Agatha Christie Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage (2004) (TV)

Director:

Charlie Palmer

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Stephen Churchett (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

No one seems surprised when Colonel Lucius Protheroe, the most disliked person in St. Mary Mead, is found murdered in the local vicarage. Red herrings abound, especially when his widow and her lover both confess to the murder.

Plot Keywords:

Vicarage | Murder | Suspect | Sprained Ankle | Red Herring

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Geraldine McEwan	...	Miss Marple
John Owens	...	Photographer
Jana Carpenter	...	May Ainsworth
Tim McInnerny	...	Rev. Leonard Clement
Siobhan Hayes	...	Mary Hill
Rachael Stirling	...	Griselda Clement
Julian Morris	...	Dennis Clement
Mark Gatiss	...	Ronald Hawes
Robert Powell	...	Dr. Haydock
Jane Asher	...	Mrs. Lester
Janet McTeer	...	Anne Protheroe
Derek Jacobi	...	Colonel Protheroe
Angela Pleasence	...	Miss Hartnell
Miriam Margolyes	...	Mrs. Price-Ridley
Christina Cole	...	Lettice Protheroe
Jason Flemyng	...	Lawrence Redding
Herbert Lom	...	Ausgustin Dufosse
Emily Bruni	...	Helene Dufosse
Paul Hawkyard	...	Frank Tarrant
Ruth Sheen	...	Mrs. Tarrant
Julie Cox	...	Young Miss Marple
Jenny Howe	...	Maid
Stephen Tompkinson	...	D.I. Slack
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Churchett	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Martin Heathcote	...	PC Hurst (uncredited)
Marc Warren	...	Captain Ainsworth (uncredited)

Directed by
Charlie Palmer		(as Charles Palmer)

Writing credits
Agatha Christie		(novel)
Stephen Churchett		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michele Buck	....	executive producer
Phil Clymer	....	executive producer: Chorion plc
Helga Dowie	....	line producer
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH
Matthew Read	....	producer
Damien Timmer	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dominik Scherrer

Cinematography by
Nigel Walters		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Adam Recht

Casting by
Susie Parriss

Production Design by
Jeff Tessler

Art Direction by
Pilar Foy
Grant Montgomery

Costume Design by
Phoebe De Gaye

Makeup Department
Christine Greenwood	....	makeup designer
Susan Parkinson	....	makeup artist (as Sue Parkinson)
Sarah Pickering	....	makeup artist
Isabel While	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Kate Stannard	....	post-production supervisor
Jon Williams	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sean Clayton	....	second assistant director
Joanna Crow	....	first assistant director
Cara Cheeseman	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Paul Gilpin	....	supervising art director
Jim Grindley	....	prop master
David Lewis	....	production buyer
Joanne Ridler	....	stand-by art director
Gus Wookey	....	construction manager

Sound Department
John Downer	....	supervising sound editor
Tony Jackson	....	sound recordist
Billy Mahoney	....	dubbing mixer
Sarah Morton	....	dialogue editor
Mike Reardon	....	boom operator
Charlotte Gray	....	sound trainee (uncredited)
Adam Powell	....	foley editor (uncredited)
Nigel Squibbs	....	assistant dubbing mixer (uncredited)

Stunts
Lee Sheward	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Green	....	focus puller (as Mike Green)
Peter Robinson	....	best boy
Xandy Sahla	....	camera operator (as Xandy Shala)
George Vince	....	lighting gaffer
Alfie Williams	....	grip
Wailoon Chung	....	electrician (uncredited)
Michael Green	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Eugene Grobler	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Adrienne Hayward	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Gary Parnham	....	electrician (uncredited)
Steve Wallace	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (segments) (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Natalie Richmond Elvy	....	costume supervisor
Luan Placks	....	assistant costume designer
Maija Ross	....	costume assistant
Rachel Vallance	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Ian Johnson	....	assistant editor
Lee Twohey	....	telecine colourist
Simon Giblin	....	on-line editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Richard Hammarton	....	orchestrator: score (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Mark Beeton	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Nuala Alen-Buckley	....	production accountant
Sam Baker	....	production secretary (as Samantha Baker)
Mary Haddow	....	script supervisor
Simone Le Lievre	....	publicist
Mariette Masters	....	publicist
Rebecca Maybury	....	assistant accountant
Patrick Smith	....	publicist
Matt Steinmann	....	location manager
Rebecca Sutton	....	production coordinator
Karen Thrussell	....	script editor
Laura Vergelli	....	dialogue adaptor
Tracey Waller	....	title design
Chris White	....	location manager
Greg Bennett	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Elton Farla	....	medical coordinator (uncredited)
Mark Gladwin	....	location scout (uncredited)
Paula Jack	....	dialect coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Granada (a co-production of)
• WGBH Boston (a co-production of)
• Agatha Christie (in association with) (as Agatha Christie Ltd {a Chorion Company})
• Independent Television (ITV)

Distributors

• Granada International (2004) (USA) (all media)
• AcornMedia (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV) (2004) (UK) (TV)
• NHK-BS2 (2006) (Japan) (TV)
• Universal Channel (2010) (Hungary) (TV) (re-release)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Molinare Studio  sound post-production
• Pepper Post Production  post-production facilities
• Yacinsky Design  package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M (DVD rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (2005) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Hambleden, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Granada

Trivia:

Miss Marple is shown reading Raymond Chandler's short story anthology "The Simple Art of Murder", which also contains his titular essay on the detective novel. In the essay, Chandler argues that, in real life, the most unsolvable murders are the simplest, and criticizes, among other writers, Agatha Christie for creating implausible, over-elaborate murder plots for her novels.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the beginning of the film, when Miss Marple is ready to go to church, you can see a calendar on the table showing August 1951. On the calendar, the month begins with a Tuesday. In fact, the 1st of August 1951 was a Wednesday.

Quotes:

Miss Jane Marple:[referring to Colonel Protheroe] If he was shot at a quarter to seven, why would he have stopped in the middle of a sentence at twenty past six?

Movie Connections:

Follows Agatha Christie Marple: The Body in the Library (2004) (TV)

A thoroughly enjoyable and edgy Miss Marple movie

Hickson, McEwan, McKenzie - they each brought their own take on the Miss Marple character and I like all three actors in the role. McEwan's is the most edgy and worldly of the portrayals. From the costumes to the sets to the music, the production values of this show are marvelous and, with the exception of those playing the young adults, the cast is outstanding especially Janet McTeer. When I first saw this show I had no idea who McTeer was but since her amazing performance in the Albert Nobbs movie, I have gained an appreciation for her considerable acting talent and she shines in this episode. Derek Jacobi plays Colonel Protheroe - a blowhard, nasty and arrogant character who is just begging to be murdered as indeed he is. Although I recalled the solution having read the book, the mystery was still riveting and the ending was quite shocking. The one jarring bit to the story was the revelation of Miss Marple's youthful affair during WW I; the love affair itself seemed possible and believable but that it was with a married man seems way too unlikely and added nothing to the story. Even so, this show was a winner.