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Miss Marple

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Miss Jane Marple
First appearance"The Tuesday Night Club"
Last appearanceSleeping Murder
Marple: Twelve New Stories(2022) other writers
Created byAgatha Christie
Portrayed byGracie Fields
Margaret Rutherford
Angela Lansbury
Dulcie Gray
Helen Hayes
Ita Ever
Joan Hickson
Geraldine McEwan
June Whitfield
Julia McKenzie
Isabella Parriss (playing young Miss Marple)
Renée Michels
Julie Cox(playing Miss Marple as a young woman)
In-universe information
GenderFemale
TitleMiss
OccupationAmateur detective
FamilyRaymond West(nephew)
David West (great-nephew)
Lionel West (great-nephew)
RelativesJoan West (niece-in-law)
Mabel Denham (niece)
Henry (uncle)
Antony (cousin)
Gordon (cousin)
Fanny Godfrey (cousin)[1]
Lady Ethel Merridew (cousin)[2]
Thomas (uncle)
Helen (aunt)
Diana "Bunch" Harmon (goddaughter)
ReligionChurch of England(Christian)
NationalityBritish

Miss Jane Marpleis a fictional character inAgatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Miss Marple lives in the village ofSt Mary Meadand acts as anamateurconsultingdetective.Often characterised as an elderlyspinster,[3][4]she is one of Christie's best-known characters and has been portrayed numerous times on screen. Her first appearance was in a short story published inThe Royal Magazinein December 1927, "The Tuesday Night Club",[5]which later became the first chapter ofThe Thirteen Problems(1932). Her first appearance in a full-length novel was inThe Murder at the Vicaragein 1930, and her last appearance was inSleeping Murderin 1976.

Origins

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The character of Miss Marple is based on friends of Christie's step grandmother, Margaret Miller, née West.[6]Christie attributed the inspiration for the character to multiple sources, stating that Miss Marple was "the sort of old lady who would have been rather like some of my step grandmother'sEalingcronies – old ladies whom I have met in so many villages where I have gone to stay as a girl ".[7]Christie also used material from her fictional creation, spinster Caroline Sheppard, who appeared inThe Murder of Roger Ackroyd.WhenMichael Mortonadapted the novel for the stage, he replaced the character of Caroline with a young girl. This change saddened Christie and she determined to give old maids a voice; thus, Miss Marple was born.[8]

It is popularly believed that Christie may have taken her iconic character's name fromMarple railway station,through which she passed,[9][10]while a letter - ostensibly from Christie to a fan - appeared to prove that the name was inspired by a visit to a sale at Marple Hall in the same town,[11]near her sisterMargaret Watts' home atAbney Hall.The letter has been established as a fake as the auction had been held after the date of publication of the first Miss Marple story.[citation needed]

Character

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The character of Jane Marple in the first Miss Marple book,The Murder at the Vicarage,is quite different from how she appears in later books. This early version of Miss Marple is a gleeful gossip and not an especially nice woman. The residents of St. Mary Mead like her but are often tired of her nosy nature and the fact she seems to expect the worst of everyone. In later books, she becomes a kinder person.

Miss Marple solves difficult crimes thanks to her shrewd intelligence, and St. Mary Mead, over her lifetime, has given her seemingly infinite examples of the negative side of human nature. Crimes always remind her of a previous incident, although acquaintances may be bored by analogies that often lead her to a deeper realisation about the true nature of a crime. She also has a remarkable ability to latch onto a casual comment and connect it to the case at hand. In several stories, she is able to rely on her acquaintance withSir Henry Clithering,a retiredcommissionerof theMetropolitan Police,for official information when required.

Miss Marple never married and has no close living relatives. Her nephew, the "well-known author"Raymond West,appears in some stories, includingThe Thirteen Problems,Sleeping Murder,andIngots of Gold(which also feature his wife, Joyce Lemprière). Raymond overestimates himself and underestimates his aunt's mental acuity. Miss Marple employs young women (including Clara, Emily, Alice, Esther, Gwenda, and Amy) from a nearbyorphanage,whom she trains for service as general housemaids after the retirement of her long-time maid-housekeeper, faithful Florence. She was briefly looked after by her irritating companion, Miss Knight. In her later years, companion Cherry Baker, first introduced inThe Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side,lives with her.

