AT BERTRAM’S HOTEL

UK, 1987, 110 minutes, Colour.

Joan Hickson, Caroline Blakiston, Helena Michell, George Baker, Joan Greenwood, James Cossins.

Directed by Mary McMurray.

An enjoyable Agatha Christie-Miss Marple story. And, there is a murder only in the last 20 minutes of the film.

Bertram’s Hotel is an anachronism. We see Miss Marple coming up by train to London. We see a BOAC flight landing at Heathrow. Old world and new. This is particularly the case with the hotel, its interiors, style, staff and manners, cakes and tea…

Miss Marple is on holidays but is able to meet with a friend from the past, Serena, a welcome appearance by Joan Greenwood at the end of her long career. But there are some goings-on at Bertram’s Hotel, especially with the woman arriving from America, highly extroverted and showy, played by Carolyn Blakiston. There are issues about her alienated daughter, played by Helena Michel (Keith Michel’s daughter), cared for by her uncle, James Cossins. There is also a policeman lurking during the afternoon teas, spotted by Miss Marple, played by veteran George Baker.

While the style is of the past, preserving the England of the past, there is actually a television room! And there is news of large robberies taking place, prominent people being seen at the scene of the crime, including an absent-minded Anglican canon who is studying at Bertram’s Hotel.

On the one hand, the focus is on the young daughter, meeting her mother, the strange relationship, her mother taking up with a racing driver and the audience discovering that the daughter was also in relationship with him. She also mysteriously disappears for a day. On the other hand, there is the canon, missing his plane to a conference in Zürich, return to the hotel, his disappearance.

There is also a mysterious doorman at the hotel with connections to the flamboyant woman.

Miss Marple, nosy, prim, friendly with the police, but held under suspicion by younger officers, is able to work at all the connections and confront the murderer at the end. Or the alternate murderer!

1. The popularity of Agatha Christie mysteries? Miss Marple stories?
2. Joan Hickson has Miss Marple? Agatha Christie’s endorsement?
3. A mystery, a murder coming very late in the film, the mystery about Bertram’s Hotel?
4. Agatha Christie and the atmosphere of the past, the 20s and 30s, Bertram’s hotel recreating this atmosphere, décor, staff and servants, tea and trays of cakes…? But the gradual suggestion that this was a facade? Too good to be true? Issues of change, development? The 1950s and 60s? The train to London, the flight from America, airports, transport, cars and taxis, television…?
5. Joan Hickson has Miss Marple, appearance, age, referring to St Mary’s Mead, her nephew shouting her the fortnight at the hotel, her enjoyment, the meals, the meeting with Serena and the conversations, the conversations providing background to so many of the characters and situations? Her noticing Fred Davey, identifying him as police? Her listening to conversations, in the television room, response to best Sedgwick, Elvira? Suspicions of the driver? Observing, taxis, following best Sedgwick and observing her? The discussions with the staff, noticing the type of curtsy from the maid, artificial? The cannon and his absentmindedness?
6. The different plots: the background of the robberies, and judge identified, the Irish mail robbery and the cannon identified? Suspicions about the hotel? The final Revelation, Bess managing everything, enjoying the thrill, controlling everyone, the team? The story of Bess Sedgwick and Elvira as her daughter Derek, his Ward, meeting at the airport? Elvira and her friends, behaviour? Her inquiries about her inheritance, the money? Who would inherit? If she died? The mystery of her visit to Ireland and her friend covering for her? Her meeting her mother, her mother seeming disdain? Elvira and her relationship with the driver? His relationship with her mother? The meetings, the rendezvous, the gun?
7. Fred Davey, the discussions with Miss Marple, his manner of policing, the efficient young man, questioning people?
8. The cannon, absent-minded, going to Switzerland, at the opening, his return, his comment about the mirror, his being attacked, found at home? His BO AC bag? The revelation of the truth, the substitute?
9. The confrontation with Bess, her confessing to running the organisation, her exhilaration, the previous scene with her driving recklessly, her escape over the roof, taking the car, the crash?
10. Michael, Irish, the past, the marriage to Bess, his being bought off, the Army? At the hotel? Confrontations with Bess? His being shot, the drivers gun?
11. The driver, arrested, interrogated, the accusations?
12. Miss Marple, with Elvira, her visit to Ireland, the truth about her mother’s marriage, the issue of inheritance, the gun, shooting Michael?
13. Bertram’s hotel, the relic of the past, the cover for the robberies, the unmasking, the transformation of the hotel?
14. A satisfying Miss Marple mystery?