Murder at the Gallop

When a wealthy recluse is frightened to death, Miss Marple is quick to suspect murder, but her report to the police falls on deaf ears. 'There is only one course open to me. I shall have to investigate this myself.' And investigate she does, and gets close to danger in the process- but Miss Marple, as played wonderfully by Margaret Rutherford, is very determined once she's on the scent of murder. With a fine cast such as Robert Morley, Flora Robson and Katya Douglas, Murder at the Gallop is an engaging romp with plenty of mystery, humour, and a thrilling finale where the killer unmasked. The chemistry between Rutherford and Morley is another plus point, and Marple mentioning Agatha Christie was a pleasant surprise.

Although Margaret Rutherford's take on Miss Marple was not to Agatha Christie's liking she stands out as one of the best Miss Marples in my estimation. She injected a lively quirkiness to the character which has been lacking in recent portrayals. This is one of my 4 most favorite films Rutherford's timing and expressions are a joy to watch on screen!

Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple delights her audience in this wonderful mystery. Her use of the phrase, " I have a little tittle tattle for you inspector" is used as only Ms. Rutherford can. The concluding verbal scene with Robert Morley completes a wonderful motion picture.

Probably my favorite Rutherford Marple, this movie is funny, suspensful, and wildly entertaining. Whatever Agatha Christie thought of this movie, she greatly admired Margaret Rutherford, dedicating one of her best books The Mirror Crack'd to her. Once again, great support acting from Stringer Davis (Rutherford's real life husband) and from Robert Morley. Don't you think that Inspector Craddock would have learned to listen to Miss Marple by this movie?

This is possibly MARGARET RUTHERFORD's most satisfactory excursion into Agtha Christie-land and she's helped by a delightful Ron Goodwin score that emphasizes her character with an infectious main theme and the gorgeous B&W photography, full of sinister shadows and proper atmospheric effects. Furthermore, Miss Rutherford is surrounded by some formidable British talent, such as Stringer Davis (his Mr. Stringer is always a delight), Robert Morley (blustery but fun), and most notably, FLORA ROBSON, remarkable as the timid companion of an elderly woman. I've seen most of these Miss Marple mysteries from the 1960s, and this has got to be one of the best. It moves at a swift gallop (unlike some of the more tedious, slow-paced BBC versions), and the accent is on the humorous characterization that Rutherford is capable of. Purists may not think it serves Agatha Christie well, but taken on its own as a piece of comedy/mystery entertainment, it stands up well in that genre. Highly recommended.