The Body in the Library (1984) (TV)

Director:

Silvio Narizzano

Writers:

T.R. Bowen (screenplay)
Agatha Christie (novel)

Release Date:

26 December 1984 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Amateur detective Miss Jane Marple investigates the murder of a young woman whose body is found in the library at Gossington Hall...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Murder | Manor | Amateur Detective | Hotel

Cast

Joan Hickson	...	Miss Jane Marple
Gwen Watford	...	Mrs. Dolly Bantry
Moray Watson	...	Colonel Arthur Bantry
Valentine Dyall	...	Lorrimer
Karin Foley	...	Mary
Raymond Francis	...	Sir Henry Clithering
Frederick Jaeger	...	Chief Constable Colonel Melchett
David Horovitch	...	Detective Inspector Slack
Ian Brimble	...	Detective Constable Lake
Sarah Whitlock	...	WPC
Anthony Smee	...	Basil Blake
Debbie Arnold	...	Dinah Lee
John Bardon	...	Police Constable Bill Palk
Anne Rutter	...	Mrs. Palk
Colin Higgins	...	Malcolm

Also Known As:

Miss Marple: The Body in the Library (UK) (series title)

Runtime:

Germany:110 min (2 parts) | 156 min (DVD)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Movie Connections:

Version of Marple: The Body in the Library (2004) (TV)

What A Great Whodunit Puzzle

The ending was a total surprise. My guess as to the killer's identity was flat wrong. But, of course, once the explanation is given, the events make perfect sense. There are clues all over the place, but they're very subtle. Some are in the dialogue. If spoken words were taken at face value, we would know instantly who the villain is. Instead, we take these words only in the context of the discussion. Thus, we overlook their significance. This film is probably one of the better TV murder mysteries derived from an Agatha Christie novel.

Casting and acting are fine. As Miss Marple, Joan Hickson plays it low-key and deferential. Other actors are also a delight. Andrew Cruickshank as Conway Jefferson, Raymond Francis as Sir Henry Clithering, and Frederick Jaeger as Chief Constable Melchett enhance the overall quality of acting.

The plot does seem a tad strung out. The story doesn't really justify a two and a half-hour plot. Several sequences, especially in the first half, could have been shortened or deleted. I'm assuming the story takes place in the early 1950s, but the script doesn't really specify.

I like the spine-tingling suspense near the end. All we see of the killer is a shadowy figure and a pair of black-gloved hands. Marvelous! And Miss Marple sums up the entire story: "It's a mystery. But then we all are, aren't we? Even to ourselves, especially to ourselves".