The Moving Finger (1985) (TV)

Director:

Roy Boulting

Writer:

Julia Jones (dramatised by)
(more)

Release Date:

21 February 1985 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

The residents of a quiet English village begin to receive nasty, threatening letters. The wife of the local vicar calls in her friend Miss Marple to investigate.

Plot Keywords:

Letter | Miss Marple | Poison | Village | Poison Pen Letter

Cast

Joan Hickson	...	Miss Marple
Michael Culver	...	Edward Symmington
Deborah Appleby	...	Megan Hunter
Andrew Bicknell	...	Gerry Burton
Sabina Franklyn	...	Joanna Burton
Richard Pearson	...	Mr. Pye
Hilary Mason	...	Emily Barton
Dilys Hamlett	...	Maud Calthrop
John Arnatt	...	Rev. Guy Calthrop
Sandra Payne	...	Eryl Griffith
Martin Fisk	...	Owen Griffith
Penelope Lee	...	Partridge
Juliet Waley	...	Beatrice
Imogen Bickford-Smith	...	Elsie Holland
Geoffrey Davion	...	Police Superintendent Nash
Roger Ostime	...	Detective Inspector Crawford
Victor Maddern	...	P.C. Johnson
Gerald Sim	...	Coroner
Ninka Scott	...	Miss Ginch
Patsy Smart	...	Mrs Cleat
Gordon Rollings	...	Mr Cleat
Catherine Owen	...	Rose
Carol Gleeson	...	Contralto
John Keenan	...	Pianist
Elizabeth Counsell	...	Angela Symmington
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lucy Gleeson	...	Robert Symmington (uncredited)
Stuart Mansfield	...	James Symmington (uncredited)
Michael Waterman	...	George Ellis (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Boulting

Writing credits
Julia Jones		(dramatised by)
Agatha Christie		(novel) uncredited

Produced by
Guy Slater	....	producer

Original Music by
Alan Blaikley
Ken Howard

Cinematography by
Ian Hilton		(photography)

Film Editing by
Graham Walker

Production Design by
Paul Allen		(designer)

Costume Design by
Christian Dyall

Production Management
Andrew Benson	....	production manager

Art Department
Helen MacKenzie	....	properties buyer (as Helen Mackenzie)
Linda Sherwood-Page	....	graphic designer

Sound Department
Martyn Clift	....	film recordist
John Hale	....	dubbing mixer
Rob Maynard	....	dubbing editor

Editorial Department
Bernard Ashby	....	chief film editor

Music Department
John Altman	....	musical director

Other crew
Alexandra Bridcut	....	assistant floor manager (as Alex Bridcut)
George Gallaccio	....	production associate
Juley Harding	....	production assistant
John Kay	....	assistant floor manager
Tony Redston	....	location manager

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (as A BBC-tv production)
• A&E Television Networks (in association with) (as The Arts and Entertainment Network, U.S.A.)
• Seven Network (in association with) (as The Seven Network, Australia)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1985) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1985) (USA) (TV)
• Mystery! (1985) (USA) (TV)
• A&E Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• A&E Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Just Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

UK | USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (still photographs: of Gerry Burton's and Megan Hunter's trip to London) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Just before the meeting of the maid and her boyfriend on the bridge, there is a view of Willie Lott's cottage in Suffolk, famous because it appears in John Constable's 1821 painting The Hay Wain.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Mr. Pye pours out sherry for his guests, the carafe is seen to be almost empty. On refilling their glasses a short while later the carafe appears half full.

Quotes:

Miss Jane Marple:Oh, forgive me, Superintendent, but I hope you don't wa... how should I put it?... find me irratating.
Superintendent Nash:[In a condescendingly emphatic tone] Dismiss the thought, Miss Marple!
Miss Jane Marple:Oh, good. I'm so glad. Thank you... yes.

Movie Connections:

Version of Agatha Christie Marple: The Moving Finger (2006) (TV)

Poor Ted

Oh dear, poor Ted, he seems, from his email address to be in Education, and one would suspect that his academic speciality is "Mystery Writers". A pity, excessive analysis over the years appears to have rather distorted his power of judgement. I was lucky enough to have been brought up in 1950s England, and I have never seen a series which more accurately reflects the life and people I remember then, less the murders of course! The real problem Ted has with the whole series is revealed in this comment: "At least this one emphasizes the obnoxious, mousey character of Jane more than the others." He just doesn't like Joan Hickson's characterisation. Well, sorry old chap, I knew many friends of my grandparents who were extremely similar to this Miss Marple, intelligent ladies of the Raj who had returned to England or daughters of the prewar middle class coping with the new society that was being shaped. They were used to a 'certain standard' in all things. Behind the fierce formal exterior, though, there was a twinkle, although often buried quite deeply. If Ted doesn't like this Joan Hickson characterisation, then I'm pretty sure he would have not have got on with Agatha Christie either. Probably Erle Stanley Gardner's more his type! This episode is up to the standard of the rest of the series, and it was directed by Roy Boulting, who would also remember this time well since it was his heyday at Shepperton Studios, producing classics like 'I'm alright Jack'. Hence the accuracy of the period feel. If you want to see Miss Marple really messed up, then check out the new 2004 series featuring Geraldine McEwan, whom I admire in the right part (Mapp and Lucia for example). But she is NOT Miss Marple, Miss Hickson IS.