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Murder, She Said movie storyline. On a train home after a shopping expedition, Miss Jane Marple (Dame Margaret Rutherford) sees a woman being strangled on another train that is travelling alongside her own. She reports it to the conductor and the Police investigate, but can find no evidence of foul play and no body.
Along with her friend Mr. Stringer (Stringer Davis), she determines that if the body was thrown off the train, it would have to be in the vicinity of Ackenthorpe Hall. She wrangles a post as cook at the hall and soon becomes quite friendly with the youngest of the family, Alexander (Ronnie Raymond).
Working there gives her plenty of time to search the grounds, and despite the crusty old Ackenthorpe’s (James Robertson Justice’s) complaints – he’s under the care of the local Dr. Quimper (Arthur Kennedy) for any variety of ailments – she finds the woman’s body hidden in one of the outbuildings. Having established that someone was killed, it’s left to Miss Marple to determine who she is and who wanted her dead.
Murder, She Said is a 1961 comedy/murder mystery film directed by George Pollock, based on the 1957 novel 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie. The production stars Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple along with Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow, James Robertson Justice, and Stringer Davis (Rutherford’s real-life husband). MGM made three sequels, Murder at the Gallop, Murder Most Foul and Murder Ahoy!, all with Rutherford starring as Miss Marple.
As with most of her portrayals of Miss Marple, Margaret Rutherford’s interpretation was quite different from Agatha Christie’s. In addition, Agatha Christie’s trademark suspense and underlying darkness are largely replaced by light, even whimsical touches typical of a comedy of manners.
In the novel an elderly woman named Elspeth McGillicuddy witnesses the murder, not her friend Miss Marple, who is introduced later. Also in the novel a young acquaintance of Miss Marple’s, not Miss Marple herself, is sent to pose as a housekeeper at the suspect location. The manor house where Miss Marple conducts her inquiries is called Rutherford Hall in the novel, but this was changed to Ackenthorpe Hall in the film to avoid using the leading actress’s surname. Crackenthorpe, the family name in the novel, was shortened to Ackenthorpe.
Murder, She Said (1961)
Directed by: George Pollock
Starring: Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow, James Robertson Justice, Thorley Walters, Charles Tingwell, Conrad Phillips, Joan Hickson, Ronnie Raymond, Barbara Leake
Screenplay by: David Pursall, Jack Seddon
Production Design by: Jan Darnley-Smith
Cinematography by: Geoffrey Faithfull
Film Editing by: Ernest Walter
Art Direction by: Harry White
Makeup Department: Eddie Knight, Pearl Orton
Music by: Ron Goodwin
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Date: September 28, 1961 (United Kingdom)
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