Helen Hayes played Miss Marple, Agatha Christie's second most famous sleuth (after Hercule Poirot, of course), only two times. Although the actress is American and the character is English, Hayes is quite delightful in the role - witty, humane and still youthful in spirit. The supporting cast of "A Caribbean Mystery" doesn't contain any big names, but they all play their parts adequately; if anyone stands out, it's Season Hubley as Molly. The locations are pleasant (if Daphne's place in "Evil Under The Sun" was completely booked, I wouldn't mind spending my holidays in this hotel instead), and the story fulfills the basic demands of the mystery genre: it offers plenty of suspects and red herrings, and you won't know who the killer is until the moments he or she is revealed (unless you've read the book, of course). The revelation part is a bit rushed (as it gets squeezed into the last 5 minutes), and the film is at times a bit too leisurely paced. Within its limitations, though, this is good entertainment for fans of genre. (***)
16 Reviews
A few things good, a few things bad, overall a pleasant enough time filler
TheLittleSongbird24 January 2010
I did like this adaptation on the whole, but if I were to be honest, I prefer the Joan Hickson version, which I found more somewhat better paced and more stylish. But I will say it is a marginal improvement on the Helen Hayes version of They Do It With Mirrors. Overall, this is a pleasant enough time filler, however there are things wrong with it; the pacing has a tendency to become too sluggish, the events leading up to the final solution were rushed, the direction was too leisurely and one or two scenes and parts of the script came across as rather goofy. That said though, it sticks reasonably to the original story, updating it along the way. Helen Hayes makes for a rather cute Miss Marple, the soundtrack was good, the locations were very nice. Out of the supporting performances the standout, like a previous reviewer has mentioned, is Season Hubley as Molly, she was stunning. All in all, decent and pleasant, but not as good as the Hickson adaptation. 6/10 Bethany Cox
She's just not Miss Marple....
Sleepin_Dragon24 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
A Carribbean Mystery isn't classed by many Christie fans as one of her greatest novels, I on the other hand love it, and can virtually say it word for word. The problem I have with this adaptation is that the central character in the book is not Helen Hayes, as much as I truly love her as an actress, a great Miss Marple she did not make, her accent is the problem, she's referencing At Mary Mead, but they must have moved it....to the deep south, she is not saved by that attempted phrase 'I dropped me yarn.' The way the camera scans around the suspects after the major's speech is shocking, a very unnatural looking scene. The pacing isn't great, it starts off as a slow amble and rushes into the ending.
In fairness the plot is quite faithful, so I applaud them for not tinkering with it hugely. The scenery works pretty well, the music is really nice and there are some nice performances, Maurice Evans is excellent as the Major, he makes him likable. Season Hubley is the standout as Molly, she delivered a particularly strong performance, making some of her fellow actors appear a little bland. Bernard Hughes is a little to brash, he would have been first on the list for most killers.
Its not a bad film overall, the problem is, this is supposed to be a quaint village lady arriving in the Carribbean, I don't buy it here. Do yourself a favour, watch the Joan Hickson version, it is superior in every possible way. 6/10
In fairness the plot is quite faithful, so I applaud them for not tinkering with it hugely. The scenery works pretty well, the music is really nice and there are some nice performances, Maurice Evans is excellent as the Major, he makes him likable. Season Hubley is the standout as Molly, she delivered a particularly strong performance, making some of her fellow actors appear a little bland. Bernard Hughes is a little to brash, he would have been first on the list for most killers.
Its not a bad film overall, the problem is, this is supposed to be a quaint village lady arriving in the Carribbean, I don't buy it here. Do yourself a favour, watch the Joan Hickson version, it is superior in every possible way. 6/10
Not bad
Movie_Man 50018 January 2002
Solid faithful adaption of one of Miss Marple's vacation mysteries, this has a decent cast (for a tv movie) and an okay storyline. Warning: Barnard Hughes as a grouchy old millionaire will soon start to irritate the more he nags and grumbles. The killer should have offed him in the first 5 minutes. Helen Hayes makes a nice Jane however so she saves the movie from veering too far into the goofy, even when her snooping gets out of hand. This may her best starring performance in a Christie adaption. Another version of this story was made for British television.
