Waking from a doze in her train seat, Miss Jane Marple awakes in time to witness thru her window a young lady being strangled aboard a passing train. When she cries murder to the police, they suggest she was most likely only dreaming. Undaunted, she sets out to find the truth and to prove that she isn't indeed a dotty old spinster.

Directed by George Pollock, Murder She Said is adapted by David Osborn, David Pursall & Jack Seddon from the best selling book "4:50 From Paddington" (also published as What Mrs. McGillicudy Saw!) written by the legendary Agatha Christie. It stars Margaret Rutherford, Arthur Kennedy, Muriel Pavlow & James Robertson Justice.

Lets forget the book eh, and lets forget that Agatha Christie felt that Margaret Rutherford was wrong for the role of Miss. Jane Marple. How about we just view this delightful English mystery on its filmic terms? Rutherford is just lovely as Marple, putting her own classy stamp on the role, she was an instant hit and went on to make a further three Marple movies. It has all the classic elements for a Christie murder mystery. An odd family at a big foreboding residence {Ackenthorpe Hall}and sure enough there's something afoot here. Enter Rutherford's determined sleuther Miss. Marple as she enrols as housekeeper there and pokes around in search of clues. The suspense is built up, as is the mystery "who done it?" element, but the film never loses its sense of humour. Something that makes Rutherford's incarnation of Marple a joy to be involved with. Her play offs with James Robertson Justice's blustery old grump (Ackenthorpe),and wee Ronnie Raymond's Alexander are true high points in Pollock's movie.

Be it Marple or Poirot you know the formula at the heart of these murder mysteries. There are many adaptations to the screen of Christie's works, and for sure not all of them work. With that, Rutherford's tenure as Miss Marple probably ranks about middle tier in the pantheon. But that is still good enough for a jolly day of viewings, fun viewings that are propelled by the wonderful talent of Margaret Rutherford. 7.5/10

This is the first of five Miss Marple film starring Margaret Rutherford. So, obvious the movie was pretty popular!

The story is very similar to Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes". The story begins aboard a train and Miss Marple is reading a juicy novel about murder. Just then, a train passes and she catches a glimpse of a woman being strangled!! She cannot see the killer but quickly tells the conductor...who inexplicably assumes she just has an overactive imagination! The police are equally unexcited about this...and that does seem odd (and a weakness in the film). So, Marple goes investigating on her own. The clues lead to a manor home but with no significant evidence, she decides to apply for a job as a housekeeper there so she can snoop around the place legally. What's next? See the film.

This story is better than some murder mysteries in that the main character only investigates the crime because the police won't. In too many, the lead decides out of the blue to become an amateur sleuth and they ALWAYS outwit the police! Rutherford is delightful and the story has some nice character actors (such as Arthur Kennedy and James Robertson Justice). Worth seeing...especially so you can enjoy the zippy harpsichord music!

I do so love Margaret Rutherford who makes Agatha Christie's Ms. Jane Marple a most formidable and determined sleuth. Unfortunately this was one of Christie's weaker and way too coincidental plots.

Rutherford is on the 4:50 from Paddington station and while she's observing the passing scenery, a train passes in the opposite direction. Looking at that train she sees a pair of hands strangling a woman. Of course there's no body to be found after Rutherford calls for the police.

But things like that don't faze Margaret Rutherford in the slightest. With the aid of her friend and real life husband Stringer Davis, she walks the length of the track and does find some clues as to where the body might have been flung out the window. Turns out to be on a large estate and then Rutherford goes to work at the estate in the guise of a maid so she can continue her sleuthing.

The household is headed by James Robertson Justice who is one booming hypochondriac, the despair of his ever present doctor, Arthur Kennedy. The scenes with JRJ and Rutherford are the best in the film.

Of course the murder does have something to do with the estate and for me that's way too much to swallow that the murderer could have so contrived the crime to occur when the train was passing at the proper time for the body to be thrown out precisely where it was.

Still Margaret Rutherford is always a delight and Christie fans will like what she did with Agatha's formidable spinster sleuth.