It is difficult to understand ITV's decision to remake the Miss Marple series, because in Joan Hickson we have the definitive interpretation of Agatha Christie's amateur sleuth. This particular story, Miss Marple's first fictional outing,dates from 1930, but the writer, T.R. Bowen has skilfully updated it to the 1950s. The script is witty and the cast is endowed with such acting stalwarts as Paul Eddington and Rosalie Crutchley. If the plot does not seem so original now it is because Christie's work was so often copied, and what must have seemed innovative in 1930 now appears to be hackneyed. All that said it is a story well told and worth a couple of hours of anyone's time.
23 Reviews
vicar doesn't know his scriptures
rekcilorf29 January 2018
When Mrs. LaStrange first attends services, the vicar asks if she is just there "for the season", to which she said, "Well, to everything there is a season".
The vicar replies, "Oh yes, "Proverbs'". No, that quote is from the Book of Ecclesiastes. One would think vicar would know that.
BTW, this exchange does not appear in the novel.
Also, Mr. Dawes, the curate, is described to be a Jesuit. Why would what appears to be a Presbyterian church employ a Catholic priest? The curate is in the novel, but is never referred to as a Jesuit.
Also, Mr. Dawes, the curate, is described to be a Jesuit. Why would what appears to be a Presbyterian church employ a Catholic priest? The curate is in the novel, but is never referred to as a Jesuit.
Ringing Miss Marple in on the crime.
bkoganbing2 October 2020
Like Cabot Cove in Maine, USA, St.Mary Mead in Great Britain seems to be the murder capital of that country. You would think so with Miss Marple solving all
those murders in and around there.
The murder victim in this case is a very nasty sort of man who has the title colonel from his army days. Robert Lang is a nasty version of that satirical figure from the United Kingdom between the wars Colonel Blimp. his guy expects his family to address him as Colonel and they do. He's pretty disliked by one and all.
Reverend Paul Eddington finds Lang slumped over his (Eddington's) desk at the vicarage. There's a long list of suspects.
What the two who planned it also planned to use Jane Marple as an alibi witness as they know she's outside tending her garden at the time planned. Both make sure Joan Hickson sees them. It's what throws off both Scotland Yard as Miss Marple.
Hickson comes pretty close to what I think Agatha Christie wanted in Jane Marple. Hickson was 80 when she did this Marple series for the BB, this particular episode. The villains think her advanced age makes dotty. But she fools them.
The murder victim in this case is a very nasty sort of man who has the title colonel from his army days. Robert Lang is a nasty version of that satirical figure from the United Kingdom between the wars Colonel Blimp. his guy expects his family to address him as Colonel and they do. He's pretty disliked by one and all.
Reverend Paul Eddington finds Lang slumped over his (Eddington's) desk at the vicarage. There's a long list of suspects.
What the two who planned it also planned to use Jane Marple as an alibi witness as they know she's outside tending her garden at the time planned. Both make sure Joan Hickson sees them. It's what throws off both Scotland Yard as Miss Marple.
Hickson comes pretty close to what I think Agatha Christie wanted in Jane Marple. Hickson was 80 when she did this Marple series for the BB, this particular episode. The villains think her advanced age makes dotty. But she fools them.
an excellent Miss Marple
hbs4 May 2004
Hickson is by far the best Miss Marple onscreen. Her performances make these cozy mysteries really entertaining. The screen adaptations in the series are a bit uneven, but I enjoyed all of them. I especially liked this one, "A Murder is Announced", and "Sleeping Murder".
The production values for the series were quite good, the supporting actors always at least passable and sometimes far better than that, and they didn't take too many liberties with the stories. But Hickson's performances are uniformly excellent.
The production values for the series were quite good, the supporting actors always at least passable and sometimes far better than that, and they didn't take too many liberties with the stories. But Hickson's performances are uniformly excellent.
Wonderful Joan Hickson
dbdumonteil31 December 2006
I have never thought that Margaret Rutherford was the perfect actress to portray Christie's famous lady detective.Angela Landsbury,who portrayed her in "the mirror cracked" was not an ideal choice either.Joan Hickson was Miss Marple as I see her ,discreet ,insightful,mischievous,terribly observant.She and the detective inspector make a funny pair,like Poirot and Japp. Unlike Poirot,Marple does not really investigate.She never questions the suspects (some of whom even use her as their alibi)but has a rare talent for observation.
"Murder at the vicarage" is a classic Christie novel:it happens in Jane Marple's village where a wicked colonel nobody likes -and thus has a reason to kill him of course- is murdered.It even involves the priests who are suspects too.Good job by all the cast.
French title (of the novel and the movie):"L'affaire Prothero" .
"Murder at the vicarage" is a classic Christie novel:it happens in Jane Marple's village where a wicked colonel nobody likes -and thus has a reason to kill him of course- is murdered.It even involves the priests who are suspects too.Good job by all the cast.
French title (of the novel and the movie):"L'affaire Prothero" .
One of the better Joan Hickson adaptations
TheLittleSongbird23 February 2010
I really enjoyed this adaptation of "The Murder at the Vicarage". It is not as good as the delightful "A Murder is Announced" but it is very enjoyable, and not only one of the better Joan Hickson adaptations, but a considerable improvement over the Geraldine McEwan version(though that was one of the better adaptations of that series I feel). The pace is solid, the pace was a problem I had with "They Do it With Mirrors" which is my least favourite of the series, and the story is well structured. There is a nice witty script and lovely production values. The acting is very good in general, the only weaknesses for me being that James Hazeldine underplaying his role of Lawrence Redding and Polly Adams a little too stiff as Anne. Joan Hickson really makes this work though, with a simple charm and wisdom she is for me the best Miss Marple, and out of the supporting cast I loved Cheryl Campbell as Griselda, a delightful performance from a great actress. I liked the music too, really pleasant to listen to. Overall, I really enjoyed this adaptation. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Worth a look - particularly for Griselda!
