User Reviews

This movie made from Agatha Christie's novel is all about dotty characters, and not really about crime. Christie was the master at crafting characters and places. These were the essence of her novels, which placed them apart and well above more routine mystery stories.

There's Miss Marple, the epitome of the spinster lady of good manners and breeding, if a little on the inquisitive side. Always aware of what's going on around her, collecting all gossip and facts which she will use to solve the murder that baffles the police. Joan Hickson played the best Miss Marple; she was Miss Marple - all cardigans and tweed skirts.

There's Col. Luscombe the old bachelor who couldn't be more unsuited to his role as guardian of a comely girl. Clueless as to parenting, and as unfeeling as only old bachelors can be.

There's Lady Selina Hazy, a dotty old dear if there ever was one. Ever gossiping, knowing something about just every one, she's the quintessential lady who rattles on and on. See her stick to Miss Marple like gum to a shoe. And Miss Marple is gentlewoman enough to allow her.

Chief Inspector Davy is the dull, if gentlemanly copper. Played by George Baker, who's also Chief Inspector Wexford in the Ruth Rendell mysteries. Hangs about the Betram Hotel eating muffins, while undercover to investigate some robberies.

Canon Pennyfather is the old gent gone vague, the absolutely most absent minded fellow there was. Definitely bats in his belfry.

Miss Gorringe is the receptionist at the hotel, ever stuffy and condescending to the guests.

Henry is the doorman, or concierge since we are in exclusive Mayfair, London.

Ladislaus is the oily racing car driver and two-timer.

We see a fabulous cameo of an Indian waiter played by Rashid Karapiet, who had played Dr. Das in Passage to India (1984).

Don't watch this movie for the crime, or the brilliant detective work and clever solution. But do watch it if you enjoy characterizations that amuse. Do watch it if you enjoy a brilliant author at her best, expertly crafting the oddest bunch of characters to ever fill a hotel.

Compliments to the director for bringing these characters to life!

Very faithful to the book and a joy to watch. Aspects of the plot of "At Bertram's Hotel" admittedly are far-fetched, but the theme and setting are among Christie's best. We also see a highly active and reflective Miss Marple, functioning as a superb amateur detective and not just dithering. Hickson is great as always, and the supporting cast is uniformly good, including a sadly aged but still delicious Joan Greenwood in one of her last performances, Carolina Blakiston as the madcap aristocrat Lady Selina Blakiston, Helena Mitchell as her daughter Elvira and George Baker as a marvelous Chief Inspector Fred Davy (one of Christie's best policemen). A wonderful show, one deserving of a far better transfer than the one avaailable in America currently.

I haven't read the book for a long time, but I do remember finding it rather slow and somewhat unexciting. Maybe I am being unfair because I remembered getting chills from reading A Murder is Announced and Sleeping Murder, so maybe my expectations of the book were a little too high. This adaptation I think manages to be better than the book, and actually respects it while forgivably condensing it. Some parts are a little slow and the first twenty minutes take a bit of time to get going, but the acting and the filming compensated hugely. Bertram's Hotel is very well made, with beautiful photography, crisp editing and a very nice looking hotel. Above this the directing is detailed and the scripting is intelligent. Joan Hickson is once again wonderful as Miss Marple, and while starting off a little dull George Baker is amusing as Inspector Davy. Caroline Blakiston is delightful as Bess Sedgewick, while Helena Michell is suitably cold as Elvira and Joan Greenwood effective as Selina. Overall, a superior adaptation, that is well made and well performed. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I've been an Anglophile since I was a kid, but only recently had the patience to read Agatha Christie's books (so much detail!!). Bertram's Hotel became one of my favorite because Miss Marple goes to the big city and visits places she knew as a child. We get a bit of Little Jane and what she enjoyed.

The British have always been great at adapting books to film. This Bertram's is an excellent example. It maintains the integrity of a book while condensing it into a short span.

Bertram's Hotel is all that and more. The plot, characters and environment are beautifully done and wonderful to watch. An aging Joan Hickson (one of her later Marples) appropriately plays the aging Miss Marple. A friend replies "She must be 100 years old," or something to that effect.

