Marsh Story On TV

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30480, 30 June 1964, Page 10

Marsh Story On TV

[From the London Correspondent of “The Press’’]

Ngaio Marsh’s “Death in Ecstasy,” presented early this month in a 8.8. C. television detective series, was discussed by critics in some sections of the national newspapers.

Under the heading of “Found—Maigret’s Successor,” the “Daily Sketch” suggested that the 8.8. C. had stumbled on a possible successor to Maigret. “Ngaio Marsh’s Detective Inspector Alleyn is a colourless character after the flamboyant Frenchman. Direct. Matter of fact. No discernible private life. Certainly no vices. But played by Geoffrey Keen he went about his job in a purposeful way, speaking his thoughts aloud, and, above all, keeping us all in the picture. ‘Death in Ecstasy,’ adapted for television, was a neat, logical exercise in detection that paraded the clues in a nice, logical sequence, and never cheated except possibly to raise'the suspense at the end . . . need the 8.8. C. look any further for another series?”

The “Daily Mail” critic,”on the other hand, wrote: “A

weird religious sect, given to drink, drugs . . . held an ecstatic ceremony, during which someone slipped cyanide into the Communion Cup of a rapturous worshipper. Not exactly the kind of thing that goes on at the parish church, of course . . . but how fascinating it could have been. What a sumptuous dish of character, motive, and the psychology of religion! Over to Miss Marsh though. In her vision- the whole thing was as stodgy and cosy as jam roly-poly, with the characters barely emerging from the undigested mass, and that crashing bore Alleyn pouring his platitudes over everything like a taste-killing custard. . . .”

Miss Marsh was surprised yesterday to learn that the “Death in Ecstasy” had been presented. It was one of her early books and she had not been advised that it was to be included in the 8.8. C. TV detective series. She said she had nothing to do with the script.