Favorite fictional early (before 1930) detective poll besides Sherlock Holmes

[Magpie]

There was also a series of 6 TV-movies featuring Simon Dutton as The Saint. I've seen about half of them--they run the gamut from absolute dross to ripping good fun.

[Magpie]

recently picked up a copy of the recent version of Arsene Lupin.

If anyone's seen it, let me know how it is--I'll probably watch in on the weekend when I have the attention span for subtitles....

Hmmm...Raffles, The Saint, Arsene Lupin, The Lone Wolf.....It's starting to look like I'm cheering for the wrong side here

[sdreid]

Hello Stan,

Miss Marple was my choice. Margaret Rutherford made Miss Marple unforgettable in my eyes, and in my honest, if somewhat aged opinion, nobody has come anywhere near her portayal since.

best wishes

Phil

Yes, she set the standard. I don't know how many actresses have played Jane.

[sdreid]

I think Dupin was the only one who was an official member of the police force.
Others were private detectives or, like Chan and Drummond, had some nebulous connection to law enforcement.

[sdreid]

Yes, she set the standard. I don't know how many actresses have played Jane.

On IMDb it looks like 12 have played Miss Marple and half those more than once.

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Stan

Only my personal view I know, but for me there's only been the one Miss Marple who successfully attained the necessary mix of fluffy old lady, determined nemesis and and staid, dignified old lady...and that was the late Joan Bogle Hickson, (BBC) who alas passed on in 1998.

I'm afraid I found Rutherford far too strident... and with regard to the more recent ITV efforts, whilst Julia McKenzie has proved far better than the inane casting of Geraldine McEwan, she's still not, in my opinion at least, in the same class as Joan H.

I'll give them Poirot though...Suchet has been superb...

All the best

Dave

[Robert]

Hickson is my favourite for Miss Marple, but Rutherford has her good points. With Hickson, you get the feeling of a very, very competent actress flawlessly staying in character. With Rutherford, the character is too small to contain her and Margaret comes bursting through.

[Bridewell]

Another

Whilst I think that both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are worthy candidates, I think G.K.Chesterton's Father Brown is a significant omission and he gets my vote.

[Robert]

Bridewell, I think there are just too many cases which turn on disguises in the Father Brown canon.

[Bridewell]

Bridewell, I think there are just too many cases which turn on disguises in the Father Brown canon.

You've read them then!

[Robert]

Yes. Of course, there are some good ones.

Kenneth More did a nice FB series about 40 years ago. I remember people saying at the time that he didn't really convince as Brown, but I thought the series wasn't bad.

[Bridewell]

Yes. Of course, there are some good ones.

Kenneth More did a nice FB series about 40 years ago. I remember people saying at the time that he didn't really convince as Brown, but I thought the series wasn't bad.

I've got vague recollections of that series, now you mention it. I can't recall any detail though, fine actor though he was.

[Robert]

It looks like there are currently some on you tube. As far as I can recall, More doesn't use his "Hoo" trick in Father Brown. That's the More weeping moment. He does it in the Douglas Bader film, when he has just been told that he's lost his legs. It's just a very quick "Hoo." He also does it in Sink the Bismarck, I think with back to camera just after he's been told that his son was killed in action (happily this was an error and the son was later reported alive).

[sdreid]

Yes. Of course, there are some good ones.

Kenneth More did a nice FB series about 40 years ago. I remember people saying at the time that he didn't really convince as Brown, but I thought the series wasn't bad.

I see that there is supposed to be a new BBC series this year.

[RivkahChaya]

So, by premiering in 1930, Nancy Drew is out of the running?

I'm really only half kidding, because Nancy Drew was my gateway drug to all the others. If I hadn't gotten hooked on reading mysteries in the first place, with a Nancy Drew my father gave me (#7, Nancy's Mysterious Letter), when I was seven years old, who knows if I would have thought to pick up Sherlock Holmes, or Dorothy Sayers, or even Agatha Christie, when I was as young as I was (11 or so), because I'd gone through every mystery in the children's and young adult section of the library.

Angela Lansbury did a turn as Miss Marple, in a feature film production of The Mirror Crack'd (from Side to Side). She was too young for the role then, and did it in age make-up, and the film had some good moments, but could have been better-- don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad by any means, and if you have a chance to see it on TV, or stream it on Netflix, or something, you should. I think it was better than the BBC version, because I think the actress cast there as Marina Rudd is terrible (she's had a long career, but so many of her projects were off-the-mark: Phantom Menace). Anyway, I'd like to see Angela Lansbury try the role at the proper age for it.

Yes, Margaret Rutherford was wrong, but those films weren't actually based on any of the novels, and were fun films, I thought.

Also, Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot. Perfect. Apparently, Christie herself even thought so.