A bit of an oddity
Iain-21510 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I came across an old video of this TV movie and watched it for the first time in about fifteen years. It is hopelessly trapped in 80s TV soap land with big hair and bright costumes and a 'steel band' soundtrack - its a bit like Christie meets Fantasy Island! Where does Helen Hayes' Miss Marple come from? Certainly not from Saint Marymead, England! However, the story stays remarkably faithful to the book (apart from the updating), Hayes' Marple (apart from the accent) is actually very engaging and there are some good supporting performances (I particularly liked the Rafiel ensemble and poor,lost Molly Kendall). There is no denying the superior quality of the (slightly) later BBC version with Joan Hickson but having watched that too recently, I was surprised to find that it does not beat this earlier version as conclusively as I would have thought.
This is an intriguing oddity and worth a look if you come across it.
This is an intriguing oddity and worth a look if you come across it.
poorly made yet pretty entertaining
cherold2 June 2004
This is a pretty poorly made TV movie typical of the early 80s, with an overly syrupy score and bland cinematography and awful acting by everyone under the age of 60. So it can be taken as proof of Agatha Christie's genius that a straightforward telling of one of her stories is pretty enjoyable even when done by hacks. The best part is watching the way Miss Marple manipulates the situation, pulling the strings of those around her while managing to seem harmless and perhaps dotty. In spite of her floating accent, Hayes makes an excellent Miss Marple, and Hughes and Evans are also quite good. The rest of the acting varies from mediocre to truly incompetent, but the story is strong enough to survive. The ending is unfortunately weak and feels as though it was rushed through, so the feeling of satisfaction one gets in a Christie book is sadly lacking, but overall it's pretty watchable, and I give it 6/10, which is about as much as you can give something filmed with the care of an episode of MacMillan and Wife.
Good adaptation of Dame Christie's classic mystery
coltras3528 June 2021
There's been a fair amount of actresses playing Agatha Christie's favourite spinster, but I find Helen Hayes does a fine job as Miss Marple, capturing that "old sweet looking old lady but with great observation skills" really well. Sure, her accent can occasionally slip into an American tang, but, for me, it's not that noticeable - nor does it distract from her rather lively performance. Like my favourite Marple, Margaret Rutherford, she's a fun Marple and not sour-faced like the other actresses who played her.
The story- Detective Miss Marple (Helen Hayes) is on vacation, luxuriating in an opulent Caribbean resort. She meets quirky mystery writer Maj. Geoffrey Palgrave (Maurice Evans), who giddily informs her that he believes one of the other guests is a wife-murdering serial killer. But before he can reveal the alleged killer's identity, Maj. Palgrave dies under suspicious circumstances. Soon there are other victims. Now, Miss Marple must take on the case before more are murdered.
A Caribbean mystery moves at a leisurely pace, and is quite entertaining- close attention is paid to the motley crew of suspects and when the murderer is unravelled you're left satisfied.
The story- Detective Miss Marple (Helen Hayes) is on vacation, luxuriating in an opulent Caribbean resort. She meets quirky mystery writer Maj. Geoffrey Palgrave (Maurice Evans), who giddily informs her that he believes one of the other guests is a wife-murdering serial killer. But before he can reveal the alleged killer's identity, Maj. Palgrave dies under suspicious circumstances. Soon there are other victims. Now, Miss Marple must take on the case before more are murdered.
A Caribbean mystery moves at a leisurely pace, and is quite entertaining- close attention is paid to the motley crew of suspects and when the murderer is unravelled you're left satisfied.
Poorly paced with a rushed conclusion...
Doylenf11 June 2012
Those are the two glaring complaints I have about A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY, a made for TV movie which dawdles on for a long time before getting to the point of a series of murders committed at a vacation resort.
