Film Snail

6.2

The Mirror Crack'd

PG·1980·105m

Mystery

Crime

Thriller

Mystery

Crime

Thriller

Summary

Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.

Cast

Angela Lansbury

Miss Marple

Geraldine Chaplin

Ella Zielinsky

Tony Curtis

Martin N. Fenn

Edward Fox

Inspector Craddock

Rock Hudson

Jason Rudd

Kim Novak

Lola Brewster

Elizabeth Taylor

Marina Rudd

Wendy Morgan

Cherry

Margaret Courtenay

Mrs. Bantry

Charles Gray

Bates, The Butler

Maureen Bennett

Heather Babcock

Carolyn Pickles

Miss Giles

Eric Dodson

The Major

Charles Lloyd Pack

Vicar

Richard Pearson

Doctor Haydock

Thick Wilson

The Mayor

Pat Nye

Mayoress

Peter Woodthorpe

Scout Master

Marella Oppenheim

Margot Bence

Anthony Steel

Sir Derek Ridgeley ("Murder at Midnight")

Dinah Sheridan

Lady Amanda Ridgeley ("Murder at Midnight")

Oriane Grieve

Kate Ridgeley ("Murder at Midnight")

Kenneth Fortescue

Charles Foxwell ("Murder at Midnight")

Hildegard Neil

Lady Foxcroft ("Murder at Midnight")

Allan Cuthbertson

Peter Montrose ("Murder at Midnight")

George Silver

Da Silva ("Murder at Midnight")

John Bennett

Barnsby ("Murder at Midnight")

Nigel Stock

Inspector Gates ("Murder at Midnight")

Jerry Baker

First Ambulance Man (uncredited)

Stephen Boswell

Mr. Rudd's 1st Assistant Director (uncredited)

Pierce Brosnan

Actor Playing Jamie (uncredited)

Les Conrad

Party Guest (uncredited)

John Dalby

Bandmaster (uncredited)

Bill Dean

Man in Village Hall (uncredited)

Jack Dearlove

Party Guest (uncredited)

John Doye

Party Guest (uncredited)

Frank Ellis

Policeman (uncredited)

Gerry Judge

Party Guest (uncredited)

Cyril Kent

Villager at Film Screening (uncredited)

John Ketteringham

Film Technician (uncredited)

Sam Kydd

Film Technician (uncredited)

Charles Lamb

Man in Village Hall (uncredited)

Richard Leech

Director of Photography (uncredited)

Derek Lyons

Queen's Guard (uncredited)

Angus MacKay

Coroner (uncredited)

Ann Nelson

Party Guest (uncredited)

Robert Raglan

Villager (uncredited)

Llewellyn Rees

Villager at Film Screening (uncredited)

Mike Reynell

Party Guest (uncredited)

Bunny Seaman

Dresser (uncredited)

Rita Tobin-Weske

Villager at Film Screening (uncredited)

Reg Turner

Second Ambulance Man (uncredited)

Robert van Kaphengst

Villager (uncredited)

Del Watson

Villager (uncredited)

Albert Welch

Villager (uncredited)

Norman Wooland

Medical Examiner (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Guy Hamilton

Novel

Agatha Christie

Screenplay

Jonathan Hales

Screenplay

Barry Sandler

Reviews

Geronimo1967

September 26, 2022

Very much a poor relation of the other Brabourne/Goodwin crime ("Death on the Nile" (1978) etc.) thrillers, this just doesn't ever really ignite. Angela Lansbury takes on the mantle of super-sleuth "Miss Marple" who is helping her nephew "Insp. Craddock" (Edward Fox) investigate the mysterious poisoning of the rather star-struck "Miss Babcock" (Maureen Bennett). Starstruck? Well so would we be if the local manor house was being inhabited by Elizabeth Taylor ("Marina") and her husband "Jason" (Rock Hudson). They are re-making "The Virgin Queen" with Miss Taylor wearing the crown and Kim Novak picking up the Joan Collins part in the film, and who is married to producer "Fenn" (Tony Curtis) for the purpose of this drama. Whodunit? Well there's the thing. Whilst they all pretty universally disliked "Marina", why kill this random, gushing, fan? Of course, "Miss Marple" and her cunning brain soon starts to pull together a really weak and threadbare storyline that all centres around a painting. There is plenty of star quality on offer here, but it doesn't gel and as the story progresses it is almost as if the talent were never on set for long at the same time - it's terribly disjointed. The ending is poor - no other word for it. Indeed, that's all that can be said for this really lacklustre project for which money was clearly no object, but a script and compelling screenplay certainly were.