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| (c) ITV |
This episode was based on the short story 'The Lost Mine', first published in The Sketch in 1923. The screenplay is by Michael Baker and David Renwick, and the director was Edward Bennett
Script versus short story
The scriptwriters make some rather extensive additions and changes to the plot, which is fairly understandable, considering the fact that the story itself is very thin. Most importantly, the plot is shifted from past to present tense. Second, Japp and Sgt. Jameson from Murder in the Mews (replacing Inspector Miller from the short story), and Miss Lemon are added to the story. Third, several plot points are added, including the collapse of the Imperial Trust, Miss Lemon's stock speculation (!), a clue of discoloured cigarettes at the hotel (due to the blackened teeth), an entire subplot concerning Reginald Dyer (who is involved in some shady business in the short story but here becomes a slippery crook), an expanded back story for Lester (including a distressed wife), modern police work at Scotland Yard (see also the adaptation of Four and Twenty Blackbirds), a chase scene (of course), Poirot's bank account (which seems to be overdrawn, but is later revealed to miss a bill from Poirot's 'naval secrets case' - a reference to the unfilmed story "The Submarine Plans" perhaps?), and a game of Monopoly between Hastings and Poirot (a running joke throughout the episode). Fourth, Lester becomes an investment adviser (as opposed to a 'young bank clerk'), Fifth, Japp discovers the opium den through one of Dyer's contacts, and finds both Dyer and Lester down there. All in all, the story is changed almost beyond recognition. That, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, the original story really only served one purpose, that is for Poirot to explain that Hastings shouldn't make speculative investments, so there was definitely a need for a more extensive plot to make it work as an adaptation. To a certain extent the changes work - and even make sense - so I suppose we should consider this adaptation a moderate success.
Directing, production design, locations, soundtrack
Bennett makes excellent use of the locations for this episode, particularly the recreated area of Chinatown. There's also some rather nice scenes at the bank. In Peter Haining's book on the series, Bennett describes the choice of location. 'We wanted an authentic look, and the Civic Centre (in Essex) is in very good condition. The interiors we used were just what we needed and very official looking, too. The council offices made for plush banker's rooms and the whole effect was Thirties to a tee' (p. 49). Columbia Road and Ezra Street in Bethnal Green became a replica of Chinatown. Once again, the attention to detail is extraordinary, and the production designers have done such a good job. For location photos, see this link. The soundtrack is good and somewhat oriental in tone. I think it was done by Fiachra Trench, who stepped in for Gunning through most of Series Two. One of the scores, for the chase scene, will be reused in The Kidnapped Prime Minister.
Characters and actors
This episode introduces Hastings's hunch for bad investments (giving the wrong advice to Miss Lemon), a character trait we will see in several future episodes (see, for instance, Lord Edgware Dies). There aren't really any stand-outs as far as guest actors are concerned. Anthony Bate does a decent job at portraying Lord Pearson, but none of the performances are that memorable, really.
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| (c) ITV |
This adaptation was based on Christie's short story 'The Veiled Lady', first published in 1923. The screenplay was written by Clive Exton, and the director was Edward Bennett.
Script versus short story
The adaptation stays largely faithful to its source material, since most of the added scenes are extracted from tiny references in the short story. There is, for instance, the opening scene displaying the Bond Street (here: Burlington Arcade) robbery and the funny scene with Poirot dressed up as a locksmith. Some sequences have changed location, such as the first meeting between 'Lady Millicent', Poirot and Hastings (now in a lavish hotel), the denouement (now in the Natural History Museum). Some elements are added, including the presence of Miss Lemon (who doesn't get much to do) and Japp (who gets to bail Poirot out of prison (!) and chase the culprits (yes, there's an added chase scene as usual, but this one makes excellent use of the location!). My main criticism of the script is that a large section of Poirot's explanation is cut. How did he know that Lady Millicent was not Lady Millicent? How did the culprits know about the hidden Chinese box and the letter? All of this is lost in the adaptation and could actually leave viewers confused as to what had actually occurred.