Helen Hayes, her American accent intact, still makes a passable Miss Marple even when she utters the name of a quaint village in England as her home, St. Mary Mead. Barnard Hughes is the mean-spirited man whose rudeness becomes a bit overdone after the first few scenes, making you wish he's going to be one of the victims. Not so. He and Miss Marple join forces to solve the crime.
The conclusion is rushed through with brief explanations and not much dramatic conflict, so it's a bit of a letdown--although the murderer's identity is never hard to guess. The acting ranges from competent to barely competent, but the script is rather mediocre.
Recommended for rabid Christie fans only. Nicely photographed with Santa Barbara, California filling in for the Caribbean, but this is very tepid stuff, to say the least, nowhere as good as other Christie outings.
Helen Hayes, her American accent intact, still makes a passable Miss Marple even when she utters the name of a quaint village in England as her home, St. Mary Mead. Barnard Hughes is the mean-spirited man whose rudeness becomes a bit overdone after the first few scenes, making you wish he's going to be one of the victims. Not so. He and Miss Marple join forces to solve the crime.
The conclusion is rushed through with brief explanations and not much dramatic conflict, so it's a bit of a letdown--although the murderer's identity is never hard to guess. The acting ranges from competent to barely competent, but the script is rather mediocre.
Recommended for rabid Christie fans only. Nicely photographed with Santa Barbara, California filling in for the Caribbean, but this is very tepid stuff, to say the least, nowhere as good as other Christie outings.
A Caribbean Mystery review
renegadeviking-271-5285683 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Miss Marple's kind nephew Raymond has sent her on a vacation to St Honoré to soak up some sunshine after she's been unwell. She's staying at the Golden Palm resort, filled with visitors from around the world though the plot sticks pretty much to the Brits and Americans. One visitor, Major Palgrave, likes to tell long rambling stories of his colonial days and Miss Marple makes the perfect audience. As a genteel lady of a certain age, she has perfected the art of making gentlemen believe she's listening avidly while in reality she's pursuing her own thoughts or counting the stitches in her knitting. But when Major Palgrave suddenly dies, Miss Marple is convinced that it's connected to a story he was telling her about how he once met a murderer. If only she'd been paying more attention! Struggling to recall the details and also feeling a little out of her element so far from home, Miss Marple realises that she can still use village parallels even amongst these strangers - human nature, she finds, is the same everywhere...
While I don't consider this to be one of Christie's very best, it's still a very entertaining mystery and the exotic setting gives it an added interest, although (like many tourists) Miss Marple never sets foot outside the resort so we get very little feel for what life for the real islanders may be like. Another of the residents is Mr Rafiel, an elderly invalid with a grumpy temper. At first inclined to dismiss Miss Marple as a gossipy old woman, he finds she stands up to him more than most people and comes to respect her insight, so that gradually they begin to work together to find the truth. The other residents, including Mr Rafiel's staff, become the pool of suspects and Miss Marple knows that her only investigatory tool is the art of drawing people out through conversation. Happily people do love to gossip so she soon has plenty of background on the potential suspects, although she has to sift through conflicting stories to get to the truth.
Agatha Christie was long before political correctness, of course, and I see from other reviews that some people think her portrayal of the islanders is racist. I don't, but that may be because of my age. It seems to me that Christie speaks as respectfully of the black characters as of the white - her dialect sounds a bit clunky, perhaps, and she comments, though not disparagingly, on different customs, but surely we can still do that, can't we? Mind you, I've also seen reviews calling the Miss Marple books ageist - baffled - and sexist - baffled again. She was merely reflecting the society in which she lived. (I am glad I've lived most of my life in an era when people weren't scrutinising every word and expression looking for reasons to be perpetually outraged. It must be so exhausting.)