Iain-2154 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
'Murder at the Vicarage' was Christie's first Miss Marple book. The BBC filmed it about mid way through their series featuring Joan Hickson. As always, Hickson is very good as the elderly sleuth and St Mary Mead is realistically shown as a very average (ie not TOO picture postcard) English village. Again, the slightly grainy nature of the film is in keeping.
There is good support from Paul Eddington as the vicar and Cheryl Campbell is just delightful as his wife Griselda - the high point for me! The other village gossips are well presented as is the nervy Mr Hawes and Norma West is very effective as the slightly creepy Mrs Lestrange. Fatally however, in my opinion, the central characters of Anne Protheroe and Lawrence Redding are quite poorly done as are the other members of the Protheroe family.
The newer McEwen version is much more effective in my opinion but this is still well worth watching.
There is good support from Paul Eddington as the vicar and Cheryl Campbell is just delightful as his wife Griselda - the high point for me! The other village gossips are well presented as is the nervy Mr Hawes and Norma West is very effective as the slightly creepy Mrs Lestrange. Fatally however, in my opinion, the central characters of Anne Protheroe and Lawrence Redding are quite poorly done as are the other members of the Protheroe family.
The newer McEwen version is much more effective in my opinion but this is still well worth watching.
A well crafted, intelligent mystery.
Sleepin_Dragon12 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Colonel Protheroe is a resident of St. Mary Mead and a loathsome man. A magistrate, forceful, opinionated and tyrannical. It comes as no surprise when he's shot dead, plenty of suspects including his adulterous wife, her lover, his ex wife, and a local petty criminal. Hailing from the same village it comes as no surprise that local sleuth Jane Marple is first on the scene, much to the annoyance of Detective Inspector Slack.
The first Miss Marple story that Christie wrote, and a classic plot, one that could have been delivered in a too heavy handed way, with the killer seeming obvious, but the production team managed to divert attention and keep the viewer guessing.
Plaudits to the casting director, who did an exceptional job, primarily with the pairing of Paul Eddington and Cheryl Campbell, they are exquisite as the Vicar and his wife, Campbell manages to be sympathetic, funny and utterly charming, I would say she's the standout.
The St. Mary Mead gossip team are wonderful, so believable, Rosalie Crutchley and Barbara Hicks are delightful, with the latter returning six years later for the final episode. I love the dynamic between Miss Marple and slack, the annoyance would last years.
The music is excellent throughout, helping to add mystery to the story without being too much. As always a huge focus on attention to detail, the fashion, cars etc all on point.
A cracking mystery 9/10
The first Miss Marple story that Christie wrote, and a classic plot, one that could have been delivered in a too heavy handed way, with the killer seeming obvious, but the production team managed to divert attention and keep the viewer guessing.
Plaudits to the casting director, who did an exceptional job, primarily with the pairing of Paul Eddington and Cheryl Campbell, they are exquisite as the Vicar and his wife, Campbell manages to be sympathetic, funny and utterly charming, I would say she's the standout.
The St. Mary Mead gossip team are wonderful, so believable, Rosalie Crutchley and Barbara Hicks are delightful, with the latter returning six years later for the final episode. I love the dynamic between Miss Marple and slack, the annoyance would last years.
The music is excellent throughout, helping to add mystery to the story without being too much. As always a huge focus on attention to detail, the fashion, cars etc all on point.
A cracking mystery 9/10
The "superior" version!
davyd-022378 March 2020
Joan Hickson IS Miss Marple and hasn't ever been beaten. Oddly, in this one she doesn't actually change her "outfit". I believe she wears the same clothing throughout. Given it 7 as today its clear that BBC in the 80s were already going down the road where "blasphemy" wasn't picked up by "The Vicar" or indeed anyone else, which in the 50s it most certainly would have been. Some of the language is therefore typically BBC trying to "update" when it wasn't needed. Inspector Slack and his sidekick are well suited to these things of allowing the "intruder" (miss marple) to steal their thunder. Never tire of watching Joan Hickson in one of these and compared to most offerings today with "same sex" and increased foul language its rather pleasant to have something that for the most part is watchable even if the plot line is pretty thin
The REAL Miss Marple
dogma-5366811 July 2022
Joan Hickson was the embodiment of Miss Marple. Many actresses have played Miss Marple but none of them have surpassed Joan Hickson's portrayal. This is the first story of Miss marples debut not counting the short story that was previously published. I think if Agatha Christie was alive when this was out she would have been pleased. Excellent who done it. I miss those days.
Not bad, if a little muddled and old-fashioned now
romanreviewsuk18 January 2021
A classic adaptation that goes for a cosy, non-threatening tone that's a little at odds with the subject matter of a grisly murder and subsequent crimes.
As some other reviewers have noted, the thick accents make the plot a little hard to follow. It's in my opinion not convincingly explained as to why Miss Marple is actively involved with the police investigation (especially when the detectives in charge seem to actively dislike and distrust her) or able to get access to the crime scene etc. She seems to just appear and sneak into rooms in plain view of everyone without being asked to leave.