Directing, production design, locations, soundtrack
Edward Bennett does a competent job of showcasing the locations. This episode is yet another example of the extravagance of the production team. In scenes that could easily have been depicted in low-key sets, they go for large hotel lobbies (a.k.a. Senate House, London) and famous places like the Burlington Arcade and the Natural History Museum (see Joan Street's website for photos). The soundtrack for this one is magnificent (again, by Fiachra Trench), and I really wish it had been released on CD.
Actors and characters
Poirot's wonderful disguise is quite out-of-character in a way, but at the same time, he is known to resort to made-up identities, and the whole locksmith business does sort of take place in the short story (he doesn't seem to be disguised there, but such an addition makes complete sense).
Of the guest actors, Frances Barber (Lady Millicent) really stands out with an attention-capturing performance, but so does Carole Hayman (Mrs Godber) as the housekeeper (who doesn't quite welcome Poirot 'with enthusiasm', as in the short story!)
There's a wonderful website called Art of the Title which features articles on and interviews with people who have designed title sequences for film and television. A couple of months ago, it was Agatha Christie's Poirot's turn and title designer Pat Gavin. Do read the interview, it's such an interesting look at an aspect of the series that rarely gets mentioned. Here are some extracts from the article:
'It was my job to set the tone for the show. The idea for the titles was a portrait of a man and his time. The late Mike Oxley — or “OXO” as we called him — was the production designer and we put our heads together and found we were both thinking about Art Deco as a stylistic theme. I had some old architectural magazines with all those wonderful buildings of the ’20s and ’30s, with architectural plans, and that was my original inspiration. I wanted to make it all look exactly like architectural photography from that time. They had a wonderful atmosphere. But I wasn’t able to quite achieve that look, partly due to budget and partly to not having a clue! I had to find another way, so it became Art Deco–Cubism. I liked the idea of the fractured, multifaceted Cubist style because it reminded me of a puzzle and this is of course what Poirot does — he solves puzzles. Making Poirot himself a bit of a puzzle seemed to describe the man and what he does. Brian Eastman, the producer, and David Suchet, the actor who played Poirot — brilliantly, I might add — both agreed and gave me the green light. David was very helpful during the filming. He was a joy to direct.
For the music, I spent time with the composer, Chris Gunning, who was taking his ideas from Rachmaninov and composers working in the ’20s and ’30s and I showed him my thoughts. For the Cassandre-style trains, boats, and planes with Poirot’s name formed by the wheels, I gave him the storyboard plus some visuals and he worked closely to them. He was great to work with, very responsive. He gave me a track that fit like a glove but also had its own independent voice. I never like to force composers to bend to the visuals because their art is more temporal than the visuals. Like, how long does a painting last? But music has natural cadences and rhythms that can drive a visual and give it a story, bringing it to a satisfying conclusion. In effect, it is the script.'
As I said, this is such a fascinating interview, so do have a look at it if you are interested in this sort of thing. In addition to the titles he discusses here, I am fairly certain he also did the short version of it that appears at the beginning of some of the feature-length episodes pre-2003 (see below):
P.S. There's a lovely reference to the title in the adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, in which Poirot - at the beginning of the episode - enters a dark bank vault. As the lights appear, one by one, an eagle-eyed viewer would notice that the lamps in the ceiling are very similar to the ones in the original title sequence. In the final scene of the same episode, as Poirot leaves the dark room, his pose is almost the same as in the end of the title sequence (see below). What a wonderful way for Poirot to return to the screen after a five-year hiatus!
TITLES POST-2003:
When the series returned in 2003 (without the involvement of Pat Gavin), there seems to have been some confusion as to what the title sequence would be (i.e. how the title of the episode should be shown). For Death on the Nile the team chose a strange red thing (possibly to give it that 'feature-length-film' feel?). For Five Little Pigs, The Hollow and Sad Cypress, they went for a slightly updated version of the white art deco font from the first eight series (adjusted to the colour of the opening scenes, see examples below). Since Series Ten, however, the team have stuck to the updated white font, apart from the adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, in which they went for an entirely different font altogether (which in a way makes sense if they, like with Death on the Nile, the other really famous story, wanted to create a big-screen feel (as far as way from 'television series' as possible).
P.S. I personally think the opening sequence for Five Little Pigs is the best of the post-2003 titles. Beautifully shot, with fantastic colours and Gunning's brilliant score.
