The Silver Screen Oasis

who do you prefer as your female slueth Jessica Fletcher or Miss. Jane Marple.

for me it's Jessica, played by Anglela Lansbury from the early 80s to her recent tv movies. unlike Miss. Marple, Jessica is a modern liberated woman, who though never seen to be romantically involved, there was a glint in her eye when in the company of Harry the PI and Michael the CIA Agent. i was disappointed in a recent Murder She Wrote movie when Jessie asked about remarraige, said 'Nobody measured up to Frank' while clearly Jessica loved her late husband, she had many platonic men friends, including Dr. Seth Hasslett, a man she had a great deal of respect and affection for.

Angela IMO was still a beauty when she played Jessica in the tv run, while the Jane Marple's were potrayed as confirmed plain looking spinsters, though Margaret Rutherford's Mr. Stringer, played by MRs husband Stringer Davis was a loyal companion.

stuart.uk wrote:who do you prefer as your female slueth Jessica Fletcher or Miss. Jane Marple.

I prefer Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple, but of all female sleuths, I enjoy Edna May Oliver's Hildegarde Withers the most. I wish she'd have made more of those films opposite James Gleason.

-Stephen

[quote="srowley75"]I prefer Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple, but of all female sleuths, I enjoy Edna May Oliver's Hildegarde Withers the most. I wish she'd have made more of those films opposite James Gleason.

-Stephen[/quote]

I've only seen Edna May play Hildegarde Withers once, but loved it. I'm eagerly looking forward the other two and the Zasu Pitts versions. One day they'll be on TCM. I hope.

There are two actresses who made Miss Marple work. One was Margaret Rutherford, who was awesome but absolutely nothing like Miss Marple. The other was Joan Hickson, who played the role on a long running BBC series, and she was exactly like Miss Marple. Both were great but for completely different reasons.

Incidentally, Hickson was in at least one of the Rutherford Marples, as a different character. I've long wondered whether she fashioned her own approach to the part then or only later when she was hired to do so.

I wonder if Julia McKenzie is going to be a more liberated Miss. Marple. probably not, but she's a few yrs younger than the other Marple's when they took on the role, in fact she's young enough to play Jessica Fletcher, as Angela Lansbury was in the 80s

i was just thinking Angela was very much still a young beautiful woman when she played Miss. Marple in The Mirror Cracked. i guess make up helped in reverse LOL

Saw the one, recently, in which they both played and Arthur Kennedy played a British doctor ( guess he didn't like being type cast ) I thought Rutherford and Hickson were both good. I liked the ones with Lionel Jeffries and Ron Moody. ... mel