Murder Ahoy

When I saw the movie for the first time some 25 years ago I did not like it.Today I find it quite entertaining and I have much fun to watch it.Hindsight displays its charm.First of all,this is the kind of movie they do not do (and won't do) anymore.George Pollock,the par excellence Agatha Christie director -he directed three other Miss Marple films and the second version of "and then there were none" aka" ten little Indians" - is no genius but his movie has its fair share of humor,even black humor (the doctor does not seem to take the deaths seriously,always making sure a child be born to carry on,so to speak).This is an original screenplay ,not adapted from a Christie's book and that accounts for the rather weak detective plot.But interest lies elsewhere:Margaret Rutherford's mischievous old lady detective is allowed things Mrs Christie would not have thought of : spending a night in jail and fighting a duel (sabers) with the culprit!

I have enjoyed watching all the Miss Marple/Margaret Rutherford movies for they provide light entertainment. This one in particular was worth your time because of a great performance by Lionel Jeffries as the captain of the ship. Jeffries, Rutherford, and Ron Goodwin's marvelous music make the film a treat to watch. Of course, the direction lacks punch if we judge it 40 years after it was made.

The Rutherford/Stringer relationship (that was not Agatha Christie's) on and off screen adds additional trivia interest. I note that Stringer died soon after the death of Dame Rutherford.

Whilst visiting the monthly meeting of a naval trust set up long ago one of her relatives, Miss Marple is surprised by the rudeness of Follie Hardwick who demands to speak outside of the agenda. Hardwick insists that his news will drop the rest of the agenda as irrelevant and, taking a pinch of snuff, he stands to speak. Seconds later he is dead from a heart attack and the police are called. Marple notices later that someone has stolen the dead man's snuff, but left the snuffbox. Believing the death was murder by way of poisoned snuff, Miss Marple insists on investigating, much to the chagrin of Detective Inspector Craddock.

For many viewers, myself included, this is not really a Miss Marple film as we think of it. For most of us this should be a film with Joan Hickson that is very slow and very English, however this is not to say that the Rutherford versions are not any good because they are actually pretty enjoyable. Less of a Miss Marple film, this is more a Margaret Rutherford film because she does her usual performance of huff, puff and sheer bloody-minded persistence. The plot is written around this well and is lively and fun with a surprise amount of comedy for a mystery film. The actual development of the case is not that strong but the whole thing is entertaining enough to avoid having to rely too heavily on just this aspect.

The cast make it work as well as it does. Rutherford could be accused of doing what comes naturally but so what if it works? Real life partner Stringer Davis is good value as always in his small role as is Tingwell in the typically cynical Detective Inspector. The crew of the ship are great fun; Jeffries is nearly always funny and he is well supported by Nimmo, Parsons, Mervyn and Benham. Nobody is brilliant and the film belongs to Rutherford, but the presence of some great comedians helps matters.

Overall this is an entertaining and enjoyable film that is driven by the force of Rutherford's presence. She may not be a great Miss Marple but she does what she does well. The rest of the cast are fun as well and they manage to cover the fact that the mystery side of things could have been stronger and more interesting. Light fun though.

A crucial moment for the trustees' meeting at the Cape of Good Hope Youth Reclamation Centre. The well tailored niece of late Sir Hubert Marple, modest about the 'achievement of her illustrious family,' is indeed touched by the warmth of their welcome. On the minds of all the participants is the significant ship Battledore, the place which 'provides a safe haven for those who are in peril on the sea of life,' aimed at socializing young hooligans. The bishop's pompous speech seems to break any word and time limit and yet...fellow Cecil Ffolly Hardwicke, having visited the Battledore, insists on speaking up. Indeed, something urgent occupies his mind, something of utmost importance. However, just before he seems to be allowed to pass on whatever is on his mind, he unexpectedly passes away. The shock is the feeling of every witness of this tragic death; yet, suspicion fills the mind of only one person – the distinguished niece, Miss Marple (Margaret Rutherford), who is, in no way, temporarily 'unhinged' but proves to be always...HERSELF.

Miss Marple discovers that dead Hardwicke's snuff (its considerable amount) has been stolen just while he was being taken away and she draws some breathtaking conclusion while experimenting on its little amount that has remained. The powerful sleuth 'damns the torpedoes' with 'full speed ahead' to pursue the investigation on board a ship. With a delightful and insightful view on the ship where all are anxious to get rid of this unwelcome 'Neptune's mother,' it soon occurs that, indeed, there is something going on aboard the Battledore, something far more than hanky-panky between the sexes...

The fourth film with Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple is not based on any of Agatha Christie's novels but is entirely based on the interpretation of Miss Jane Marple by David Pursall and Jack Seddon. That is one of the reasons why MURDER AHOY has met lots of critical views. Some critics perceive it as 'somewhat heavy combination of homicide and hanky-panky' while others see it as a considerably cheap entertainment. Unfortunately, many of the critical views are quite unfair to the movie which, in my opinion, contributes to the whole series of the films and also has plenty offer.

