Agatha Christie's Marple 

Dolly Bantry calls upon her old friend Miss Marple when the strangled corpse of an unknown blonde girl is found in the library of her home, Gossington Hall.

Director:

Andy Wilson

Writers:

Kevin Elyot (screenplay), Agatha Christie (novel)

Stars:

Geraldine McEwan, Ian Richardson, Tara Fitzgerald

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Geraldine McEwan	...	Miss Marple
Ian Richardson	...	Conway Jefferson
Tara Fitzgerald	...	Adelaide Jefferson
Jamie Theakston	...	Mark Gaskell
Giles Oldershaw	...	Edwards
Florence Hoath	...	Pamela Reeves
Joanna Lumley	...	Dolly Bantry
James Fox	...	Colonel Arthur Bantry
Simon Callow	...	Colonel Melchett
Ben Miller	...	Basil Blake
Emma Cooke	...	Dinah Lee
Robin Soans	...	Dr. Haydock
Bruce Mackinnon	...	Scamper (as Bruce MacKinnon)
Jack Davenport	...	Superintendent Harper
Mary Stockley	...	Josie Turner

Storyline

A young woman's corpse is dumped in the library of Gossington Hall, home of Jane Marple's friend Dolly Bantry and her husband Arthur. Pompous Chief Constable Melchett suspects a connection with Basil Blake, an arty young man who lives locally but Blake is dismissive when Melchett visits him. Then Superintendent Harper rings from the coastal town of Danemouth. Ruby Keane, a young girl employed as a dancer at the Majestic Hotel there, has gone missing, and her cousin Josie Turner identifies the corpse as Ruby's. Ruby is in favour with millionaire Conway Jefferson, whose own son and daughter were killed in a wartime air raid, and he wants to adopt her. His son-in-law Mark Gaskell, and daughter-in-law Adelaide react variously to the news. Miss Marple is convinced that the solution to Ruby's murder may be found at the hotel and she and Dolly book into a suite to investigate. There is no shortage of suspects, not only family members but the handsome Raymond Starr, another of the hotel's ...

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Plot Keywords:

wheelchair | screen test | resort hotel | dead girl | dance hall hostess | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Joanna Lumley (Dolly Bantry) and Simon Callow (Colonel Melchett) both appeared in the same episode of Inspector Lewis.

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Goofs

In the scene showing the Pier at "Danemouth", a modern double decker bus is visible driving past.

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Quotes

Basil Blake: [introducing his wife to Colonel Melchett] Dinah Lee, minor actress, major slut!

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Connections

Followed by Marple: A Murder Is Announced (2005)

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Soundtracks

Blue Moon
(uncredited)
Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
(dance music)

User Reviews

A Bad Case Of Style Over Substance

In theory there is nothing wrong with revisiting classic Christie stories and characters - Poirot has been essayed a number of times (Finney, Ustinov, Suchet), and over the years we've had various spins on Miss Marple, ranging from Margaret Rutherford in the early 1960's to June Whitfield on BBC Radio.

However, after the BBC's quite brilliant series from the 1980's, in which Joan Hickson used economy and subtlety to create a brilliant Marple, what more could be added? This new interpretation, with McEwan taking up the baton, fails where Hickson's succeeded. One of the joys of the BBC series was the ensemble work within each show, the characterisations and restraint displayed by each cast member, and Hickson being well served by each script. 2004's The Body In The Library is alive with theatrical over-acting of the worst kind, and all the 'star' turns (Callow, Davenport, Walliams, sadly even Lumley) simply bury McEwan's plain Jane under a thick layer of over-playing. Too often British actors confuse the crafts of stage and film acting, so here we have moods, thoughts and reactions being telegraphed rather than suggested.

This latest version really offers nothing new, other than the 'twist' at the end... and let's just say that pedals a movie stereotype I thought we'd finally moved away from.

I suspect Hickson's Marple would have viewed this whole sorry enterprise and said 'yes, well... all rather tawdry, don't you think?'.

Details

Official Sites:

PBS [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Marple

Filming Locations:

Dorney Court, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada, WGBH, Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color