Murder She Said (1961)

When Miss Marple reports witnessing a murder through the window of a passing train, the police dismiss her as a dotty spinster when no trace of the crime can be found.

Director:

George Pollock

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), David D. Osborn (adaptation) (as David Osborn)

Stars:

Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Margaret Rutherford	...	Miss Marple
Arthur Kennedy	...	Dr. Quimper
Muriel Pavlow	...	Emma
James Robertson Justice	...	Ackenthorpe
Thorley Walters	...	Cedric
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Craddock (as Charles Tingwell)
Conrad Phillips	...	Harold
Ronald Howard	...	Eastley
Joan Hickson	...	Mrs. Kidder
Stringer Davis	...	Mr. Stringer
Ronnie Raymond	...	Alexander
Gerald Cross	...	Albert
Michael Golden	...	Hillman
Barbara Leake	...	Mrs. Helen Stainton
Gordon Harris	...	Bacon

Storyline

Old miss Marple is on a train ride when she witnesses a murder in a passing train. She reports it to the police but they won't believe her: since no body can be found there can't have been any murder, right? As always, she begins her own investigation. The murder was committed while passing Ackenthorpe Hall and miss Marple gets herself a job there, mixing cleaning and cooking with searching the house for clues.

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Plot Keywords:

1960s | female protagonist | train | murder | miss marple | 

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Taglines:

By the Author of "Witness for the Prosecution"

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 January 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's 'Murder, She Said'

Filming Locations:

Amerden Lane, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), George H. Brown Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Miss Marple brings her golf clubs to Ackenthorpe Hall and uses the ruse of hitting golf balls hither and yon to allow her to explore the grounds and outbuildings, looking for the body of the woman she saw murdered on the train. She tells young Alexander that she won the Ladies Open Handicap in 1921.

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Goofs

When Stringer gives Miss Marple a leg up to look over the wall, she spots the gardener on the other side. At the same time Stinger's head appears in the shot although he is supporting Miss Marple. Also the wall is far higher than he is.

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Quotes

Craddock: Have they got any other servants?
Miss Marple: Yes they have, Inspector.
Craddock: Good Lord! You!
Miss Marple: Yes. Dotty old me.

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Connections

Featured in Timeshift: Between the Lines: Railways in Fiction and Film (2008)

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Soundtracks

Frère Jacques
(uncredited)

User Reviews

Classic Film!

Many people criticise this movie because Margaret Rutherford doesn't have the "look" to play Miss Marple. However, that doesn't change the fact that this is an excellent film that, while it doesn't stick to the book much, does a great job of entertaining the viewer. It's getting harder and harder to find all 4 videos from the series (this was the first). It took me around a year to get all of them , with Murder Ahoy being the easiest (easily found at Suncoast Video) and Murder Most Foul being the hardest to find. (I had to special order from Canada for around $20) These movies are well worth the price though, and provide not only great mysteries, but also wonderful entertainment!!