The mystery is intriguing and I love seeing one of my favorite sleuths still able to see everything for what it really is, while fooling everyone with her elderly appearance. I love the actress who plays Bess Sedgwick. She hits the mark as Christie wrote her and she's fun to watch. I actually cared a great deal about her although some things about her character are not so hot. That pretty much goes for all the characters with one exception. Vadislaus Marinovsky is appropriately arrogant, still in keeping with the book.

This episode of the Miss Marple series with Joan Hickson is absolutely wonderful. I bought the DVD set and watch it often.

ONE WORD OF WARNING: If you're a newbie, do NOT mistake the two series. The new Marple series with Geraldine McEwan is terrible!!

From 1984 thru 1992, the delightful British actress Joan Hickson took on the role of Agatha Christie's amateur detective, the beloved Miss Marple, and made a dozen made-for-TV British movies. Every entry in this golden dozen has its own particular delights, but "At Bertram's Hotel" towers above them all and is by far the best of this 24-hour treat (each film runs a bit under two hours, and each one could easily have been given a theatrical release). The fact that "At Bertram's Hotel" rises above all the others is indeed peculiar, in that it was one of Ms. Christie's final books, and the book is--to put it bluntly--a deadly bore. In contrast, the movie is a luscious, witty, suspenseful treat. Credit is due to Jill Hyem, who wrote the cunning script, shrewdly discarding the flotsam of the novel and embellishing its virtues; Mary McMurray's delectable direction; John Walker's gorgeous burnished cinematography of Production Designer Paul Munting's luxurious sets. And, of course, Joan Hickson's crafty portrayal of the elderly spinster Miss Marple, abetted by a first-rate cast (including Joan Greenwood in one of her last performances). There have been three actresses I know of who have essayed the role of Miss Marple: the full-sized, hilarious Margaret Rutherford in 4 films released in the early 1960s (if you've never seen these jewels or Ms. Rutherford's glorious jowls, check TCM's listings and tape them; you'll cherish them forever); Angela Lansbury in the 1980 theatrical release "The Mirror Cracked," yet another treat co-starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and the ravishing Kim Novak (I've always considered this film as Ms. Lansbury's dress rehearsal for her forthcoming TV-series as Jessica Fletcher in "Murder, She Wrote"); and then this sunburst of expensively mounted TV productions from 1984-1992. Most critics prefer Miss Hickson's interpretation of the role, feeling she was the perfect embodiment of the Miss Marple of Ms. Christie's creation--a prim, prissy, nosey (but utterly humorless) spinster. To me, all three actresses are equally amazing, each making the role her own (though I do have a soft spot for the rambunctuous, sheer hilarity the indomitable Margaret Rutherford brought to the role). Comparisons aside, "At Bertram's Hotel" is probably the slyest and most enjoyable of ALL the Miss Marple films. Set at an exclusive hotel, the plot twists and turns as, first of all, the doorman is murdered; secondly, the elderly vicar who has resided at the opulent establishment mysteriously vanishes; and, thirdly, what do these have in common with a series of jewel robberies that have been going on for several months? Don't drive yourself crazy trying to figure things out. The sprightly 80-year-old (at the time of filming) Miss Hickson will do the job for you; and watching her in action, in lavish settings peopled with a superb cast of British actors, is a memorable treat the likes of which we'll probably never see again. (Incidentally, Ms. Hickson had a supporting role in the first Margaret Rutherford/Miss Marple outing, the outrageously funny and suspenseful "Murder, She Said." At the time, who would have guessed . ..

The direction, acting and total production is wonderfully done in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel. The leading actress is superb...from the first scene which juxtaposes the arrival of Miss Marple and Lady Bess Sedgewick arrive at Bertram's Hotel is a joy of contrasts and adept editing. Throughout the film this actress (playing Lady Bess} is mesmerizing! The whole production does a fine job of recapturing the late 1950's England. A fine addition to the Joan Hickson/Miss Marple series!

What a gift to have the Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot series on DVD.

