At this time of her career, Dame Elizabeth Taylor's career was in the doldrums. She was 48 years old, hadn't had a decent hit film in years, her marriage to US politician John Warner was struggling, she was taking anti-depressants, and she had put on weight. When Rock Hudson was approached to do the film, he said he would only do it if his long-time friend Taylor could also be cast. The producers had assumed that Taylor's salary demands would put the film well over budget and were lining up Donald Pleasence as a possible alternative to Hudson. However, Hudson said that he could get Taylor to agree to star with him for the same salary he was being offered. Hudson convinced Taylor that coming to England for a few weeks to do a mainstream film with him, Dame Angela Lansbury, and Tony Curtis (people Taylor had known for about 30 years) would be beneficial for her mental health, plus give her a chance to catch up with old friends who lived there.
Final lead starring role in a cinema movie for Dame Elizabeth Taylor. According to publicity for this movie, this was Taylor's first big role in a feature film in four years.
Although Miss Marple is presented as elderly and the leading men as middle-aged, Angela Lansbury, Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson were all born in 1925.
In a 1998 interview with the Archive of American Television, Angela Lansbury stated that playing Miss Marple was "terrific" and that she "enjoyed" it very much but thought the film was "dreadful."