Cover Her Face

While not a devoted fan of P.D. James, my husband and I have enjoyed several of her novels. We looked forward to the entire series of P.D.James adaptations in this set. But they were produced badly, and we can't quite figure out why. All of the actors bounce between being wooden and melodramatic, even though after looking up their other work they seem to be actors of high caliber. The camera angles seem borrowed from soap operas--even the music never seems to fit the action on the screen. The director, producer, screenwriter, or all three simply did not know what they were doing or did a very sloppy job. They are not unwatchable, but we found ourselves laughing at scenes that were supposed to be dramatic because they were so overdone.

In this video adaptation of P. D. James' first Dalgleish mystery, "Cover Her Face," many liberties were taken. These apparently were done to convert a leisurely "County" mystery to a fast-moving TV miniseries.

While many fans of P. D. James find the changes disruptive and not true to the original, it must be said that this introductory video adaptation proved successful enough to warrant more Dalgleish mysteries being filmed.

The story is essentially a character study of a young woman and her effect on a number of assorted personalities, ranging from a housekeeper-cook to a young physician.

It's set in an England that is already fading from the memory -- big stately homes, church fetes, horse-riding gentry. vicars out of Anthony Trollope...and no cell-phones.

Roy Marsden plays Adam Dagleish, who, in this story, has been promoted from Chief Inspector to Chief Superintendent, which would seem to be a rather exalted New Scotland Yard rank for a detective concerned with only one mystery, rather than the half-dozen or so at one time that a real policeman-executive on that level would be working. He has but one assistant, whose function is primarily to take suspects into custody. The local police are fawning and ever so grateful for the great man's presence. Questioning of witnesses and suspects is casual and low- key and rarely confrontational.

The actor Roy Marsden, quiet and cool, would seem, at first glance, to be an odd choice to play a police detective. But he was a good choice for the role.

His character as Dalgleish is diffident, soft-spoken, observant, intellectual -- a poet, no less. But he is a super-smart sleuth who can be tough if the circumstances so warrant.

The pacing of this story, though speeded up for TV, can still seem excruciatingly slow at times, but stick with it. Superb acting makes it all worth while.

Published in 1962 this six part adaption was first broadcast in 1985 on ITV and was a instant success paving the way for more PD James adaptions and even more TV detectives such as Morse, Lewis, Endeavor, And Frost and many many others. Each has its own twist with the lead detective front and centre, the PD James stories with chief superintendent Adam Dalgleish note the spelling are somewhat different with far more time spent explaining and introducing the various characters most of whom serve as suspects while Dalgleish appears sparingly and he casts an aloof almost threatening figure full of himself and his high office, a man of few words and thoughts at least outwardly who almost stalks his suspects and comes over to the viewer as cold almost unfeeling, yet he is a poet for some plot counterweight. This story "Cover Her Face" was the very first Dalgleish story published 23 years before this dramatization, so the mini series alters quite a few details in order to keep the plot up to date, which mostly works out alright, none the less though some of the characters are far more 52 than 85 this is however one of the best Dalgleish stories if not the best. In six one hour episode's the complex plot slowly unfolds in the usual TV manner but with much less padding than in many other similar shows. Roy Marsden I think is excellent as the deep thinking brooding sleuth and though the character is probably best on the page the actor and producers do a pretty good job on involving the audience as the crimes are solved. Great TV from the UK and that odd era that was the 1980's!

I love Adam Dalgleish, love the character and the books. But after reading this book and seeing the TV adaptation, it's like two different stories. Why have they changed it so very much? It was an interesting story with enough drama and intrigue to make excellent telly without made up murders, invented drug rings and goodness knows what else. Also they updated all the stories in this TV series to the time it was made, instead of showing Dalgliesh's career over the years as the books do. I can understand that and maybe the premise of the book, which is so predicated on middle class post war values, wouldn't hold up to a 1980's setting. But to add so much silly action to it? Sorry, but I hated it.

Cover her face is a satisfying mystery, it possesses a great deal of intrigue, boasts a very good cast, and provides an interesting snapshot of life at the time, thoughts and attitudes.

The first three parts are a little slow, it does take its time to get going, from Part four onwards it takes on a whole new life, and picks up the pace. When one of the main characters is removed, I would argue the show isn't made better by their demise, that individual adds a lot to the story. Parts 4 and 6 I would suggest are the best.

The attitudes and behaviours towards pregnant and single women are so at odds with those most of us hold nowadays, the thought on there being institutions for single mothers, bizarre.

The acting is very good, Phyllis Calvert is the standout, a remarkably talented actress, Julian Glover is also good.

Dalgleish is strong throughout and charismatic, he makes his presence known, and remains dogged in pursuit of the killer.

It's an engaging whodunnit.

Intriguing, 7/10.