Whitehaven Mansions, Poirot’s Mayfair home, is lovingly recreated for the television series, both in the first couple of series and in later years. I have previously written about the similarities between Christie’s descriptions of the flat and the sets theyhave used for the series, and on the similarities between the two sets used for the flat. This time, I thought I might write something on how the production team decided to use 'Florin Court' in Charterhouse Square as the location for the exterior shots of the building. My main sources include Peter Haining’s excellent book on the series, the behind-the-scenes documentary Super Sleuths and an interview with the current production designer, Jeff Tessler, in Flat Living Magazine.
Florin Court
First some information on the fantastic building itself. The ten-storey block of flats was built in 1935-37 (almost the exact scope of the television series chronology) for Charterhouse Ltd by architects Guy Morgan & Partners and builders J. Gerrard & Sons. The building cost was apparently about £47,000 at the time. In 1988, the block was refurbished and modernised for Regalian Properties at a cost of about £2 million by architects Hildebrand & Glicker. That was when the building acquired its current name, Florin Court. More importantly, however, this was also exactly when the first series of Poirot started shooting. You can read more on the history of the building over at this website. A blog, thelondonphile, has some excellent photos of the current exterior and interior.
Finding Poirot’s home
In Peter Haining’s book, the first producer Brian Eastman explains what the process of finding the location of Poirot’s flat was like:
‘Actually there are lots of Thirties buildings in London (…) And once we decided to make modern-Thirties architecture a feature of the stories, we set out to compile a list of all the buildings from that era that were available within a striking distance of central London. Since then we’ve woven a lot of them into the films. We had two or three places that we could have uses as Poirot’s apartment – but there were several reasons that finally made us decide on Florin Court. In the books Poirot is described as living in ‘a Mayfair square’. But the interesting thing about Charterhouse is that nobody ever thinks it is in the city of London – Although you can believe it looks like Mayfair – which is what makes it unusual. We were also lucky that the property developers who had recently bought Florin Court had just completely refurbished it, putting the exterior back to its original pristine condition. So from the photographic point of view we had this lovely element of a clean, new building set between two nineteenth-century properties. So right from the opening shot we were establishing the point of the series’ (p. 42-43)
When the team discovered the newly refurbished and restored 30s building of Florin Court, they had found their location:
‘It was just what we wanted (…) And the developers agreed to let us film the building almost before they had let any of the apartments at all. So we got permission to close off the whole area for one weekend and set up our cameras. We shot continuously for a seventy-two-hour period – all through one day, then through the night, and all the next day. We knew it was important to do this because we would never be able to come back and find everything the same. Obviously once the apartments were let there would be different sorts of curtains hanging at the windows. Things like that would change all the time and it would be impossible for us the match up everything. So we filmed Florin Court from every angle and in every kind of light and darkness. We were not shooting material specifically for the first series, but to build up a library of general footage that we could weave into the stories at any time we wanted (p. 43)
In other words, the production team were extraordinarily lucky. At the exact same time as filming was to commence, they had found a building that was beautifully restored, empty of occupants and available for filming for an entire weekend, so that they could create a library of footage. In later years, they did come back to film more footage, but then mainly in front of the entrance on the ground floor, because it was almost impossible to get the period look once the flats were occupied. In fact, the shots they saved up during that one weekend in 1988 were used right up to Series Six (1995-1996). Some more footage was shot for the return of the series in 1999 (e.g. the dialogue between Japp and Poirot in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd), and then some new shots were taken in 2005 (by the new production team, to go with the new flat), but essentially the same shots were used throughout the earlier episodes.