In my view it was also hard to follow who each character was in this adaptation because of very similar styling and haircut etc. choices. Characters didn't refer to each other by name very often either which didn't help. Only striking characters like Mrs Le Strange, and a character who started wearing black for mourning, were easily identifiable scene to scene.
However, for what it was, it was well acted, and at least this adaptation made the choice to give us Marple's narration over a recreation of the crime, rather than Marple blithely explaining what went on as one long monologue while others in the room sit and watch, as has happened in some of the Hickson adaptations.
Personally I favour something a little more dramatic and more tightly plotted, but these adaptations are also familiar and were trying to achieve something different, so that's not a fault.
As some other reviewers have noted, the thick accents make the plot a little hard to follow. It's in my opinion not convincingly explained as to why Miss Marple is actively involved with the police investigation (especially when the detectives in charge seem to actively dislike and distrust her) or able to get access to the crime scene etc. She seems to just appear and sneak into rooms in plain view of everyone without being asked to leave.
In my view it was also hard to follow who each character was in this adaptation because of very similar styling and haircut etc. choices. Characters didn't refer to each other by name very often either which didn't help. Only striking characters like Mrs Le Strange, and a character who started wearing black for mourning, were easily identifiable scene to scene.
However, for what it was, it was well acted, and at least this adaptation made the choice to give us Marple's narration over a recreation of the crime, rather than Marple blithely explaining what went on as one long monologue while others in the room sit and watch, as has happened in some of the Hickson adaptations.
Personally I favour something a little more dramatic and more tightly plotted, but these adaptations are also familiar and were trying to achieve something different, so that's not a fault.
Excellent and interesting
pwme4 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I don't believe there are any spoilers. I enjoyed this one. It was easy to have compassion for the varying characters and their situations. Miss Marple was as observant and as keyed in to the actual situation as ever.
I've seen this one often and will again.
I've seen this one often and will again.
An lightweight take on Miss Marple
mharah21 September 2018
The underlying problem with this version of Murder at the Vicarage is that the producers took it out of order. Murder at the Vicarage was Agatha's Christie's first adventure with Miss Marple. This edition was evidently produced later in the series. Here, Miss Marple is used to being involved, and police are used to consulting her, however much they resent having to do so. The script is rather heavy-handed, moving quickly from one incident to another with little or no set-up. And while the original novel does this as well, it doesn't spring things on us totally out of the blue. Joan Hickson is most probably the Miss Marple that Agatha Christie envisioned - more so than Margaret Rutherford or Helen Hayes, for example, but the rest of the production is not. True, a 200+ page novel had to be condensed into one hour and 42 minutes. This is never easy, but it has often been done successfully. Not here. The writers needed to capture the leisurely and still foreboding small village atmosphere early on. They didn't, and it makes the necessarily hurried plot revelations seem even more so. This results in far too many smug reaction shots, far too many exchanges of dialogue dripping with "significance", far too many scenes which could have been cut to a few lines of dialogue, freeing up the pace for more insightful exchanges elsewhere. (For example, the secondary priest subplot is reduced to an obligatory afterthought here. It was more prominent in the novel, but its lack of necessity here is obvious. The bit with the vicar's car is also totally unneeded; he rides his bicycle the rest of the time, anyway.) Overall, Miss Marple is reduced to an almost supporting player, which of course she is in many of the Christie novels, but one whose presence is always felt whether she is on scene or not. That isn't true here, at least until the end, and it should be.
Engaging story with gentle laughs and a nice development around the "village grapevine" theme
bob the moo18 January 2006
Life in the vicarage is not as gentile and peaceful as it would seem as even mild-mannered Reverend Clement is driven to swearing by the stiff-necked attitude of Colonel Protheroe over the church accounts. In fact Protheroe is so unpopular that, when he is found murdered in the vicarage, several people confess to the crime to protect others who they assume must have done it. When the police manage to prove that the confessors couldn't possibly have done it, it leaves them with the question of who actually has killed him. As they conduct their investigation, Miss Marple continues her gardening and listens to the village grapevine to build a picture in her mind of what could have happened.
Although I have seen several BBC Miss Marple films where boredom could have been the cause of the murder, I still tried again several times and I was happy when this film turned out to be one of the more enjoyable and free-flowing in the series. Stepping away from the uptight and repressed standards of the period this film instead builds on the gossipy, small-world nature of life in a small English village. In doing this it show Miss Marple's quiet use of the grapevine in nice contrast to the police resources of Slack. The story itself is well structured and has plenty going on it avoids the trap of being dull by way of trying to "English" and is quite fun. The mystery is well spun out and well solved with a nice air of humour along the way. It will still appear "boring" to those raised on the quick-fire mysteries of CSI etc but I found it to be quite sparky by the usual BBC Miss Marple standards.
Hickson is the one I always think of when I think of Miss Marple and here she is good value. She plays the "village" aspect of her character well and her personality comes through well in even simple lines. She is well supported by Horovitch's Slack who provides several laughs with his character. The support are generally up to the task Eddington had a smaller role than I expected but was good; Lang was enjoyable before his final shot while people like Adams, Hazeldine, Good, West and others are all solid enough to stop the audience ignoring them or seeing them as dominate (and thus a possible murderer).
Overall this is an enjoyable and interesting entry in the solid BBC Miss Marple film series. The story is engaging and developed well and, far from being stiff, it actually flows quite well. The addition of humour and lively performances only helps to make it all the more enjoyable and makes this a good introduction to the BBC Marple series.
