The Margaret Rutherford/Miss Marple Collection

Margaret Rutherford is my favourite Miss Marple.  It's the way she flourishes her shawl like a cape, pulls the most ridiculous faces, announces "This is MURDER.  Murder MOST FOUL," with indecent relish, and never lets poor old Inspector Craddock put her off.  "Inspector, you leave me no choice but to investigate this matter..."  

- WHOOSH goes the shawl - 

"...MYSELF."  And she's off!
  
This is the sort of woman who kept the sun from setting on The Empire. 

These films, made when people thought The Beatles had long hair, milk came in bottles and young shavers said things like "wotcha!" are VERY tongue-in-cheek. Agatha Christie felt they weren't taking it seriously which is fair given that in the films ("Murder, She Said", "Murder At The Gallop", "Murder Most Foul" and "Murder Ahoy!") Miss Marple dons disguises, has a swordfight, gives a spirited rendition of "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and dances "The Twist".      
                                                                                
British character actors pop up like old pals (Terry Scott, Richard Briers, Ron Moody, James Bolam, Robert Morley, Lionel Jeffries, Nicholas Parsons, Joan Hickson, and James Robertson Justice, playing a tyrannical old sod as only he could - remember Sir Lancelot Spratt?)  The actual mysteries are unsolvable by the way, but what you're watching for is Jane Marple planting her sensible shoes in someone else's business with the formidable intent of Paddington Bear, aided by Margaret's real-life husband as timid librarian, Mr. Stringer.         
                                                                            
It's all very cosy, and I love the recurring jokes throughout, such as Miss 
Marple's past achievements which ALWAYS come up ("I was women's small-arms champion at Bisley in nineteen-hundred and twenty-two"). 

Entertaining silliness, with a groovy 1960's harpsichord theme to boot. 

More tea and murder vicar?  Don't mind if I do!!                                                

"That woman has made a mockery of my one and only murder."