The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, a novel by Agatha Christie, was published in the UK in 1962[1][2] and a year later in the US under the title The Mirror Crack'd.[3] The story features amateur detective Miss Marple solving a mystery in St. Mary Mead.

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition
AuthorAgatha Christie
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreCrime novel
PublisherCollins Crime Club
Publication date
12 November 1962
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages256 (first edition, hardback)
Preceded byThe Pale Horse 
Followed byThe Clocks 

Plot summary

Jane Marple falls while walking in St. Mary Mead. She is helped by Heather Badcock, who brings her into her own home to rest. Over a cup of tea, Mrs Badcock tells Miss Marple how she once met the American actress Marina Gregg, who recently moved into the area and bought Gossington Hall from Miss Marple's friend Dolly Bantry.

Marina and her latest husband, film producer Jason Rudd, host a fête in honour of St John Ambulance. Guests include Mrs Bantry, actress Lola Brewster, Marina's friend Ardwyck Fenn, and Mrs Badcock with her husband Arthur. Heather Badcock corners Marina and launches into a long story about how they met years ago while Marina was visiting Bermuda, where Heather Badcock worked at the time. Heather had been ill, but being such big fan of Marina’s she left her sickbed to meet her favourite star and get her autograph. Mrs Bantry, standing nearby, notices a strange look cross Marina’s face during Mrs Badcock’s monologue. A short while later, Mrs Badcock collapses and dies.

When Mrs Bantry recounts the events to Miss Marple she uses lines from the poem “The Lady of Shalott” (in which a curse falls upon the heroine of the poem) to describe the look she observed on Marina Gregg's face.

Detective-Inspector Dermot Craddock investigates the death, discovering that Mrs Badcock died after ingesting six times the recommended dose of a tranquillizer, Calmo. The drug was in a daiquiri, originally Marina's, which Marina gave to Mrs Badcock after she had spilled her own drink.

Craddock delves into the complicated past of the presumed target, Marina Gregg. Desperate to have a child, she had adopted three before giving birth to a mentally disabled son and suffering a nervous breakdown as a result. One of the adopted children, Margot Bence, was at Gossington Hall on the day of the fête. Despite bad feeling towards her adoptive mother she denies putting the drug into Marina’s drink.

Two more people are killed while the investigation continues: Ella Zielinsky, Rudd's social secretary, dies from a poisoned atomizer she used for hay fever; and Giuseppe, Marina's butler, is shot that night after spending the day in London and depositing £500 into his bank account. Ardwyck Fenn tells Craddock he received a phone call days before, accusing him of killing Mrs Badcock, and that he recognized the anonymous caller as Zielinsky when she sneezed.

Miss Marple's cleaner, Cherry Baker, tells Miss Marple that her friend Gladys, who was a server at Gossington Hall on the day of the fête, believes Marina Gregg deliberately spilled Mrs Badcock’s drink, and that she was going to meet Giuseppe before he died. Miss Marple sends Gladys on holiday to Bournemouth, before travelling to Gossington Hall to discover Marina has died in her sleep from an overdose.

Miss Marple talks to Jason Rudd and explains to him and DI Craddock how she has deduced that Marina must have been the murderer. Mrs Badcock had been sick with German measles when she sought Marina's autograph in Bermuda. Marina, in the early stages of pregnancy at the time, had contracted the disease, which led to her baby being born disabled, and her own subsequent nervous breakdown. The look on Marina’s face, observed by Mrs Bantry at the fete, was triggered by Marina looking at a picture of a Madonna and Child on the wall behind Heather Badcock, and finally realising what had happened. Overcome with emotion, Marina put the Calmo in her own daiquiri, jolted Mrs Badcock's arm to make her spill her drink, and then gave Heather her own drugged cocktail as a replacement. To cover her crime Marina tried to convince everyone she had been the target of a murder attempt. She killed Zielinsky and Giuseppe after they guessed her involvement and Giuseppe blackmailed her. Miss Marple had sent Gladys away to protect her from becoming Marina's next victim.

Miss Marple implies that she believes Jason Rudd administered Marina's overdose to prevent her from taking another life. Rudd simply comments on his wife's beauty and the suffering she endured as the story ends.

The novel's title

The title comes from the poem The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson and He Perished by Jean Jacques Le Sigur . 

The Lady of Shalott.                       He Perished
Out flew the web and floated wide- :Down in the night there was a hoe
The mirror crack'd from side to side; :the mirror crack’d said the man
"The curse is come upon me," cried. :he has come upon me
The Lady of Shalott. :Then he perished

