Margaret Rutherford (1892-1972)
portrayed Agatha Christie's Jane Marple in four features for MGM
(plus an uncredited cameo in The
Alphabet Murders in 1965).
George Pollock directed the
quartet of films, which all co-
starred Charles Tingwell (as DI
Craddock) and Rutherford's husband, Stringer Davies as a
George Pollock directed the
quartet of films, which all co-
starred Charles Tingwell (as DI
Craddock) and Rutherford's husband, Stringer Davies as a
comic foil akin to Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson.
Murder She Said (actually
referenced in the third prod-
referenced in the third prod-
uction as a play), the first and
finest of the series, was the only
one based on an actual Marple mystery, 4.50 From Paddington
(published in 1957 and known as
What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! in America). Guest star Joan Hickson went on to play the definitive Marple
for BBC1's acclaimed adaptation from 1984. The works of another
Christie creation, Hercule Poirot, actually inspired the next two films.
Murder at the Gallop was based on After The Funeral (US: Funerals
Are Fatal), and Murder Most Foul (which even referenced The
Mousetrap and The Ninth Life, a fictional Christie work) was adapted
from Mrs. McGinty's Dead (US: Blood Will Tell).
Mousetrap and The Ninth Life, a fictional Christie work) was adapted
from Mrs. McGinty's Dead (US: Blood Will Tell).
The Queen of Crime dedicated her 1963 novel, The Mirror Crack'd from
Side to Side, to Rutherford, who later won the Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for The VIPs. An original screenplay was then provided
for Murder Ahoy, but a proposed fifth instalment (based on The Body
in the Library) was never filmed.
Side to Side, to Rutherford, who later won the Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for The VIPs. An original screenplay was then provided
for Murder Ahoy, but a proposed fifth instalment (based on The Body
in the Library) was never filmed.
The friendship between Christie (1890-1976) and Rutherford was
explored in Philip Meeks' play, Murder, Margaret and Me, first staged
in 2015.
explored in Philip Meeks' play, Murder, Margaret and Me, first staged
in 2015.
All four cases were shown on TCM this week - they featured a total
of twenty-three future Doctor Who cast connections:
- [Thomas] Gerald Cross (Albert here; Dimchurch in Murder Ahoy) provided the voice of the Megara for The Stones of Blood
- Barbara Leake (Helen) was Mrs. Farrell in Terror of the Autons
- Richard [David] Briers (Binster here; Wilson in Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, 2009) was the Chief Caretaker in Paradise Towers
- Peter [William Shorrocks] Butterworth (Ticket Collector here; DI Lord in The Spider's Web, 1960) played the Meddling Monk in The Time Meddler and The Daleks' Master Plan
- Aileen [Mary Halsey] Lewis (Passenger) was an Extra in (episode 6 of) The Silurians
- Duncan [William Ferguson] Lamont (Hillman) was Dan Galloway in Death to the Daleks
- [Thomas] Kevin [Harvest] Stoney (Dr. Markwell here; Solicitor in Ordeal by Innocence, 1984) and Roger Avon (Photographer here; Sergeant in The Alphabet Murders) both appeared in The Daleks' Master Plan, as Mavic Chen and Daxtar - Stoeny was also Tobias Vaughn in The Invasion, and Tyrum in Revenge of the Cybermen, whilst Avon was Saphadin in The Crusade, then Wells in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 AD
- Ron [Moodnick] Moody (Cosgood) voiced the Duke of Wellington for Big Finish's Other Lives (2005)
- Ralph [Champion Shotter] Michael (Summers here; Easterbrook in A Murder is Announced, 1985) was Balaton in The Pirate Planet
- Windsor Davies (Sergeant Brick here; Dragbot in The Alphabet Murders; DS Reene in Endless Night, 1972; Palgrave in A Caribbean Mystery, 1997) was Toby in The Evil of the Daleks
- Neil [Edwin] Stacy (Arthur) voiced Major Haggard for The Emerald Tiger (2012)
- James [Christopher] Bolam (Hanson) voiced Sir Archibald Flint for The Spectre of Lanyon Moor (2000)
- Maurice Good (Rowton) was Phineas Clanton in The Gunfighters
- Sydney Arnold (Vicar) was Cedric Perkins in The Highlanders
- Billy Cornelius (Juryman) was stuntman on 100,000 BC (4), Man-at-Arms in The Crusade (4), and Morok Guard in The Space Museum
- Eric Francis (Stage Manager) was the First Elder in The Sensorites
- Arthur Howell (Constable) was a Confederate Horseman in The War Games (3)
- William Mervyn [Pickwoad] (Breeze-Connington) was Sir Charles Summer in The War Machines
- Nicholas Parsons (Dr. Crump here; Fr. Gorman in The Pale Horse, 2010) was Reverend Wainwright in The Curse of Fenric
- Roy Holder (Petty Officer) was Krelper in The Caves of Androzani
- Ivor [Charley] Salter (Sergeant) was the Morok Commander in The Space Museum, Odyysseus in The Myth Makers, and Sergeant Markham in Black Orchid
- Billy Dean (PC) was Guard in The Curse of Peladon (1)
The Alphabet Murders (based on The ABC Murders) starred Tony
Randall as Poirot, and Doctor Who guest actors Maurice Denham,
Clive Morton, Cyril Luckham, Patrick Newell, Sheila Reid and Julian
Glover
No comments:
Post a Comment