The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

Angela Lansbury does the honors as Agatha Christie's determined sleuth, Miss Marple, in this adaptation of Christie's novel. A washed-up movie star (Elizabeth Taylor) is attempting to make a comeback but is driven to distraction by a mysterious event from her past. Also problematic for Taylor's struggling actress is a series of murders occurring with clockwork regularity in the quiet, 1950s English village where a film is being produced--killings that are all somehow connected to her. Despite the British backdrop, most of the suspects, including Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis, are American in this 1980 feature directed by Guy Hamilton (Evil Under the Sun). (At least Miss Marple's nephew, the redoubtable Inspector Craddock, is played by Edward Fox.) The bad news: this is a curiously flat, monotonous film, with a mystery hook that, sad to say, is among Christie's more familiar and predictable. Hamilton doesn't demand much of his largely ornamental cast, and they don't volunteer much to fill the void. Still, fans of Miss Marple and Christie, especially those with a burning hunger to see every film or television program based on the books, will want to check it out. This DVD edition is presented in the film's original widescreen format, and it includes television spots that were part of the film's marketing at the time of its theatrical release. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

read the book instead

for Agatha Christie fans only. The only good thing about this film is that the acting is adequate. Although a faitful adaptation of the book it should've been even more so. December 3, 2007

Agatha Christie

I have several versions of The Mirror Cracked. But this is my favorite. I love Angela Lansbury and of course, this version has Liz Taylor too. Very good. One of my favorite plots from her. August 24, 2007

"What are you supposed to be, a birthday cake?"

There are about five glorious minutes in this 1980 adaptation of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple whodunnit when Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak--all in purple and pink (respectively)--face off against one another as rival aging movie queens at a St. Mary's Mead function and try to outdo one another with great catty zingers. This must have been the only possible reason why these two came out of retirement to do this film (that and the chance to wear some great Tudor costumes as Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I in the film-within-a-film they're making), because otherwise there's not much point to this movie, which falls somewhat dully. Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis also appear in duller roles as a director and producer, and they don't get much spark going; even Taylor seems sort of benumbed through the whole thing except for her great scene whooping it up with Novak. Only Novak herself really seems to be having a good time. Angela Lansbury works hard as Miss Marple (it has even been suggested this performance cinched her job for many years as Jessica Fletcher in MURDER SHE WROTE), but she acts far too grandly for the part, and seems hampered by the aging make-up they used. While the period costumes fare a bit better (Taylor has a purple and white sprigged turban that must be seen to be believed), the sets are as terrible as the make-up: everything seems done by Laura Ashley and looks not in the least like 1950s Britain.

There's a great howler of a flashback at the end of the film where Taylor's character is doing a 1940's USO show and the director mericlessly cuts between closeups of her plump face and then of her body double's slim figure shown from the back that's about as technically sophisticated as THE PATTY DUKE SHOW. Other than that sequence and the catfight, there's not much else worth seeing. June 11, 2007

"A bit of a bore. . . but you don't kill someone for that!"

Well, I actually liked this version of Agatha Christie's murder mystery, because it swayed from the pretentious. It was like wanting to see a great "cop" movie and got stuck watching "Police Academy." Honestly, there is no way this movie could be taken seriously, it was a joyfest for the aging movie stars to give it one last rumble.
A young celebrity fan gets caught up as the victim, by the murderer who discovers a hidden secret from them, that destroyed their life. However, the victim is meant to appear as a mistaken murder, with the murderer posing as the actual intended victim. Not a bad plot in reality, but lost in muddled star cameos. I hate to say it, but I entirely looked at this movie as a comedy, and glad I did. It worked better that way, than real mystery drama. February 16, 2007

Agatha Christie's he Mirror Cracked

This story is not one of Christie's best in my opinion, where Miss Marple becomes involved in the glamourous world of films. All star cast but not an all star script. Lansbury is fine as Miss Marple, but rather different from Joan Higdon who has made the character her own. A must for Christie fans, but not one of the best. January 12, 2007

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