Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors
The BBC produced a series of twelve made-for-TV films between 1984 and 1992 under the original series title of "Miss Marple", all starring Joan Hickson as Jane Marple. They Do It with Mirrors was the eleventh of the series and was first broadcast on 29 December 1991. It also starred Faith Brook as Ruth van Rydock, Jean Simmons as Carrie-Louise Serrocold, Joss Ackland as Lewis Serrocold, Neal Swettenham as Edgar Lawson and Holly Aird as Gina Hudd.
The series is available on BBC DVD as 'The Miss Marple Collection'. The Internet Movie Database lists the individual films under the longer title of 'Agatha Christie's Miss Marple:'[1].
Contents
Filming on the SVR
On her way to Stonygates, Miss Marple arrives at the nearby station by train. The scenes were filmed earlier in 1991 at Bewdley. The sequence comprises:
- The signalman in Bewdley North signal box setting a signal lever to clear, filmed from inside the box.
The signalman
- 6960 Raveningham Hall approaching Wribbenhall Viaduct southbound, filmed from the lineside on the viaduct itself.
- Edgar Lawson waiting outside the station entrance with his car and then entering the station as the train is heard approaching.
Edgar waits outside the station
- 6960 crossing Wribbenhall Viaduct, filmed from the lineside location.
6960 approaching Wribbenhall viaduct
- 6960 passing Bewdley North signal box, filmed from inside the box as the signalman resets the signal lever to danger.
6960 passing Bewdley North box
- 6960 arriving into Platform 1 southbound (a 'wrong platform' move on the present day SVR).
6960 arriving on Platform 1
- Miss Marple descending onto the platform and meeting Edgar. After an altercation with a porter, Edgar carries her bag out of the station.
- As they reach Edgar's car, Gina Hudd arrives in another car and announces that she will drive Miss Marple to Stonygates, ordering a disgruntled Edgar to bring her bag in his car. Gina and Miss Marple then drive away.
Gina arriving
A short rake of GWR carriages was used to form the train. The carriage from which Jane Marple alights is a Collett-era corridor third, although its number is not visible.
The toilet bock seen in the final shot above caught fire circa 1999 and was later rebuilt[2].
6960 Raveningham Hall had previously been filmed at Bewdley for an earlier episode of the Joan Hickson series, Miss Marple: 4:50 from Paddington.
Other adaptations
Prior to the BBC production, a 1985 television film under the US title Murder with Mirrors was produced starring Helen Hayes as Miss Marple, Bette Davis as Carrie Louise Serrocold and Sir John Mills as Lewis Serrocold. Another adaptation for the fourth season of the ITV series Agatha Christie's Marple was aired in 2010 with Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple. Some elements of the plot were also used in the 1964 film Murder Ahoy! starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple[3].