I thought Angela Lansbury was doing a Margaret Rutherford impression in her portrayal of Miss Marple. What clinched it for me was the smoking scene. Several times as she seemed to be speaking out of the corner of her mouth it definitely recalled Margaret Rutherford in "Murder She Said," "Murder at the Gallop," or "Murder Most Foul." It was only a distant evocation of the character in the book, but I don't think that was the intention.
I loved the close-ups of Elizabeth Taylor's face, and her famous violet eyes. What gorgeous eyes. No other movie star ever came close. She did a decent job in this movie, employing quite a range in her scenes. The scene where she sits at her dressing table and sing-songs to her reflection, "Bags, bags, go away; come right back on Doris Day" was an obvious nod to all the Rock Hudson-Doris Day movies.
Kim Novak was hilarious, with her shallow, very trampy American actress pastiche--that scene where she vamps Edward Fox and then yells "Screw Scotland Yard!" was pure gold. I thought it was reminiscent of some other movie, but I can't think what.
If the final scene of Liz laid out on the couch was reminiscent of a scene from "Cleopatra," did anyone notice the obvious nod to Alfred Hitchcock's "Suspicion" when Rock Hudson started up the stairs with the drink of hot milk for his wife? I would swear they even put a light in the milk for that first brief shot.
I loved the close-ups of Elizabeth Taylor's face, and her famous violet eyes. What gorgeous eyes. No other movie star ever came close. She did a decent job in this movie, employing quite a range in her scenes. The scene where she sits at her dressing table and sing-songs to her reflection, "Bags, bags, go away; come right back on Doris Day" was an obvious nod to all the Rock Hudson-Doris Day movies.
Kim Novak was hilarious, with her shallow, very trampy American actress pastiche--that scene where she vamps Edward Fox and then yells "Screw Scotland Yard!" was pure gold. I thought it was reminiscent of some other movie, but I can't think what.
If the final scene of Liz laid out on the couch was reminiscent of a scene from "Cleopatra," did anyone notice the obvious nod to Alfred Hitchcock's "Suspicion" when Rock Hudson started up the stairs with the drink of hot milk for his wife? I would swear they even put a light in the milk for that first brief shot.