ChristineCB

I picked up the four Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple films on DVD (Murder She Said, Murder Most Foul, Murder Ahoy and Murder At The Gallop) and thoroughly enjoyed those. TV was showing the ABC MURDERS as well, which has Tony Randall doing his best Nee-Clousteau version and Margaret's stuck off in the back somwehere. Too bad - an enjoyable film itself, but I just love Rutherford as the unflappable one.

These Region1 DVDs are an excellent video-audio quality. I trust the R2's are even better.

Marky B

I liked the Margaret Rutherford versions,but as I always say,she played it for laughs. Joan Hickson is Miss Marple. ITV's Marple PI is a non-contender.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

smudge

I have to agre Marky. I gave the first episode of the McEwen a chance and couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like some village hall AmDram parody !

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

DB7

I suspect you've been glued to TCM? Murder at the Gallop is a fine little film and boosted no end by the casting of Robert Morley. I'd say it's the best of the quartet and the balance between humour and sleuthing is spot on.

Jim

Spot on there Smudger! Geraldine just ain't got it has she?
Joan and Margaret had though!

Good morning boys.

djdave

Agatha Christie didn't like Rutherford's interpretation of the role when the films first came out. But at some point she relented a bit and sent the actress a signed copy of one of the novels.

Great little films, with one of the best musical themes EVER by the late Ron Goodwin

Sgt Dudfoot

Indeed, Christie dedicated The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side to Margaret Rutherford.
Possibly apocryphal, but when Ms Christie visited the set of Murder She Said (my favourite out of the four) she apparently said to Joan Hickson that one day she'd make a great Miss Marple!

Mark L

The Hickson ones were the best interpretation ever, and I'm glad there's a few people who agree. The first of the new ones tried to be too "modern" and disrespectful of the source and didn't work out at all.

spinalman

I think very young Joan Hickson actually appeared in one of the Rutherford original films. Maybe Murder at the Gallop (from memory) she appears as a young housemaid who enters the kitchen in which Margaret is interogating, towards the begining of the film.

edit: sorry, have just seen the earlier reference...I'll get me coat.

Paul

Freddie Freeloader

Hi everyone.
Rutherford's Miss Marple is a nostalgic childhood TV memory for me.
I agree with djDave.
The wonderful theme,composed by the great Ron Goodwin,is one of the first things I used to play on the piano!
(Yes I know,it's harpsichord on the original).

Sgt Dudfoot

The theme tune to the Rutherford Marples are pretty much my favourite film themes. I have ther theme on my MP3 player and it certainly helps when walking through a busy town centre on a Saturday to have that familair refrain bouncing through your head as you make your way through the masses!

djdave

I've read that - sometime in the mid-60s - a Studio corporate suit decided that Goodwin's music for the four films was intrinsically worthless. So the fools destroyed all the master tapes. :mad:

Just shows that Studio exectives know bugger all.

You can but a re-recorded selection of the Marple films' music on the CD:
MISS MARPLE FILMS/LANCELOT/FORCE TEN FROM NAVARONE ETC (LAB label)

Freddy

The head of Paramount when he previewed Breakfast at Tiffany's said about Moon River ' One thing's for sure, that song's gotta' go'.

regards

Freddy

Marky B

Somewhere Over The Rainbow was nearly dropped from The Wizard of Oz,but thankfully it was decided otherwise.
Ta Ta
Marky B:)

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Mr Magister

The original single of the Marple theme can be found on the 2001 box set Produced By George Martin: 50 Years in Recording (EMI).