Characters
  • Miss Marple: an old lady in St Mary Mead who is recovering from an illness.
  • Mrs Cherry Baker: Miss Marple's house cleaner.
  • Jim Baker: Cherry's husband, who does odd jobs for Miss Marple.
  • Miss Knight: Miss Marple's carer, sent by Marple's nephew Raymond West, to help during her recuperation.
  • Dolly Bantry: Miss Marple's friend, present at the fête at Gossington Hall. She first appeared in the novel The Body in the Library.
  • Dr Haydock: Miss Marple's physician in St Mary Mead. He first appeared in Murder at the Vicarage.
  • Marina Gregg: a middle-aged film star, who married many times and recently settled in England with her husband to make a film together. Her mood swings from happy to upset, which her husband thinks is tied to her acting.
  • Jason Rudd: Gregg's husband, a film director and the killer of the case
  • Giuseppe: a butler at Gossington Hall.
  • Dr Gilchrist: Gregg's physician, who lives at the Hall.
  • Ella Zielinsky: Rudd's secretary.
  • Gladys Dixon: a seamstress who works at the film studio's canteen.
  • Heather Badcock: a volunteer for the St John Ambulance corps.
  • Arthur Badcock: Heather's husband, who works in real estate. He was married to Gregg before she became a film star and later changed his name.
  • Margot Bence: a portrait photographer at the fête. She was adopted by Gregg before Gregg became pregnant.
  • Lola Brewster: an American actress who arrives unexpectedly at the party. She was married to one of Gregg's ex-husbands.
  • Ardwyck Fenn: an American man who was once wildly in love with Marina Gregg.
  • Dermot Craddock: Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard, sent to St Mary Mead to solve the Badcock's murder. He is a godson of Sir Henry Clithering, who is a close friend of Marple. Craddock often discusses the case with her. He was introduced in A Murder Is Announced.
  • William Tiddler: a sergeant assisting Craddock.
  • Frank Cornish: a local police inspector.


Developing the character of Marina Gregg

Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology emphasized that "Gregg" is the surname of the ophthalmologist who first described cataracts in congenital rubella syndrome, Norman Gregg, and described this as "one of [Christie's] most subtle clues to identify the murderer".[4]

The official site of the Agatha Christie estate suggests that, in writing Gregg, Christie was "influenced" by the life of American actress Gene Tierney.[5][6][7]

Tierney contracted German measles while pregnant with her first child, during her only appearance at the Hollywood Canteen in June 1943. The baby developed congenital rubella syndrome and was born prematurely, underweight and needing a total blood transfusion. Doctors told the parents on the day of the birth that the premature birth and the child’s mental and physical disabilities were due to the mother contracting German measles in the first four months of the pregnancy, very hard news to absorb.[8]

The deaf, partially blind and developmentally disabled child was later institutionalised in a psychiatric hospital. About two years after that birth a woman asked Tierney for an autograph at a garden party.[9] The woman said she had skipped quarantine while ill with German measles to visit the Hollywood Canteen and meet Tierney.[10]

Tierney's story was publicised before the novel was written. Tierney described the event in her autobiography 16 years after Christie wrote the novel[6]

Publication history
  • 1962, Collins Crime Club (London), 12 November 1962, Hardback, 256 pp
  • 1963, Dodd Mead and Company (New York), September 1963, Hardback, 246 pp
  • 1964, Pocket Books (New York), Paperback
  • 1965, Fontana Books (Imprint of HarperCollins), Paperback, 192 pp
  • 1966, Ulverscroft Large-print Edition, Hardcover, 255 pp
  • 1974, Penguin Books, Paperback, 224 pp
  • 2006, Marple Facsimile edition (Facsimile of 1962 UK first edition), 6 March 2006, Hardcover, ISBN 0-00-720855-3
  • 2011 William Morrow and Company, Trade Paperback, 288 pp, ISBN 978-0-06-207367-9

The Star Weekly Novel, a Toronto newspaper supplement, serialised the novel in two abridged instalments from 9–16 March 1963 under the title The Mirror Crack'd with each issue containing a cover illustration by Gerry Sevier.

Film and television adaptations

English language movie

The novel was adapted for a 1980 feature film with Angela Lansbury in the role of Miss Marple. The film's co-stars were Elizabeth Taylor as Marina and Kim Novak as Lola Brewster, and the cast also included Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis. The film was released as The Mirror Crack'd, the shortened US book title. The film changed a number of elements in the novel, including Marina's surname (she uses Rudd, not Gregg), her associates, removing the character of Giuseppe, adding death threats, amongst other modifications, including shifting the setting to 1953, nine years before the book's publication.

BBC adaptation

A second adaptation of the novel was made by BBC television in 1992 as part of its series Miss Marple with the title role played by Joan Hickson (in her final performance as Jane Marple), and starring Claire Bloom as Marina Gregg and Glynis Barber as Lola Brewster. The only major changes were that Giuseppe is not killed, Arthur Badcock is not a former husband of Marina Gregg, Superintendent Slack and Sergeant Lake are written in and the character of Hailey Preston is removed. The novel was the final adaptation for the BBC series Miss Marple. Margaret Courtenay appeared in this adaptation as Miss Knight, having previously portrayed Dolly Bantry in the 1980 feature film version.