Miss Marple has never worked for her living and is of independent means, although she benefits in her old age from the financial support of her nephew, Raymond. She is not from the aristocracy orlanded gentry,but is quite at home among them; as agentlewoman,Miss Marple may thus be considered a female version of thegentleman detective,a staple of British detective fiction. She demonstrates a remarkably thorough education, including some art courses that involved the study of human anatomy using human cadavers. InThey Do It with Mirrors(1952), it is revealed that Miss Marple grew up in acathedral close,and that she studied at an Italian finishing school with American sisters Ruth Van Rydock and Caroline "Carrie" Louise Serrocold.

While Miss Marple is described as "an old lady" in many of the stories, her age is rarely mentioned and is not consistently presented. InAt Bertram's Hotel,published in 1965, it is said she visited the hotel when she was 14 and almost 60 years have passed since then, implying that she is nearly 75 years old; but in4:50 from Paddington,published almost a decade earlier in 1957, she says she will be "90 next year."

ExcludingSleeping Murder,41 years passed between the first and last-written novels, and many characters grow and age. An example would be the Vicar's nephew: inThe Murder at the Vicarage,the Reverend Mr Clement's nephew Dennis is a teenager; inThe Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side,it is mentioned that the nephew is now an adult and has a successful career. The effects of ageing are seen on Miss Marple, such as needing a holiday after illness inA Caribbean Mystery,but she is if anything more agile inNemesis,set only 16 months later.

Miss Marple's background is described in some detail, albeit in glimpses across the novels and short stories in which she appears. She has a very large family, including a sister, the mother of Raymond, and Mabel Denham, a young woman who was accused of poisoning her husband, Geoffrey (The Thumb Mark of St. Peter).

Bibliography

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Agatha Christie wrote 12 novels and 20 short stories[12]featuring Miss Marple.

Miss Marple series

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  1. The Murder at the Vicarage(1930, Novel)
  2. The Body in the Library(1942, Novel)
  3. The Moving Finger(1943, Novel)
  4. A Murder Is Announced(1950, Novel)
  5. They Do It with Mirrors(1952, Novel) - also published in the United States asMurder With Mirrors
  6. A Pocket Full of Rye(1953, Novel)
  7. 4.50 from Paddington(1957, Novel) - also published in the United States asWhat Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!
  8. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side(1962, Novel)
  9. A Caribbean Mystery(1964, Novel)
  10. At Bertram's Hotel(1965, Novel)
  11. Nemesis(1971, Novel)
  12. Sleeping Murder(1976, Novel)

Miss Marple short story collections

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Miss Marple also appears in "Greenshaw's Folly", a short story included as part of the Poirot collectionThe Adventure of the Christmas Pudding(1960). Four stories in theThree Blind Micecollection (1950) feature Miss Marple: "Strange Jest", "Tape-Measure Murder", "The Case of the Caretaker", and "The Case of the Perfect Maid".

The Autograph edition ofMiss Marple's Final Casesincludes the eight in the original plus "Greenshaw's Folly".

Continuations not by Christie

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Books about Miss Marple

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Stage

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A stage adaptation ofMurder at the Vicarage,by Moie Charles and Barbara Toy, was first seen atNorthamptonon 17 October 1949;[16]it was directed byReginald Tate,starred the 35-year-oldBarbara Mullenas Miss Marple, and after touring, reached thePlayhouse Theatrein London'sWest Endon 14 December. Having run till late March 1950, it then went on tour again.[17]

In July 1974, Mullen (by then 60) returned to the role in another national tour of the same play, culminating 12 months later when the show opened at London'sSavoy Theatreon 28 July 1975.[18]At the end of March 1976, the Miss Marple role was taken over byAvril Angers,after which the production transferred to theFortune Theatreon 5 July. The role then passed toMuriel Pavlowin June 1977[19]and toGabrielle Hamiltonlate the following year; the production finally closed in October 1979.[20]

On 21 September 1977, whileMurder at the Vicaragewas still running at the Fortune, a stage adaptation by Leslie Darbon ofA Murder Is Announcedopened at theVaudeville Theatre,[21]withDulcie Grayas Miss Marple.[22]The show ran to the end of September 1978 and then toured.[23]

Films

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Margaret Rutherford

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Margaret Rutherfordplayed Miss Marple in four films directed byGeorge Pollockbetween 1961 and 1964. These were successful light comedies, but Christie herself was disappointed with them.[24]Nevertheless, Agatha Christie dedicated the novelThe Mirror Crack'd from Side to Sideto Rutherford.

