Murder on the Orient Express
The first of several lavish Christie adaptations from producers
John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, introducing Albert Finney as
the first screen Hercule Poirot. This 1974 production of Agatha
Christie's 1934 classic is a judicious mixture of mystery, murder
and nostalgia. Which member of the all-star cast, onboard the
luxurious train, perforated the no-good American tycoon with a
dagger twelve times? Was it Ingrid Bergman's shy Swedish
missionary; or Vanessa Redgrave's English rose; Sean Connery as
an Indian Army Colonel: Michael York or Jacqueline Bisset;
perhaps Lauren Bacall; Anthony Perkins or John Gielgud as the
victim's impassive butler. Finney spreads unease among them with
subdued wit and finesse. Arguably the most successful screen
adaptation of a Christie novel, in addition to Bergman's O
for Best Supporting Actress, Murder On The Orient Express
achieved nominations for Best Actor, Screenplay, Photography,
Costume Design and Music Score.
Special Features
Theatrical Trailer
Audio: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Death on the Nile
Peter Ustinov gives an energetic performance as Poirot, in his
first portrayal of the Belgian detective. Contains all the
successful elements of its predecessor Murder on the Orient
Express. By replacing the world-famous train with the luxury Nile
steamer Karnak, it gains breath-taking footage of Luxor, Aswan
and Abu Simbel by cameraman Jack Cardiff. As we cruise down
the legendary river in splendid luxury, a mystery assassin takes
toll of a passenger list of internationally renowned faces,
including Jane Birkin, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Jon Finch, Olivia
Hussey, George Kennedy, Angela Lansbury, Simon MacCorkindale,
David Niven and Jack Warden. A visually sumptuous and
quintessentially British production, it won an O for Anthony
Powell's costume design.
Special Features
Making of Featurette (23 mins)
Theatrical Trailer
Audio: Mono,
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
The Mirror Crack'd
From the Back Cover
The first film from producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin
to feature the legendary lady supersleuth Miss Marple (Angela
Lansbury), following their successful Poirot pictures. The scene
is set in the Coronation year of 1953 and the archetypal English
village of St. Mary Mead. All is as it should be until Hollywood
arrives in the form of an internationally famous film cast,
leading to much local excitement and an epidemic of sudden death.
Taking advantage of the Christie cachet, the producers have
followed a winning formula in casting the leading roles from the
cream of feature film actors including Elizabeth Taylor, Rock
Hudson, Tony Curtis, Kim Novak, Geraldine Chin and Edward Fox.
Special Features
Theatrical Trailer
Audio: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Evil Under the Sun
From the Back Cover
A star-studded cast heads this Agatha Christie story about one
man's efforts to hom the mysterious death of a bitchy fallen
theatre star (Diana Rigg) on a stunning exclusive island resort
in the sweltering Mediterranean. Peter Ustinov stars as Hercule
Poirot with Jane Birkin, Colin Blakely, Maggie Smith, James Mason
and Roddy McDowall the suspects.
Special Features
Making of Featurette (15 mins)
Theatrical Trailer
Audio: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
From .co.uk
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The four films in this Agatha Christie Murder
Mystery Collection demonstrate exactly why Christie's
reassuringly formulaic whodunits have been extraordinarily
resilient source material. In each we find a corpse (or several),
an assorted group of suspects gathered in a self-contained
location, all with a motive to commit murder, and the
coincidental presence of the totem detective (Poirot or Miss
Marple). Between 1974 and 1981, producers John Brabourne and
Richard Goodwin mined the Christie seam for some of its ripest
riches.
Murder on the Orient Express (1974), directed by Sidney Lumet,
features a cavalcade of stars including Ingrid Bergman, Lauren
Bacall, John Gielgud and Sean Connery; while Christie herself
gave Albert Finney's Poirot her blessing. The Art Deco setting
exudes glamour; the plot is preously diverting; the
lighting, silvery and washed-out, giving the suspects an
appropriately grim and ghoulish air.
With a superior Anthony Shaffer screenplay Death on the Nile
(1978) saw Peter Ustinov taking over as Poirot. The backdrop of
ancient Egyptian monuments helps bring this adaptation a touch of
class, complemented by composer Nino Rota's epic theme tune.
The Mirror Crack'd (1980) features Elizabeth Taylor and Kim
Novak as rival Hollywood legends descending on a quaint English
village to make a film, with Rock Hudson as Taylor's husband and
Angela Lansbury as a rather unconvincingly robust Miss Marple.
Shaffer returned to the fray, adapting Evil Under the Sun (1981)
and moving Poirot from the Cornish Riviera to an island off the
coast of Albania. Ustinov reprises his role and Maggie Smith
returns, camper than ever, as the hotel owner inconvenienced by
murder.
On the DVD: It's a pity that the sound quality hasn't been
sharpened up, though: Murder on the Orient Express sometimes
evokes memories of the muffled incoherence of an old fleapit.
Apart from trailers, extras are few and far between. There are no
cast lists or filmographies. But Death on the Nile and Evil Under
the Sun both feature interesting short promotional "'making of"'
documentaries in 4:3 format. --Piers Ford