Although I have seen several BBC Miss Marple films where boredom could have been the cause of the murder, I still tried again several times and I was happy when this film turned out to be one of the more enjoyable and free-flowing in the series. Stepping away from the uptight and repressed standards of the period this film instead builds on the gossipy, small-world nature of life in a small English village. In doing this it show Miss Marple's quiet use of the grapevine in nice contrast to the police resources of Slack. The story itself is well structured and has plenty going on it avoids the trap of being dull by way of trying to "English" and is quite fun. The mystery is well spun out and well solved with a nice air of humour along the way. It will still appear "boring" to those raised on the quick-fire mysteries of CSI etc but I found it to be quite sparky by the usual BBC Miss Marple standards.
Hickson is the one I always think of when I think of Miss Marple and here she is good value. She plays the "village" aspect of her character well and her personality comes through well in even simple lines. She is well supported by Horovitch's Slack who provides several laughs with his character. The support are generally up to the task Eddington had a smaller role than I expected but was good; Lang was enjoyable before his final shot while people like Adams, Hazeldine, Good, West and others are all solid enough to stop the audience ignoring them or seeing them as dominate (and thus a possible murderer).
Overall this is an enjoyable and interesting entry in the solid BBC Miss Marple film series. The story is engaging and developed well and, far from being stiff, it actually flows quite well. The addition of humour and lively performances only helps to make it all the more enjoyable and makes this a good introduction to the BBC Marple series.
Half agree with 'hbs', except......
filoshagrat21 July 2006
Quote 'hbs': "Hickson is by far the best Miss Marple on screen"
Ooooh! there's a debatable point. Though I accept heartily ones opinions, I can't help thinking that's got the members of the Margaret Rutherford fan club ruffling their pillows in a disgruntled manner. Joan Hickson just doesn't do it. I don't know what it is, but she comes over leaving me thinking 'no wonder your a spinster. SMILE for gods sake'. MR I could have happily passed off as my eccentric grandmother and liked. JH does it her way, but I can't help wonder if she had her beady-eyes on this role while filming with MR in 'Murder, She Said'. Unconvincing seems to be a word that, although harsh, crops up every time JH plays this role. Watchable, for sure, but not eager for more. I also consider that I am a victim of choice here. The plots and plans are all immovable if adapting Agatha Christie. This film is no exception, so the only real ways in adapting to difference are the choice of the actor/actress, or time shift it, as with the recent 'Romeo Must Die'. JH is a superb actress I have seen many times and her talents are so easily on show here as a 'tight' Miss Marple, by which I mean non-expressive. MR was more full-on and in yer' face. 'Filo doth compare too much'. As I said, it's choice.
Ooooh! there's a debatable point. Though I accept heartily ones opinions, I can't help thinking that's got the members of the Margaret Rutherford fan club ruffling their pillows in a disgruntled manner. Joan Hickson just doesn't do it. I don't know what it is, but she comes over leaving me thinking 'no wonder your a spinster. SMILE for gods sake'. MR I could have happily passed off as my eccentric grandmother and liked. JH does it her way, but I can't help wonder if she had her beady-eyes on this role while filming with MR in 'Murder, She Said'. Unconvincing seems to be a word that, although harsh, crops up every time JH plays this role. Watchable, for sure, but not eager for more. I also consider that I am a victim of choice here. The plots and plans are all immovable if adapting Agatha Christie. This film is no exception, so the only real ways in adapting to difference are the choice of the actor/actress, or time shift it, as with the recent 'Romeo Must Die'. JH is a superb actress I have seen many times and her talents are so easily on show here as a 'tight' Miss Marple, by which I mean non-expressive. MR was more full-on and in yer' face. 'Filo doth compare too much'. As I said, it's choice.
The quintessential Christie cozy
210west30 May 2021
I can't understand how anyone who claims to like Christie can fail to admire this production; it strikes me as just about perfect. In fact, if I ever came across anyone who'd never sampled one of her mysteries before and was wondering what they were like, I'd recommend they check out this particular version of this particular story, because it has all the right ingredients on display: the village setting, the mix of characters (stock characters, really), and -- unlike the glossy 2004 remake -- the right tone. It also has, of course, Joan Hickson, wise, dignified, frail but steely, sometimes a little prickly and sharp-tongued, but Marple as Christie meant her to be; whereas the remake is stuck with Geraldine McEwan, cutesy, smirky, twinkly-eyed, and far too confident of her own adorableness.
Too moral to be honest
Dr_Coulardeau29 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This is a quasi perfect murder that turns sour because of completely secondary moralistic considerations that should never have come up in the minds of two criminals. But it is the feminine touch of Miss Marple and Agatha Christie. They cannot admit the viciousness of a woman, at least to that point. It is also the presence of the vicar and his vicarage that makes the tale more moral than it should be. A criminal is far beyond redemption when he or she starts planning and preparing, especially when he or she is not alone in the business. A crime of passion can lead to a guilty conscience, but not a premeditated crime with a plotting accomplice. But once again Miss Marple targets people who are living in at least divided circumstances. The main victim is a colonel who has a daughter from an earlier wife and is re-married to a quite younger woman. He is wealthy for sure but he has a very bad character, if not temper, and that makes him a difficult person to live with in private and public life, which provides him with a lot of enemies.
