Based on the mystery by Agatha Christie, director Hamilton brings together an outstanding cast but flubs the adaptation with what looks like a cheap television episode budget. After a film breaks during a movie showing, and Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury) solves the climax for the clueless audience, a real production crew arrives in St. Mary Mead to make a movie about Mary, Queen of Scots. The year is 1953, and has-been star Marina (Elizabeth Taylor) is looking to make a comeback in the title role in a film directed by her husband Jason (Rock Hudson). Jason's assistant, Ella (Geraldine Chaplin), has the thankless job of rallying the local villagers to show their love for Marina at a staged event. There, Miss Marple falls and sprains her leg, missing the film's first murder. Most excited about seeing Marina is Heather (Maureen Bennett), who met her years earlier during World War II. During the party, as Heather is talking Marina's ear off, rival starlet Lola (Kim Novak) and her producer husband Marty (Tony Curtis) blow in. The catty dialogue between Lola and Marina is hilarious, but the discovery that Heather has been murdered puts a damper on the day's festivities. Marple's cleaning girl, and a party waitress, Cherry (Wendy Morgan) tells Miss Marple everything, and the fact comes out that Heather was poisoned with a drink meant for Marina. Cue Delbert (Edward Fox), Miss Marple's favorite nephew and Scotland Yard inspector. The suspects are in line as Delbert begins talking to the cast and trying to track down the killer.
This film rivals other Agatha Christie adaptations in star power. The professional stars all play Hollywood phonies well against the genteel back drop of this slow English village. Lansbury is simply perfect as Marple, better than Hayes, Leighton, or Hickson. This film was to spawn a series of new Marple features but it bombed and the plans were scrapped as Lansbury went on to the horrendous "Murder She Wrote." Taylor is both beautiful and bewitching as fragile Marina. She plays some good scenes. Hudson is often forgotten as a great actor, his final scenes in the climax are worth watching. Novak is an appropriate airhead starlet, and she gets the funniest lines. Curtis is sleazy as Marty, and Chaplin does a lot with her limited time onscreen. Fox is very fun as a star-struck inspector, his scene interrogating Marina, and another with a half naked Lola, while trying to remain professional are great. Hamilton's direction is reliable since he has done tons of films before. I do wish the film had been bigger. This effort played like a network TV movie with cussing. John Cameron's lovely musical score is played against some shoddy set-ups and cheap looking costuming. I read the novel years ago, and I knew how this would turn out, but the movie was still fun enough to sit through. It is harmless, and look for an unbilled Pierce Brosnan being held against Taylor's bosom in one scene. I also think I saw Victoria Tennant in the film's opening audience but I cannot be sure. "The Mirror Crack'd" is not perfect by any means, but the cast seems to be up for the fun. I only wish the film's screenwriters and director had been able to match the enthusiasm.
This film rivals other Agatha Christie adaptations in star power. The professional stars all play Hollywood phonies well against the genteel back drop of this slow English village. Lansbury is simply perfect as Marple, better than Hayes, Leighton, or Hickson. This film was to spawn a series of new Marple features but it bombed and the plans were scrapped as Lansbury went on to the horrendous "Murder She Wrote." Taylor is both beautiful and bewitching as fragile Marina. She plays some good scenes. Hudson is often forgotten as a great actor, his final scenes in the climax are worth watching. Novak is an appropriate airhead starlet, and she gets the funniest lines. Curtis is sleazy as Marty, and Chaplin does a lot with her limited time onscreen. Fox is very fun as a star-struck inspector, his scene interrogating Marina, and another with a half naked Lola, while trying to remain professional are great. Hamilton's direction is reliable since he has done tons of films before. I do wish the film had been bigger. This effort played like a network TV movie with cussing. John Cameron's lovely musical score is played against some shoddy set-ups and cheap looking costuming. I read the novel years ago, and I knew how this would turn out, but the movie was still fun enough to sit through. It is harmless, and look for an unbilled Pierce Brosnan being held against Taylor's bosom in one scene. I also think I saw Victoria Tennant in the film's opening audience but I cannot be sure. "The Mirror Crack'd" is not perfect by any means, but the cast seems to be up for the fun. I only wish the film's screenwriters and director had been able to match the enthusiasm.