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A Murder is Announced
Jun. 29th, 2021 09:43 amI've just finished watching Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced which boasts an impressive cast list.
Aside from Joan Hickson as Miss Marple, there's John Castle as Detective Inspector Craddock, Kevin Whately as Detective Sergeant Fletcher, Ursula Howells as Miss Blacklock, David Collings as Reverend Harmon, and darling Joan Sims as Miss Murgatroyd.
The story runs thus: Miss Blacklock is astonished to read in the local newspaper that a murder is announced and it will take place in her sitting room that night at 7pm. Friends are urged to accept this, the only invitation.
Accordingly, her friends and neighbours turn up at her house, expectng a game of murder.
What they get is the lights going out at 7pm, a light being shone in their eyes, and three shots from a gun. The lights are turned back on and they find two bullet holes in the wall where Miss Blacklock was standing, Miss Blacklock covered in blood from a nick in her ear, and the masked assailant dead on the floor.
Did he trip and shoot himself? Did someone hire him to kill Miss Blacklock? Why would anyone want Miss Blacklock dead?
~'~
It's a good book, and the Joan Hickson version is an excellent adaptation. It's well acted, rather enthralling, and kept me captivated all the way through. But I have a major issue with the story, or rather with one of the characters that really annoys me.
Massive spoilers under the cut.
( Read more... )
Aside from Joan Hickson as Miss Marple, there's John Castle as Detective Inspector Craddock, Kevin Whately as Detective Sergeant Fletcher, Ursula Howells as Miss Blacklock, David Collings as Reverend Harmon, and darling Joan Sims as Miss Murgatroyd.
The story runs thus: Miss Blacklock is astonished to read in the local newspaper that a murder is announced and it will take place in her sitting room that night at 7pm. Friends are urged to accept this, the only invitation.
Accordingly, her friends and neighbours turn up at her house, expectng a game of murder.
What they get is the lights going out at 7pm, a light being shone in their eyes, and three shots from a gun. The lights are turned back on and they find two bullet holes in the wall where Miss Blacklock was standing, Miss Blacklock covered in blood from a nick in her ear, and the masked assailant dead on the floor.
Did he trip and shoot himself? Did someone hire him to kill Miss Blacklock? Why would anyone want Miss Blacklock dead?
~'~
It's a good book, and the Joan Hickson version is an excellent adaptation. It's well acted, rather enthralling, and kept me captivated all the way through. But I have a major issue with the story, or rather with one of the characters that really annoys me.
Massive spoilers under the cut.
( Read more... )