BFF17 The Mirror Crack’d

It’s 1953 and it’s ‘lights, camera, murder’ in the English village of St. Mary Mead, home of Miss Marple (Angela Lansbury). A big Hollywood production company arrives with two famous movie stars, Marina Rudd (Elizabeth Taylor) and Lola Brewster (Kim Novak).

The two actresses are old rivals. Marina is making a much-heralded comeback after a prolonged ‘illness’ (i.e. nervous breakdown) and her subsequent retirement. The locals have been invited to a reception held by the film company to meet the celebrities. Lola and Marina come face-to-face at the reception and exchange some comically potent insults as they smile and pose for the cameras.

At the reception, Marina is cornered by a gushing, devoted fan, Heather (Maureen Bennett), who drinks a cocktail and promptly dies from poisoning. Everyone is certain Marina was the intended murder victim, however, Inspector Craddock (Edward Fox) from Scotland Yard isn’t so sure and asks his aunt, Miss Marple, to help solve the mystery.

This dazzling all-star adaptation is directed by Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger, The Man with the Golden Gun, Diamonds are Forever).