Agatha Christie's novel Peril at End House, published in the UK in 1932, became the first feature-length episode of the series, as well as the first episode of the second series (In fact, the episode has frequently been split into two, because the running time amounts to about 2x50 min). The story was adapted for television by Clive Exton and the director was Renny Rye.
Script versus novel
The adaptation really stays remarkably close to its source material, especially considering the fact that this is not just a short story but a full-length novel. Exton makes only minor changes. First, all references to Hastings's Argentinean farm, Poirot's retirement (and declining fame) and Poirot's investigation on the Blue Train have obviously been removed, since these events still hadn't occurred in the television series. Second, Miss Lemon is added to the investigation (she investigates the doctor in Harley Street and very sensibly takes Hastings's place in the seance), and Japp's role is somewhat expanded (he is present in the novel, but here he becomes the investigating officer, replacing Colonel Weston. Also, Hastings gets to visit Seton's solicitor in London on his own. Third, certain plot elements are dropped, like the red herring of Lazarus's offer for Nick's painting, Poirot's A-J list of suspects, Maggie Buckley's letter to her parents and the face (later revealed to belong to Freddie's husband) outside the hotel window. Neither of these clues are essential to the plot (or the reveal), so it makes sense to remove them - probably because of time constraints. Finally, Hastings and Miss Lemon are not told that Nick is still alive (which makes sense - not just because the viewer would be just as shocked as the suspects that she is - but also because Hastings would never be able to keep a secret, as Poirot has pointed out more than once). All in all, this is a wonderfully crafted adaptation that manages to stay true to the source material, and possibly even improving on it in certain places.
Directing, production design, locations, soundtrack
Renny Rye makes excellent use of the location - there's an added opening scene with a plane approaching the coast (a nice way to include the novel's opening remarks by Hastings on how beautiful the Cornish coast is). The production design in this episode is also great, with a exquisite "Majestic Hotel" set and some beautiful seaside locations. The episode was shot in Salcombe, South Devon, and Salcombe Yacht Club doubled as the nursing home (see link). Moult House, near South Sands, in South Devon, became "End House", and the end scene was shot at the beach. Finally, Kingswear Railway Station became "St. Looe Train Station" (see link). The soundtrack to the episode is mostly appropriate, but it has sadly not been released. (The score was composed by Fiachra Trench, who stepped in through most of Series Two as Gunning was unavailable).
Actors and characters
In terms of character development, Hastings gets to display his love of cars and golf once more. Poirot smokes his Russian cigarettes again, we get to know about the necessity of eggs of exactly the same size (referred to in the novel in a conversation with Nick Buckley), and he gets to sit in his room and think. Miss Lemon gets to use her detective skills again - and we see a hint of her interest in the occult (even if it's imposed on her by Poirot).
There are so many great performances in such a long film, but obviously, Polly Walker (Nick Buckley) is the one that really stands out. The contrast between the charming girl we encounter in the beginning of the episode and the angry and downright evil woman we see in the end scenes is very well done!
We have now come to the final episode of the first series. This was based on the short story 'The Dream', first published in the UK in 1938. The screenplay is by Clive Exton and the director is Edward Bennett (so we come full circle from the first ever episode).
Script versus short story
The script stays remarkably close to its source material, which is hardly surprising given the fact that Exton adapted it (and the fact that the short story is itself an excellent one, with little need for alterations). The few additions include an opening sequence at Farley's factory, in which a new extension is opened, the introduction of Miss Lemon, Captain Hastings and Chief Inspector Japp (unsurprisingly). Exton makes a few sensible additions to the solution, too, including a massive wall outside the office windows (no witnesses), Farley checking up on his employees (a much better reason for coming to the window than in the short story), and a subplot for Miss Lemon (desperately asking Poirot for a new type writer - and providing Poirot with the vital clue of the window).
The introduction of the regular cast mostly makes sense here. Inspector Japp simply replaces the short story's Inspector Bartlett, Hastings gets very little to do anyway (he reads Poirot the letter from Farley, follows him to the factory - but isn't allowed to enter - demonstrates the murder in the denouement scene and takes on one of these ridiculous chase scenes (really, why do they have to add those all the time? I realise it increases tension somewhat, but still!). Miss Lemon would be the one to receive Farley's letter, so the inclusion of her character does make sense. On a side note, the doctor in the case, Dr. Stillingfleet, became a regular in Christie's stories, but he did not appear again in the television series.
