suspects having themselves been murdered.

Still, "Murder at the Gallop" is generally an enjoyable, fast-paced romp.