Murder Most Foul

Murder Most Foul
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung
Directed by	George Pollock
Written by	Agatha Christie (novel)
Screenplay by	David Pursall (screenplay) Jack Seddon
Based on	Mrs. McGinty's Dead
Starring	Margaret Rutherford Stringer Davis Ron Moody Bud Tingwell
Music by	Ron Goodwin
Cinematography	Desmond Dickinson
Edited by	Ernest Walter
Production company	Lawrence P. Bachman Production
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	September 1964 (USA)
Running time	90 min/
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Murder Most Foul is the third of four Miss Marple films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Loosely based on the novel Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie, it stars Margaret Rutherford as Miss Jane Marple, Bud Tingwell as Inspector Craddock, and Stringer Davis (Rutherford's real-life husband) as Mr Stringer. The story is ostensibly based on the original Christie story, but notably changes the action and characters. Hercule Poirot is replaced by Miss Marple and most other characters are not in the original story.

The film was released in 1964 and directed by George Pollock, with David Pursall credited with the adaptation. The music was by Ron Goodwin.

The title is a quote from Hamlet (I.v.27-28), where the Ghost comments about his own death, "Murder most foul as in the best it is/But this most foul, strange and unnatural."

The third film in the MGM series, this was preceded by Murder, She Said and Murder at the Gallop, and followed by Murder Ahoy!, all with Rutherford starring as Christie's famed amateur sleuth.

Margaret McGinty, a barmaid and former actress, is found hanged, and her lodger, Harold Taylor, caught at the scene, seems plainly guilty. Everyone believes it to be an open-and-shut case ... except for Miss Marple. She is the lone holdout in the jury that tries him, leading to a mistrial.

Despite the disapproval of Inspector Craddock (Bud Tingwell), Miss Marple decides to delve into the case. She poses as a gatherer for a church 'jumble sale' to enter and search Mrs. McGinty's home. She finds a newspaper with words cut out and several programs for a murder mystery play, Murder She Said, recently performed in the town. These clues lead her to suspect Mrs. McGinty of having blackmailed a member of the repertory company.