Product Details

• Actors: Joan Hickson, Michael Culver, Deborah Appleby, Andrew Bicknell, Sabina Franklyn
• Directors: Roy Boulting
• Writers: Agatha Christie, Julia Jones
• Producers: Guy Slater
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1997
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303404871
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,722 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Joan Hickson stars as Agatha Christie's most beloved character, the prim and proper Miss Marple, in this classic whodunit. A rash of poison pen letters has been causing quite a stir in the quaint village of Lymston. So much so that Maud Calthrop, the vicar's wife, calls in her old friend Miss Marple for help. Miss Marple quickly discovers that Lymston has a wealth of potential cranky correspondents. When the solicitor's wife turns up dead with one of the letters and a suicide note, our heroine's suspicions are aroused. A second death is unmistakably murder, and still the ominous letters keep coming. It seems only Miss Marple can uncover the identity of THE MOVING FINGER.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christie At Her Most Entertaining, March 16, 2001

By 

Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miss Marple: The Moving Finger [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Bravo to the makers of this film, who faithfully adapted Agatha Christie's story to the screen, keeping the plot and characters true to the novel. Joan Hickson is the quintessential Miss Marple and finds herself with an excellent supporting cast that enhances this classic whodunit. A generous helping of romance and two deadly murders make this a most entertaining way to spend two hours. Mystery lovers will be challenged with the unexpected twists and red herrings that made the book so popular. Was it the overzealous sister? the genteel antiques collector? the timid spinster? the glamorous governess? the unhappy stepdaughter who evolves into Cinderella? All is revealed on location in a picturesque English village. Sit back and enjoy!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Agatha Christie!, February 10, 2000

By 

"annma76" (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Marple: The Moving Finger [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Joan Hickson has come to define Miss Marple. Her performances are flawless, entertaining, and blessed with a beautifully subtle humor. The Moving Finger is no exception to this rule. In this installment of the Miss Marple series, Joan Hickson receives the added assistance of an excellent supporting cast. Even those with minor roles do full justice to their parts. This particular Christie mystery offers something for everyone: classical whodunit twists and turns, the transformation of an 'ugly duckling' into a swan, and a touch of heartwarming romance. The interaction between Miss Marple and Inspector Nash is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Scotland Yard's Lestrade, adding yet another dose of deliciously sly British humor to the mix. Fans of the book will be pleased to note that the film remains quite true to the plot and dialogue with only minor exceptions. The Moving Finger is really a must for any mystery film library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tasty English Treat, April 3, 2009

By 

Anne "Mystery Fan" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Marple: The Moving Finger [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is one of my favorite stories of the Miss Marple series. Joan Hickson, who plays Miss Marple, looks like Miss Marple and, as mentioned elsewhere, was Agatha Christie's choice for the role. If you've seen the mish mash that some movie makers and TV producers have made of Christie's stories, you'll appreciate her concern

And though Poirot novels have some of the most brilliant and controversial plots (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd," for instance, caused a furor in its day for not adhering to the laws of the English mystery novel), Miss Marple finally came into her own, in large part thanks to "Mystery," which is fine because she's a more believable character than Poirot.

Just as the Poirot features take place in the wonderful Art Deco period, the producers have set Miss Marple in the mid-1950s, a more homey but less picturesque time.

A brother and sister move into a small English village while he recovers from a plane accident and they are soon recipients of a poison pen letter. Their shock is mitigated when they learn that practically every one in town has received a letter. In fact, the lawyer's wife appears to have committed suicide after getting one.

Soon Miss Marple is called in to set everything straight. This is a very clever mystery with a surprise ending., and it shows that Agatha Christie at her best is a genius. There's been no one to take her place.

Christie's books were very clever, but the films are often better because they omit her Antisemitic jibes, something Christie herself stopped after WW2.