Murder at the Gallop (1963)

They seem to be doing a Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple marathon on TCM, so its plain to say that I'm in for as much as I can stand, which will probably mean this is my last one before I have to cook dinner.  Anywho, this plot I have not yet seen in another version, unlike the past film, and therefore will be most exciting, at least I'm hoping so.

In Murder at a Gallop, Miss Marple is at it again.   For those who don't know, Miss Marple is an older woman whose keen eye and experience from crime novels has given her the adept ability to investigate murders.  When a wealthy old man appears to have been "frightened to death" by a cat, Miss Marple suspects one of his four relatives, all heirs to his estate, of his murder.

33/50 Eggs

Okay, well perhaps there is a reason why I haven't seen another version of this plot yet.  I'm not saying it was bad by any means.  After all, it was a Miss Marple whodunit.  I just feel it didn't have all the bells and whistles you normally get in a Miss Marple flick.  I must regrettably say I didn't name the killer.  This is, perhaps, due to the lack of tricky clues which are meant to both help and hurt the viewer.  Generally I have the ability to see the deeper meaning in the clue, but with such a lack of clues it was rather difficult.  That aside I truly enjoyed it.  Hector played by Robert Morley was my favorite character.  His odd mix of charm and insight is the shining gleam in a whodunit created more by character development than by clues.  The music in the film was very good, and helped heighten the suspense of film.  Something that comes as great value, since the victims are supposed to be "frightened to death".  Same as the last Miss Marple I reviewed, I suggest this to anyone who can handle watching black and whites.      

Murder She Said (1961)

Typical me catching a movie mid-day on TCM.  The fact that it is a whodunit, specifically Miss Marple, definitely peaked my interest.  Unfortunately Murder She Said is adapted from the original Agatha Christie story 4:50 to Paddington, and I have already seen Joan Hickson's version of the same story.  While this regrettably means I already know the killer I tried my hardest to remain unbiased.

The movie is an adapted script from one of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories, as I have above stated.  For those who don't know, Miss Marple is an older woman whose keen eye and experience from crime novels has given her the adept ability to investigate murders.  In this tale, Miss Marple witnesses a strangling on a Train, and when no one believes her she must become a maid at an estate along the railroad tracks to search for clues.

36/50 Eggs

As I noted in earlier posts, whodunits are among some of my favorite movies.  This, although not as good as the Joan Hickson version, was pretty good.  Miss Marple storylines are alwats very good.  They have just enough twists and turns to stay interesting, and make it hard to deduce the ending, however still, if one has the keen wit, possible to figure out the killer before it is actually noted in the film.  This a unique feature that feels quite rewarding, whether you actually got it right or not.  One thing I thought was kinda funny about the film.  Joan Hickson actually plays Mrs. Kidder in the film.  At one point, Miss Marple turns to Mrs. Kidder and says "The younger generation..hmm", seems so ironic that 20 years later she really would be the next Miss Marple.  Now as for the technical issues of the film, I saw hardly any issues.  I was incredibly surprised with the acting ability of the young boy.  The angles shot in the film also were particularly great, the scene when she calls back to her friend in the village with the moose head above her was awesome.  The only thing I didn't like was there was an inconsistency of Marple's level of fear.  Sometimes she would be afraid and sometimes she wouldn't.  I realize this is a minor detail but the director could have done a better job because this aspect of Miss Marple as a no fear old lady is pretty much the basis for her character.  For anyone who can handle watching black and white movies, I strongly suggest it, although since netflix has the Joan Hickson version on instant stream, I'd recommend that one over this one.