It's a good thing this film is well acted and, for the most part, well photographed. The plot almost ruins the story, since it's ridden with "deus ex machina" devices that Christie must have dreamed up in a desperate attempt to finish the novel for her publishers (unless the fault lies with the screenwriter, of course). I recommend watching strictly for the atmosphere and most of the acting, although the actress in the key role of the spoiled daughter might have benefited from more experience. All in all, watch this one only if you need a break from the estimable Midsomer Murders.

It's such a faithful and warm production. When winter breaks and the nights draw in, I can think of nothing nicer then putting the fire on, pouring a brandy and curling up to watch Bertram's.

I will say that some elements of the story are a little far fetched, and require a stretch in the imagination, some of the robberies etc, but the production is so velvety I didn't even give them a second thought.

Caroline Blakiston needs a huge level of applause for bringing the character of Bess Sedgwick to life. When you read the book she is the standout character, the interest and focus, Caroline makes her seem wealthy, edgy and wild. To see what I mean please check Polly Walker's performance in the poor remake, a great actress but doesn't bring her to life. 'Bigamy, trigamy what's the difference, scotch?'

Bertam's itself looks so believable, when I read the book this is exactly how I picture it, sleepy, subtly lavish and full of rich and retired gentle folk, eccentric in their ways and staid in their appearance, it's the reason Bess works so well, she is meant to stand out. The music as always is spot on, melodic and non obtrusive. The costumes too look gorgeous, especially the one Bess wears at the end.

I've mentioned before my opinions on Joan's interpretation of Miss Marple (so I won't bore again,) but once again she's just magical, scenes with Blakiston and femme fatale Joan Greenwood are just too good.

The ending is wonderfully done, so exciting, dare I sat it manages to out do the book.

It was never going to get anything other then a 10 was it. 10/10

It is not easy comparing movies to books, especially Agatha Christie's novels. However, this one has the feel and just the right actors. There is great attention to detail.

If you have the nagging feeling that you saw Chief Inspector Fred Davy (George Baker) before it may be that he has been in at least 100 movies and shows, recently as Detective Chief Inspector Wexford in Ruth Rendell Mysteries.

Bertram's Hotel is just how Jane remembered it as a child. She soon concludes that it is too good to be true. The Chief Inspector agrees. This film has several overlying plots. However, just being in the hotel will distract you from them.

So get out your muffins, sit up in bed and watch "At Bertram's Hotel."

I'm surprised by the amount of positive reviews for At Bertram's Hotel. Not because I have anything against it - it is an enjoyable murder mystery - but because it has a big flaw in it and that is the murder doesn't actually happen until four fifths of the way in. But that is more the fault of the novel, for which this adaptation follows almost faithfully, save for the ending.

The premise sees Miss Marple staying at Bertram's Hotel as a treat by a nephew, a place where she used to go when she was young and where nothing seems to of changed. The decor is the same, the food still the same as mother used to make and the staff are conscientious and curteous. Naturally, this last point is enough to make anyone suspicious, leading Miss Marple to think that something is not quite right at Bertram's. Not that it is dull there. There are old friends, such as Selina Hazy, who amusingly comments that "Jane looks ancient" while ironically the 65 year old Joan Greenwood who plays her looks so much older than the then 81 year old Hickson. I have to say Greenwood's distinctive voice has always grated with me, but she looks very frail and ill here, and would die just a month after this adaptation was broadcast. There are other visitors or guests that attend the hotel, such as edgy racing car driver Ladislaus Manilowski, forgetful Canon Pennyfather, and Colonel Luscombe and his young ward Elvira Blake. But standing out amongst them all is celebrity adventurer Bess Sedgwick. Caroline Blakiston is often guaranteed to liven up proceedings in nearly everything she appears in and she is hugely charismatic as Bess Sedgwick. She is fun and magnetic and adds so many different nuances to her character that you can't help but like her, even though hers is a selfish character at times. One such point is when she unexpectedly comes face to face with her daughter Elvira, who she gave up for adoption as she would interfere with her lifestyle. She dismissives Elvira's attempts of a mother/daughter reunion, telling her she is not the mothering sort, but far from disliking her you cannot help admiring the way she attempts to discourage Elvira from getting too close to her. She does it not from a sense of irritation but of love, knowing she cannot give what Elvira craves of her. It is Blakiston who holds so much of this together by sheer force of personality, but I have to say I also enjoyed her love/hate sparring with Irish doorman Michael Gorman (Brian McGrath), who also adds a good deal of charisma to the role. Gorman seems to know a secret about Bess, which leads her to threaten to "shoot you like the dirty dog you are." Which is a unfortunate thing to say in a murder mystery, because someone always takes them at their word.