The Grey Haired Cobra strikes gold
gingerninjasz23 June 2023
This was famously the first ever mystery to feature Miss Marple. I remember reading it (like I did most of Christie books) and it was an action packed novel that marked it out as one of the best. Surprisingly when it was adapted for TV for Christmas 1986 the writers cut out a few characters, including the mysterious Dr Stone, and condensed it into a feature length mystery. However, it still makes for a thoroughly absorbing mystery full of incident.
The story begins with ordinary village life, with the Reverend Clement (Paul Eddington) called to a meeting to discuss missing church funds. At the meeting is local squire Colonel Protheroe (Robert Lang), who makes it his mission to smoke out the culprit. Indeed, Protheroe very quickly shows he is a man who makes enemies quickly, and before long he is threatening Bill Archer with jail for poaching, and his daughter Lettuce (yes, really) for posing for artist Lawrence Redding in her swimsuit (Shock! Horror! What would he make of Tara MacGowran in Murder in Eden four years later?). That's not to mention his wife's affair with the said Redding (my, he is busy), while Protheroe has a very bad reaction when he spots a mysterious woman in the village. It will come as no surprise when Protheroe is later found murdered. More inconsiderately he does it in the vicar's study, who is none too happy to find a corpse across his desk.
How it is done, and the build up to the murder is remarkably inventive. The scene where Rev Clement receives a call about a dying parisioner and then discovers that his car will not work gives you immediately a sense of foreboding as he cycles off to his destination. When he discovers the call is a hoax and the parisioner is perfectly healthy it's clear that someone wanted him out of the way for what is a cleverly plotted murder. Luckily for him (or is it?) Scotland Yard has called Det Insp Slack onto the case, who is so eager to get on with business he brusquely ejects Clement out of his own study. However, he has failed to notice a little old lady who also happened to of been passing when Clement discovered the body, and who Slack has encountered 2 years before.
As with A Murder is Announced, part of the fun of this is the humour, and there is plenty of it here. This is in part due to David Horowitz's performance as Slack. The scene when he encounteres Miss Marple in the vicarage is a joy, as he cannot believe he has yet again encountered "that little grey haired cobra", as he so amusingly calls her to his sidekick Det Sgt Lake (Ian Brimble). His barely concealed frustration at finding her on the doorstep of another crime - and in HER village of St Mary Mead - and not being able to do a thing about it makes their encounters in this very amusing indeed. But they are not the only ones having fun here. Cheryl Campbell thoroughly enjoys herself as Rev Clement's wife Griselda, whether it is her battles with her determined young cook Mary (an equally superb Rachel Weaver) or her mischievousness with the village elders. In one scene she relays a made up story to the old gossips about how the newly arrived and mysterious Mrs Lestrange was actually the wife of a missionary who was eaten on an expedition abroad - a story only interrupted by the unexpected arrival of her husband. And that scene is also a perfect rebuff to some critics who feel that Hickson's portrayal of Marple is "fluffy." The scene of her, Mrs Price-Ridley and Miss Hartnell (Rosalie Crutchley and Barbara Hicks) sat round dissecting the various village characters in the latest gossip shows Marple at her most acerbic and sceptical. And I have to say Crutchley and Hicks fit their parts to a tee, with Crutchley particularly outstanding as the formiddable Mrs Price-Ridley
Indeed, this adaptation reflects it's period look marvellously, and the passage of time with it's filmic look from back then actually adding to the feel you are viewing something from the 1930's. There is one scene of the villagers heading to church that is remarkably striking. While Rev Clement makes what proves to be a fateful sermon, his cook Mary sneaks out to leave a basket of food for her poacher boyfriend Bill Archer, while in the porch sit Mrs Lestrange and Lettuce Protheroe in quiet contemplation. It is a simple but effective scene, but quietly powerful. Norma West gives an magnetic and remarkable performance as the enigmatic Mrs Lestrange, all the more so because of her restraint. She catches your attention without dominating, but you notice her just the same. The one flaw in this adaptation is actually the casting of two of the main characters, Ann Protheroe and Lawrence Redding (Polly Adams and James Hazledine), who find themselves chief suspect for Colonel Protheroe's murder before an unlikely eye witness in Miss Marple herself prove that they couldn't of committed the crime. Both Adams and Hazledine's characters are supposed to be having an affair, but you can never believe in Adams' character being passionate due to her somewhat clipped portrayal, while Hazledine is rather anemic as Redding. It's a stumbling block in what is otherwise an excellent adaptation, even if Robert Lang overdoes the blustering as Colonel Protheroe, while Tara MacGowran makes for a rather wet Lettuce.
It might also of been intriguing to see what it would of been like had they kept the other elements that were in the book in this adaptation and made it a 3 part mystery rather than a feature length adaptation. As it is, it still makes for an incident packed whodunnit that proves thoroughly absorbing, working up to a dramatic climax that becomes thoroughly tense as Slack waits up to trap a killer who plans to murder a witness. But it's main joy is it's dialogue and humour. I particulary loved one comment by Hickson's Marple to Slack saying that "they knew I was the noticing sort of person," beautifully put for what others would term a nosey parker. And today's scriptwriters could learn a lot from these sort of programmes. That it IS possible to do a serious drama and have humour in it without affecting the subject matter. They certainly seemed to have a lot more fun back then. And that is why they remain so memorable still.