All in all, the script is an excellent achievement, staying true to Christie while making sensible and small alterations. Possibly the best episode in this series (plot-wise, that is).
Directing, production design, locations and soundtrack
Bennett makes excellent use of the magnificent location and sets. I particularly like the outside shots of the factory in the denouement scene and the sweeping crane shot from Miss Lemon's window in Whitehaven to the street level (which must have been shot while they still had access to the entire building). The location used for the factory is the Hoover building in Perivale, Middlesex (which was also used as the film studio in The King of Clubs). Gunning's soundtrack (and the orchestra in the opening scene, in which he himself features!) is good, but not as good as some of his more memorable scores.
Actors and characters
(Miss Lemon mentions her magnetism in this one - a sign of the interest TV-Lemon has in alternative medicine, the occult and the mythological). The standouts here are Alan Howard (who brilliantly portrays both Cornworthy and Mr. Farley!) and a young Joely Richardson (as Joanna Farley).
The short story 'The King of Clubs' was first published in the UK in 1938. The adaptation, scripted by Michael Baker with Clive Exton as a script consultant, and directed by Renny Rye, became the next-to-last episode of the first series.
Script versus short story
Some changes have been made on the journey from short story to film. Most importantly, the 'impressario' Henry Reedburn becomes the owner and producer of a 1930s film studio, and the 'dancer' Valerie St. Clair becomes his leading actress. A director called 'Bunny' is added to the mix, and he's an old friend of Hastings's, so Poirot and Hastings visit the film set of the latest picture. Also, there's an older actor struggling to adjust to the era of the 'talkies' added to increase the list of suspects once the murder is committed. Prince Paul is here an old acquaintance of Poirot, who has helped his family in the past. He also funds most of the film Valerie stars in (which is why he's at the set on the day of their visit). Consequently, instead of asking Poirot for a consultation, he calls his old friend up at night, asking him to look into the business. Chief Inspector Japp is also introduced, having been called out to a report of "disturbance" at Mr. Reedburn's house (would a Chief Inspector be called out to such a minor affair? Probably not). Finally, a group of gypsies in the neighbourhood of Mr. Reedburn are included, a group that Reedburn has been trying to get rid of (again, increasing the number of suspects). Certain parts have been moved around a bit, but apart from the above changes, the adaptation stays true to its source material. One insignificant change that puzzles me is the fact that Poirot seems to get access to the scene of the crime both without Japp's help and the help of Paul (whose name he has promised to keep out of the business to avoid scandal). I just find it unlikely that he would be let in to these houses, even if he introduced himself as the great detective, acting in the interests of St. Clair.
The ending (both in the short story and the adaptation) has puzzled many Poirot fans. It's one of the few instances in which Poirot lets the culprits go. Though not as serious as murder, since this is essentially an accident, it's still difficult to understand why he would let them get away with it - when he's so hard on other culprits. Oh well, we can't really blame the series for that, though, since this is entirely Christie's choice.
Directing, production design, locations and soundtrack
Renny Rye directs this tale most competently, and he makes excellent use of the wonderful sets. Also, the sequences from the mock-1930s-film seem highly believable. I'm sure I could have been fooled if I saw that outside the context of the adaptation! The main locations here are a section of the Hoover building in Perivale, Middlesex (doubling as Parade film studios here - and as Farley's factory in The Dream!), and High & Over in Amersham, Buckinghamshire (doubling as Mr. Reedburn's house). See Joan Street's website for photos. The soundtrack is by Christopher Gunning, but it's not one of his most memorable.
Actors and characters
There isn't much character development for our main stars in this one. Hastings gets to comment on a car (owned by his friend Bunny - I find it interesting how many friends they seem to have added who could believably have been in the army with Hastings), and we get to know that Poirot has important friends and connections (but we already knew that, really). The main standout of the guest actors is Niamh Cusack as Valerie St. Clair. She certainly fills the role of a screen celebrity.
