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MURDER AHOY (Dir: George Pollock, 1964).
The fourth and final entry in MGM’s Miss Marple series.
Here the amateur sleuth boards the retired battleship HMS Battledore, now used by charity Trust for the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents, in order to investigate the death of one of the charity's trustees. It is anything but plain sailing as more crew members are bumped off and Miss Marple's own life is at risk as she uncovers embezzlement and theft on board.
The only title in the series not directly based on an Agatha Christie novel; the opening credits bear the legend “original screenplay by David Pursall and Jack Seddon based on their interpretation of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple”. The wording here is key as, with a markedly more comic tone, this is definitely Pursall and Sneddon’s interpretation rather than Christie’s. However, having previously adapted three Christie novels, the writers prove more than adept at recreating a murder mystery with twists and turns worthy of the author.
Wary that the franchise was in need of a refresh, the decision to set much of the movie on board the HMS Battledore gives it a slightly different flavour from other series entries. With Miss M spending much of the film aboard ship she relies heavier than usual on her land based contact and constant companion Mr Stringer (Stringer Davis). It’s nice for Davis to have a bit more to do and this different dynamic also serves to shake up the formula somewhat.
Again, Rutherford is wonderful as Miss Marple; nothing like the character in the books, but an excellent comic creation in its own right. As always, a cast of familiar vintage British stars offer sturdy support, most notably Lionel Jeffries whose terrific comic performance as ship's Captain Sydney De Courcy Rhumstone almost steals the movie from Rutherford.
Like its predecessors Murder Ahoy is all very silly, yet also highly entertaining. Purists may disagree, but this naval nonsense is hard lnot to warm to and concludes the series in ship shape fashion.
To read a longer, more in-depth review of MURDER AHOY visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.
THE ALPHABET MURDERS (Dir: Frank Tashlin, 1965).
A comedy thriller based upon Agatha Christie’s 1936 novel The ABC Murders in which Belgian's finest, Detective Hercule Poirot (Tony Randall), investigates a series of murders, each victim being bumped off in alphabetical order. Chief suspect is the dubiously initialed Amanda Beatrice Cross (Anita Ekberg).
The Alphabet Murders was an attempt by MGM to repeat the success of their series of comic mysteries adapted from Christie’s Miss Marple stories. Returning are Marple scriptwriters David Pursall and Jack Seddon, while directing duties are handled by former Warner Brothers animator Frank Tashlin. Tashlin brings his Termite Terrace cartoon sensibilities to the movie, setting out its kooky objectives from the opening, when Tony Randall addresses the camera first as himself and then in makeup as Poirot. With Tashlin's knack for visual humour, and some striking black and white photography courtesy of cinematographer Desmond Dickinson, the film is a visual treat.
Unfortunately, the quality doesn't extend to story treatment. As an Agatha Christie adaptation The Alphabet Murders is pretty unsatisfying. What it is, however, is a showcase for the considerable talents of Tony Randall. Randall’s is a fantastic performance, over the top and pantomimic to be sure, but his Poirot is a great comic creation. An excellent support cast including Anita Ekberg and Robert Morley (as Captain Hastings) also register strong performances.
Yet, despite the efforts of much of the Miss Marple team, and a cameo appearance by those movies stars Margaret Rutherford and Stringer Davis, The Alphabet Murders was not a success. Somehow the elements that worked so well for Marple just don’t gel for Poirot. Possibly the character was not as well suited to comedic interpretation or maybe the overtly American sensibilities of director Tashlin was not suited to something moored so much in Britishness.
While The Alphabet Murders must be considered a disappointment, it is certainly not a disaster. In truth there is much in the movie to enjoy, all depending on how one approaches it.
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