Movie Review: Murder at the Gallop (1963)

Synopsis: While collecting donations for charity, Miss Jane Marple witnesses a wealth recluse's death. She believes he was murdered but the police don't agree, at least until his sister is also murdered. Believing one of the man's heirs is the killer, Marple takes a holiday at the Gallop Hotel so she can spy on the family.

Who's in it? The movie stars Margaret Rutherford, Stringer Davis, Robert Morley, Flora Robson and Charles "Bud" Tingwell.


Review: After seeing three of the four Miss Marple films starring Margaret Rutherford, I was finally able to get this one in my library. Since I had yesterday afternoon off, I took the time to watch it and thought it was worth the wait.

One of the things I liked about this movie was the number of potential suspects. I was able to take a fairly accurate guess about who the killer was but there were other possibilities and, since they all had both motive and opportunity, I wasn't completely sure who would be the one Marple (Rutherford) would finger at the end.

The trap she set for the killer at the end of the movie was also a nice touch. I saw right through it but will admit it was set up in a way that made it easy to believe a killer might be fooled by it and, in the end, there was a bit of suspense when the killer did strike.

Another thing I liked about this movie was the way it limited the amount of screen time for Marple's companion, Mr. Stringer (Davis). He's OK for a laugh or two and I don't necessarily dislike the character but he is also someone that is a lot better in small doses. In this case, in particular, less was definitely more because it allowed some of the other characters to shine.

Final Opinion: I did figure out who the killer was several minutes into the movie so I won't describe it as the best murder mystery I've watched. However, it had a good mix of mystery and comedy with just the right amount of suspense at the end to be an enjoyable film.

My Grade: B+

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kwik Trip Kitchen Cravings Tailgater Pizza

Image
  When my wife and I decided on pizza for dinner last night, I stopped at Kwik Trip with the intention of just buying a cheap, frozen, cheese pizza for our daughters since we already had another pizza in our freezer. However, as I was walking up to the checkout counter, this particular pizza caught my eye and, even though I wasn't crazy about spending $8.99 when I already had another option at home, I was intrigued enough to make the purchase anyway. We ended up making the pizza in the oven when I got home. After trying it, I have to say it is one of my favorites. One of the things, in particular, that really stood out for me when it came to this pizza was the toppings. The combination of sausage and cheese curds was both unique and delicious, especially since the curds were fresh enough to still squeak when we were eating them. The pizza also proved to be surprisingly filling, both because of the thicker crust and the generous amounts of toppings and cheese.  Normally, when ...
Read more

Movie Review: Damsel (2024)

Image
Synopsis: Elodie, the oldest daughter of Lord Bayford, reluctantly agrees to an arranged marriage with Prince Henry in the far-off land of Aurea because her bride price will provide much-needed relief to the starving residents of her homeland. When they arrive for her wedding, Elodie quickly warms up to the idea after seeing Aurea's beauty and even falling in love with Henry. However, soon after the wedding, she discovers it has all been a farce and she instead is thrown into a cave as a peace offering for the dragon living inside. Who's in it? The movie stars  Millie Bobby Brown ,  Ray Winstone ,  Angela Bassett ,  Robin Wright  and  Nick Robinson Review: My wife and I decided to watch a movie late yesterday evening and after striking out on horror films lately, ended up changing things up a bit with the fantasy adventure, Damsel . My wife thought it looked good from the trailer and I enjoyed Millie Bobby Brown in the Enola Holmes movies, so we had cau...
Read more

Movie Review: Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie (2023)

Image
Synopsis: Despite showing improvement after solving his wife, Trudy's murder, the pandemic caused Adrian Monk to regress, and he now plans on killing himself after Trudy's daughter, Molly, is married. However, a day before the wedding, Molly's fiancé, Griffin is killed while bungee jumping. While a coroner's inquiry determined it was an accident, Molly believes Griffin was killed by Rick Eden, a billionaire and wannabe astronaut Griffin was about to expose for murder. Even though he isn't convinced by Molly's theory, he delays his suicide so he can investigate and bring her closure. Who's in it? The movie stars Tony Shalhoub , Traylor Howard , Ted Levine , James Purefoy and Caitlin McGee. Review: I used to be a huge fan of the television series Monk and still occasionally watch reruns when I can't find anything else on TV. So, when I heard there was going to be a movie based on the series, I was intrigued albeit a bit skeptical. I finally had a chan...
Read more