Marple: At Bertram's Hotel (2007) (TV)

Director:

Dan Zeff

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Tom MacRae (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 April 2007 (Canada)

Genre:

Mystery

Plot:

Miss Marple spends a holiday in a luxurious London hotel. The sinister atmosphere, the odd disappearance of a clergyman and the murder of the commissionaire moves her on the trail of a clever criminal gang.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Female Detective | Spinster | Beautiful Woman | Amateur Detective

Cast

Geraldine McEwan	...	Miss Marple
Isabella Parriss	...	Young Miss Marple
James Howard	...	Hotel Doorman 1891
Adam Smethurst	...	Cab Driver
Tony Bignell	...	Newsboy
Vincent Regan	...	Mickey Gorman
Mark Heap	...	Mr. Humfries
Emily Beecham	...	Elvira Blake
Mary Nighy	...	Brigit Milford
Martine McCutcheon	...	Jane Cooper
Charles Kay	...	Canon Pennyfather
Ed Stoppard	...	Malinowski
Nicholas Burns	...	Jack & Joel Britten
Mica Paris	...	Amelia Walker
Francesca Annis	...	Lady Selina Hazy

Also Known As:

Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

USA:84 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Claremont Fan Court School, Esher, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Agatha Christie

Trivia:

In the opening minutes, as Miss Marple stares in wonderment at the lobby of Bertram's Hotel, the manager is on the phone and says, "Uh, no, I'm afraid Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today." The line is from the 1934 Cole Porter song "Miss Otis Regrets" performed by many artists including Ella Fitzgerald and 'Nat ‘King’ Cole', and more recently by Bette Midler on the final episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scenes on the hotel roof, a modern siren/ alarm /loudspeaker can be seen attached to the building (approx 1980s or later technology).

Movie Connections:

Version of At Bertram's Hotel (1987) (TV)

Agreed about audio; and Geraldine McEwan is miscast

Frankly, i think Joan Hickson established the standard for Miss Marple in the 1980s and early 90s. If I remember correctly, she was actually portraying a character younger than herself. (She played Marple into her mid-80s.) She did it wonderfully -- a great example of an actor coming into her own in later years.

Geraldine McEwan is an excellent actor, but she falls into the trap so many have playing Marple -- she plays it too lightly. Hickson took the role more seriously, gave it more gravity, and conveyed the essence of Miss Marple -- somewhat reclusive, quiet, wise observer. Miss Marple has an almost Buddhist quality. I have only seen Hickson capture that.

As for this episode another reviewer is right on the mark -- the audio mix is terrible. For some reason, British television productions chronically suffer from this problem (not always, but typically).

Here, the sound mix makes the program almost unwatchable, not simply because it drowns out everything else, but because the scoring is abysmally syrupy and overwrought.