Rutherford presented the character as a bold and eccentric old lady, different from the prim and birdlike character Christie created in her novels. As penned by Christie, Miss Marple has never worked for a living, but the character as portrayed by Margaret Rutherford briefly works as a cook-housekeeper, a stage actress, a sailor, and criminal reformer, and is offered the chance to run a riding establishment-cum-hotel. Her education and genteel background are hinted at when she mentions her awards at marksmanship, fencing, and equestrianism (although these hints are played for comedic value).

Murder, She Said(1961) was the first of the four British MGM productions starring Rutherford. This film was based on the 1957 novel4:50 from Paddington(U.S. title,What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!), and the changes made in the plot were typical of the series. In the film, Mrs. McGillicuddy is cut from the plot. Miss Marple herself sees an apparent murder committed on a train running alongside hers. ActressJoan Hickson,who played Marple in the 1984–1992 television adaptations, has a role as a housekeeper in this movie.[25]

Murder at the Gallop(1963), based on the 1953Hercule Poirotnovel,After the Funeral(in this film, she is identified as Miss JTV Marple, though there was no indication as to what the extra initials might stand for).

Murder Most Foul(1964), based on the 1952 Poirot novelMrs McGinty's Dead.

Murder Ahoy!(1964). The last film is not based on any Christie work but displays a few plot elements fromThey Do It With Mirrors(viz., the ship is used as a reform school for wayward boys and one of the teachers uses them as a crime force), and there is a kind of salute toThe Mousetrap.

The music to all four films was composed and conducted byRon Goodwin.The same theme is used on all four films with slight variations in each. The score was written within a couple of weeks by Goodwin who was approached by Pollock after Pollock had heard about him fromStanley Black.Black had worked with Pollock onStranger in Townin 1957 and had previously hired Goodwin as his orchestrator.[26]

Rutherford, who was 68 years old when the first film was shot in February 1961, insisted that she wear her clothes during the filming of the movie, as well as having her husband,Stringer Davis,appear alongside her as the character Mr Stringer. The Rutherford films are frequently repeated on television inGermany,and in that country Miss Marple is generally identified with Rutherford's quirky portrayal.[27]

Rutherford also appeared briefly as Miss Marple in the parodic Hercule Poirot adventureThe Alphabet Murders(1965).

Angela Lansbury

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In 1980,Angela Lansburyplayed Miss Marple inThe Mirror Crack'd(EMI, directed byGuy Hamilton), based on Christie's 1962 novel. The film featured an all-star cast that includedElizabeth Taylor,Rock Hudson,Geraldine Chaplin,Tony Curtis,andKim Novak.Edward Foxappeared as Inspector Craddock, who did Miss Marple's legwork. Lansbury's Marple was a crisp, intelligent woman who moved stiffly and spoke in clipped tones. Unlike most incarnations of Miss Marple, this one smoked cigarettes. Lansbury was later cast asJessica FletcherinMurder, She Wrote,a similar role.

Ita Ever

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In 1983,Estonianstage and film actress,Ita Ever,starred in theRussian languageMosfilmadaptation of Agatha Christie's novel,A Pocket Full of Rye(using the Russian edition's translated title,The Secret of the Blackbirds), as the character of Miss Marple.[28][29]Ever has also portrayed the character of Miss Marple in theEesti Televisioon(ETV) seriesMiss Marple Storiesin 1990, and onstage at theTallinn City Theatrein a production ofThe Mirror Crack'd from Side to Sidein 2005.[30]

Future

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In October 2024, it was revealed that20th Century Studios,who has produced theHercule Poirotfilms withKenneth Branagh,plans to adapt more of Christie's work, including unspecified Miss Marple titles.[31]

Television

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The first on-screen portrayal of Miss Marple was by British actress and singerGracie Fields,playing her in a 1956 episode of the American seriesGoodyear TV Playhousebased onA Murder Is Announced,the 1950 Christie novel.

