Editing Miss Marple (section)

===Margaret Rutherford===
[[Margaret Rutherford]] played Miss Marple in four films directed by [[George Pollock (director)|George Pollock]] between 1961 and 1964. These were successful light comedies, but Christie herself was disappointed with them.<ref>Matthew Bunson, ''The Complete Christie: An Agatha Christie Encyclopedia''. NY: Simon and Schuster, 2000. 386-87.
{{ISBN|9780671028312}} 
books.google.com/books?id=R3syC8weGO8C&pg=PA386</ref> Nevertheless, Agatha Christie dedicated the novel ''[[The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side]]'' to Rutherford.

Rutherford presented the character as a bold and eccentric old lady, different from the prim and birdlike character Christie created in her novels. As penned by Christie, Miss Marple has never worked for a living, but the character as portrayed by Margaret Rutherford briefly works undercover as a cook-housekeeper, a stage actress, a sailor, and criminal reformer, and is offered the chance to run a riding establishment-cum-hotel. Her education and genteel background are hinted at when she mentions her awards at marksmanship (and demonstrates her shooting prowess), dancing, fencing, and equestrianism, although these hints are played for comedic value.

''[[Murder, She Said]]'' (1961) was the first of the four British MGM productions starring Rutherford. This film was based on the 1957 novel ''4:50 from Paddington'' (U.S. title, ''What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!''), and the changes made in the plot were typical of the series. In the film, Mrs. McGillicuddy is cut from the plot. Miss Marple herself sees an apparent murder committed on a train running alongside hers. Actress [[Joan Hickson]], who played Marple in the 1984–1992 television adaptations, has a role as a housekeeper in this movie.<ref name="celebration140"/>

''[[Murder at the Gallop]]'' (1963), based on the 1953 [[Hercule Poirot]] novel, ''[[After the Funeral]]'' (in this film, she is identified as Miss JTV Marple, though there was no indication as to what the extra initials might stand for).

''[[Murder Most Foul (film)|Murder Most Foul]]'' (1964), based on the 1952 Poirot novel ''[[Mrs McGinty's Dead]]''.

''[[Murder Ahoy!]]'' (1964). The last film is not based on any Christie work but displays a few plot elements from ''They Do It With Mirrors'' (viz., the ship is used as a reform school for wayward boys and one of the teachers uses them as a crime force), as well as similarities to ''[[The Mousetrap]]''.

The music to all four films was composed and conducted by [[Ron Goodwin]]. The same theme is used on all four films with slight variations in each. The score was written within a couple of weeks by Goodwin who was approached by Pollock after Pollock had heard about him from [[Stanley Black]]. Black had worked with Pollock on ''Stranger in Town'' in 1957 and had previously hired Goodwin as his orchestrator.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ron Goodwin|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006109/bio|access-date=2021-10-06|website=IMDb}}</ref>

Rutherford, who was 68 years old when the first film was shot in February 1961, insisted that she wear her own clothes during the filming of the movie, as well as having her husband, [[Stringer Davis]], appear alongside her as the character Mr Stringer. The Rutherford films are frequently repeated on television in [[Germany]], and in that country Miss Marple is generally identified with Rutherford's quirky portrayal.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/mystery/marple2/shoes.html|title=Filling Miss Marple's Shoes|first=Phil|last=Clymer|website=[[PBS]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060721192731/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/mystery/marple2/shoes.html|access-date=2012-03-07|archive-date=21 July 2006}}</ref>

Rutherford also appeared briefly as Miss Marple in the parodic Hercule Poirot adventure ''[[The Alphabet Murders]]'' (1965).