The story begins with ordinary village life, with the Reverend Clement (Paul Eddington) called to a meeting to discuss missing church funds. At the meeting is local squire Colonel Protheroe (Robert Lang), who makes it his mission to smoke out the culprit. Indeed, Protheroe very quickly shows he is a man who makes enemies quickly, and before long he is threatening Bill Archer with jail for poaching, and his daughter Lettuce (yes, really) for posing for artist Lawrence Redding in her swimsuit (Shock! Horror! What would he make of Tara MacGowran in Murder in Eden four years later?). That's not to mention his wife's affair with the said Redding (my, he is busy), while Protheroe has a very bad reaction when he spots a mysterious woman in the village. It will come as no surprise when Protheroe is later found murdered. More inconsiderately he does it in the vicar's study, who is none too happy to find a corpse across his desk.
How it is done, and the build up to the murder is remarkably inventive. The scene where Rev Clement receives a call about a dying parisioner and then discovers that his car will not work gives you immediately a sense of foreboding as he cycles off to his destination. When he discovers the call is a hoax and the parisioner is perfectly healthy it's clear that someone wanted him out of the way for what is a cleverly plotted murder. Luckily for him (or is it?) Scotland Yard has called Det Insp Slack onto the case, who is so eager to get on with business he brusquely ejects Clement out of his own study. However, he has failed to notice a little old lady who also happened to of been passing when Clement discovered the body, and who Slack has encountered 2 years before.
As with A Murder is Announced, part of the fun of this is the humour, and there is plenty of it here. This is in part due to David Horowitz's performance as Slack. The scene when he encounteres Miss Marple in the vicarage is a joy, as he cannot believe he has yet again encountered "that little grey haired cobra", as he so amusingly calls her to his sidekick Det Sgt Lake (Ian Brimble). His barely concealed frustration at finding her on the doorstep of another crime - and in HER village of St Mary Mead - and not being able to do a thing about it makes their encounters in this very amusing indeed. But they are not the only ones having fun here. Cheryl Campbell thoroughly enjoys herself as Rev Clement's wife Griselda, whether it is her battles with her determined young cook Mary (an equally superb Rachel Weaver) or her mischievousness with the village elders. In one scene she relays a made up story to the old gossips about how the newly arrived and mysterious Mrs Lestrange was actually the wife of a missionary who was eaten on an expedition abroad - a story only interrupted by the unexpected arrival of her husband. And that scene is also a perfect rebuff to some critics who feel that Hickson's portrayal of Marple is "fluffy." The scene of her, Mrs Price-Ridley and Miss Hartnell (Rosalie Crutchley and Barbara Hicks) sat round dissecting the various village characters in the latest gossip shows Marple at her most acerbic and sceptical. And I have to say Crutchley and Hicks fit their parts to a tee, with Crutchley particularly outstanding as the formiddable Mrs Price-Ridley
Indeed, this adaptation reflects it's period look marvellously, and the passage of time with it's filmic look from back then actually adding to the feel you are viewing something from the 1930's. There is one scene of the villagers heading to church that is remarkably striking. While Rev Clement makes what proves to be a fateful sermon, his cook Mary sneaks out to leave a basket of food for her poacher boyfriend Bill Archer, while in the porch sit Mrs Lestrange and Lettuce Protheroe in quiet contemplation. It is a simple but effective scene, but quietly powerful. Norma West gives an magnetic and remarkable performance as the enigmatic Mrs Lestrange, all the more so because of her restraint. She catches your attention without dominating, but you notice her just the same. The one flaw in this adaptation is actually the casting of two of the main characters, Ann Protheroe and Lawrence Redding (Polly Adams and James Hazledine), who find themselves chief suspect for Colonel Protheroe's murder before an unlikely eye witness in Miss Marple herself prove that they couldn't of committed the crime. Both Adams and Hazledine's characters are supposed to be having an affair, but you can never believe in Adams' character being passionate due to her somewhat clipped portrayal, while Hazledine is rather anemic as Redding. It's a stumbling block in what is otherwise an excellent adaptation, even if Robert Lang overdoes the blustering as Colonel Protheroe, while Tara MacGowran makes for a rather wet Lettuce.
It might also of been intriguing to see what it would of been like had they kept the other elements that were in the book in this adaptation and made it a 3 part mystery rather than a feature length adaptation. As it is, it still makes for an incident packed whodunnit that proves thoroughly absorbing, working up to a dramatic climax that becomes thoroughly tense as Slack waits up to trap a killer who plans to murder a witness. But it's main joy is it's dialogue and humour. I particulary loved one comment by Hickson's Marple to Slack saying that "they knew I was the noticing sort of person," beautifully put for what others would term a nosey parker. And today's scriptwriters could learn a lot from these sort of programmes. That it IS possible to do a serious drama and have humour in it without affecting the subject matter. They certainly seemed to have a lot more fun back then. And that is why they remain so memorable still.
Out of Turn
Warin_West-El15 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
One of the reviewers claimed the Geraldine McEwan version was better than this one. So I took the time to locate that version and watch it.
MY OBSERVATIONS:
* Once you've seen Joan Hickson in action, Geraldine McEwan seems quite odd and just not "right."
* The 2004 script does a much better job of portraying the central characters of Anne Protheroe and Lawrence Redding.
* The 2004 version includes the fabulous Herbert Lom, who is truly underused, considering his formidable acting chops.
* The 1986 Griselda (Cheryl Campbell) is FAR more delightful to watch. Which significantly contributes to the adorable ending. The 2004 ending is soulless by comparison.
* The 2004 version has a completely off the wall side story to justify the inclusion of Augustin and Helene Dufosse as characters.
* BOTH versions waste valuable screen time with unnecessary and insignificant details.