This time I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joan Hickson, whose portrayal of Miss Marple I love. However, it must be said that she can't do Caribbean accents at all and her islanders therefore come over as kind of caricatures and rather off-putting to modern ears. Perhaps this wouldn't have been an issue when she recorded the book but I think modern listeners would expect something that sounded a little more authentic. This is one case where reluctantly I'd definitely recommend reading rather than listening.
Agatha Christie
An enjoyable book, particularly for readers who have been disappointed previously to find that Miss Marple doesn't always have a big role in the books she's in. In this one, she's very definitely the central character and we're given access to her inner thoughts, not just about the crime, but about ageing and about life in general. Rightly or wrongly, I've always seen Miss Marple as Ms Christie's alter-ego in these later books (it was published in 1964, when Christie would herself have been 74), and so I always feel we're getting a bit of insight into her view of modern society - not always "woke", I grant you, but always true to her age and time.
While I don't consider this to be one of Christie's very best, it's still a very entertaining mystery and the exotic setting gives it an added interest, although (like many tourists) Miss Marple never sets foot outside the resort so we get very little feel for what life for the real islanders may be like. Another of the residents is Mr Rafiel, an elderly invalid with a grumpy temper. At first inclined to dismiss Miss Marple as a gossipy old woman, he finds she stands up to him more than most people and comes to respect her insight, so that gradually they begin to work together to find the truth. The other residents, including Mr Rafiel's staff, become the pool of suspects and Miss Marple knows that her only investigatory tool is the art of drawing people out through conversation. Happily people do love to gossip so she soon has plenty of background on the potential suspects, although she has to sift through conflicting stories to get to the truth.
Agatha Christie was long before political correctness, of course, and I see from other reviews that some people think her portrayal of the islanders is racist. I don't, but that may be because of my age. It seems to me that Christie speaks as respectfully of the black characters as of the white - her dialect sounds a bit clunky, perhaps, and she comments, though not disparagingly, on different customs, but surely we can still do that, can't we? Mind you, I've also seen reviews calling the Miss Marple books ageist - baffled - and sexist - baffled again. She was merely reflecting the society in which she lived. (I am glad I've lived most of my life in an era when people weren't scrutinising every word and expression looking for reasons to be perpetually outraged. It must be so exhausting.)
This time I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joan Hickson, whose portrayal of Miss Marple I love. However, it must be said that she can't do Caribbean accents at all and her islanders therefore come over as kind of caricatures and rather off-putting to modern ears. Perhaps this wouldn't have been an issue when she recorded the book but I think modern listeners would expect something that sounded a little more authentic. This is one case where reluctantly I'd definitely recommend reading rather than listening.
Agatha Christie
An enjoyable book, particularly for readers who have been disappointed previously to find that Miss Marple doesn't always have a big role in the books she's in. In this one, she's very definitely the central character and we're given access to her inner thoughts, not just about the crime, but about ageing and about life in general. Rightly or wrongly, I've always seen Miss Marple as Ms Christie's alter-ego in these later books (it was published in 1964, when Christie would herself have been 74), and so I always feel we're getting a bit of insight into her view of modern society - not always "woke", I grant you, but always true to her age and time.
Cute vacation romp
HotToastyRag17 August 2020
After Helen Hayes's comeback in Airport, she set off in the second half of her career as a delightful little old lady. Naturally, she made a couple of Miss Marple movies! In A Caribbean Mystery, Helen goes on a vacation, but trouble follows. Just when she's starting to relax, a murder is committed and turns her vacation into a mystery. Sounds just like Agatha Christie's specialty, doesn't it?
Usually, these types of murder mysteries fall into two categories: too guessable or too complicated. I'll admit I was a bit too distracted by the gorgeous '80s hairdos and ruffled dresses to fully pay attention, but all the characters (aka suspects) started to blend together. There were too many ladies with perms and too many men with Hawaiian shirts for me to form a definite opinion of "He did it!" So, while it was a bit confusing, at least I was entertained until the end. And, how funny was it that Helen referenced her turn in Airport by asking, a bit tongue-in-cheek, what it's like to fly First Class? If you like her, you'll like her sweet amateur sleuthing as Miss Marple. Next up, check her out in Murder with Mirrors.
