The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Jonathan Hales (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Village | Movie Star | Suspect | Death | English

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

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
Rock Hudson	...	Jason Rudd
Kim Novak	...	Lola Brewster
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Marina Rudd
Marella Oppenheim	...	Margot Bence
Anthony Steel	...	Sir Derek Ridgeley (Murder at Midnight)
Dinah Sheridan	...	Lady Amanda Ridgeley (Murder at Midnight)
Oriane Grieve	...	Kate Ridgely (Murder at Midnight)
Kenneth Fortescue	...	Charles Foxwell (Murder at Midnight)
Hildegard Neil	...	Lady Foxcroft (Murder at Midnight)
Allan Cuthbertson	...	Peter Montrose (Murder at Midnight)
George Silver	...	Da Silva (Murder at Midnight)
John Bennett	...	Barnsby (Murder at Midnight)
Nigel Stock	...	Inspector Gates (Murder at Midnight)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pierce Brosnan	...	Actor playing 'Jamie' (uncredited)
John Dalby	...	Bandmaster (uncredited)
Bill Dean	...	1st Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
Frank Ellis	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Sam Kydd	...	Film Technician (uncredited)
Charles Lamb	...	2nd Man in Village Hall (uncredited)
Richard Leech	...	Director of Photography (uncredited)
Derek Lyons	...	Queen's Guard (uncredited)
Angus MacKay	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Robert Raglan	...	Villager (uncredited)

Directed by
Guy Hamilton

Writing credits
Agatha Christie		(novel "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side")
Jonathan Hales		(screenplay) and
Barry Sandler		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Brabourne	....	producer
Richard B. Goodwin	....	producer (as Richard Goodwin)

Original Music by
John Cameron

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard Marden

Production Design by
Michael Stringer

Art Direction by
John Roberts

Set Decoration by
Peter Howitt		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Helen Lennox	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Jim Brennan	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derek Cracknell	....	first assistant director

Art Department
John Paterson	....	construction manager

Sound Department
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
John Richards	....	sound recordist
Bill Rowe	....	sound recordist
Nicholas Stevenson	....	dubbing editor (as Nick Stevenson)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Palmer	....	camera operator
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
John Clark	....	best boy (uncredited)
Gary Cross	....	electrician (uncredited)
Nobby Cross	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Betty Adamson	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Roy Birchley	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Cameron	....	conductor

Other crew
Gordon Arnell	....	publicist
Robert Ellis	....	title designer
Brian Harris	....	supervising accountant
Michael John Knatchbull	....	location manager (as Michael-John Knatchbull)
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Elisabeth Woodthorpe	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• EMI Films
• G.W. Films

Distributors

• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1980) (UK) (theatrical)
• Kinosto (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Associated Film Distribution (AFD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• EMI Films (1980) (UK) (all media)
• Future Film (2002) (Finland) (DVD) (1-disc edition)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (video)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Lumiere Home Video
• Lumière Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Maple Pictures (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• Nelonen (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Studio Canal (1980) (UK) (DVD)
• TV3 (1990) (Finland) (TV)
• Thorn EMI Video Australia
• Thorn EMI Video (198?) (Finland) (video)
• Universal Home Video (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD) (6-disc The Agatha Christie's Collection)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2008) (Finland) (DVD) (1-disc edition)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (worldwide) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Alexandre  hair styling: Miss Taylor (as Alexandre of Paris)
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)
• Panavision UK  filmed with Panavision equipment (as Panavision equipment)
• Technicolor  colour by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (opening sequence) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Ireland:PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (1981) | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

Natalie Wood was the first choice for Marina Rudd but turned the role down after disagreements over cast billing and the portrayal of the character itself.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The houses in the village have UHF television aerials. In Britain, broadcasting on the UHF band did not begin until the 1960s, when BBC2 started.

Quotes:

Ella Zielinsky:Marty Fenn's a producer. He only lies when he speaks.

Movie Connections:

Featured in There's Something About Christie... Murder Made Simple (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

There's No Business Like Show Business

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.