Murder at the Gallop
Encyclopedia
Murder at the Gallop is the second of four films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, based on the novel After the Funeral
by Agatha Christie
, and starring Margaret Rutherford
as Miss Jane Marple, Charles "Bud" Tingwell as Inspector Craddock and Stringer Davis
(Rutherford's real-life husband) as Mr. Stringer. The film changes the action and the characters. Hercule Poirot
is replaced by Miss Marple and Christie's trademark suspense
with light comedy
.
It was made in 1963 and directed by George Pollock
, with James P. Cavanagh credited with the adaptation. The music was by Ron Goodwin
.
Undeterred, Miss Marple eavesdrops when the family gather for the reading of the Will
. Each of the four heirs receives an equal share of the estate. His sister Cora declares that she believes he was murdered. The next day, when Miss Marple goes to see her, she finds Cora dead, murdered by a hatpin in the back. Cora's companion of many years, timid Miss Milchrest, can provide little information.
Miss Marple decides to take a "holiday" at the Gallop Hotel/riding school, as it is run by Cora's nephew Hector Enderby (Robert Morley
) and the other two heirs are staying there. One of them, art expert/dealer George Crossfield, discovers the identity of the murderer, but is locked in a stall with an excitable horse and perishes. An attempt is made to do away with Miss Marple herself, but is foiled by the intended victim (without her even realising it).
By this point, Miss Marple knows the identity and motive of the killer, but has no definitive proof. She therefore lays a trap, pretending to have a heart attack at a dance at the hotel (while doing the Twist
with Stringer). The police doctor has her placed in a room by herself, declaring it too dangerous to move her until morning. During the night, the criminal makes one last attempt to silence her, but Miss Marple is ready. The killer is revealed to be Miss Milchrest disguised as Cora. She had been after Cora's seemingly worthless painting.
After the Funeral
After the Funeral is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in March 1953 under the title of Funerals are Fatal and in UK by the Collins Crime Club on May 18 of the same year under Christie's original title...
by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
, and starring Margaret Rutherford
Margaret Rutherford
Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford DBE was an English character actress, who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest...
as Miss Jane Marple, Charles "Bud" Tingwell as Inspector Craddock and Stringer Davis
Stringer Davis
James Buckley Stringer Davis, generally known as Stringer Davis , was an English character actor. He was married to actress Dame Margaret Rutherford.-Background and marriage:Davis was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England....
(Rutherford's real-life husband) as Mr. Stringer. The film changes the action and the characters. Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.Poirot has been portrayed on...
is replaced by Miss Marple and Christie's trademark suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
with light comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
.
It was made in 1963 and directed by George Pollock
George Pollock (director)
George Pollock was a British film director, best known for bringing Agatha Christie's famous detective Miss Marple to the big screen for the first time, starring Margaret Rutherford.-Life and work :...
, with James P. Cavanagh credited with the adaptation. The music was by Ron Goodwin
Ron Goodwin
Ronald Alfred Goodwin was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years....
.
Plot
Whilst Miss Marple and Mr Stringer are soliciting donations for a charity, they visit Mr Enderby, a rich and eccentric recluse. He tumbles down a staircase, apparently the victim of a fatal heart attack. However, knowing that Enderby had a pathological fear of cats, Miss Marple becomes suspicious when she finds one in the house. When she goes to Inspector Craddock, he is sceptical.Undeterred, Miss Marple eavesdrops when the family gather for the reading of the Will
Will
Will may refer to:* Shall and will, the word will as a modal verb* Will , instructions for the disposition of one's property after death...
. Each of the four heirs receives an equal share of the estate. His sister Cora declares that she believes he was murdered. The next day, when Miss Marple goes to see her, she finds Cora dead, murdered by a hatpin in the back. Cora's companion of many years, timid Miss Milchrest, can provide little information.
Miss Marple decides to take a "holiday" at the Gallop Hotel/riding school, as it is run by Cora's nephew Hector Enderby (Robert Morley
Robert Morley
Robert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE was an English actor who, often in supporting roles, was usually cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment...
) and the other two heirs are staying there. One of them, art expert/dealer George Crossfield, discovers the identity of the murderer, but is locked in a stall with an excitable horse and perishes. An attempt is made to do away with Miss Marple herself, but is foiled by the intended victim (without her even realising it).
By this point, Miss Marple knows the identity and motive of the killer, but has no definitive proof. She therefore lays a trap, pretending to have a heart attack at a dance at the hotel (while doing the Twist
Twist (dance)
The Twist was a dance inspired by rock and roll music. It became the first worldwide dance craze in the early 1960s, enjoying immense popularity among young people and drawing fire from critics who felt it was too provocative. It inspired dances such as the Jerk, the Pony, the Watusi, the Mashed...
with Stringer). The police doctor has her placed in a room by herself, declaring it too dangerous to move her until morning. During the night, the criminal makes one last attempt to silence her, but Miss Marple is ready. The killer is revealed to be Miss Milchrest disguised as Cora. She had been after Cora's seemingly worthless painting.
Cast
- Margaret RutherfordMargaret RutherfordDame Margaret Taylor Rutherford DBE was an English character actress, who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest...
as Miss Marple - Stringer DavisStringer DavisJames Buckley Stringer Davis, generally known as Stringer Davis , was an English character actor. He was married to actress Dame Margaret Rutherford.-Background and marriage:Davis was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England....
as Mr. Stringer - Robert MorleyRobert MorleyRobert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE was an English actor who, often in supporting roles, was usually cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment...
as Hector Enderby - Flora RobsonFlora RobsonDame Flora McKenzie Robson DBE was an English actress, renowned as a character actress, who played roles ranging from queens to villainesses.-Early life:...
as Miss Milchrest - Bud Tingwell as Inspector Craddock
- Gordon HarrisGordon Harris (actor)Gordon Harris was an English actor who appeared in films such as Murder, She Said , Murder at the Gallop , as well as The Navy Lark ....
as Sergeant Bacon - Robert UrquhartRobert Urquhart (actor)Robert Urquhart was a Scottish character actor who mainly worked in British television during his career.He was born in Ullapool, Scotland on 16 October 1921, educated at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh and made his stage debut in 1947...
as George Crossfield - Katya Douglas as Rosamund Shane, an heir
- James VilliersJames VilliersJames Michael Hyde Villiers was a British character actor and a familiar face on British television...
as Michael Shane, Rosamund's husband - Noel HowlettNoel HowlettNoel Howlett was an English actor, principally remembered as the incompetent headmaster, Morris Cromwell, in the ITV 1970s cult television programme Please Sir!...
as Mr. Trundell - Finlay CurrieFinlay CurrieFinlay Jefferson Currie was a Scottish actor of stage, screen and television.Currie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1878. His acting career began on the stage. He and his wife Maude Courtney did a song and dance act in the US in the 1890s. He made his first film in 1931...
as Old Enderby - Duncan LamontDuncan LamontDuncan William Ferguson Lamont was a British actor. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, but brought up in Scotland, he had a long and successful career in film and television, appearing in a variety of high-profile productions....
as Hillman - Kevin StoneyKevin StoneyKevin Stoney was an English actor, best known for his television roles.During World War II, Stoney served with the Royal Air Force....
as Doctor Markwell - Frank Atkinson as Hotel Night Porter (uncredited)
- Roger AvonRoger AvonRoger Avon was a British film and television actor.Some of his television appearances include Hancock's Half Hour, Dad's Army, When the Boat Comes In, Department S, Doctor Who, serials , Randall and Hopkirk , Our Friends in the North and Blackadder the Third...
as Police Photographer (uncredited)