Usually, these types of murder mysteries fall into two categories: too guessable or too complicated. I'll admit I was a bit too distracted by the gorgeous '80s hairdos and ruffled dresses to fully pay attention, but all the characters (aka suspects) started to blend together. There were too many ladies with perms and too many men with Hawaiian shirts for me to form a definite opinion of "He did it!" So, while it was a bit confusing, at least I was entertained until the end. And, how funny was it that Helen referenced her turn in Airport by asking, a bit tongue-in-cheek, what it's like to fly First Class? If you like her, you'll like her sweet amateur sleuthing as Miss Marple. Next up, check her out in Murder with Mirrors.
A school play would be better than this
Valid_ID30 September 2021
As a fan of Agatha Christie's stories, I was disappointed at the lack of mystery of this TV movie. The plot is annoyingly obvious, not trusting the audience to notice any subtleties.
The acting is worse than one in a school play. No wonder the actors in this old movie are long forgotten.
The acting is worse than one in a school play. No wonder the actors in this old movie are long forgotten.
Ok, but used an American Jane Marple!
julienicholson-1216811 January 2022
If you love Agatha Christie, this may be a little disappointing.
Jane Marple has the incredibly annoying habit of mispronouncing English words with a dreadful American twang! As if the quintessential Miss Marple would ever be so awfully common.
I love a good Agatha Christie. This was not a "good" AG. It was mediocre at best.
Jane Marple has the incredibly annoying habit of mispronouncing English words with a dreadful American twang! As if the quintessential Miss Marple would ever be so awfully common.
I love a good Agatha Christie. This was not a "good" AG. It was mediocre at best.
To much Helen and not enough Jane
Bernie444420 October 2023
This is a decent movie and if there were nothing to compare it to, I would say a good adaptation from the book. I like all the actors. However, this movie falls short of the one with Joan Hickson "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, V. 1: A Caribbean Mystery (1989)"
They sped up the pace of the movie and it looks like a baby crawling at 60 miles an hr. Jane is more actively figuring out the plot and really needs no other characters to think.
This movie does, however, introduce you to Jason Rafiel who is the basis of "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, V. 7: Nemesis (1986) If you are rich buy them both, if not then this is not the one.
They sped up the pace of the movie and it looks like a baby crawling at 60 miles an hr. Jane is more actively figuring out the plot and really needs no other characters to think.
This movie does, however, introduce you to Jason Rafiel who is the basis of "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, V. 7: Nemesis (1986) If you are rich buy them both, if not then this is not the one.
Shows up well against the British version
lucy-6620 May 2002
Cable TV here has just shown the two versions back to back. I prefer this one as the more 'solid and faithful' even though the British version has the great Joan Hickson and a strong supporting cast. This version has the great merit of sticking to the story with no fancy touches (or overacting). It's been updated (to the 80s from the 50s) but the cast have the right kind of glitter and vivid beachwear (and big hair).
This US Christie series often looks like Agatha played by the cast of Dallas - appropriately enough since she often wrote about people who didn't need to work thanks to Daddy's money! xxxxxxx
This US Christie series often looks like Agatha played by the cast of Dallas - appropriately enough since she often wrote about people who didn't need to work thanks to Daddy's money! xxxxxxx
Poor stuff
simon7012 January 2004
Helen Hayes just doesn't cut it.
Rather than going the whole hog and playing Miss Marple as an American, she plays her as an Englishwoman. This is a mistake,since her accent veers from deep south of USA to England via Ireland. In short, her accent is all over the place.
Her lines are also peppered with Americanisms which no British person would ever say. Two examples:
1) She refers to "tourist class" when British people call it "economy class".
2) She says she's going to "mail" some postcards, when a genuinely British person say "post", not "mail".
