THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY

UK, 1984, 150 minutes, Colour.

Joan Hickson, Gwen Watford, Moray Watson, Valentine Dahl, Frederick Jaeger, David Horovitch, Andrew Cruickshank, Ciaran Madden, Jess Conrad, Trudie Styler, Anthony Smee, Sally Jane Jackson, Raymond Francis, Ian Bramble.

Directed by Silvio Narizzano.

Agatha Christie’s novels were enormously popular in the 20^th century, many film and television series made. And, they continue into the 21^st-century, new Poirot films, continued streaming screening of Miss Marple stories and those of Poirot.

While Angela Lansbury and Margaret Rutherford did portray Miss Marple, the main screen presentations were by Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan, Julia Mackenzie. It is interesting that the stories with the latter two Miss Marples was somewhat updated, the films with Joan Hickson had the post-war atmosphere, the late 1940s, the 1950s, life in the village, costumes and decor, vehicles, religious observance, traditional values…

This is quite a complicated story, a body found in the library of the local lord of the manor, his coming under suspicion, the anxiety of his wife, friend of Miss Marple, the going to stay at the seaside to try to understand the motivation for the murder.

In fact, the plot is quite complex, even to the identity of the body in the library and the revelation of an alternate plot. As always, there is the leading detective and his assistant, many interrogations, complex relationships, and, this time, quite ingenious plotting. This time the Detective is Inspector Slade, played by David Horovitch, humourless, looking down on Miss Marple. However, he was to appear in several more of the Joan Hickson stories, becoming more amenable as the films went on, beginning to expect her presence on the crime scene.

And, with these British television productions, very strong supporting cast of British character actors. Direction is by SilvioNarozzano, Canadian director working in England Who Is most famous film was Georgy Girl.

1. The popularity of Agatha Christie mysteries? Miss Marple? Joan Hickson?
2. The 1950s atmosphere, the rural villages, the seaside resorts, homes, mansions, the countryside, the hotels, affluence, the beaches? Quite restrained in manners? The musical score?
3. The atmosphere of the opening, the maid, the morning, discovering the body, Mrs Bantry, the Colonel, reactions, Colonel Melchett, police, the locals, Inspector Slack, the beginning of the investigations, the police procedures?
4. Mrs Bantry, phoning Miss Marple, her coming, looking at the body, the parallels with the village characters? The reputation, Melchett, Sir Henry Clitheroe Scotland Yard, the scepticism of Slack?
5. The identity of the body, the hair, the dress, time of death, Miss Marple questioning the dress? The irony of the revelation that it was not Ruby’s body?
6. Basil Blake has suspect, the visit, filmmaking, his style, the quarrel with his partner, the timing, his expressing sympathy for Bantry, rejected, the interviews with him, all the details, Slack’s conclusion? The revelation of the truth, his wife, the timing, the body in his house, in the car, the fibres from the rug, driving, seeing Bantry with the puncture, deciding to put the body in his library?
7. Mrs Bantry, upset, the rumours in the village, Bantry going to shop, people ignoring him, the man at the counter, and payment? The decision to go to the hotel, with Miss Marple, the management?
8. The suspects at the hotel, the manager and his information, Ruby as a dancer, demonstrations, partnering, with the young man, his car being stolen, the coach, tennis, dancing, collaboration with Josie, Josie as Ruby’s cousin, concerned, the timing, the identifying of the body?
9. Conway Jefferson, age, death of his wife, children, fondness for Ruby, intention for adoption, the money granted? Adelaide, widow, precocious son, caring for Conway, under suspicion, her financial situation of explanation, wanting to marry again, the man in waiting? Mark, the death of his wife, financial situation, looking after Conway, his exercise, medications? The revelation of his relationship with Josie?
10. The mystery of the missing girl, newspaper articles, Slack visiting the father, his explanations, her going out with friends, disappearance, the later interrogating of the girls, Miss Marple and her strict interrogation of the fearful girl, the discovery of the truth, the offer of the part in the film, Mark and Josie disguised, they’re killing her, the substitute body? And the taking of the young man’s car from the hotel, Ruby’s body, incinerating it?
11. The young man, mental limits, cycling, following the police, discovering the body, insisting, going to the police, taking the credit?
12. The range of flashbacks, the variety of stories, the consistencies and inconsistencies?
13. Miss Marple, the suggestions about heritage, Somerset house, her visit, the documents?
14. The background of Slack, Lake, their work, interrogations, theories, Slack and his intolerance of Miss Marple?
15. The gathering, the explanations, the complexities? The resolution?