4.50 From Paddington, Whilst travelling by train to visit her friend Jane Marple, Elspeth McGillicuddy wakes from her slumber and witnesses a man strangling a woman on a passing train. With no other witnesses and no trace of a body the Police don’t believe her story, so Miss Marple engages Lucy Eyelesbarrow to help uncover the mystery.
It’s a very faithful, beautifully made version, production values are incredibly high. The music is lovely and melodic, it’s never invasive, it helps generate atmosphere.
Some totally iconic scenes too, the whole sequence of Lucy discovering the body is one of the most memorable bits of TV from my childhood. It’s beautifully filmed and the music is superb, it adds to the tension. The set and props are wonderful.
Beautifully acted, some wonderful performances, my favourite being Joanna David’s, she is superb as Emma, making her down trodden and meek, but wonderfully believable. Maurice Denham is wonderful as always, Jean Boht’s cameo as Madame Jolie. Jill Meager puts in a very good showing, but…….
One gripe I have with Lucy Eyelesbarrow, she has men falling at her feet, desperately in love with her, I’m so sorry to say it but with Jill Meager, I just don’t see it. With Amanda Holden’s character I get it. (Is that Bertram’s Hotel I spy for their first meeting?)
The ending is well staged. It seemed at the time like she was always using Somerset House.
It’s an excellent production, a little doddery in parts, but very faithful to the book. Hickson is excellent as always but somewhat takes a back seat in this one, she’s very much an observer.