In 1970, the character of Miss Marple was portrayed byInge Langen[de]in a West German television adaptation ofThe Murder at the Vicarage(Mord im Pfarrhaus).[28]

Helen Hayes

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American stage and screen actress,Helen Hayes,portrayed Miss Marple in two Americantelevision filmsnear the end of her decades-long acting career, both forCBS:A Caribbean Mystery(1983) andMurder with Mirrors(1985).Sue Graftoncontributed to the screenplay of the former. Hayes's Marple was benign and chirpy. She had earlier appeared in a television film adaptation of the non-Marple Christie story,Murder Is Easy,playing an elderly lady somewhat similar to Miss Marple.

Joan Hickson

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Main article:Miss Marple (TV series)

From 1984 to 1992, theBBCadapted all of the original Miss Marple novels as a series titledMiss Marple.Joan Hicksonplayed the lead role. In the 1940s, she had appeared on stage in an Agatha Christie play,Appointment with Death,which was seen by Christie who wrote in a note to her, "I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple".[25]She portrayed a maid in the 1937 film,Love from a Stranger,which starred Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone, another Agatha Christie play adaptation. As well as portraying Miss Marple on television, Hickson narrated Miss Marple stories for audio books. In the "Binge!" article ofEntertainment WeeklyIssue #1343–1344 (26 December 2014 – 3 January 2015), the writers picked Hickson as "Best Marple" in the "Hercule Poirot & Miss Marple" timeline.[32]

Listing of the TV series featuring Joan Hickson:

Geraldine McEwan (2004–2008)/Julia McKenzie (2009–2013)

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Main article:Agatha Christie's Marple

Beginning in 2004,ITVbroadcast a series of adaptations of Agatha Christie's books under the titleAgatha Christie's Marple,usually referred to asMarple.Geraldine McEwanstarred in the first three series.Julia McKenzietook over the role in the fourth season.

The adaptations change the plots and characters of the original books (e.g. incorporating lesbian affairs, changing the identities of some killers, renaming or removing significant characters, and even using stories from other books in which Miss Marple did not originally feature). In the Geraldine McEwan series, it is revealed that when she was young (portrayed byJulie Coxin a flashback), Miss Marple had an affair with a married soldier, Captain Ainsworth, who was killed in action in World War I, in December 1915. It is also said (inA Murder Is Announced) that she served as an ambulance driver during World War I.

Listing of the TV series featuring Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie:

In 2015, CBS planned a "much younger" version of the character, a granddaughter who takes over a California bookstore.[33]

In 2018, Miss Marple was portrayed byYunjin Kimin the South Korean television seriesMs. Ma, Nemesis.[34]

Anime

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Main article:Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple

From 2004 to 2005, Japanese TV networkNHKproduced a 39 episodeanimeseries titledAgatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple,which features both Miss Marple andHercule Poirot.Miss Marple's voice is provided byKaoru Yachigusa.Episodes adapted both short stories and novels.

The anime series dramatised the following Miss Marple stories:

Radio

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Main article:Miss Marple (radio series)

June Whitfieldstarred as Miss Marple inMichael Bakewell'sadaptationsof all twelve novels, broadcast onBBC Radio 4between 1993 and 2001.[35]

Three short stories with Whitfield ( "Tape-Measure Murder", "The Case of the Perfect Maid" and "Sanctuary" ) were later broadcast under the collective titleMiss Marple's Final Casesweekly 16 – 30 September 2015.

Other appearances

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Marple, as she appeared in volume 20 ofCase Closed

Marple was highlighted in volume 20 of theCase Closedmanga's edition of "Gosho Aoyama's Mystery Library", a section of the graphic novels (usually the last page) where the author introduces a different detective (or occasionally, a villain) from mystery literature, television, or other media.

In the 1976Neil SimonspoofMurder by Death,Miss Marple is parodied as "Miss Marbles" byElsa Lanchester.

