A Mystery of Identity Turns into a Murder Mystery!!
+++++

I watched this movie without reading the 1976 Dame Agatha Christie novel that it was based on. (This was the twelfth and last full length Miss Marple murder mystery novel and was also the year in which Christie died.) I'm glad I did this! Why? Because it forced me to really watch the movie in order to try and deduce who the murderer was.

The movie begins with newlyweds Gwenda Reed (Geraldine Alexander) and Giles Reed (John M. Brown) deciding to buy a large home called "Hillside" located by the seaside in England. Once they settle in, Gwenda seems to have incidents that indicate that she's been in this house before even though she claims that she was never in England in her life. The Reeds have a friend who happens to be a nephew to Miss Marple. The nephew introduces them to Miss Marple (the late Joan Hickson).

Miss Marple becomes intrigued with Gwenda's stories of deja vu. At Hillside, Gwenda mentions to Miss Marple a person named "Helen" and Gwenda asks:

"Who was Helen? And was she murdered?"

The mystery to discover who Helen was proceeds from this point with Miss Marple helping. However, this mystery of identity soon turns into a murder mystery since a person is killed. At this point Detective Inspector Last (Peter Spraggon) officially investigates with Miss Marple doing her own unofficial investigation. Eventually an attempted murder occurs.

Who are the people associated with Hillside or that knew Helen? They are as follows:

(1) Gardener Foster (Jack Watson)
(2) Housekeeper Cocker (Joan Scott)
(3) Dr. James Kennedy (Fred Trevis)
(4) Former maid Lily Kimball (Eryl Maynard)
(5) Former maid Edith Paget (Jean Heywood)
(6) Lawyer Walter Fave (Terry Hardiman)
(7) Retired Colonel Richard Erskine (John Bennett)
(8) Janet, Richard's wife (Geraldine Newman)
(9) Jackie Affleck, owner of a bus service (Ken Cope)

Joan Hickson (whom Agatha Christie herself wanted to play Miss Marple) captures the essence of the heroine super sleuth in her performance. (Hickson was 81 years old in this movie!). Another performance to look for is that of Geraldine Alexander as Gwenda Reed.

Finally, the cinematography of this movie is very good. The background music adds to each scene.

In conclusion, this is a fun movie even if you have read the novel it's based on!!

(1987; 100 min; made for TV; British drama; full screen; color)

+++++

"Very dangerous to believe people; I haven't for years"
This film is an excellent adaptation of Agatha Christie's book. The actors were well chosen. Géraldine Alexander and John Moulder-Brown are a convincing newly wed couple. The couple gets to solve the lion's share of the mystery with guidance from Miss Marple of who warned them not to pursue the mystery. The location is beautiful and requires a vision of the sea. As with most Marple mysteries everyone and no one did it. In fact we are not sure that there was an "it" to did.

So get out your teacakes and sit back watching that new fangled invention that the Americans like (the TV) and be swept away to the Sleeping Murder.

Murder Is Announced

Okay
All except Joan Hickson were not great actors. As for the story,the movie goes by the book.This movie was very suspenceful and thoroughly engrossing.