Murder Most Foul (1964)

When a former actress is found murdered, her lodger is arrested and put on trial for the crime. It seems like an open and shut case but one jury member (Margaret Rutherford) refuses to join her other 11 jury members in a guilty vote. After the mistrial, she takes it upon herself to find the real murderer. Loosely based on Agatha Christie's MRS. MCGINTY'S DEAD, this was the last of the Rutherford Miss Marple movies based on a Christie novel. Rutherford would do one more Miss Marple movie, MURDER AHOY, but it was not based on a Christie work. As with most of the Rutherford Marple films, the tone of the film is much lighter than Christie's novels. Christie found no humor in murder. Rutherford can't help but infuse her Miss Marple with an elfin humor far different than the dour spinster of the Christie books. Directed by George Pollock, FOUL is lightweight, engaging and over quickly and the theatrical setting provides some interest. Christie purists shouldn't be too indignant. With Ron Moody, Dennis Price, Francesca Annis, Charles Tingwell, Stringer Davis and Megs Jenkins.