The current production designer, Jeff Tessler (who designed Poirot’s current flat), praises the decision to go for Florin Court. In an interview with Flat Living Magazine, he explained:
‘There are very few blocks in London that would provide the Art Deco image that was required. Florin Court has an excellent central location, and, other than changing the name of the building to Whitehaven Mansions, not much needed to be done’ (Flat Living Magazine)
Tessler also explains what the process of filming is like, now that the flats are occupied:
‘We always do all we can to minimise disruption. Even a short scene can take many hours, so we have to ensure that people do not wait more than a few minutes to enter or exit the building. The biggest difficulty we have is closing off the street. Most councils have a Film Commission Office, and we get permission from them. It still takes a lot of organisation once permission has been granted. All parked cars need removing, and other anachronisms such as yellow lines and parking bays need disguising (...) We try to get a large number of different shots when we do have access to the site. We will shoot Poirot arriving and leaving a number of times, and in a variety of vehicles. We also have a large number of exterior shots of Florin Court on file. With all of these available it might not be necessary to film there for two or three years' (Flat Living Magazine)
The team returned for the final and current series of Poirot, and the most recent episode, Elephants Can Remember, has some very nice location shots at Florin Court – the most exposure the building has had since that weekend in 1988. Both the screen caps that accompany this post are from that episode. Hopefully we are in for a few more glimpses in the episodes to come.
ITV has updated their promo site for MIPTV, a yearly television market event in Cannes, France. See this link: http://mip.itvstudios.com/. There are promo trailers for several ITV series, including Poirot and Marple. Both trailers are unchanged from last year's event, I think, which is somewhat disappointing as their trailer in 2009 previewed Murder on the Orient Express, and I was hoping for a glimpse of the final series. But if you haven't seen the trailer before, you might find it interesting. Also, they seem to have included a photo from the final series, one from Poirot's office (see below). Or, at least, I assume it is from the recent filming, because the pen and ink stand on the desk is different from any previous series, and the Marple promo definitely has a recent photo (from the filming of A Caribbean Mystery, I guess).
The promotional text on Poirot is also quite nice. If I were a television channel looking for series to purchase for national broadcasts, I would definitely be tempted:
For over 25 years, David Suchet has portrayed the inspired Belgian investigator, Hercule Poirot; creating a unique catalogue of timeless crime fiction. In an emotional farewell, Suchet returns as Agatha Christie’s number one detective to take on his final cases. He promises to go out in thrilling style, conquering a global conspiracy re-uniting him with old friends Japp, Hastings and Miss Lemon; and delving into a dangerous family mystery with crime writer Ariadne Oliver. Finally, the detective returns to Styles – the location of his first case, and whilst he may be weakened by age and poor health, his mind is as sharp as ever. He is on the hunt for a killer, and with more victims succumbing, an incapacitated Poirot becomes desperate… At the final curtain, has he at last met his match?
Oh, and interestingly, Philip Jackson's Japp is listed as Assistant Commissioner in the cast list! Surely, that must be a clue to how the character is to be reintroduced in The Big Four...
By coincidence, I stumbled over the websites of two members of the Poirot production crew: Ian Tomlinson (Art Department Assistant / Graphics Designer) and Andrew Lavin (Standby Art Director). Tomlinson's website, www.tomlinson-design.com, had a photo of Tomlinson's model for Poirot's flat (see below, photo linked to his website, no copyright infringement intended).
That is probably the most accurate floor plan we will ever get of the flat (see previous blog posts for other suggestions).
Tomlinson also seems to have done some of the props for the series. See, for instance, the passport of Count and Countess Andreyni from Murder on the Orient Express (below). I'm just delighted by the attention to detail they have on these adaptations, even down to birth dates of characters in a passport. Really!
Andrew Lavin's website has changed since I first visited it, so he has (sadly) deleted some of the many photos that were there to begin with. I very much regret I didn't save them. But I still have some, and there are still loads on his website (see below for a selection, photos linked to his website, no copyright infringement intended).
Here are two photos from Poirot's flat, one from Lavin's website (bottom) and one from the Agatha Christie facebook page (top).
To limit myself a bit, I will just draw your attention to two more photos from Lavin's website (see above). The first is from Appointment with Death, the hotel bar. I didn't really notice that this was a set when I first watched it, so that just proves that they did a good job! As to the second one, from Third Girl, I am just amazed at the detail of the food (as I hardly noticed it on screen).
Finally, two tiny updates from the filming of The Big Four that has just finished. One photo is of Suchet's chair on set, the other is from Miss Lemon's apartment, apparently (!). Both photos are from the AC facebook page. I'm thrilled that they have actually given Miss Lemon her own flat, even if it is probably just that corner with the telephone. I imagine we will see a scene where Poirot asks her to come back over the phone (hooray!).
