Marple: The Pale Horse (TV 2010)

Miss Marple's friend - a Catholic priest - is battered to death after visiting a woman dying under strange circumstances. Seeking justice, she becomes entangled in a nefarious organization centered around an inn run by purported witches.

Director:

Andy Hay

Writers:

Russell Lewis (screenplay), Agatha Christie (novel)

Stars:

Julia McKenzie, Nicholas Parsons, Lynda Baron

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julia McKenzie	...	Miss Marple
Nicholas Parsons	...	Father Gorman
Lynda Baron	...	Mrs. Coppins
JJ Feild	...	Paul Osbourne
Jodie Hay	...	Bertie
Jason Merrells	...	Dr. Kerrigan
Neil Pearson	...	Inspector Lejeune
Jonathan Cake	...	Mark Easterbrook
Nigel Planer	...	Mr. Venables
Jenny Galloway	...	Bella
Susan Lynch	...	Sybil Stamfordis
Pauline Collins	...	Thyrza Grey
Tom Ward	...	Captain Cottam
Sarah Alexander	...	Lydia Harsnet
Holly Valance	...	Kanga

Storyline

Miss Marple is shocked when she receives a note from an old friend,Father Gorman only to read in the newspaper the very same day that he was murdered. He had attended a dying woman, Mrs. Davis, who died the previous evening and it was while he was on his way home that he was apparently attacked. The police have put it down to a mugging but the letter Miss Marple received from him intrigues her: a list of surnames and a quote from the bible. The policeman in charge of the case, Inspector Lejeune is skeptical about it all being a murder but when Miss Marple inspects Mrs. Davis' rooms, she finds an identical list to that sent to her by Father Gorman and also a reference to the Pale Horse Inn in Much Deeping, Hampshire. She soon checks into the inn and pursues her own investigation.

---

Plot Keywords:

murder mystery | lingerie slip

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

---

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie Marple: The Pale Horse

Filming Locations:

Hughenden Manor, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

ITV Studios, WGBH, Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nicholas Parsons is no stranger to Miss Marple. He had previously appeared in a Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple film Murder Ahoy as Dr.Crump.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Mrs Davis: August, qu'est-ce que tu bois? Shaw, Harmondsworth. God forgive me! Wickedness!

---

Connections

Remake of The Pale Horse (1997)

User Reviews

Watchable but please read the book

As soon as I saw this production titled as Miss Marple I groaned. The book is narrated by Mark Easterbrook who helps solves the crime and Miss Marple is nowhere to be seen. Yes I'm a purist (as one reviewer describes those of us who wonder why screenwriters have to re-hash Ms Christie's stories). The book/story doesn't need to be changed or dragged into the 21st century, it's set in the late 1950's/1960's and is a very good read. It doesn't need to be dumbed down as the writers of this current series of Miss Marple think. I don't like Julie McKenzie as Marple and won't be watching her again (what does she have in her mouth? 'yesh', she says, 'I'm shomewhat apprehenshive myshelf' and 'show, to the lashht shhtep' aaghh). Anyway, from an extremely good book, with an excellent story, this production is a third rate amateur effort (Pauline Collins comes to mind). I can understand one reviewer not understanding what was going on, and another reviewer wondered where all Miss M's clues come from; the screenwriter messed up.All I can say is read the book. Please.