It is, naturally, MARGARET RUTHERFORD who makes even the less clever lines executed unforgettably. She 'creeps about' to uncover what is unavailable for others. She beautifully blends detective features with comedy undertones and does it powerfully in all scenes: her gestures, her moves, her splendid way of executing her lines. The climactic manifestation of skills on the screen occurs to be the scene when she is fencing with the villain. Nevertheless, there are many more scenes worth attention, including her experiment with the snuff, her entrance on board a ship, the library scene as well as the encounters with chief Inspector Craddock (Charles Tingwell) and Mr Jim Stringer (Stringer Davis, her real life husband). Like in the preceding films, there are similar touches and cutting remarks between Miss Marple, a real sleuth, and the policeman convinced solely by proved fact. This time, Mr Stringer does not give Miss Marple 'a leg up' but propels her in the library where a significant book is being discovered.

The whole naval atmosphere is provided funnily on board the Battledore, particularly by Lionel Jeffries who portrays an amusing, 'outmaneuvered' captain, a bigoted patriot who owns a blade allegedly granted to his great grandfather by Admiral Nelson himself. He indeed cannot ignore the death of Nelson but what about his attitude towards more recent deaths around him? Yes, some wit may appear old fashioned or artificial in certain context but the hilarious scene of broken bottle which he considers a 'diabolical waste' and the finale when, at last, a woman will be at the helm of the ship, constitute the best moments of humor handled by Lionel Jeffries. William Mervyn as Connington, Joan Benham as funny Matron Alice Fanbraid, Norma Foster as delicious Shirley and Miles Malleson as eloquent bishop give adequate performances.

Thanks to the direction of George Pollock, the cinematography by Desmond Dickinson and music score by Ron Goodwin, the film is supplied with similar charm as all the other preceding parts, MURDER SHE SAID, MURDER AT THE GALLOP, and MURDER MOST FOUL. There are nice little touches of images, the additional hints of symbols and the haunting visuals about interior shadows that aid the doom-filled atmosphere of the movie. Of course, much of what happens to Miss Marple is predictable but it is in no way boring but effectively entertaining.

MURDER AHOY brings the curtain down on the unforgettable portrayal of Agatha Christie's Jane Marple that Dame Rutherford created. Still, however, after all these years, we can admire her talent and say frankly 40 years after her death: "What an old darling she was!"

Miss Marple joins the board of senior trustees for a youth reformation committee, which prides itself on reforming troublesome teenagers by means of naval cadet training on board a ship called The Battledore. But when one of her fellow trustees is murdered by his snuff being laced with poison, Miss Marple learns that he had just returned from a routine visit to The Battledore and she suspects that the motive for his murder must lie on the ship. Using her position as senior trustee, Miss Marple pays a visit to the ship much to the chagrin of the eccentric Captain Rhumstone (Lionel Jeffries) who seems anxious to get rid of her. With the help of her loyal friend Mr Stringer (Stringer Davis), she soon learns that the shore leave patrol has been committing a series of jewel thefts from the high society. But the question is which one? Meanwhile, Lieutenant Compton (Francis Matthews) has been run through with a sword and hung from the ship's yardarm and suspicion immediately falls on Sub Lieutenant Humbert (Derek Nimmo) whom didn't get along with Compton because they both fancied the same girl, Nurse Shirley (Norma Foster). As usual, Chief Inspector Craddock (Charles Tingwell) thinks he's got an open and shut case, but Miss Marple isn't convinced of Humbert's guilt even though the jewel robberies were all committed after high society parties, all of which he and Shirley had both attended. In her usual shrewd way, Miss Marple sets a trap for the killer and uncovers a big swindle attached to the higher ranks among the committee but not before Shirley is murdered by a poisoned spike primed to a mousetrap...

Murder Ahoy was the fourth and final entry in the series of comedy whodunits starring Rutherford as Miss Marple. The series was doing well at the box office, but the producers were unable to get the rights to any more of Christie's works. In addition, this is the only one that wasn't adapted from a Christie novel and the film was produced in 1964, but released at the end of 1965 in order to space out the series. Following the end of the Miss Marple franchise, director Pollock would make one more feature before he more or less vanished from the scene. Another Christie, Ten Little Indians (see my review), for Fu Manchu producer Harry Alan Towers.

All in all, Murder Ahoy is fantastic light hearted fun with Rutherford on fine form as usual as the spinster detective. She gets good support from Lionel Jeffries as the Captain and Stringer Davis offers his touching portrayal as the local librarian Mr Stringer who is Miss Marple's closest friend and is always concerned that her meddling may result in her getting bumped off, but its never any use as she is determined to unravel the mystery and she does in her own inimitable fashion. Moments to savour here include her sword fight with the killer at the climax when she assures her assailant "I must warn you that in 1931 I was the winner of the ladies fencing championship." Screenwriters David Pursall and Jack Seddon came up with quite a good storyline of their own and the identity of the killer is well concealed until the end, but I felt that the script could of been a little tighter. Nevertheless, its all good fun and Rutherford has no trouble in dominating the film with her uniquely individual performance as Miss Marple, George Pollock's direction is smooth and the atmospheric black and white camera-work of Desmond Dickinson is an added bonus.