Caldera Records proudly presents John Cameron’s score for the Agatha Christie adaptation “The Mirror Crack’d.”

In the 1970s the British film industry saw two of its biggest successes with its adaptations of “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Death on the Nile.” Thus, producers were eager to bring more of Agatha Christie’s works on the screen. To replicate their previous two hits, John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin optioned “The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side.”

Angela Lansbury played Miss Marple. At her side: Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Curtis, Kim Novak, Edward Fox, and Geraldine Chaplin. A large part of the script for “The Mirror Crack’d” is devoted to jibes and insults exchanged between movie stars, their producer, and director. It is 1953 and everybody is on edge as they arrive in the sleepy English village of St. Mary Mead, home of Miss Marple, to make a new film. The director hates the producer, who is intimate with the film’s star, who hates her co-star, who is married to the director. Said co-star, Marina, knows she is past her prime, but is looking forward to cutting her teeth on a historical epic. Unfortunately, from the beginning nothing goes according to plan. And soon there is a body.

By 1980, John Cameron had long since cut his teeth in film. Among his biggest successes to that date were Ken Loach’s “Kes" (1969), and “A Touch for Class" (1973), which had garnered him an Oscar nomination.

“The Mirror Crack’d” allowed him to showcase his versatility as a composer. His score consists of three elements: a theme for the film’s main character, Marina; tense suspense music, and a jolly village tune that pays homage to the film’s setting in 1953’s England. Although the film takes place in that period, Cameron was wary of nostalgia. Rather than situating his score stylistically in the past, he sought to bridge the gap between the 1950s and 1980s. The use of the saxophone was a logical choice since it had been employed in the middle of the century and since then found increasing popularity in rock and soul music.

John Cameron crafted a colorful and memorable score to what has become a crime classic. We are pleased to make it available for the first time on an album and are grateful to StudioCanal for working with us on the project.

The 63rd CD-release of Caldera Records features a detailed booklet text by Stephan Eicke and elegant artwork by Luis Miguel Rojas. The CD was mastered by Richard Moore and produced by Stephan Eicke.

The Mirror Crack’d
01. Front Titles (2:38)
02. Murder (3:58)
03. Ella, Don’t Spoil it (0:34)
04. Memories... Murder (2:04)
05. The Gloved Hand (0:54)
06. Barbiturates (0:43)
07. Switched Drinks (0:58)
08. The Intended Victim (1:43)
09. Close-up on Ella (0:16)
10. Inspector Craddock Drives (0:28)
11. The Inspector Calls (0:36)
12. Anonymous Letters (2:09)
13. The Coffee, It’s Poisoned! (1:31)
14. Ella Poisoned (0:51)
15. Why Should Anyone Want to Hurt Me? (0:41)
16. Marina’s Farewell Night Cap (2:42)
17. Of Course, the Vicar! (0:48)
18. Rubella (0:44)
19. She’s Given the Performance of Her Life (1:56)
20. End Titles (2:31)
21. Theme for Marina (3:07)
22. Ella, Don’t Spoil it (alternate version) (0:34)
23. The Coffee, It’s Poisoned! (alternate version) (1:30)

Bonus:
24. Conversation between John Cameron and Stephan Eicke (7:05)