AT BERTRAM'S HOTEL

UK, 2007, 85 minutes, Colour.

Geraldine McEwan, Martine McCutcheon, Stephen Mangan, Francesca Annis, Mary Nighy, Charles Kay, Ed Stoppard, Nicholas Burns, Mica Paris, Peter Davison, Polly Walker, Hannah Spearritt, Danny Webb.

Directed by Dan Zeff.

The second television version of this Christie story, featuring Miss Marple, the first being a more faithful rendering of the book and starring Joan Hickson. There was great attention to detail about the old style of Bertram’s hotel and regrets about the changes for the modern era.

This film is brighter and more colourful, introducing Louis Armstrong at the beginning, and he and his band doing a rehearsal, Miss Marple liking the jazz. And there is an American singer, with interludes from Cole Porter and the Gershwin’s. Bertram’s Hotel had changed.

This version actually keeps the central core and the identity of the murderer, better explanations of the manner of the killings, the motivations.

However, there are all kinds of changes, not local robberies of trains but rather robberies within the hotel, art forgeries and dealings, also jewel thieves, and, like the Geraldine McEwan version different emphases, introduction of Nazi themes, the Butcher of Riga masquerading as a cleric, the romantic connection of the earlier story now becoming a Nazi Hunter.

Miss Marple is helped in this version by one of the maids, Jane, an interesting character portrayed by Martine McCutcheon – who is attracted by the very awkward inspector, played by Stephen Mangan.

So, a variation on Agatha Christie’s novel, some drastic changes with characters, but keeping the core murder and motivation.

1. The popularity of Agatha Christie stories? Miss Marple stories? The different versions of this story?
2. The postwar period, the old hotel, the flashback to 1891 and Miss Marple’s visit, the retaining of the old, the changing into the new, decoration, artwork, afternoon tea, rooms…?
3. Louis Armstrong, jazz, Cole Porter and Gershwin songs? Miss Marple enthusiastic?
4. Miss Marple coming for the holiday, standing and observing, all the guests arriving, her listening, noticing, assessing, the friendship with Jane, Jane assisting her in the detection, the first victim, going to the roof, the issue of the hats and hair, room 123, the Nazi insignia in the room, the discussions with Inspector Bird?
5. Miss Marple and her friendship with Selina, the conversations, information? Selina, the painting, her jewellery being stolen?
6. The range of guests, Louis Armstrong and the band, the rehearsals? The American singer and her performances, hostility towards Bess Sedgwick (and the revelation about the husband)? The interchangeable twins, one left-handed, one right-handed? Bess Sedgwick and her reputation? Elvira and her relationship with her mother, tense, her dead father? The Canon? Absent-minded? And the German hat-maker? The range of suspicions?
7. The death of the maid, theories, the revelation that she was informing for the Nazi Hunter, but her knowledge about the money, blackmailing Elvira? Her death, the hat, the unkempt hair?
8. The hat-maker, prissy and fussy, his hats, his collapse, his taking photos, audience suspicions of him? The truth, the persecution by the Nazis, his family and the loss of paintings, helping the Nazi Hunter, photographing the canon, the unmasking, and the recovery of his paintings?
9. The driver, friendship with Bess, with pirate? Suspicious? The Nazi insignia? The revelation that he was a Nazi Hunter? The expose of the Canon?
10. The twins, present, left-hand, right-hand, the holding of the paper, the revelation about the watch ? Miss Marple’s observations? The revelation that they were thieves?
11. The manager of the hotel, the clashes with Inspector Bird, the putdowns? The exposure of the end? The robberies, the paintings, the room, money coming in? The piano and the painting?
12. Jane, her background, working, opportunities, curiosity, the friendship with Miss Marple, helping her with the investigations, the dangers? Meeting Inspector Bird, his awkwardness, his work, listening to Jane and Miss Marple, the attraction, the happy ending?
13. Bess Sedgwick, her late husband, the declaration of the will, the lawyer, his shady dealings, Elvira, the inheritance divided into three? Ireland, the background of Mickey Gorman, marriage, no divorce, repercussions for the inheritance? The reading of the will? Selina getting the picture? Bess returning, early, the lawyer burning the papers, the police arriving, arresting the lawyer?
14. The sniper, everybody watching, everything staged, room 123 and the rifle, the locker room, the solution of what happened with the lock? Everyone observing, Mickey being shot, the role of Bridget? Bess and her explanation, taking the blame? The truth, Elvira and the shootings, the motivation, money, using Bridget?
15. The old hotel and the guests, style of life, postwar, thieves, Nazi hunters, murder?