However, that someone takes an awfully long time about it, as the mystery (and novel) is more interested in the lives of the residents and their various dramas as it builds up to "something terrible", rather than doing the murder and then trying to guess the culprit. Indeed, Miss Marple is puzzled at times just what IS going on at Bertram's, but she knows a policeman when she sees one and is quick to spot the bulky frame of Chief Insp Fred Davy (George Baker) posing as one of the guests. Baker is wonderfully cheery in this in what looks like a re-run for his role in the long running Inspector Wexford series later that year, complete with yokel accent, and he is another plus in the charismatic performances in this adaptation. He is quick to take her into his confidence (she could of been a master criminal for all he knew!) and tells he that he is there to investigate a series of robberies that he feels are linked in some way to Bertram's Hotel. But when Canon Pennyfather disappears after returning unexpectedly from a missed conference about the Dead Sea Scrolls, it seems to throw the case completely. However, never fear, as there is a link to the mysterious events.

The rest of the cast cannot really match the others, though they do their best. James Cossins does well as fuddy duddy Colonel Luscombe, but Robert Reynolds is not really standout as Malinowski, while Helena Michell (Captain Beaky's daughter) performs decently enough, but is hard to warm to as the somewhat cold Elvira. And the staff of Bertram's barely make an impact, despite the presence of Coronation Street's Derek Wilton (aka Peter Baldwin) as Mr Humphries and a debut appearance by Kate Duchene (Miss Hardbroom in ITV's The Worst Witch) as a maid who Davy gleefully gets all in a muddle when questioning her on the disappearance of Canon Pennyfather (a sweet Preston Lockwood). But despite the various dramas, the fact remains that it is a murder mystery, and when the murder eventually takes place, it seems more of an afterthought. It also leaves very little time for detection for both Chief Insp Davy or the viewer, which robs us somewhat of the usual enjoyment of a whodunnit. There is also an unintentionally amusing chase at the end, where the fleeing figure makes their getaway so slowly that I'm certain Miss Marple herself could of got down those stairs quicker to apprehend the culprit before they got to the bottom! However, at least the end is different from the novel (the culprit gets away with it in the book), though how they go about trapping the murderer is somewhat disappointing and simplistic.

One thing I do wish they hadn't changed from the book is the era it was written in. The book was written in 1965, while here it is set in 1955 (hence one scene mentioning about a Television Room they keep well hidden that also has that "hideous" new ITV channel - well, we wouldn't want choice now, would we?). But it missed the whole point of Bertram's Hotel not having changed, as the swinging sixties more than anything reflected a seismic change in so many ways, both visually and morally. By being set in the 1960's it made it even more obvious that there was something odd about Bertram's having stayed the same. However, the set and design of Bertram's Hotel are beautifully done and are suitably lavish, making it a feast for the eyes for the viewer. And it's true the unfolding dramas that take place at the hotel are absorbing to the viewer, helped no end by the charismatic performance of Caroline Blakiston as Bess Sedgwick. But this mystery overall feels like a social drama rather than a murder mystery, and that is why it feels as if we've been a little short changed.

At Bertram's Hotel is not just one of the best Miss Marple episodes ever. It is a nostalgic trip to the late 1950s and shows a London/Britain as many would expect. The afternoon tea served at Bertram's in the episode is exactly how it should be. The best line is when Lady Celia tells Miss Marple about getting muffins in America that were "like tea cakes with raisins in them", to which Miss Marple replies. "The Americans have a lot to answer for." One of the best and funniest Miss Marple moments ever. The episode also includes rare footage of the De Havilland Comet 4 (the improved version of the first commercial jet liner) and of the roof terrace at the former department store Derry & Toms (which still exists as an exclusive venue for wealthy Kensingtonians). Wonderful.

