CinemaSerf

Very much a poor relation of the other Brabourne/Goodwin crime ("Death on the Nile" (1978) etc.) thrillers, this just doesn't ever really ignite. Angela Lansbury takes on the mantle of super-sleuth "Miss Marple" who is helping her nephew "Insp. Craddock" (Edward Fox) investigate the mysterious poisoning of the rather star-struck "Miss Babcock" (Maureen Bennett). Starstruck? Well so would we be if the local manor house was being inhabited by Elizabeth Taylor ("Marina") and her husband "Jason" (Rock Hudson). They are re-making "The Virgin Queen" with Miss Taylor wearing the crown and Kim Novak picking up the Joan Collins part in the film, and who is married to producer "Fenn" (Tony Curtis) for the purpose of this drama. Whodunit? Well there's the thing. Whilst they all pretty universally disliked "Marina", why kill this random, gushing, fan? Of course, "Miss Marple" and her cunning brain soon starts to pull together a really weak and threadbare storyline that all centres around a painting. There is plenty of star quality on offer here, but it doesn't gel and as the story progresses it is almost as if the talent were never on set for long at the same time - it's terribly disjointed. The ending is poor - no other word for it. Indeed, that's all that can be said for this really lacklustre project for which money was clearly no object, but a script and compelling screenplay certainly were.