The Mirror Crack'd 1980

Here’s a rephrased version of the section:

In 1953, the quaint English village of St Mary Mead was abuzz as Miss Jane Marple’s humble abode played host to a Hollywood production company, poised to bring a lavish costume drama about Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I to life. The film boasted an all-star cast, with Marina Rudd (a Tinseltown legend) and Lola Brewster (her arch-nemesis) set to star alongside each other. Rudd’s high-profile comeback was the talk of the town, following a prolonged absence brought on by her son’s severe brain damage and subsequent nervous breakdown. Her husband, Jason Rudd, directed the film, arriving with his entourage in tow. When Marina learned she’d be sharing screen time with Lola, her fury knew no bounds.

The villagers were thrilled to be invited to a reception at Gossington Hall, where they would rub shoulders with the Hollywood elite. As the two actresses crossed paths, their animosity was palpable, despite their forced smiles and posed photographs for the cameras. At the reception, Marina found herself cornered by Heather Babcock, a devoted fan who regaled her with a lengthy tale of meeting Rudd during World War II. After sharing the story, Heather indulged in a cocktail intended for Marina but ultimately succumbed to its toxic effects, passing away due to an autopsy-confirmed barbiturate overdose.

As shooting commenced on the film, Marina’s cup of coffee was spiked with arsenic, sending her into a panic-stricken tailspin. The investigation led by Inspector Craddock from Scotland Yard hit a dead end, prompting him to seek assistance from his aunt, none other than Miss Jane Marple herself – who just so happened to be confined to her home due to an injury sustained at the reception. Suspicion fell upon Ella Zielinsky, Jason’s assistant with a secret crush on him and a desire to eliminate Marina from the picture; as well as Lola Brewster, whose fiery temper was notorious in Hollywood circles.

As Ella Zielinsky, the prime suspect, took a daring step by threatening to unmask the murderer at a public pay phone in the village, she unknowingly sealed her own fate. A sinister plot unfolded when someone replaced her hay-fever medication with a lethal nasal spray, laced with prussic acid, which proved fatal. The autopsy results revealed the deadly truth, and the investigation was reignited.

Meanwhile, Miss Marple, having recovered from her earlier ordeal, paid a visit to Gossington Hall, where Marina and Jason were residing. Her attention turned to the scene of Heather’s demise, as well as the tidbits of information shared by Cherry Baker, her trusty cleaning woman, who had previously worked as a waitress on the fateful day. Marple began to weave together the threads of evidence, slowly piecing together the events that led to the tragic outcome.

However, before the truth could be fully revealed, another death occurred at Gossington Hall, which would ultimately reveal the identity of the killer: Marina Rudd, whose apparent suicide raised more questions than answers. As Miss Marple unraveled the mystery, she discovered that Heather Babcock’s seemingly innocuous tale was, in fact, Marina’s motivation for murder.

Heather’s story, which revealed her role in infecting Marina with German measles during World War II, had a devastating impact on Marina’s unborn child, resulting in mental retardation. The revelation sparked an uncontrollable rage within Marina, driving her to deliberately poison Heather and create the illusion of being the intended victim by concocting false death threats and poisoning her own coffee. Ella’s accidental guesswork about the killer’s identity prompted Marina to silence her permanently.

In a surprising twist, Jason confessed to Miss Marple that he had secretly spiked his wife’s hot chocolate with poison to save her from prosecution, although the drink remained untouched. Despite this revelation, Marina’s apparent suicide seemed to be the final act in a tragic drama.