ITV adaptation

ITV Studios and WGBH Boston produced another adaptation for the Marple television series starring Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple, with Joanna Lumley reprising her role as Dolly Bantry, Lindsay Duncan as Marina Gregg and Hannah Waddingham as Lola Brewster. Investigating the murder along with Miss Marple is Inspector Hewitt, played by Hugh Bonneville. This version, while ultimately faithful to Christie's original text, included a number of notable changes. Some of these changes were influenced by the changes that were made in the 1980 film adaptation:

  • Ella's surname is changed from Zielinsky to Blunt. The reason for her murder was changed, mixing in elements from the 1980 film and the motive for Giuseppe's murder – Ella was attempting to blackmail the killer, but kept ringing the wrong people because she knew someone at the reception had done it, until she learned something that led her to phoning Marina and pointing out what she had done. Her love of Jason remains, but there is no affair.
  • Giuseppe is omitted from the adaptation, and there is no reference to car-man Inch selling his business within it.
  • Unlike the 1980 film adaptation, only one film is being shot in England, and that focuses on Nefertiti.
  • Lola Brewster is married to one of Marina's old husbands, Vincent Hogg (added in the adaptation.) He is a journalist, who writes a couple of pieces regarding the murders and who does not have much love of Marina; she is an actress and had competed with Marina for the love of Jason, who married the latter, leaving Lola bitter about it. Both she and Vincent attend the reception and the filming of one of Marina's scenes.

Bengali language film

Film director and screenwriter Rituparno Ghosh created a Bengali language version of Christie's story as Shubho Mahurat, which reset the story in the film industry of Kolkata. In this version, Sharmila Tagore plays the ageing star Padmini, the counterpart to Christie's Marina Gregg. The 2003 movie features Rakhi Gulzar in the role of the equivalent of Miss Marple.

French television adaptation

The novel was adapted as a 2017 episode of the French television series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie.

Japanese television adaptation

TV Asahi adapted the novel in 2018 starring Ikki Sawamura and Hitomi Kuroki,[11] with the title Two Nights Drama Special: Murder of the Great Actress – The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side (Japanese: アガサ・クリスティ 二夜連続ドラマスペシャル 大女優殺人事件～鏡は横にひび割れて～)[12] as the second night, and the first night was 4.50 from Paddington. This drama changed the main role to a chief inspector from Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.[13]

  • Cast:
    • Ikki Sawamura – Chief Inspector Ryuya Shokokuji, based on Jane Marple and Dermot Craddock
    • Yoshiyoshi Arakawa – Inspector Banpei Tatara
    • Erena Mizusawa – Inspector Fueko Misaki
    • Hitomi Kuroki – Madoka Irodori, based on Marina Gregg
    • Ikko Furuya – Akira Kaido, based on Jason Rudd
    • Naomi Zaizen – Sagiri Asakaze, based on Lola Brewster
    • Masahiko Tsugawa – Hiraomi Danbara, based on Ardwyck Fenn
    • Mari Nishio – Shimeko Akada, based on Ella Zielinsky
    • Tomoharu Hasegawa – Toshiro Inden, based on Giuseppe
    • Ryuji Katagiri – Kansuke Aramaki, based on Dr Gilchrist
    • Kami Hiraiwa – Rin Kannokoji, based on Heather Badcock
    • Takeo Nakahara – Koki Kannokoji, based on Arthur Badcock
    • Haruna Kawaguchi – Kosame Taniguchi, based on Margot Bence
    • Hayato Isomura – Matsubushi Matsuda, based on Margot Bence and Gladys Dixon
    • Narumi Fukuda – Hinata Hanakage, also based on Margot Bence
    • Zuimaru Awashima – Sosuke Aiba, based on Donald McNeil

Korean television adaptation

The novel was also adapted as part of the Korean television series Ms. Ma, Nemesis.

References
  1. Richardson, Maurice (11 November 1962). "Review". The Observer. p. 24.
  2. Peers, Chris; Spurrier, Ralph; Sturgeon, Jamie; Foord, Peter; Williams, Richard (March 1999). Collins Crime Club – A checklist of First Editions (Second ed.). Dragonby Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-871122-13-8.
  3. Marcus, J S (May 2007). "American Tribute to Agatha Christie: The Golden Years: 1953 – 1967". Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  4. Mackey, David A (2006). "2005 Gregg Lecture: Congenital cataract – from rubella to genetics". Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. 34 (3): 199–207. doi:10.1111/j.1442-9071.2006.01194.x. PMID 16671898. S2CID 26463542.
  5. "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side: Did you know?". The Home of Agatha Christie. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  6. Tierney, Gene and; Herskowitz, Mickey (1978). Self-Portrait. Wyden Books. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-88326-152-1.
  7. Osborne, Robert (2006). Leading Ladies. Chronicle Books. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-8118-5248-7.
  8. Vogel, Michelle (2010). Gene Tierney: A Biography. McFarland. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-0786458325.
  9. Demaret, Kent (7 May 1979). "Gene Tierney Began Her Trip Back from Madness on a Ledge 14 Floors Above the Street". People. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  10. "Biography". The Official Web Site of Gene Tierney. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
  11. "アガサ・クリスティ作品で黒木瞳がエリザベス・テイラーが演じていた役柄を熱演！". ザテレビジョン. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  12. "天海祐希、沢村一樹の主演でアガサ・クリスティの名作を二夜連続放送". テレビドガッチ. プレゼントキャスト. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  13. "天海祐希×沢村一樹、『アガサ・クリスティ』の世界を語る" (Interview). ORICON NEWS. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.