November 1 - A Pocketful of Rye

Today’s motion picture is a mystery film with scenes that happen on November 1. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

A POCKETFUL OF RYE     

Rex Fortescue dies of poison at his office, while his pocket contains a handful of rye. He had remarried a much younger woman, Adele, which was not well received by his son Percival. His other son Lance, who had fought with his father and gone overseas was to be recalled. Rex consumed the poison at breakfast. His home, Yewtree Lodge is run by Miss Dove the housekeeper with the dubious help of the maid, Gladys, who used to work for Miss Marple. The police suspect Adele and her lover, Vivian DuBois. On November 1, 1953 [36:05 to 1:07:27] Lance Fortescue returns home,  Adele Fortescue is poisoned and Gladys is strangled. Miss Marple arrives at Yewtree Lodge, having made the connection between the murders and the nursery rhyme, “Sing a Song of Sixpence”.  Inspector Neele learns about the Blackbird mine that Rex Fortescue acquired under suspicious circumstances by causing the death of his partner McKenzie. Lance takes title to the Blackburn mine as part of his share of the estate and prepares to leave. Miss Marple  explains the crime. Lance, pretending to be McKenzie’s son,had seduced Gladys and persuaded her to put the poison in Rex Fortescue’s marmalade by telling her it was a truth drug that would force Rex to “tell the truth” about the Blackburn mine. After his return he killed Adele and Gladys.  The police try to stop Lance and he crashes, killing himself. Percival’s wife is revealed as McKenzie’s daughter.

                       

Miss Marple Meets Murder by Agatha Christie (Nelson Doubleday, Inc., Garden City, NJ, 1980) at page 279 gives date of Adele Fortescue’s death

           

Producer – George Gallaccio

                

Director – Guy Slater

Screenwriter –  T. R. Bowen

Runtime –  1 hour 40 minutes

Released – March 7, 1985

Joan Hickson as Miss Marple

Peter Davison as Lance Fortescue

Timothy West as Rex Fortescue

Stacy Dorning as Adele Fortescue

Annette Badland as Gladys Martin

Fabia Drake as Aunt Effie

Clive Merrison as Percival Fortescue

Rachel Bell as Jennifer Fortescue

Selina Cadell as Miss Dove

Tom Wilkinson as Det Inspector Neele

Susan Gilmore as Miss Grosvenor

Frank Mills as Mr. Crump

Louis Mahoney as Dr. French

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.