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Rating:  - The perfect Miss Jane Marple.
Agatha Christie hand picked Joan Hickson for the role. The results shows in the finest 12 episodes of Miss Marple.
Rating: - Excellent!
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple Gift Set
This is an excellent gift for yourself or another Agatha Christie mystery buff. Joan Hickson is, as usual, a delightful, perceptive detective wrapped up in wool. A wonderful quiet night entertainment.
Rating: - Never underestimate Miss Marple. She's not afraid to turn over a stone or two.
"You're telling me to look for a Mr. X," says Inspector Craddock (John Castle) to Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) during tea. The inspector had thought he was dealing with a rather straight forward case of murder in the village of Chipping Cleghorn.
"A Mr., Mrs. or Miss X, I should say," replies Miss Marple. She is an old woman who may knit and garden, but she has very sharp eyes. "You know, Inspector," she continues, "some of the best murderers are women, especially in an English village. Turn over a stone and you'll have no idea what will crawl out." Miss Marple takes another sip of tea.
Nor should any murderer underestimate this slightly frail, inquisitive and observant woman, long a resident of the English village of St. Mary Mead, who is given to wearing tweeds and sensible shoes. Miss Marple has a mind as logical as a trap. As she says, "It's very dangerous to believe people. I haven't for years." When murder has been done, those aged eyes see things, especially in the behavior and habits of those around her, which lead to retribution. As played by Joan Hickson, Miss Marple is invariably courteous and very much of the old school when it comes to manners. She may occasionally offer advice, but is remarkably realistic. "Good advice is almost certain to be ignored," she says, "but that's no reason for not giving it." She may take part in a bit of gossip, but almost always she is giving a bit of information in order to get even more back. Hickson's Miss Marple is not without empathy or friends, but she essentially is a person quite satisfied to do her gardening. She does not twinkle.
In A Murder Is Announced (1985), one of three feature-length made-for-TV movies in this collection, Miss Marple finds herself dealing with an almost intractably clever series of murders set in the picture-perfect village of Chipping Cleghorn, all driven by a family relationship that goes back a generation. The mystery is complex, the motives selfish, the manners of the characters are all genteel, and the bodies pile up. The murderer is singularly ruthless.
With The Body in the Library (1984), Miss Marple finds herself with a seemingly anonymous body found in the library of Gossington Hall, stately home of the stately Colonel and Mrs. Bantry.
And with A Pocketful of Rye (1985), Miss Marple finds that with the Fortescue family, she will need all her powers of observation to sort through the many motives of envy, greed, resentment and longing.
Joan Hickson is a marvel as Jane Marple. Many have played the character, usually with distinction, but Hickson has set the bar extremely high. As good as the others have been and are, she still is the best. Lending great support in these three movies are a wide range of superior British actors. In addition to John Castle, some others who show up in the three stories include such favorites as Renee Asherson, Joan Sims, Moray Watson, Tom Wilkinson, Ursula Howells, Peter Davison, Joyce Carey and so many more.
Each mystery runs about 2 hours and 40 minutes. The DVD transfers could have been better; they have the quality of a mid-range VHS tape, not good but not too bad. Regardless of the quality, if you enjoy mysteries with complex plots, fine acting, good manners and featuring a relentless solver of murders, these Miss Marple movies are the real thing.
Rating: - Brilliant Miss Marple
The best "Miss Marple" ever! Joan Hickson is by far the best actress to portrait this clever lady. Others pale in comparison.
Rating: - MARPLE The Classic Mysteries Collection
Anyone who is an Agatha Christie fan will love this set.
I have seen just about every actress who has done this part and in my opinion, Joan Hickson is the best. She is the book character come to life.
The set contains nine stories and you will enjoy every one.
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