The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

Miss Marple comes to solve the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Jonathan Hales (screenplay), Barry Sandler (screenplay)

Stars:

Angela Lansbury, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Angela Lansbury	...	Miss Marple
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Ella Zielinsky
Tony Curtis	...	Martin N. Fenn
Edward Fox	...	Inspector Craddock
Rock Hudson	...	Jason Rudd
Kim Novak	...	Lola Brewster
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Marina Rudd
Wendy Morgan	...	Cherry
Margaret Courtenay	...	Mrs. Bantry
Charles Gray	...	Bates, The Butler
Maureen Bennett	...	Heather Babcock
Carolyn Pickles	...	Miss Giles
Eric Dodson	...	The Major
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Vicar (as Charles Lloyd-Pack)
Richard Pearson	...	Doctor Haydock

Storyline

The year is 1953. The small English village of St. Mary Mead, home to Miss Jane Marple, is delighted when a big American movie company arrives to make a movie telling of the relationship between Jane Grey and Elisabeth I, starring the famous actresses Marina Rudd and Lola Brewster. Marina arrives with her husband, Jason, and when she discovers that Lola is going to be in the movie with her she hits the roof as Lola and Marina loathe each other on sight. Marina has been getting death threats and at a party at the manor house, Heather Babcock, after boring Marina with a long story, drinks a cocktail made for Marina and dies from poisoning. Everybody believes that Marina is the target but the police officer investigating the case, Inspector Craddock isn't sure so he asks Miss Marple, his aunt, to investigate...

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Plot Keywords:

woman murders a woman | murderess | amateur sleuth | strong female lead | strong female character | 

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Taglines:

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the murderer among them all?

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd

Filming Locations:

St. Clere Estate, Heaverham, Kent, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$11,000,000, 31 December 1981

Company Credits

Production Co:

G.W. Films, EMI Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (opening sequence) Color Color (colour) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final lead starring role in a cinema movie for Elizabeth Taylor. According to publicity for this film, this movie was Taylor's first big role in a feature film in four years.

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Goofs

The flashback of Heather accepting Jason's daiquiri (as Cherry relates the tale to Miss Marple) omits her saying she's never tried one before.

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Quotes

[Jason is taking Miss Marple to see Marina]
Jason Rudd: Miss Marple?
Miss Jane Marple: Yes, Mr. Rudd?
Jason Rudd: She's dead.
Miss Jane Marple: I rather suspected as much. And you?
Jason Rudd: I killed her. I put poison in her hot chocolate last night. It was inevitable she would have been discovered. I... couldn't let her face the humiliation. She suffered enough.
Miss Jane Marple: You must have loved her very much.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: 1953

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Connections

Referenced in Elizabeth Taylor: A Tribute (2011)

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Soundtracks

There's No Business Like Show Business
(uncredited)
Composed by Irving Berlin

User Reviews

pretty good

Surprisingly faithful adaption of the excellent Christie book adds some campy insults to the story by having Taylor and Novak square off as jealous rivals, but the outcome still carries a mild punch. Lansbury is excellent as Jane and it's nice to see Liz reunited with Hudson after their stint in the 50's on Giant. One of the better all star casts for an Agatha picture, with a nice recreation of St Mary Mead. Makes you feel like you're really in a small English village.