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| (c) ITV |
'The Submarine Plans', a short story published in 1923, was later expanded by Christie into the story 'The Incredible Theft', first published in the UK in 1937. It was the latter short story that was adapted for the first series of Agatha Christie's Poirot. The screenplay was jointly written by David Reid and Clive Exton. The director was Edward Bennett.
Script versus short story
The script stays more or less true to one of Christie's longest short stories, with certain important additions and changes. First, in terms of characters, Mayfield has a wife in this adaptation, Lady Mayfield, who only calls herself 'Lady' because her father was an earl (Mayfield is not a Lord in this adaptation, he is simply credited as 'Tommy Mayfield' (changed from Charles in the short story). Mrs. Macatta, M.P. is deleted here, which is hardly surprising considering the small role she has in the source material (and, in any case, Poirot and Lady Mayfield fill out her absence, in a way). Sir George Carrington seems to have been changed from an Air Marshal to a senior civil servant of some kind, as far as I can make out. Moreover, Poirot's little family is added (Hastings, Japp, Lemon). The addition of Hastings makes sense, in a way, since he was in the the first version of the short story ('The Submarine Plans'). Miss Lemon gets to take a telephone call from Lady Mayfield, which makes sort of sense. Japp has been asked by Carrington to stay at the local pub, which I guess is almost believable. Also, the whole incident with Mrs. Vanderlyn's maid, Carlile and Reggie Carrington has been excluded, which I must admit is difficult to understand. Yes, the whole thing was a bit thin, but at least it gave time for someone to enter the office and steal the plans, theoretically speaking. In the adaptation, Carlile is adamant that he never left the room, which makes it a lot more unbelievable than anyone could have taken the plans...
In a way, I've already touched upon the main changes. First, we have an opening sequence with a fighter plane (looking suspiciously like a Spitfire), and a conversation between Mayfield and Carrington (parts of which took place after dinner in the source material). Second, there's a scene in which Poirot is polishing his patent leather boots and instructing Hastings on the subject of women (apparently, Hastings is seeing this young 'student of architecture'!). Third, there's the anonymous woman asking for Poirot (and angering Miss Lemon and her filing system), who after a meeting with Poirot reveals herself as Lady Mayfield. Exactly how she then manages to get him to dinner on the night the plans are stolen, I don't quite understand. Supposedly, he is her guest at dinner; 'the famous detective' does, after all, sometimes accept dinner invitations. It certainly wouldn't make sense for him to be invited by the Mayfields in case Mayfield's plan goes wrong. Finally, there's the added police involvement, which is sort of out of place (considering they were so anxious to avoid a scandal), but at the same time highly necessary (why else could they demand to search Mrs. Vanderlyn?). The police involvement also allows for a search scene in which Japp is fascinated by Mrs. Vanderlyn's silhouette in the frosty glass of a door (she is descibed as having a 'seductive kind of beauty' in the short story). There's also a humorous subplot of Hastings and Japp sharing a bed at the local pub (!) and a rather ridiculous chase scene with Poirot and Hastings following Mrs. Vanderlyn in a police car. Largely, however, the changes work, and the essentials of the story are kept intact.
Directing, production design, locations, soundtrack
Bennett's direction is competent and suits the story well. He is helped by some nice locations, for instance the vintage plane in the opening scene and the Penguin Pool of the London Zoo (see Joan Street's location site). Other locations include a private country house in Surrey doubling as the Mayfield residence and the area around Tilford providing country roads for the chase scene (see the location site for photos). The soundtrack for this episode is quite memorable, particularly what seems to be Mrs. Vanderlyn's theme (sadly not released by Gunning). The score from The Adventure of the Clapham Cook, 'To the Lakes', released on CD, here makes a reappearance for the country house setting.
Actors and characters
Poirot (or rather, David Suchet) gets to demonstrate the meticulous care he invests in his wardrobe (as he did in the first ever episode and will do in future episodes). Miss Lemon's filing system (mentioned in The Adventure of Johnny Waverly) gets a reference, and Hastings gets to help a police constable with a car and drive a police car in the car chase (once again demonstrating his love for and interest in cars).
The guest actors all do a nice job at portraying the different characters, but obviously, Carmen Du Sautoy as Mrs. Vanderlyn, is the one you will really remember, although John Stride and Ciaran Madden (playing the Mayfields) stand out as well.
