Passage à tabac

I always enjoy a chance to see any of the four Murder mysteries Margaret Rutherford made during the 1960's as Agatha Christie's Miss. Marple. While she doesn't fit the traditional description, she is a hoot to watch! I think these are all great fun, and she is just a classic!

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!"

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!

Just a little rectification: if the order of releases in Great-Britain is correct, this film is the fourth, not the third, in the series. The British releases were as follow: Murder, She Said - August, 1961 Murder at the Gallop - April, 1963 Murder Most Foul - February, 1964 Murder Ahoy - July, 1964

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.