Miss Marple: L'oeil de verre

Miss Marple is enjoying a holiday in Barbados recovering from a recent illness. However, an ex colonial police officer called Major Palgrave (Frank Middlemass), boasts to Miss Marple about a murder story and takes a photograph out of his wallet which apparently has a murderer's face on it. However, he suddenly sees that person and quickly puts the photograph back into his wallet. Miss Marple didn't take it very seriously at the time but when Major Palgrave is found dead the next morning, she wishes she had when more murders follow.

By far and a way the best version of Christie's whodunit. It was filmed in Hollywood in 1983 as a lacklustre TV movie starring Helen Hayes as Miss Marple and was saddled with an indifferent script. This BBC production is lengthly, but there is more attention to detail and a first rate cast including Donald Pleasance, Frank Middlemass and not forgetting Hickson's Miss Marple. All do fine work in their roles.

Joan Hickson plays Miss Marple - she is the best to have done so.

If you like Agatha Christie's Marple stories that is all you need to know,

Unfortunately at the time of writing we seem to get on TV repeats the later made series with Geraldine Mcewan in the role.

The difference between the two is chasmic.

This is not my favourite Marple story but enjoyable nevertheless.

Good to see the great Donald Pleasance in the cast.

But oh so good to see Joan HIckson once again.

Let's have more of her on TV please pretty please.

Well shot and acted, and it transports you to a pleasant hotel in the Caribbean. Is Donald Pleasance making up his own dialogue? I'm sure Christie never called anyone a 'saucy mare'. Liberties are taken with the book, some good (Miss Marple's visit to the chambermaid's aunt) and some pointless (made up superstitions about the dead taking revenge). Directors should trust Christie!

Many of the 'improvements' blur and confuse the storyline. xxxxxx

This is worth sitting down to watch. Not your typical Miss Marple, as it takes place in Barbados. However, all the usual ingredients are there to make this a worthwhile diversion. I agree that there are some changes from the book, but on the whole these are positive. Give it a go.

Caribbean Mystery is a good book by Agatha Christie, but I wouldn't go to say it was one of her best. It is worth the read, but I do prefer Murder is Announced and Sleeping Murder out of the Marple books. This adaptation while taking some liberties with the book, is the best adaptation, and yes I do prefer it over the Helen Hayes version. The adaptation is beautifully shot, with lovely camera work and the scenery is colourful and very pleasing to the eye. The music is well composed and fits nicely with what's going on on screen, if careful not to overshadow the action in those crucial scenes. The script and plot are solid, while taking liberties with the book. Speaking of the changes, I liked the idea of Miss Marple visiting the chambermaid's aunt, however some other changes like the dead coming back from the dead seemed far-fetched and didn't quite work. The adaptation also is rather lengthy, and there is some sluggish pacing in the middle half. On the plus side though, asides from how it was filmed and the good plot and script, we are also treated to a first-rate cast. Joan Hickson is as wonderful as ever as Miss Marple, and Donald Pleasance makes the most out of his role as Jason Rafiel. Sue Lloyd is suitably nasty as Lucy Dyson, and T.P.McKenna is good as Dr Grahame. Adrian Lukis and Sophie Ward are a little on the dull side as the Kendalls though. I will say the final solution was very effective. Overall, a worthwhile diversion, not so bad as an adaptation either. If you want a better Hickson- Marple adaptation though, try Murder Is Announced and Sleeping Murder. 8/10 Bethany Cox