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A reader of the blog, Ian, sent me these detailed and very accurate floor plans of Poirot's apartment (see below). They are so much better than mine (see previous post), but we do have the same basic idea in terms of rooms and layout. The most difficult room to place is the kitchen (as I have discussed before). I do, however, find Ian's suggestion somewhat more likely than the one I have suggested.
Thank you, Ian!
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In a previous post, I discussed similarities between Christie’s descriptions in novels and short stories and the two apartments created on screen by the production designers. In this post, I will examine the similarities between the two portrayals on screen – the first (1989-2001) and the second (2005-present) Whitehaven apartment.
The new apartment has been criticised by many fans, primarily because of the discontinuity between the two. As a viewer, one might ask the following questions: 1) Why was there a need to create a new apartment? 2) Why are both apartments situated in Whitehaven Mansions?, and 3) Why do they look so different?
I will try to answer these questions in due course.
Initially, though, I would like to draw your attention to the following paragraph in the current Wikipedia article on the television series. The article seems to suggest that the new apartment is a part of a significant 're-imagining' of the Poirot and Agatha Christie brand:
‘Following the launch of the ITV series Agatha Christie's Marple in 2004, the Poirot series was retitled Agatha Christie's Poirot. The previous titles and theme music were dropped. The visual style of these later episodes was noticeably different from earlier episodes: particularly, austere art deco settings and decor, widely used earlier in the series, were largely dropped in favour of more lavish settings (epitomised by the re-imagining of Poirot's home as a larger, more lavish apartment)’
As the article accurately points out, Poirot’s home is now a ‘larger, more lavish apartment’. But in context, the description feels more negatively charged than I think is reasonable. In this post, I hope to convince you that there are, in fact, several reasons to prefer this apartment to the first one (if one of them has to be seen as "better"), and that there is a sense of continuity between the two apartments, both in terms of layout and design.
Let us return to the first question – why was there a need to create a new apartment? I think there are several possible answers to this. Firstly, I think the Wikipedia article is partially right in claiming that it has something to do with the new direction of the Agatha Christie brand. The new producers (post-2004) seem to have made a conscious decision to distance themselves from the previous series; these adaptations should be considered as independent feature-length films rather than episodes from a television series, and therefore a ‘more lavish’ apartment seems appropriate. (see more after the jump)
However, and secondly, there is also much to suggest that the decision was made because of the stories ahead. Keep in mind that David Suchet (who since 2004 has been an associate producer) has been keen to portray Poirot ‘absolutely as near as [he] can possibly get to the tone, the flavour and particular incidents’ of Agatha Christie’s stories and descriptions. In this sense, the series would, at some point, have had to abandon the ‘basic family unit’, as former scriptwriter Clive Exton once called it, of Hastings, Miss Lemon, Japp and Poirot. This is in keeping with Christie’s books, as the Wikipedia article points out: ‘The absence of their characters (Hastings, Inspector Japp, and Miss Lemon) is consistent with the books on which the scripts were based’.
A natural consequence of such a shift would be that Poirot goes into semi-retirement (as my chronology suggests) and engages George as his valet. Admittedly, Miss Lemon is present in a few of the books (but not adaptations) filmed after 2004, but her role is very small in the original text, and I would imagine that the producers would rather give David Yelland (George) a greater part to play (which is quite understandable, given that they secured an actor of his calibre). Also, considering that the previous producers excluded George’s part to expand Miss Lemon’s, I find this perfectly acceptable.
In other words, there is no need for Miss Lemon’s typing room, which was an integral part of the first apartment, and there is a need for a room for George. With these aspects in mind, I find it perfectly understandable that the production crew wanted a new apartment to build Poirot’s semi-retirement life around.
Finally, the decision to create a new apartment may have been made because production designer Jeff Tessler wanted to create a flat that was more faithful to Christie’s descriptions (though I do not claim to know his intentions). As I have detailed earlier, several (if not all) of Christie’s descriptions are taken into consideration in the new flat – everything from colours and layouts, to bookcases and desks. The similarity between what is described on paper and what is portrayed on screen is so striking that I refuse to accept that he has not taken these descriptions more literally than the previous production crew.
Whatever the reason, the fact remains that TV-Poirot has lived in two different flats in Whitehaven Mansions. Let us leave it at that, and appreciate the fact that they are both excellent representations of Poirot's domestic life.
