Agatha Christie Marple: The Blue Geranium (2010) (TV)

Director:

David Moore

Writers:

Stewart Harcourt (screenplay)
Agatha Christie (short story)

Release Date:

27 June 2010 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

A cruel, superstitious woman dies of apparent fright after her fate is foretold by a medium. Miss Marple, however, is convinced of foul play when another death occurs.

Plot Keywords:

Murder Mystery

Cast

Julia McKenzie	...	Miss Marple
Sharon Small	...	Mary Pritchard
Toby Stephens	...	George Pritchard
Claudie Blakley	...	Philippa Pritchard
Joanna Page	...	Hester
Claire Rushbrook	...	Caroline
Ian East	...	John the gardener
Kevin McNally	...	Detective Somerset (as Kevin R. McNally)
Richard Betts	...	Clerk of the Court
Derek Hutchinson	...	Concierge
Donald Sinden	...	Sir Henry Clithering
Jason Durr	...	Eddie Seward
David Calder	...	Dermot
Paul Rhys	...	Lewis Pritchard
Patrick Baladi	...	Jonathan Frayn
Caroline Catz	...	Hazel
Benjamin Harcourt	...	Peter Pritchard
Thomas Harcourt	...	Michael Pritchard
Molly Harcourt	...	Susan Pritchard
Rebekah Manning	...	Susan Carstairs
Hugh Ross	...	Lord Justice Carmichael
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Greg Bennett	...	Villager (uncredited)
Pete Noakes	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
David Moore

Writing credits
Stewart Harcourt		(screenplay)
Agatha Christie		(short story)

Produced by
Michele Buck	....	executive producer
Mary Durkan	....	executive producer: for Chorion
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: for WGBH Boston
Matthew Hamilton	....	co-producer
Mathew Prichard	....	executive producer: for Chorion
Jennie Scanlon	....	co-producer
Karen Thrussell	....	series producer
Damien Timmer	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dominik Scherrer

Cinematography by
Peter Greenhalgh		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Elen Pierce Lewis

Casting by
Susie Parriss

Production Design by
Jeff Tessler

Art Direction by
Miranda Cull

Costume Design by
Sheena Napier

Makeup Department
Bee Archer	....	makeup artist
Pamela Haddock	....	hair and make-up designer
Julie Kendrick	....	makeup artist
Tony Lilley	....	makeup artist
Hannah Proverbs	....	makeup artist

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

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sean Clayton	....	second assistant director
Tussy Facchin	....	third assistant director
Paul Judges	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Tim Bonstow	....	production buyer
Dave Channon	....	construction manager
Ron Dawling	....	stand-by props (as Ron Dowling)
Fred Foster	....	stand-by construction
Paul Gilpin	....	supervising art director
Jim Grindley	....	property master
Andrew Lavin	....	stand-by art director
Richard MacMillan	....	stand-by props (as Richard Macmillian)
Robert Muskett	....	stand-by construction (as Bob Muskett)
Jay Pales	....	dressing props
Mike Rawlings	....	dressing props
Mike Syson	....	dressing props

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

Stunts
Tom Lucy	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Craig Atkinson	....	camera grip
Ben Gibb	....	focus puller
Jimmy Harris	....	best boy
Dermot Hickey	....	focus puller
Dean Murray	....	clapper loader
Steve Murray	....	camera operator
Gavin Walters	....	gaffer
Peter Davies	....	electrician (uncredited)
Greg Murray	....	grip assistant (uncredited)
Steve Murray	....	a-camera/steadicam operator (uncredited)
Adam Walker	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Janine Marr	....	costume supervisor
Philip O'Connor	....	assistant costume designer (as Phil O'Connor)
Steve O'Sullivan	....	costume assistant
Sarah Ward	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Simon Giblin	....	on-line editor
Kevin Horsewood	....	colourist
Vicky Tooms	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Richard Hammarton	....	additional orchestration
Martin Thornton	....	technical score assistant (uncredited)

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

Other crew
Meriel Baistow-Clare	....	script editor
Sam Baker	....	production coordinator
Natasha Bayford	....	press officer
Simon Blakey	....	production secretary
Julie Burnell	....	production executive
Sue Hills	....	script supervisor
Robin Pim	....	location manager
Caroline Russell	....	production accountant
Joanna Sanders	....	assistant production accountant
Izzi Shearman	....	floor runner
Patrick Smith	....	picture publicist
Mark Walledge	....	assistant location manager
Tracey Waller	....	title design
Rebecca Kemp	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Donna Shakesheff	....	production runner (uncredited)

Production Companies

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

Distributors

• Elephant Films (2011) (France) (video)
• NHK (2012) (Japan) (TV)

Other Companies

• Coach House Studios  Avid Unity suite

Also Known As:

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:12 (video rating) (2011)

Filming Locations:

Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

ITV Studios

Trivia:

The original story can be found in 'The 13 Problems', a collection of short stories told at Miss Marple's home by her companions and solved by Miss Marple on the spot.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Goerge and Jerry are outside arguing about George always supporting Jerry, a long shot shows a car pull up from the left. When the camera cuts back to George, the car is in the background facing the other direction. It then returns to its original position in the next shot.

Harcourt is the best!!!!

A frightfully good adaptation of a Marple short story,uncannily creepy and faithful to the source,despite the very huge padding.Harcourt is becoming the better writer of the series,and his match of wits with Kevin Elyot is more interesting than a football cup. Personally,I consider this Geranium and A Murder is Announced the two better episodes of the whole series,but Geranium is a more successful task,and a more difficult one,because it was based on a very short tale,a very surprising and pleasant one,but with a very stark material for a quite longish TV movie.It's the first time that the padding of a short story has not destroyed completely the original tale:even TR Bowen failed with the absolutely abominable Bachelor in the Jeremy Brett series.Certainly ITV is winning the best laurels with creeper,darker and psychological stories.They simply don't have the lighter,funnier string.But when they are dark and grim and spooky they are really great (and it's very promising for Pale Horse,pity it's not an Harcourt or an Elyot!). The actors were simply perfect. Julia McKenzie is now perfectly confident in Marple's sensible shoes:if they give to her a good script,like this one or Mirror Crack'd or They Do It With Mirrors she's a real stunner.The fault in past episodes was not hers,and we must put the blame absolutely on the unfortunate, unpleasant and unfaithful plots. Sharon Small is pathetic but never ludicrous in her role of a neurotic ,bedridden woman.Toby Stephens is very possibly now the best English leading actor,and he would have been perfect in an Hitchcock movie.Claudie Blakley shines in her role of Phillipa,the overanxious sister of the deceased,Ms.Rushbrook is a very good Christiean nurse ,and she could have been tending Laura Welman in Sad Cypress.Jason Durr is a wondrous loony in the Edgar Lawson's vein.David Calder and Donald Sinden,two old battle-horses are winning their battle for the umpteenth time.And the village,with its eerie Seven Sins fresco is a malignant marvel of murderous merriment.This episode and the two Mirrors are the perfect models for a perfect Marple episode.This is the correct garden path for a long and highly pleasant series.