A POCKETFUL OF RYE

UK, 1985, 103 minutes, Colour.

Joan Hickson, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy West, Peter Davison, Fabia Drake, Stacy Dorning, Martyn Stanbridge, Clive Merrison, Rachel Bell, Frances Low, Selena Cadell, Mira Lena Kendall, Frank Mills, Jon Glover, Anette Badland.

Directed by Guy Slater.

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…

There is a tenuous link with Miss Marple here, her recommending a maid who served in the house where murders occur.

Timothy West opens the film with great bombast, an unlikeable character, and murdered. His name is Rex – and the beginning of the link of the title with the nursery rhyme the king in his counting house, and the murderer choosing various clues from the rhyme for the development of the plot.

This time there is a very sympathetic police inspector, played by Tom Wilkinson more than a decade before his emerging so successfully in The Full Monty. Character actress, Fabia Drake, is also a strong screen presence.

The background to the murder is a mine in Africa and Rex betraying his partner. Rex has two sons, one in the business at home, the severe and humourless man, the other is Lance, in Africa, disliked by his father but returning to make him a proposition.

The plot is rather complex, according to the rhyme, and depends on truth about times.

1. The popularity of Agatha Christie novels and films? The actresses as Miss Marple? Joan Hickson?
2. The post-war settings, costumes and decor, cars? More proper ways of behaviour?
3. The nursery rhyme and the title, the plan to crimes according to the rhyme, the king in his counting house, Queen and tea, the maid and the washing…?
4. The opening, the focus on Rex, at the office, his laughter, the deals, his sudden attack? His death? His presence in the flashbacks, at home, dominating, sneering, his treatment of everybody in the family? Meals, behaviour? Intensely disliked? The fact of his marrying Adele, family criticisms, her age and the difference, issues of money?
5. The family, the financial situation, the two sons, one at home and carrying on the family business, severe, the treatment of his wife, brutality and disdain? Her present the household, cheerful? Put upon? Her friendship with Adele and her support? The absent son, Lance, in Africa, in disfavour with his father?
6. Mary Dove, the management of the household, working with the servants, especially with Gladys and the family’s criticism of her and her accidents? Financial management? Interactions with Rex? Her being formally correct with Adele and the other members of the family?
7. Miss Henderson, age, sister-in-law to Rex, critical observations, haughty, despising Adele, the attitude towards her nephews? Observing what went on in the household?
8. The cook, the attitude towards Gladys, her husband and his laid-back manner? The cook and her being upset?
9. Gladys, the recommendation from Miss Marple, awkward, accidents? Her strange behaviour, phone calls, going out? Found dead? Lance and his commands, her infatuation, the rye…?
10. The arrival of the police, the Inspector, initially wary of Miss Marple, liking her, seeking her advice, following it? His assistant?
11. Suspects for the death of Rex? The mystery of the death of Gladys? Then the murder of Adele? Adele and her relationship with the tennis coach, suspicions, his leaving, his being apprehended and interrogated?
12. Lance returning from Africa, with his wife, their bonding, her past, the arrests, saying she was bad luck?
13. Coming back, the background of the mine in Africa, his father’s behaviour, the partner, the descendants and their being edged out of money? Lance and his rather carefree attitude, with everyone in the house, with Miss Marple?
14. Miss Marple and the Inspector, following the nursery rhyme, unravelling the mystery? The importance of the timing? Lance and his lies, the past connection with Gladys and leading her on? His being unmasked? The truth about the mine, his arguments with his brother, seeming to compromise with the payoff, but his getting the money, leaving the airport, with Patricia, the crash?
15. Mary Dove and the finances?
16. Jennifer and the revelation of her identity?
17. A satisfactory mystery, the suspect and the laying of false clues? And the role of Miss Marple?