Two minor examples, I know, but they add to a general feeling that this Miss Marple is as British as a fudge brownie. All the references to her hometown of St. Mary Mead in England can't change that.
Another point is that Santa Barbara is not in the slightest bit convincing as a stand-in for the Caribbean. The one shot of a caribbean town, Havana perhaps, is obviously grainy archive footage.
Steer clear of this poorly made rubbish, and watch the BBC productions starring Joan Hickson instead.
Rather than going the whole hog and playing Miss Marple as an American, she plays her as an Englishwoman. This is a mistake,since her accent veers from deep south of USA to England via Ireland. In short, her accent is all over the place.
Her lines are also peppered with Americanisms which no British person would ever say. Two examples:
1) She refers to "tourist class" when British people call it "economy class".
2) She says she's going to "mail" some postcards, when a genuinely British person say "post", not "mail".
Two minor examples, I know, but they add to a general feeling that this Miss Marple is as British as a fudge brownie. All the references to her hometown of St. Mary Mead in England can't change that.
Another point is that Santa Barbara is not in the slightest bit convincing as a stand-in for the Caribbean. The one shot of a caribbean town, Havana perhaps, is obviously grainy archive footage.
Steer clear of this poorly made rubbish, and watch the BBC productions starring Joan Hickson instead.
Christie light
aramis-112-8048808 May 2023
I've never been anyplace where someone was murdered, but Miss Marple can't escape it. On vacation in the Carbbean, she meets a nice old codger (Maurice Evans) who passes away in suspicious circumstances. Does she just see murder everywhere she looks, or . . .
The first sign Helen Hayes is playing rather than being Jane Marple is during the opening credits when she's beaming out of a plane window. My mother loved the sainted Helen but I can take her or leave her.
It's a largely 1980s cast, including Jameson Parker and Beth Howland. And Stephen Macht (I never understood how he maintained a career; he had the goods on somebody?)
The story is followed closely enough with proper tweaking for oversensitive American audiences (and we've only gotten worse; we're like children). Which is strange because the script is partially by Sue Grafton who had already started her popular "alphabet" series of crime novels (it's nice to find a gimmick).
Frankly, I've always preferred 1920s and '30s Christie. She produced some great stuff in later life, but not that much. I do like the idea Marple has that people are the same everywhere and so she can always draw her village parallels. It's a very American notion (or used to be).
It's nice to see Brock Peters. Nice to see Maurice Evans, too. In fact, I wish Evans had played in the wheelchair and grumpy Bernard Hughes had been murdered, but one can't have everything.
I agree with those who say Joan Hickson's version is better, but I'm reviewing this and not that. And while I have reservations about some of the cast, this version is good enough and not too heavy if, like me, you're an insomniac who needs to pass the night without getting (inside joke) one's blood pressure up.
The first sign Helen Hayes is playing rather than being Jane Marple is during the opening credits when she's beaming out of a plane window. My mother loved the sainted Helen but I can take her or leave her.
It's a largely 1980s cast, including Jameson Parker and Beth Howland. And Stephen Macht (I never understood how he maintained a career; he had the goods on somebody?)
The story is followed closely enough with proper tweaking for oversensitive American audiences (and we've only gotten worse; we're like children). Which is strange because the script is partially by Sue Grafton who had already started her popular "alphabet" series of crime novels (it's nice to find a gimmick).
Frankly, I've always preferred 1920s and '30s Christie. She produced some great stuff in later life, but not that much. I do like the idea Marple has that people are the same everywhere and so she can always draw her village parallels. It's a very American notion (or used to be).
It's nice to see Brock Peters. Nice to see Maurice Evans, too. In fact, I wish Evans had played in the wheelchair and grumpy Bernard Hughes had been murdered, but one can't have everything.
I agree with those who say Joan Hickson's version is better, but I'm reviewing this and not that. And while I have reservations about some of the cast, this version is good enough and not too heavy if, like me, you're an insomniac who needs to pass the night without getting (inside joke) one's blood pressure up.
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