Murder Ahoy (1964)

Director:

George Pollock

Writers:

David Pursall (original screenplay) and
Jack Seddon (original screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 September 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

After Miss Marple is made a trustee of a merchant marine training vessel, a fellow trustee is poisoned, and ship's officers are later murdered after she comes on board.

Plot Keywords:

Miss Marple | Ship | Murder | Blackmailer | Swindle

Cast

Margaret Rutherford	...	Miss Marple
Lionel Jeffries	...	Captain Rhumstone
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Det. Insp. Craddock (as Charles Tingwell)
William Mervyn	...	Breeze-Connington
Joan Benham	...	Matron Alice Fanbraid
Stringer Davis	...	Mr. Stringer
Nicholas Parsons	...	Dr. Crump
Miles Malleson	...	Bishop
Henry Oscar	...	Lord Rudkin
Derek Nimmo	...	Humbert
Gerald Cross	...	Brewer
Norma Foster	...	Shirley
Terence Edmond	...	Sgt. Bacon
Francis Matthews	...	Compton
Lucy Griffiths	...	Millie
Bernard Adams	...	Dusty Miller
Tony Quinn	...	Kelly-Tramp
Edna Petrie	...	Miss Pringle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Holder	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Ivor Salter	...	Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
George Pollock

Writing credits
David Pursall		(original screenplay) and
Jack Seddon		(original screenplay)
Agatha Christie		character (uncredited)
David Pursall		interpretation of Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple"
Jack Seddon		interpretation of Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple"

Produced by
Ben Arbeid	....	associate producer
Lawrence P. Bachmann	....	producer

Original Music by
Ron Goodwin

Cinematography by
Desmond Dickinson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ernest Walter

Casting by
Irene Howard		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
William C. Andrews		(as Bill Andrews)

Production Management
Sydney Streeter	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Tomblin	....	assistant director
Peter Beale	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
J.B. Smith	....	dubbing mixer
Allan Sones	....	sound editor
Fred Turtle	....	sound recordist
A.W. Watkins	....	recording supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan McCabe	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Chris Kelly	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Ron Goodwin	....	conductor

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios (presents) (as Metro Goldwyn Mayer)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1964) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1990) (UK) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 | UK:U | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Trivia:

The screenplay was not based on any published Agatha Christie story. It did, however, borrow a few obscure plot details from "They Do It With Mirrors" and there is a delightful moment when Miss Marple pays homage to Christie's long-running play, "The Mousetrap."

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Charles 'Bud' Tingwell's character is wrongly credited as "Det. Insp. Craddock" - as the dialogue makes clear, he has been promoted to Chief Inspector following the events of Murder Most Foul (1964).

Quotes:

Captain Rhumstone: [testily] One thing I can't stand is being disturbed when I'm curling my beard!

Movie Connections:

Follows Murder Most Foul (1964)

Soundtrack:

Rule Britannia

All Aboard!

The third and arguably best film from the Miss Marple films of the 6o's. This time out Miss Marple must solve a mysterious death concerning a trustee and a snuff box, which eventually lands her on board a ship as an observing trustee. Once aboard, Miss Marple and her presence seemingly invite murder after murder. Margaret Rutherford furls her sails and lends the film her gargantuan aplomb. She is a battleship on screen. The cast also includes Stringer Davis(real-life husband) and Charles Tingwell(Inspector Craddock) reprising earlier roles. Lionel Jeffries is the ship's captain and he is simply marvelous as he bemoans Marple's presence and even calling her "a Jonah and an ill wind blowing." Definitely a treat and comic tour-de-force for Rutherford, who we get to see fence no less, and Jeffries.