Lord Edgware Dies (Poirot)

Product Information

Books in Lord Edgware's study: the memoirs of Casanova, a book about the Comte de Sade, and a book on mediaeval tortures A second television adaptation of Lord Edgware Dies was created in 2000, as an episode for the series Agatha Christie's Poirot on 19 February 2000. It starred David Suchet in the role of Hercule Poirot, and was produced by Carnival Films. While remaining faithful to most of the plot of the novel, it featured a number of changes. The novel was then adapted for an eighty-seven minute TV movie in 1985 starring Peter Ustinov in one of his six appearances as Poirot. The production was made under the US book title of Thirteen at Dinner and co-starred Faye Dunaway in the dual role of Jane Wilkinson and Carlotta Adams. The story was updated to be set in contemporary times and not in the 1930s. David Suchet played Chief Inspector Japp; Suchet would later play Poirot himself on the long-running ITV series. Highpoint II, Lubetkin's Penthouse - Jane Wilkinson's residence. The rooftop terrace is where she meets Poirot and Hastings.

You have the confidence — always the confidence! You never stop and say to yourself — can it be so? You never doubt — or wonder. You never think: this is too easy!’ The book was adapted by Carnival Films as a one-hundred-and-twenty minute drama and transmitted on ITV in the UK on Saturday, 19 February 2000 as a special episode in their series Agatha Christie's Poirot. This version is extremely faithful to the novel, only deviating by including series regular Miss Felicity Lemon, who was not in the original mystery. There is an outrageous twist in the story and I did not think it works. The director also embellishes the twist by cheating the audience in how one scene has been presented. At long last, they fired the guy and brought in a writer who's more true to the complexity of the enterprise. This fellow Horowitz did well enough on "Murder on the Links," but here he does a splendid job. Agatha's written clues are converted to cinematic devices. In a TeeVee world where every face much be clearly shown, we have several that are not. Ho ho, something's up. I didn't remember the MacBeth part from the book. I think that was an extra, theatrical, hint. The Sittaford Mystery - Why Didn't They Ask Evans? - And Then There Were None - Death Comes as the End - Sparkling Cyanide - Crooked House - They Came to Baghdad - Destination Unknown - The Pale Horse - Endless Night - Passenger to FrankfurtIn 1930, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan (Sir Max from 1968) after joining him in an archaeological dig. Their marriage was especially happy in the early years and remained so until Christie's death in 1976. If it weren't for one key incident in the movie, I would be happy extolling all of the positive aspects of Lord Edwige Dies. I'm sure I would mention the authentic looking sets (at least, authentic to my untrained eye), the attention to detail, the acting, the score, and all of the other aspects that make each and every Poirot installment I've seen special. I'm also sure that I would go out of my way to mention Helen Grace who affected me much in the same manner she did Poirot. And, I'm sure there are other positives I would not doubt list. But, because of an unforgivable flaw, I cannot be positive while writing this. If you don't want to read possible SPOILERS, please skip the rest of this review. Actress Jane Wilkinson wants a divorce so that she can marry another man, and the doomed Lord has refused to give it to her. When she runs into Poirot and Hastings at a show, she begs him to visit Lord Edgware and convince him to let her go. Later during dinner, she laughingly and loudly announces that if that doesn't work, she'll just drive up to his front door, go inside, and kill him herself. Death by Adaptation: In the novel, Alton the butler quietly disappears when the police started digging around and almost discovered his stealing of his master's money; in the adaptation, the police intercepts him just as he is leaving the country, and he dies in the ensuing chase. En esta ocasión el buen Poirot se encuentra con el asesinato de un hombre y como siempre, comienza el uso de sus células grises para desenmarañar el misterio.

I know they cheat at the moment of deception, which did annoy a few fans, but for me it doesn't matter, it doesn't detract from the brilliance of the episode. They could have perhaps shot it in a different way. The ending is a triumph, very dramatic. I'm reading this as part of a read "all of the Poirots" challenge, and I must admit I am thoroughly enjoying it. Some of them I have read and remember, some of them I remember from David Suchet's excellent portrayal on TV, and in some ways the best are those that I just don't know. This falls into the latter category and so was enthralling and kept me riveted all the way to the denouement.In this story Hercule Poirot is asked to help Lady Edgware in a problem she has with her husband and when he is found dead everybody thinks that she has done it but what happens when she has no motive for killing him and also an alibi? Oh! I know very well that you always have a little idea that I am conceited, but, indeed, I assure you, I am really a very humble person.”

Unbeknownst to Jane, Carlotta had been knowledgeable about Greek mythology, so she talked a lot about the subject with Donald Ross. At the luncheon party, when Jane confused Paris of Troy with the French capital, he had realized that she couldn't have been the same woman at the party on the night of the murder. Jane realizes she's made a potentially very serious mistake about Paris, leaves the party and heads to Ross's home to kill him before he can tell Poirot. Her motive for killing Lord Edgware was that the Duke of Merton was a staunch Anglo-Catholic and would not marry a divorced woman. He would, however, have married a widow. In the last chapter, she writes a letter to Poirot, remarkably devoid of any animosity, which ends with her wondering why hangings are not done in public anymore.I did have one complaint about the delivery – although I am not sure if it is my fault for assuming the conventions apply in all situations, or if it was the episode's fault for defying the norm. At one point we hear from a witness that she saw Lady Edgware, and yet we see that she had a restricted view (as do we) so it leaves at least the doubt, even though we are 100% told that it was her. However, the key scene is the dinner party, where an impersonator goes instead – but yet in this scene as described, we see clearly that it is Lady Edgware (as played by Helen Grace). This is a bit cruel on the viewer because it does provide us with her alibi in a way we cannot question. Again, maybe my fault for taking it at its word, but still I would have liked some of the candle-lit doubt that we are told existed in reality. Thompson's dig was at Nineveh and Max joined the team there in September 1931 followed the next month by Agatha. The invitation was only confirmed after the Mallowans had joined Thompson for a weekend in the country near Oxford where they were subjected to a cross-country scramble on "the wettest day possible over rough country" followed by another test to ensure that neither Agatha nor Max were fussy eaters. These were to ensure that both could withstand the rigours of a season in the wilds of Iraq. Used to walking over Dartmoor and having a very healthy appetite, Agatha passed the tests with flying colours. Jane Wilkinson a beautiful actress is married to Lord Edgware. One evening at a hotel, she walks over to Poirot and Hastings in the middle of dinner, to have a private conversation. She tells Poirot that she is in love with a Duke and wants to divorce her husband and if he doesn't oblige, she might have to kill him (half joking, I guess)! She wants Poirot to meet Lord Edgware and convince him to grant her divorce. Reluctantly Poirot complies to this strange request. Jane Wilkinson appears to be a sweet and charming woman, but upon being unmasked reveals herself to be a smug Femme Fatale who enjoys manipulating people. Jane Wilkinson in the novel, on the other hand, was openly self-centered, which is revealed in the end to be Not an Act; she really was that selfish, and she committed three murders because she felt she was in her right to do so. John Moffatt starred as Poirot in a five-part BBC Radio 4 adaptation by Michael Bakewell and directed by Enyd Williams.