Murder Most Foul – 1964 | 90 mins | Crime, Thriller | B&W

Plot Synopsis

Based on the Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novel Mrs McGinty’s Dead, the indomitable Margaret Rutherford assuredly reprises the role of eccentric amateur sleuth Miss Marple for a third time. This third of four MGM adaptations all briskly directed by George Pollack between 1961-64 does not quite hold up to its predecessor’s yardstick and becomes repetitive despite its undoubted charm and humour.

In Murder Most Foul, Police Constable Wells (Terry Scott) catches a man red-handed at the scene of Mrs McGinty’s murder but when the trial goes to court Miss Marple (Margaret Rutherford) deadlocks the jury by not agreeing with the majority of her juror’s. Miss Marple discovers the late Mrs McGinty was part of an amateur theatrical troupe so sets out to prove the defendant’s innocence by joining Driffold Cosgood’s (Ron Moody) players. Miss Marple departs from Milchester to Westward Ho but whilst giving her stage audition George Rowton stumbles on stage then collapses – dead from arsenic poisoning.

Murder brings Inspector Craddock (Charles Tingwell) to the scene and despite his insistence that Mrs Marple return to Milchester she stubbornly remains with the theatre company. The troupe are to perform Remember September, a play only performed once before and amongst its cast were the murdered Mrs McGinty. After visiting theatrical agent Harris Tumbrill (Dennis Price), Mrs Marple learns of an executed actress called Rose Kane and an orphaned child named Evelyn – but the child went into care and their whereabouts are now unknown. During the grand opening of the play Evelyn Kane makes their identity known and attempts to murder Miss Marple.