Murder She Said
by George Pollock
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Product details
Actor: Arthur Kennedy, James Robertson Justice, Margaret Rutherford, Muriel Pavlow, Thorley WaltersDirector: George Pollock
Edition: VHS Tape
Format: Black & White, NTSC
Running Time: 82 minutes
Release Date: 1998-09-01
Audience Rating: Unrated
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
VHS Movie Reviews of Murder She Said
Movie Review: A Memorable Miss Marple, Played By The Memorable Margaret Rutherford
Summary: 4 Stars
Margaret Rutherford was a scene-stealing, eccentric force of nature in all her movies, and I suspect in her stage roles as well. She had a shape like a sack of produce, a double chin that trembled with a life of its own, little eyes that could widen in shock or squint with suspicion and, when her characters were aroused, a forceful stride that took all before it. Her personality was simply unique. The only other actor I can think of who matched her in eccentricity, potential ham and acting skill was Alastair Sim, another memorable British screen presence.
In Murder She Said, Rutherford plays Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple. Rather, she plays Rutherford's Miss Jane Marple. She made four Marple films, but I doubt if anyone reading Christie's stories would ever have envisaged Rutherford in the part. Now, for many people, Marple is Rutherford. She's that strong a character.
Jane Marple is on a train when she looks out at another train passing by on the next track. In the window of one of the carriage rooms she sees, for a few moments, a woman being strangled. When she reports this and the police search the train at the next station and the area where Miss Marple says it happened, there is no body to be found. The trains were passing Ackenthorpe Hall, an estate run with a loud voice and an irascible temper by old Ackenthorpe (James Robertson Justice), a bed-ridden man who believes he's on his last legs and intends to keep his family, most of whom have their eyes on the estate, firmly in line. It's only a short while before Miss Marple decides to investigate Ackenthorpe Hall, where she believes the body must have been hidden. She manages to get herself hired as the maid, a position which frequently is vacant because of Ackenthorpe's rudeness. "There is one thing I cannot tolerate," he tells her as she stands in front of his bed in her maid's uniform, "and that is impertinence!" Miss Marple is having none of that. "Well, we should get on admirably," she says. "Neither can I!" She also must deal with a precocious grandson, young Alexander. "You know, it isn't just that you don't look like Jane Mansfield. You're not my idea of a maid, either," he tells her. "Well, quite honestly," she tells the kid, "I don't think you're everybody's idea of a boy." The only non-family members in the place appear to be Miss Marple, Dr. Paul Quimper (Arthur Kennedy), the housekeeper, Mrs. Kidder (Joan Hickson, who years later made a quieter and equally memorable Marple) and a surly groundsman. Needless to say, Miss Marple finds herself in the middle of clever dialogue and grave danger as she eventually discovers the motive for murder and unmasks the killer.
This is the first of the four Marple movies which starred Margaret Rutherford. The others are fun, but rely much more on Rutherford's personality. Murder She Said benefits not just from Rutherford, but from a clever, witty script, a mystery which plays reasonably fair and which is tough to solve, solid acting by the other players, especially Arthur Kennedy as the sincere but slightly ironic doctor who plans to marry Ackenthorpe's daughter and James Robertson Justice's Ackenthorpe. Justice specialized in blustering characters and few were better at it than he.
Margaret Rutherford was 71 when she made Murder She Said. She first began making movies when she was 44. Noel Coward wrote the part of Madam Arcadi, the spiritualist, for her when he created Blithe Spirit. She played the role in the 1945 movie version which starred Rex Harrison. If you can find the DVD, it's worth getting just for Coward's dialogue and Rutherford's way with it. And for a very satisfying time, pick of a copy of the VHS tape (there's no DVD yet) of The Happiest Days of Your Life. It's the only movie I'm aware of where Rutherford and Alastair Sim co-starred. It's a very funny film, and the two of them outdo themselves as they try to outdo each other.
Movie Review: Why aren't these Miss Marples on DVD yet?!
Summary: 5 Stars
Margaret Rutherford's portrayal of Miss Marple is as far removed from Joan Hickson's dead-on performances as they can possibly be. But her quirky delivery is so entertaining, that you instantly fall in love with her character. I can't understand why the studio that owns the four Rutherford movies -- Murder, She Said; Murder Ahoy; Murder at the Gallop; and Murder Most Foul -- doesn't release them on DVD as a boxed set for all the mystery fans out there. The movies appear on Turner Classic Movies occasionally and they are all wonderful. Movie Review: It's a Mystery Why This Isn't On DVD!
Summary: 4 Stars
Murder, She said is a very entertaining black and white movie from 1961 that is based on The Agatha Christie book 4:50 to Paddington and stars Margaret Rutherford as Miss Jane Marple who while riding on a train witnesses a murder but no one believes her so she sets out to find clues and solve the murder and prove that she isn't just some dotty old woman! Most Agatha Christie fans are more familar with the later color movies that starred Joan Hickson as Jane but I also highly recommend they try watching this and the other Miss Marple movies that starred Margaret Rutherford because the movies are fun to watch and she does a good job and I hope to see this transferred to DVD along with the rest in the series!Movie Review: Witty, silly good fun
Summary: 5 Stars
Hilarious good fun with the grand Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple posing as an ill tempered maid to get to the bottom of a murder she witnessed on a train. Full of wonderful English characters, improbable situations, and a real sense of the ridiculous. Good therapy for anxious times.Movie Review: The redoubtable Rutherford excels as Marple
Summary: 4 Stars
She may not be what Agatha Christie envisioned as a sleuth, but, for my money, Margaret Rutherford does a splendid job. She went on to be featured in three more films, all featuring her skilled and captivating interpretation of Christie's elderly detective.The film, though lightweight in suspense and complexity, is still entertaining enough to recommend. Composer Ron Goodwin makes intriguing and inspired use of what is obvious "The Marple Theme". It is interspersed throughout in various forms, adding to the enjoyment of the film.
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