The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Jonathan Hales (screenplay),

Stars:

Angela Lansbury, Wendy Morgan, Tony Curtis

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angela Lansbury	...	Miss Jane Marple
Wendy Morgan	...	Cherry
Margaret Courtenay	...	Mrs. Bantry
Charles Gray	...	Bates, the Butler
Maureen Bennett	...	Heather Babcock
Carolyn Pickles	...	Miss Giles
Eric Dodson	...	The Major
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Vicar (as Charles Lloyd-Pack)
Richard Pearson	...	Doctor Haydock
Thick Wilson	...	The Mayor
Pat Nye	...	Mayoress
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Scout Master
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Ella Zielinsky
Tony Curtis	...	Martin N. Fenn
Edward Fox	...	Inspector Craddock

Storyline

Based on the novel by Agatha Christie. The year is 1953. The small English village of St. Mary Mead, home to Miss Jane Marple, is delighted when a big American movie company arrives to make a movie telling of the relationship between Jane Grey and Elisabeth I, starring the famous actresses Marina Rudd and Lola Brewster. Marina arrives with her husband, Jason, and when she discovers that Lola is going to be in the movie with her she hits the roof as Lola and Marina loathe each other on sight. Marina has been getting death threats and at a party at the manor house, Heather Babcock, after boring Marina with a long story, drinks a cocktail made for Marina and dies from poisoning. Everybody believes that Marina is the target but the police officer investigating the case, Inspector Craddock isn't sure so he asks Miss Marple, his aunt, to investigate...

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Plot Keywords:

movie star | village | secretary | scotland yard | english | 

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Taglines:

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the murderer among them all?

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

El espejo roto

Filming Locations:

St. Clere Estate, Heaverham, Kent, Engalnd, UK

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 2,135,028 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

EMI Films, G.W. Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (opening sequence) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Angela Lansbury's character is presented as elderly and the leading men as only middle-aged she, Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson were all born the same year - 1925.

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Goofs

The flashback of Heather accepting Jason's daiquiri (as Cherry relates the tale to Miss Marple) omits her saying she's never tried one before.

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Quotes

Marina Rudd: I've always thought of Lola as one of my oldest *oldest* friends.

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Connections

References Ghost Ship (1952)

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Soundtracks

"A Wandering Minstrel, I"
(uncredited)
Composed by Arthur Sullivan

User Reviews

A very good adaptation.

Being a fan of both Agatha Christie, Angela Lansbury, and Rock Hudson I watched this film with pleasure. The cast here has done a great job, everybody is convincing, even Liz Taylor, although her acting is at times overdone, as usual. The movie has a good pace, dialogues are witty and humorous, and the mystery itself engaging. I think the proportions of each character's involvement in the story are true to the original (I was afraid they'd make Miss Marple into an action figure or something, but was glad to see she stayed in the background to make her grand entrance in the finale). All in all, it's a very good and convincing adaptation of Christie's book.