Late and rather convoluted Christie novel gets first-class treatment.

Staying in a swanky, old-fashioned London hotel for the first time since she was a girl, nosy Jane Marple stumbles onto a baffling series of events involving a missing clergyman, a beautiful heiress in distress, a female thrill-seeker, a race car driver and a big robbery.

Highlights include George Baker as a Gilbert and Sullivan singing policeman. Baker's role is so pleasantly jolly it seems a shame, in retrospect, he's played so many parts where he's always cross. He's a delight.

Joan Greenwood makes a welcome appearance but it's sad to see her looking so old and tired, she was so sultry in movies like "Man in a White Suit" and "The Importance of Being Earnest" where she held her own against the likes of Alec Guinness and Michael Redgrave; and especially the exchange she has in the latter with Dorothy Tutin. Good company! Both are movies more worth seeing than this ("Earnest" is worth seeing just to hear Edith Evans say "A handbag?")

The plot's still convoluted, and one may have to watch it more than once to figure all the ins and outs; but it's fun to see Marple visit a diner where they're playing "Rock with the Caveman."

Joan Hickson is still the consummate Marple.

I've seen all the Joan Hickson episodes and have enjoyed almost all of them, but this is my favorite, primarily for the delightful setting and atmosphere. It's also beautifully paced, with no scene going on too long. Anyone who finds it too slow or too talky, or who complains that there's not enough violent action, should be watching something other than Miss Marple.

I was captivated by the musical theme used often Are any souls able to assist me in identifying the music used?

This is definatly the weakest of the Joan Hickson Marples. It has nothing to do with the acting (which, as always is great), the book was, in my opinion, one of Christie's worst. Worth watching only for the performances and the setting.

Miss Marple accepts a stay at an expensive and classy hotel courtesy of her nephew Raymond and arrives to find that Bertram's is as beautiful and preserved as people say. As she settles in she meets the various other guests and finds them to be quite interesting characters; a forgetful Colonel, an international traveller, a Lady and a doorman who seems to have a connection to one of the guests in the past. All the talk is of a series of robberies happening around the area but the strange disappearance of the Colonel distracts from this. Concerned by the circumstances of his vanishing, Mrs Marple places a call to Chief Inspector Davy to take a look into it.

Having recently watched a lot of Columbo, Perry Mason and "mystery" series like that, the return to watching the BBC version of Miss Marple has left me a little culture shocked but still enjoying it. Here we have almost an hour going by before the first bit of the mystery happens but this isn't a real problem because we have the background of robberies and the development of the various characters in the hotel. For some this will seem quite dull but in this film I actually quite enjoyed it. The mystery element is quite well done despite the limitations of the material because, it must be said, that if you boil the story down to the core it really isn't that good and the conclusion didn't really inspire me when it finally came down to it. I've struggled with some miss Marple films to get past the slow pace but here the detail (the sets, the people and the story) helped fill the silent, slow patience with something to engage me. It could have been better of course, with a bit more complexity and an ending that works rather than just happens but I still enjoyed it.

The performances help to do this as much as Hyem's writing. Hickson is very much Miss Marple; perhaps not as flamboyant as some would like but to me she fits the humourless, proper, English spinster really well. She is matched here by George Baker, who gives a great performance as the relaxed and slightly unprofessional CI. The support cast are not quite as memorable but generally are pretty good with the likes of Blakiston, Michell, Cossins and McGrath. The film looks good, with plenty of nice period detail, while McMurray directs with a patience and steady camera that suits the material and the performances.

Overall a gradual film whose strength is strangely not the murder mystery. A bit slow for some viewers but had sufficient layers to it to be interesting and enjoyable.

You know that an alleged mystery is a failure when the reviews (as they do here) tell you that this isn't really a mystery at all. No, it's a " character study". You have to chuckle. If I wanted a psychological drama I would not watch Agatha Christie.

If you enjoy a mystery that features a highly improbable coincidence every five minutes, this one's for you. The solution is obvious even before the half way mark.

And what a waste of acting talent.