Now, let’s move on to what this post is really supposed to cover: the similarities and differences between these two on-screen flats. See the floor plans of the flat below of the 1989-2001 apartment and the 2005-20?? respectively. The first floor plan is linked to its source and the second has been made by me (bear with me on my severe lack of artistic skills!)
(Let me clarify a few things first: The floor plan in black is from a Japanese fan site. I have renamed the rooms from Japanese (without knowing the language!), so any mistakes are entirely mine. The image is linked to its source. Also, the exact location of Poirot's bedroom is somewhat of a mystery in the first flat, but I feel fairly certain that it is next to the living room (i.e. where the 'office' of the second flat is located). See, for instance, the ending of the adaptation of 'The Third-Floor Flat'. Finally, in the second flat, there is some uncertainty as to the location of the kitchen. In 'Third Girl', George seems to be walking towards the red room, while in 'Three Act Tragedy' we see him exiting (presumably) the dark grey room on the floor plan. I find the second option more likely than the first.)
I want to start with a specific aspect of the living room; the niches/alcoves on each side of the fireplace. In the first flat, this is where Poirot’s bookcases (if you can call them that) are situated. These have, intriguingly, become “entrances” to Poirot’s office. In my opinion, that is an ingenious solution for two specific reasons. First, we can assume that there would indeed be a room behind that wall in Poirot’s first apartment (see the floor plan above, linked to its source), and those niches could easily be transformed into the openings we see in the second flat. Also, if the new flat is a slight ‘upgrade’ of apartments within the same building (which I find likely), it would be natural that the layout of this slightly larger flat would be based on the same structures and walls as the ones above or below it. Finally, by using these niches/alcoves, the production designer not only creates a link with the first flat, but he almost makes the “office extension” into a part of the sitting room – which again is in keeping with Christie’s descriptions! Quite impressive, if you ask me.
Another structural similarity is the placement of the doors to the sitting room. Both in the first and second apartment, there are two sets of doors (see below). They are slightly different in layout (but remarkably similar nonetheless), and this could easily be explained by the fact that Christie describes a redecoration and restructuring of the flats in The Clocks (see my last blog post). The only addition in the second flat is a door leading to Poirot’s ‘office’ further down the corridor – which. again, is quite acceptable if one considers this a slightly larger apartment in the same building.
Any other structural similarities should be evident from the two floor plans above, outlining the two flats.
Let us move on to the main layout of the living room itself. Apart from the desk area (which has been given a separate ‘room’), nearly all elements from the first apartment have been maintained (though mostly not in their original shape and form) in the second apartment. Firstly, the dining area (see below). A large table with chairs is situated in almost exactly the same spot as in the first flat.
Secondly, the sitting area. In both flats, this is situated close to the fireplace. The chairs seem to have changed throughout the series run in the first flat, but they have remained the same in the second. The chairs and sofas all have similar rounded (and square) shapes.
Thirdly, the ‘office’ area. Despite the new location in the second flat, there is a remarkable sense of consistency. Notice, for instance, the green desk sets in both flats. Not identical, but they contribute to a sense of continuity. Also, the two desk lamps and the jacket stand/hanger (see below); dissimilar, but still a continuity of sorts.
Finally, let me address some elements of décor. As described in the earlier blog post, Poirot’s taste in art is highlighted in both flats. Moreover, the second flat builds on the first flat’s use of (white) ceramic figures and bronzes (see below). Notice also the folding screen behind Poirot’s desk in the first flat, and then behind the dining table in the second flat.
Also, notice that the two tables/shelves/cupboards behind the table in the second flat seem to be inspired by the sideboard behind the sofa and the sideboard behind the table, both in the first flat. The two vases/lamps are also strikingly similar to the two vases in the first flat (see below).
To conclude, there are significant continuities between the two on-screen flats; doors, layout and objects. They are both faithful to Christie's description (as outlined in a previous post), and both can believably exist within the same building (almost - there's not enough windows on the outside to match the second flat, but I will ignore that and file it under 'artistic liberty'). All in all, there is no reason to dislike any of the flats as they showcase different elements - and phases - of Poirot's domestic life.
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