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A Murder is Announced (1956) The 1956 NBC version of A Murder is Announced was the first of the Marple mysteries to be adapted for television. The 50-minute production was performed live on 30th December and was aired as part of the "Goodyear Playhouse" TV series - hence Goodyear commercials between the acts. The cast included two hot names of the time: Jessica Tandy as Leticia Blacklock - fresh from the successful Broadway production of Tennessee William's "A Streetcar Named Desire" opposite a young Marlon Brando (and later of the "Driving Miss Daisy" fame); and Gracie Fields as Miss Marple - Britain's renowned singer, comedienne and actress of 1930s (she was the highest paid film star of 1937). 29-year old Roger Moore played Patrick Simmons, a distant cousin of Mrs. Blacklock. Simmons is a fine young man (a handsome one - as he's played by Moore), only outwardly unconcerned, and definitely one of the suspects. The role was quite important for the future Saint for two reasons: it gave him another chance to practise in a live performance, and also gave him a wonderful opportunity to play alongside such a professional cast.
A Murder is Announced was originally published in 1950 by William Collins Sons & Co. in London, and by Dodd, Mead & Co. in New York and since then it has been considered to be one of the finest Christie novels. In 1977 it was adapted for Vaudeville Theatre in London by Leslie Darbon. The next rendition of the story was made for BBC in 1985 with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. The most recent adaptation was filmed for Granada television in 2005 and starred Geraldine McEwan. |
