Marple: A Pocket Full of Rye (2008) (TV)

Director:

Charlie Palmer

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Kevin Elyot (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 July 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

A detestable businessman is murdered while at work, and a handful of rye is found in his pockets. Soon after, members of his household fall victim to a killer intent on recreating scenes from a popular nursery rhyme.

Plot Keywords:

Miss Marple | Upstairs Downstairs | Grain | Pie | Marmalade

Cast

Julia McKenzie	...	Miss Marple
Rose Heiney	...	Gladys
Laura Haddock	...	Miss Grosvenor
Kenneth Cranham	...	Rex Fortescue (as Ken Cranham)
Thea Collings	...	Tilly
Lucy Cohu	...	Pat Fortescue
Rupert Graves	...	Lance Fortescue
Matthew Macfadyen	...	Inspector Neele
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Professor Bernsdorrf (as Edward Tudor Pole)
Ralf Little	...	Sergeant Pickford
Helen Baxendale	...	Mary Dove
Ken Campbell	...	Crump
Anna Madeley	...	Adele Fortescue
Joseph Beattie	...	Vivian Dubois
Wendy Richard	...	Mrs Crump
Ben Miles	...	Percival Fortescue
Liz White	...	Jennifer Fortescue
Hattie Morahan	...	Elaine Fortescue
Paul Brooke	...	Billingsley
Chris Larkin	...	Gerald Wright
Prunella Scales	...	Mrs Mackenzie
Rachel Atkins	...	Sanatorium Sister
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Greg Bennett	...	Police Constable
Andrew Care	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Charlie Palmer		(as Charles Palmer)

Writing credits
Agatha Christie		(novel)
Kevin Elyot		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michele Buck	....	executive producer
Phil Clymer	....	executive producer: Chorion
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH Boston
Matthew Hamilton	....	line producer
Gabriel Silver	....	co-producer
Karen Thrussell	....	producer
Damien Timmer	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dominik Scherrer

Cinematography by
Cinders Forshaw		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Matthew Tabern

Production Design by
Jeff Tessler

Art Direction by
Miranda Cull
Nic Pallace

Costume Design by
Andrea Galer

Makeup Department
Alison Elliott	....	hair designer
Alison Elliott	....	makeup designer
Julie Kendrick	....	makeup artist
Marc Pilcher	....	makeup artist
Lucy Samworth	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Kate Stannard	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sean Clayton	....	second assistant director
Paul Judges	....	first assistant director
Danielle Somerfield	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Tim Bonstow	....	props buyer
Fred Foster	....	stand-by construction
Tone Gibbs	....	dressing props (as Tony Gibbs)
Paul Gilpin	....	supervising art director
Jim Grindley	....	prop master
Richard MacMillan	....	stand-by props (as Richard Macmillian)
Paul Mitchell	....	stand-by props
Robert Muskett	....	stand-by construction (as Bob Muskett)
Spencer Robertson	....	stand-by art director
Mike Syson	....	dressing props
Gus Wookey	....	construction manager
Naomi Moore	....	assistant production buyer (uncredited)
Craig Price	....	prop storeman (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Downer	....	supervising sound editor
Sarah Morton	....	dialogue editor
Ashley Reynolds	....	boom operator
Andrew Sissons	....	sound recordist
Nigel Squibbs	....	re-recording mixer
Simon Epstein	....	foley editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Graham Longhurst	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Tom Lucy	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Andrew Banwell	....	focus puller (as Andy Banwell)
Paul Donachie	....	camera operator
Ben Gibb	....	clapper loader
Woody Gregson	....	clapper loader
Nathan Mann	....	focus puller
David Mills	....	camera trainee: dailies
Rupert Morency	....	assistant grip
Ronan Murphy	....	grip
Adam Walker	....	electrician
Gavin Walters	....	gaffer
Peter Wing	....	best boy

Casting Department
Susie Parriss	....	casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Miranda King	....	costume supervisor
Sarah Pasricha	....	costume assistant (as Sara Pasricha)
Nadine Powell	....	assistant costume designer
Diana Wyand	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Chris Beeton	....	colorist
Simon Giblin	....	on-line editor
Amar Ingreji	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Richard Hammarton	....	composer: additional music (as Richard Hammerton)

Transportation Department
David Grose	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Julie Burnell	....	production executive
Natalie Cheary	....	publicist
Sue Hills	....	script supervisor
Faiza Hosenie	....	production coordinator
Hannah Ireland	....	production secretary
Ben Newman	....	script editor
Caroline Russell	....	production accountant
Joanna Sanders	....	assistant production accountant
Patrick Smith	....	publicist
Mark Walledge	....	assistant location manager
Tracey Waller	....	title design
Chris White	....	location manager
Donna Mabey	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Robin Pim	....	location manager (uncredited)

Thanks
Ken Campbell	....	in memory of: 1941 to 2008
Wendy Richard	....	in memory of: 1943 to 2009 (as Wendy Richard MBE)

Production Companies

• ITV Studios (A Co-Production of) (as itv Studios)
• WGBH (A Co-Production of) (as WGBH BOSTON)
• Agatha Christie (in association with) (as Agatha Christie Ltd {a Chorion Company})

Distributors

• Magyar Televízió (2009) (Hungary) (TV) (M1)
• NHK (2012) (Japan) (TV)

Other Companies

• Coach House Studios  Avid Unity suite

Also Known As:

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:15 (video rating) (2010)

Filming Locations:

Englefield House, Theale, Reading, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

ITV Studios

Trivia:

The last TV role of Wendy Richard who died before transmission in the UK.

Movie Connections:

Version of Tayna chyornykh drozdov (1983)

Soundtrack:

Sing a Song of Sixpence

Hugely enjoyable Agatha Christie mystery!

A Pocket Full of Rye was hugely enjoyable, and a definitive improvement over the other recent Marples with Geraldine McEwan. I will admit I was worried, after how poorly Nemesis and Sleeping Murder were adapted. Julia McKenzie, though she could have done with more screen time, was terrific as Jane Marple. While Joan Hickson is the definitive Marple, MacKenzie fitted the part much better than Geraldine McEwan. When I picture Miss Marple I picture a wise and clever woman, exactly how Joan Hickson portrayed her, and MacKenzie actually manged to stay true to the character of the books too. As for the adaptation itself, I admit I haven't read the book, it was beautifully filmed, and the music was good too. The acting is very fine, from Kenneth Cranham, Prunella Scales, Rupert Graves to the late Wendy Richard, and are careful not to overshadow MacKenzie as she clearly enjoys herself here, and as the series develops as I do hope it will, she will develop too. The story is very clever, and the final solution with a couple of red herrings along the way, is very unpredictable, I was left gob smacked when I found out who the murderer really was. And I never realised Sing A Song Of Sixpence had such an ominous feel to it, and it ws put to good use here. All in all, hugely enjoyable, and a definitive improvement on the Geraldine McEwan outings. 10/10 Bethany Cox