| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Margaret Rutherford | ... | Miss Marple | |
| Arthur Kennedy | ... | Dr. Quimper | |
| Muriel Pavlow | ... | Emma | |
| James Robertson Justice | ... | Ackenthorpe | |
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Thorley Walters | ... | Cedric |
| Charles 'Bud' Tingwell | ... | Craddock (as Charles Tingwell) | |
| Conrad Phillips | ... | Harold | |
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Ronald Howard | ... | Eastley |
| Joan Hickson | ... | Mrs. Kidder | |
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Stringer Davis | ... | Mr. Stringer |
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Ronnie Raymond | ... | Alexander |
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Gerald Cross | ... | Albert |
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Michael Golden | ... | Hillman |
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Barbara Leake | ... | Mrs. Helen Stainton |
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Gordon Harris | ... | Bacon |
Old miss Marple is on a train ride when she witnesses a murder in a passing train. She reports it to the police but they won't believe her: since no body can be found there can't have been any murder, right? As always, she begins her own investigation. The murder was committed while passing Ackenthorpe Hall and miss Marple gets herself a job there, mixing cleaning and cooking with searching the house for clues. Written by Mattias Thuresson
As other critics have previously pointed out, Margaret Rutherford's portrayal of Jane Marple has little in common with the visions of the character's creator, Agatha Christie. However, just as Basil Rathbone's depiction of Sherlock Holmes (both in his character portrayal and in the film company's telling of most of the tales) had little to do with the original writer's intentions, so too did both he and Miss Rutherford seem to create pseudo-characters, from worthwhile plots, of equal value and entertainment levels.
As the first of a wonderful quartet of easy-to-view movies made in black and white in early 60's England (and the second best of them, overall, in my opinion), this appropriately atmospheric film takes us through a clever little screenplay centred around the family of a large estate 'in the sticks' (on the outskirts of London). The storyline is littered with a mixture of eccentric and fundamental cameo parts that serve up the right amount of suspense and partial comedy as Miss Marple (and her buddy, Mr.Stringer) take it upon themselves to solve a railway murder that Inspector Craddock, the local 'head plod', had put down to being the by-product of her rambling 'hallucinations'.
Not surprisingly, we are kept on our toes as to whom was the culprit as the intrepid Jane goes undercover as a geriatric maid who proves to be so competent in her matriarchal manoeuvres that the 'Lord of the Manor' (superbly played, as ever, by the magnificent James Robertson Justice) seeks her hand in marriage as a sort of reward for her spirited detective work. However, Dame Rutherford had Stringer to consider - not least because he was her partner in real life - and there were of course other stories to film in the future...
What a pity they didn't follow Rathbone and Bruce by making around a dozen of these marvellous movies!