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 Posted:   Nov 5, 2013 - 9:22 AM   
 By:   Ron Pulliam   (Member)

The Rutherford "Marples" were MGM "programmers" in England, they're far more popular in Germany and the Scandinavian countries (where the Goodwin theme even made the pop/easy listening charts!) than in the UK. In Germany, the four films are always shown in the Christmas season.

Sadly, George Pollock's other Agatha Christie mystery, "Ten Little Indians", made a year after the last Rutherford Marple, is much weaker - it suffers from terrible "international star casting" that includes the teenage pop singer Fabian. The music is not by Goodwin, but by Malcolm Lockyer (a jazz score). Also, at the same time, Frank Tashlin(!) directed "The Alphabet Murders" for MGM England, featuring Tony Randall(!!!) as Hercule Poirot. It was clearly an attempt to cash in on the popularity of the Marple films - Margaret Rutherford and her real-life husband Stringer Davis (who also played her sidekick in the Marples - it was a stipulation Rutherford made to agree to starring in the four films) even have a short cameo in the Randall film. It too has a Goodwin score, and even though I've seen the film (many years ago) I have no recollection what the music is like.


All of these films have aired on TCM -- possibly annually (on Christie's birthday and/or Rutherford's birthday).

 
 Posted:   Nov 5, 2013 - 1:16 PM   
 By:   CH-CD   (Member)

The Rutherford "Marples" were MGM "programmers" in England, they're far more popular in Germany and the Scandinavian countries (where the Goodwin theme even made the pop/easy listening charts!) than in the UK. In Germany, the four films are always shown in the Christmas season.

"Murder She Said" first went out in the UK, in September, 1961, as the support for Steve McQueen's "The Honeymoon Machine".

Word of mouth soon turned it into an enormous hit.

The second Rutherford / Miss Marple - "Murder at the Gallop" went out as the main feature, and was another big hit.

Here's the ad from the ABC Film Review, October, 1961.....

 
 Posted:   Nov 5, 2013 - 1:42 PM   
 By:   Khan   (Member)

Every time I see the title of this thread, I keep thinking it's going to be about Shaun Rutherford.

 
 Posted:   Nov 5, 2013 - 1:44 PM   
 By:   JJH   (Member)

Every time I see the title of this thread, I keep thinking it's going to be about Shaun Rutherford.


No one needs to see any threads about that guy.

 
 Posted:   Nov 6, 2013 - 4:24 AM   
 By:   OnlyGoodMusic   (Member)

Word of mouth soon turned it into an enormous hit.

The second Rutherford / Miss Marple - "Murder at the Gallop" went out as the main feature, and was another big hit.


All four were inexpensively produced, compact b/w features, i.e. programmers. The term has long been used as a synonym for B-pictures in general.

I sometimes ask people I meet in England about them, but except for some older fellows few seem to know them. In Germany and Denmark, everybody (!) knows the Rutherford Marples. smile

 
 Posted:   Nov 6, 2013 - 11:08 AM   
 By:   CH-CD   (Member)


I sometimes ask people I meet in England about them, but except for some older fellows few seem to know them. In Germany and Denmark, everybody (!) knows the Rutherford Marples. smile


I'm surprised that you can't find many people here who don't remember them ?

They are ALWAYS on TV here, on one channel, or another. Seemingly ad nauseum !



 
 
 Posted:   Nov 6, 2013 - 2:27 PM   
 By:   Disco Stu   (Member)

Only this week I found out that the theme from the MR Marple series is by the same composer that gave us the eargasm that is "Sir Gawain and the green knight". I bought that on a gamble and it payed off spectacularly, a stunningly beautiful work, thank you so very very much Intrada.
I share the very profound wish that the honourable Mr. Goodwin's "Miss Marple" music were released on CD.

D.S.

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2013 - 1:15 AM   
 By:   r.erkelenz   (Member)

r.erkelenz - I think you'll find that the little horn motif which opens MURDER AHOY is a quote from "A Life on the Ocean Waves". Goodwin does a fuller rendition of it later on in the Main Titles. He also interpolates the Royal Navy march "Heart of Oak" ("Steady, boys, steady!") and I'm sure there are other little nautical quotes dotted throughout.

Thanks Graham for this speedy reply - you've helped me a lot!

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2013 - 4:14 AM   
 By:   OnlyGoodMusic   (Member)

I share the very profound wish that the honourable Mr. Goodwin's "Miss Marple" music were released on CD.

As I said before, a substantial 22-minute suite, covering material from several of the films (for the Main Title they use the version from "Murder Ahoy" with those shanty tune quotes), was recorded by Goodwin himself with The Odense Symphony Orchestra for Label X Germany in the early 1990s. It's a fine performance, and it covers many of the more "autonomous" cues.

The soundtrack tapes are gone forever, they were destroyed a long time ago.

 
 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2013 - 1:30 PM   
 By:   Disco Stu   (Member)

I share the very profound wish that the honourable Mr. Goodwin's "Miss Marple" music were released on CD.

As I said before, a substantial 22-minute suite, covering material from several of the films (for the Main Title they use the version from "Murder Ahoy" with those shanty tune quotes), was recorded by Goodwin himself with The Odense Symphony Orchestra for Label X Germany in the early 1990s. It's a fine performance, and it covers many of the more "autonomous" cues.

The soundtrack tapes are gone forever, they were destroyed a long time ago.


Ah but where to find that CD? What's more, is this the recording that is used whenever we hear the Marple music outside the films?

D.S.

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2013 - 1:45 PM   
 By:   MusicMad   (Member)

...
Ah but where to find that CD? What's more, is this the recording that is used whenever we hear the Marple music outside the films?

D.S.


For sale in the UK on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miss-Marple-Lancelot-Force-10/dp/B000027VW0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1383856877&sr=1-1&keywords=ron+goodwin+miss+marple

I haven't heard the theme played elsewhere for many years but I imagine it would be Ron Goodwin's EMI recording from his album Adventure which would be used - see: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Legend-Glass-Mountain-Adventure-Nino/dp/B0000251BF/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1383856877&sr=1-2&keywords=ron+goodwin+miss+marple

Mitch

 
 Posted:   Nov 7, 2013 - 1:47 PM   
 By:   Julian K   (Member)

Ah but where to find that CD?

Amazon?

http://www.amazon.com/Marple-Films-Lancelot-Guinevere-Navarone/dp/B000027VW0/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1383857170&sr=1-2&keywords=the+miss+marple+films

 
 Posted:   Nov 8, 2013 - 5:48 AM   
 By:   OnlyGoodMusic   (Member)

You can listen to a few, very brief samples on Amazon's German website:

http://www.amazon.de/Miss-Marple-Ron-Goodwin/dp/B000027VW0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383914833&sr=8-1&keywords=goodwin+marple

The Marple Suite was a must-do requested by the producer, for the rest Goodwin himself was free to decide which music he wanted to record, and he chose extended suites from "Lancelot and Guinevere" and "Force Ten from Navarone".

 
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