It is interesting that the inspector in some movies, is related to Jane and in other movies not. Inspector Craddock here is interesting as he is polite and tolerant of the people he is interrogating.
It is fun to try and match the real names of the actors with the part that they are playing. Would you suspect that Hannah is (Elaine Ives-Cameron)? Or that Miss Hinchcliffe is (Paola Dionisotti)?
Basic premise is that a “Murder is Announced” in the local news paper. Everyone assumes it is a joke or a game. All the local towns characters meat at the time and place.
Will there really be a murder?
Why and whom?
Suddenly the lights go out?
Bang!
Anyway keep your eyes open, as there is not a wasted movement or word in this movie.
If you have the nagging feeling that you saw Chief Inspector Fred Davy (George Baker) before it may be that he has been in at least 100 movies and shows, recently as Detective Chief Inspector Wexford in Ruth Rendell Mysteries.
Bertram's Hotel is just how Jane remembered it as a child. She soon comes to the conclusion that it is to good to be true. The Chief Inspector is of the same mind. This film has several overlying plots. However just being in the hotel will distract you from them.
So get out your muffins, sit up in bed and watch "At Bertram's Hotel."
The buss mysteriously enough contains many other varied characters that knew or may have known about the circumstances of the murder and possibly if the murderer him/her self if it was not the son of Jason Rafiel.
Naturally we get all the clues but only Aunt Jane can make sense out of them.
So get out your teacakes and sit back watching that new fangled invention that the Americans like (the TV) and be swept away to the Sleeping Murder.
Speaking about night I would not start this film to late, as it seems to go on forever at 151 minutes. As it was a made for TV (1984), I suspect that this video is a composite of a series. And there are places where it takes leaps to different situations with out any transition. You can guess the plot in general but the details are surprising. It is wrapped up so quickly that you will need to run the ending a few times to put it all in perspective
One of the plusses of this movie is the character that plays Edward Symmington (Michael Culver.) He is in several other English films and plays Prior Robert in the Brother Cadfael Series.
One of the minuses of this movie is the Lisa Doolittle scene; it is totally out of character for aunt Jane films.
You have the characteristic mystery and the usual (or unusual) suspects. Aunt Jane is confronted with a problem that may snowball into murder if she does not figure it out in time. But as everyone says, "Ask Miss Marple." She usually has the right answer."
"Murder at the Vicarage" starts out with important information scenes and a missing one pound note. As Reverend Leonard Clement (Paul Eddington) passes the hedge hiding Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson), he expresses an ill chosen explicative to describe Colonel Lucius Protheroe (Robert Lang).
Yep, there is a murder at the vicarage, which is conveniently located in plane sight of Miss Marple. Everyone has a motive and nobody had opportunity. You and Detective Inspector Slack (David Horovitch) must sort through all the sub plots and confessions to find out what happened.