Some other reviewers have contributed a salient point: this episode was produced out of turn. According to another reviewer Murder at the Vicarage was Agatha Christie's first novel and yet the filmmakers decided to produce this episode later in the series. As a consequence of this rearrangement of chronology, some of the relationships between the characters are not congruent.
My favorite sequence in this episode . . .
INSPECTOR: The curate could have done it. The doctor could have done it. The church cat could have done it as far as I'm concerned. There's only one thing about this business that's certain, wherever you turn there's one person who'll always be there.
(cut to)
MISS MARPLE: Good evening, Inspector.
I agree with some of the comments concerning Lawrence Redding who was a major character and yet appears in very few scenes, almost as an afterthought. I also agree that, oddly enough, the filmmakers chose to dress these characters in remarkably similar attire and furthermore they rarely referred to each other by name. The end result was that the characters in the 1986 version all blended together and were extremely difficult to distinguish.
I disagree with the reviewer who said this episode is "lifeless." Apparently, they have not watched "The Moving Finger." Now THAT was lifeless.
And the church sequence was a bit odd. As you watch that scene one begins to wonder, how many murders do these churchgoers commit per year? Apparently their Sunday religion isn't doing them a bit of good.
I've viewed five of these stories so far and truthfully, the Joan Hickman version of Miss Marple is beginning to wear a bit thin for me. True, she's significantly better than Geraldine McEwan. However, my eyes were opened when I saw Fabia Drake in A Pocketful of Rye. I truly believe she would have made the very best Miss Marple of all. Sadly she was never cast in that part.
This is not the best Miss Marple film treatment due to the uneven distribution of the story line. Nevertheless, it's certainly not the worst. When I re-watched this tale, Miss Marple's summation at the end made far more sense the second time around. The filmmakers had the details of the story straight in their minds but they failed to convey the tale in a clear-cut way that would allow the audience to readily identify the characters and their relationships with one another.
I take exception to what the other reviewer wrote. THIS is the best version of The Murder at the Vicarage. And if you watch this story twice it will make more sense to you. However, you shouldn't need to.
MY OBSERVATIONS:
* Once you've seen Joan Hickson in action, Geraldine McEwan seems quite odd and just not "right."
* The 2004 script does a much better job of portraying the central characters of Anne Protheroe and Lawrence Redding.
* The 2004 version includes the fabulous Herbert Lom, who is truly underused, considering his formidable acting chops.
* The 1986 Griselda (Cheryl Campbell) is FAR more delightful to watch. Which significantly contributes to the adorable ending. The 2004 ending is soulless by comparison.
* The 2004 version has a completely off the wall side story to justify the inclusion of Augustin and Helene Dufosse as characters.
* BOTH versions waste valuable screen time with unnecessary and insignificant details.
Some other reviewers have contributed a salient point: this episode was produced out of turn. According to another reviewer Murder at the Vicarage was Agatha Christie's first novel and yet the filmmakers decided to produce this episode later in the series. As a consequence of this rearrangement of chronology, some of the relationships between the characters are not congruent.
My favorite sequence in this episode . . .
INSPECTOR: The curate could have done it. The doctor could have done it. The church cat could have done it as far as I'm concerned. There's only one thing about this business that's certain, wherever you turn there's one person who'll always be there.
(cut to)
MISS MARPLE: Good evening, Inspector.
I agree with some of the comments concerning Lawrence Redding who was a major character and yet appears in very few scenes, almost as an afterthought. I also agree that, oddly enough, the filmmakers chose to dress these characters in remarkably similar attire and furthermore they rarely referred to each other by name. The end result was that the characters in the 1986 version all blended together and were extremely difficult to distinguish.
I disagree with the reviewer who said this episode is "lifeless." Apparently, they have not watched "The Moving Finger." Now THAT was lifeless.
And the church sequence was a bit odd. As you watch that scene one begins to wonder, how many murders do these churchgoers commit per year? Apparently their Sunday religion isn't doing them a bit of good.
I've viewed five of these stories so far and truthfully, the Joan Hickman version of Miss Marple is beginning to wear a bit thin for me. True, she's significantly better than Geraldine McEwan. However, my eyes were opened when I saw Fabia Drake in A Pocketful of Rye. I truly believe she would have made the very best Miss Marple of all. Sadly she was never cast in that part.
This is not the best Miss Marple film treatment due to the uneven distribution of the story line. Nevertheless, it's certainly not the worst. When I re-watched this tale, Miss Marple's summation at the end made far more sense the second time around. The filmmakers had the details of the story straight in their minds but they failed to convey the tale in a clear-cut way that would allow the audience to readily identify the characters and their relationships with one another.
I take exception to what the other reviewer wrote. THIS is the best version of The Murder at the Vicarage. And if you watch this story twice it will make more sense to you. However, you shouldn't need to.
Weak
gridoon202418 September 2008
The first 20-30 minutes of "The Murder At The Vicarage" are quite poorly done: a collection of random characters are seen walking and talking without having been properly introduced to the viewer, which, coupled with some heavy accents, makes the story difficult to follow for anyone who has not read the book. The lack of any familiar faces in the cast does not help, either; several of the women are so similar in appearance it's sometimes hard to even distinguish who is who. And there are important characters (like Lawrence Redding, for example) who get no more than 3 or 4 scenes in the entire film. The direction is uninspired, to put it kindly. Things improve a little in the last 20 minutes, when Miss Marple devises a trap for the killer, but on the whole this is definitely one of the weakest Agatha Christie films I have seen so far (though the recent French "By The Pricking Of My Thumbs" remains the worst). (*1/2)
Bowenized
tedg12 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers herein.