See also

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References

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  1. ^At Bertram's Hotel– page 141
  2. ^At Bertram's Hotel– page 138
  3. ^Mezel, Kathy (Winter 2007). "Spinsters, Surveillance, and Speech: The Case of Miss Marple, Miss Mole, and Miss Jekyll".Journal of Modern Literature.30(2). Indiana University Press: 103–120.doi:10.2979/JML.2007.30.2.103.JSTOR4619330.S2CID162411534.
  4. ^agathachristie: Facts about Miss Marple
  5. ^Curran, John (2011).Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making.New York: Harper. p.140.ISBN978-0-06-206542-1.
  6. ^Margaret West was the sister of Mary Ann Boehmer, Agatha Christie's maternal grandmother. Margaret married Christie's paternal grandfather,Nathaniel Frary Miller,in 1863 in Westbourne, West Sussex. He died in 1869 and she dedicated a stained glass window to his memory in St. John's Church, Main Road, Southbourne, West Sussex. Margaret's stepson,Frederick Alvah Miller,went on to marry her nieceClarissa Boehmer.Apart from Agatha, they had two other children,Margaret WattsandLouis Montant Miller.Adams, Stephen (16 September 2008)."Agatha Christie used her step grandmother as a model for Miss Marple, new tapes reveal".The Daily Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022.
  7. ^Christie, Agatha (2001).An Autobiography.HarperCollins. p. 449.ISBN978-0-00-635328-7.
  8. ^"Characters – Miss Marple".Agatha Christie.Archived fromthe originalon 10 October 2012.Retrieved9 October2012.
  9. ^"Was Miss Marple Born in Cheshire?".Cheshire Life.15 September 2010.Retrieved1 October2019.
  10. ^"Marple's Profile"Archived26 November 2010 at theWayback Machine,Hercule Poirot Central, accessed 30 March 2009.
  11. ^Atkinson, Hilary (March 2017)."What's in a name?".Marple Local History Society. Archived fromthe originalon 27 October 2020.Retrieved24 August2022.
  12. ^"Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie".agathachristie.Retrieved7 February2023.
  13. ^Flood, Alison (31 August 2021)."Miss Marple back on the case in stories by Naomi Alderman, Ruth Ware and more".The Guardian.
  14. ^"'Feminist icon' Miss Marple returns in 12 new authorised mystery stories ".the Guardian.15 September 2022.
  15. ^Hart, Anne (2019).The Life and Times of Miss Jane Marple.London: HarperCollins.ISBN978-0008340285.
  16. ^'Chit Chat',The Stage,29 September 1949
  17. ^Frances Stephens (ed),Theatre World Annual (London)number 1, Rockliff Publishing Corporation 1950
  18. ^Murder at the Vicarageprogramme: Theatre Print vol 5 # 9 [October 1975], Martin Tickner (ed)
  19. ^Murder at the Vicarageprogramme: Theatre Print # 27 [December 1977], Martin Tickner (ed)
  20. ^'On Next Week',The Stage,18 October 1979
  21. ^"Mystery! | A murder is announced | Production notes".Pbs.org.Retrieved20 March2009.
  22. ^Vaudeville Theatre programme, No.29 February 1978
  23. ^'On the Way',The Stage,10 August 1978
  24. ^Matthew Bunson,The Complete Christie: An Agatha Christie Encyclopedia.NY: Simon and Schuster, 2000. 386-87. ISBN9780671028312 books.google /books?id=R3syC8weGO8C&pg=PA386
  25. ^abHaining, Peter (1990).Agatha Christie: Murder in four acts: a centenary celebration of 'The Queen of Crime' on stage, films, radio & TV.Carol Pub Group. p. 140.ISBN978-1-85227-273-9.
  26. ^"Ron Goodwin".IMDb.Retrieved6 October2021.
  27. ^Clymer, Phil."Filling Miss Marple's Shoes".PBS.Archived fromthe originalon 21 July 2006.Retrieved7 March2012.
  28. ^ab"PBS Mystery. Miss Marple".Pbs.org.Retrieved9 July2012.
  29. ^"A Pocket Full of Rye".agathachristie.Retrieved3 January2018.
  30. ^Tael, Triin (14 September 2005)."Palju õnne, miss Marple!".Õhtuleht(in Estonian).Retrieved3 January2018.
  31. ^"A Secret 'Predator' Movie, An 'Alien' Sequel and 'Speed 3' on the Table: A Chat with 20th Century Studios Boss Steve Asbell".The Hollywood Reporter. 24 October 2024.Retrieved26 October2024.
  32. ^"Binge! Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot & Miss Marple".Entertainment Weekly.No. 1343–44. 26 December 2014. pp. 32–33.
  33. ^"Q & A".TV Media.Retrieved19 November2015.
  34. ^"Yunjin Kim hopes 'Ms. Ma, Goddess of Revenge' becomes her best Korean TV series".Yonhap News. 17 March 2018.
  35. ^"BBC Radio 4 Extra – Miss Marple".BBC.Retrieved30 July2020.
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