Watching all these BBC Marples is a real treat visually because you get a different director each time, and usually a different writer. That way, there is as much discovery in how the translation is made as there is in the mystery itself.
But T R Bowen adapted seven of these and they are the worst of the bunch. That's because he truly believes in the TeeVee model: the viewer doesn't want to think about what is going on. There is no game between writer and reader. The TeeVee viewer just wants to pleasantly take up time and be surprised by the clever solution.
Christie never intended such a thing, and railed against it in her lifetime. Her own plays show that intelligent engagement with the audience is possible,
This Bowenization is a case in point. The novel idea here is that the detective herself provides the mistaken alibi. A pretty clever idea in 1930, already copied many times by the time this production is set. The book has it as a matter of self-confrontation; that's why we have the mad curator, and the introspection of the dying woman, and the painter.
All that is washed away in this TeeVee script. Shame on Bowen and curses to viewers who don't complain.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
Watching all these BBC Marples is a real treat visually because you get a different director each time, and usually a different writer. That way, there is as much discovery in how the translation is made as there is in the mystery itself.
But T R Bowen adapted seven of these and they are the worst of the bunch. That's because he truly believes in the TeeVee model: the viewer doesn't want to think about what is going on. There is no game between writer and reader. The TeeVee viewer just wants to pleasantly take up time and be surprised by the clever solution.
Christie never intended such a thing, and railed against it in her lifetime. Her own plays show that intelligent engagement with the audience is possible,
This Bowenization is a case in point. The novel idea here is that the detective herself provides the mistaken alibi. A pretty clever idea in 1930, already copied many times by the time this production is set. The book has it as a matter of self-confrontation; that's why we have the mad curator, and the introspection of the dying woman, and the painter.
All that is washed away in this TeeVee script. Shame on Bowen and curses to viewers who don't complain.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
The ultimate Miss Marple
keysam-026109 October 2023
There simply is NO better Miss Marple than Joan Hickson. This adaptation is engaging and quite funny in places, as Miss Marple slowly drives Inspector Slack bonkers.
As to the points raised by reviewer Rekcilorf, s/he is clearly not familiar with the Church of England. This church and this vicar are NOT presbyterian.
Firstly, Rev Clement actually asks Mrs. Lestrange if she's there 'for A season' (not THE season) - in the meaning of debutantes 'doing' the season - a collection of events and parties over a limited period - 'or for the summer'. He clearly sees these two ideas as separate.
Secondly, within the C of E there are some differing schools of thought about quite how 'high' the rituals ought to be. Some churches are much more like catholic ones and use things like incense, whereas others (I believe the majority) don't. They all still call themselves Church of England.
Rev Clement's curate ISN'T a Jesuit, ie a member of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests, he's an ordinary C of E priest, working under Rev Clement as a sort of training. He would ordinarily hope to get his own parish and be the vicar himself in due time, but the revolting Col Protheroe is calling him one as an insult.
Protheroe presumably thinks or knows Mr Hawes comes from a 'high church' background, which as I say is closer to catholic in its rites and rituals, or he just doesn't like him and is just being offensive. (In his terms, being a Jesuit would be offensive; obviously it's just a different religious tradition & no better or worse than any other.)
As to the points raised by reviewer Rekcilorf, s/he is clearly not familiar with the Church of England. This church and this vicar are NOT presbyterian.
Firstly, Rev Clement actually asks Mrs. Lestrange if she's there 'for A season' (not THE season) - in the meaning of debutantes 'doing' the season - a collection of events and parties over a limited period - 'or for the summer'. He clearly sees these two ideas as separate.
Secondly, within the C of E there are some differing schools of thought about quite how 'high' the rituals ought to be. Some churches are much more like catholic ones and use things like incense, whereas others (I believe the majority) don't. They all still call themselves Church of England.
Rev Clement's curate ISN'T a Jesuit, ie a member of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of priests, he's an ordinary C of E priest, working under Rev Clement as a sort of training. He would ordinarily hope to get his own parish and be the vicar himself in due time, but the revolting Col Protheroe is calling him one as an insult.
Protheroe presumably thinks or knows Mr Hawes comes from a 'high church' background, which as I say is closer to catholic in its rites and rituals, or he just doesn't like him and is just being offensive. (In his terms, being a Jesuit would be offensive; obviously it's just a different religious tradition & no better or worse than any other.)
Lifeless adaptation
rigelmaccrikey11 June 2017
Lifeless. Boring. Dull. Awkward. Disjointed.
Bad directing, acting, casting, editing, music. Colorless, ugly buildings and backdrops. The actors have even less life in them. Not to mention Joan Hickson's lisp. They can't finish a scene in this episode without jumping to 4 or 5 others first. David Horovitz's interpretation of Inspector Slack is one dimensional- he's just abominably rude to everyone with no zeal or enthusiasm for his work.
Utter tripe. Try Geraldine McEwan's version; at least it won't put you to sleep.
Bad directing, acting, casting, editing, music. Colorless, ugly buildings and backdrops. The actors have even less life in them. Not to mention Joan Hickson's lisp. They can't finish a scene in this episode without jumping to 4 or 5 others first. David Horovitz's interpretation of Inspector Slack is one dimensional- he's just abominably rude to everyone with no zeal or enthusiasm for his work.
Utter tripe. Try Geraldine McEwan's version; at least it won't put you to sleep.
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