Agatha Christie

Witness For the Prosecution

Billy Wilder cowrote and directed this brilliant 1957 mystery based on Agatha Christie's celebrated play about an aging London barrister (Charles Laughton) who's preparing to retire when he takes the defense in the most vexing murder case of his distinguished career. In his final completed film (he died of a heart attack less than a year later), Tyrone Power plays the prime suspect in the murder of a wealthy widow, and Marlene Dietrich plays the wife of the accused, whose testimony--and true identity--holds the key to solving the case. A classic of courtroom suspense, Witness for the Prosecution is one of those movies with enough double-crossing twists to keep the viewer guessing right up to the very end, when yet another surprise is deftly revealed. This being a Billy Wilder film, the dialogue is first-rate and the acting superb, with both Laughton and his offscreen wife Elsa Lanchester (playing the barrister's pesty nurse) winning Academy Awards for their performances. Although later films would concoct even more complicated courtroom scenarios, this remains one of the best films of its kind and a model for all those films that followed its lead. --Jeff Shannon

Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton star in this brilliantly made courtroom drama (The Film Daily) that left audiences reeling from its surprise twists and shocking climax. Directed by Billy Wilder, scripted by Wilder and Harry Kurnitz and based on Agatha Christie's hit London play, this splendid, six-time Oscar-nominated* classic crackles with emotional electricity (The New York Times) and continues to keep movie lovers riveted until the final, mesmerizing frame. When a wealthy widow is found murdered, her married suitor, Leonard Vole (Power), is accused of the crime. Vole's only hope for acquittal is the testimony of his wife (Dietrich) but his airtightalibi shatters when she reveals some shocking secrets of her own! *1957: Best Picture, Actor (Laughton), Supporting Actress (Elsa Lanchester), Director, Sound, Film Editing

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express

Just the name "Orient Express" conjures images of a bygone era. Add an all-star cast (including Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, and Lauren Bacall, to name a few) and Agatha Christie's delicious plot and how can you go wrong? Particularly if you add in Albert Finney as Christie's delightfully persnickety sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Someone has knocked off nasty Richard Widmark on this train trip and, to Poirot's puzzlement, everyone seems to have a motive--just the setup for a terrific whodunit. Though it seems like an ensemble film, director Sidney Lumet gives each of his stars their own solo and each makes the most of it. Bergman went so far as to win an Oscar for her role. But the real scene-stealer is the ever-reliable Finney as the eccentric detective who never misses a trick. --Marshall Fine

Miss Marple - 3 Feature Length Mysteries (The Body in the Library / A Murder Is Announced / A Pocketful of Rye)

In the hands of Agatha Christie, the murder mystery is like a sonata crossed with a magic trick--an intricate formal structure that depends on ingenious misdirection. On top of that, the movies made from her novels are an opportunity for great British character actors to languish in icy disdain, insinuating glances, arch humor, and trembling suggestions of guilt. This set gathers together three fine BBC productions, starting with The Body in the Library (in which a blond stranger's corpse turns up in a British squire's house), A Murder Is Announced) (in which a supposed parlor game has fatal consequences), and A Pocketful of Rye (in which a nursery rhyme becomes a recipe for a series of poisonings). All star Joan Hickson as Christie's much-loved elderly sleuth, Miss Marple. The way Hickson's eyes light up at the mention of mysterious death makes her seem like a delightfully dotty old ghoul; she hovers at the periphery of investigations, noticing the telling details that police inspectors overlook. The productions lay out plot threads and clues with surgical precision, while the actors play stock characters with exquisite relish. --Bret Fetzer

The beloved dowager detective Miss Marple (Joan Hickson) unravels three of Agatha Christie's most popular brainteasers: A Murder Is Announced A Pocketful of Rye and the series premiere The Body in the Library.Running Time: 421 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating: NR UPC: 794051168924 Manufacturer No: E1689

Poirot - Classic Crimes Collection (The Mystery of the Blue Train / After the Funeral / Cards on the Table / Taken at the Flood)

Tony Award-nominee David Suchet reprises his celebrated role as Hercule Poirot in the CLASSIC CRIMES COLLECTION--an exclusive collection of four brand-new A&E original films. Artfully adapted from Agatha Christie s famous mystery series each multi-million dollar production features a top-notch cast stunning settings and of course enough murder and mystery to test the mettle of our inimitably beloved Belgian sleuth.The CLASSIC CRIMES COLLECTION contains the following four brand-new Poirot movies:THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN: When the daughter of an oil magnate is found dead on the famous Blue Train to the French Riviera Poirot must investigate the past to reveal the killer.TAKEN AT THE FLOOD: Mystery surrounds a young woman after her new husband is killed in the London Blitz but with the discovery of new information Poirot wonders about her true motives.AFTER THE FUNERAL: Following the murder of a wealthy patriarch Poirot is called upon to begin an investigation. The case takes a wild twist however when his prime suspect turns up dead.CARDS ON THE TABLE: When the host is found dead at a card game four investigators - including Poirot himself - look for clues as they set out to discover which guest is the killer.System Requirements:Running Time 379 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 733961752106 Manufacturer No: AAE-75210

The incomparable David Suchet reprises his role as Agatha Christie's indefatigable Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in this collection of four A&E teleplays. Poirot is older now, and mostly solo in solving his crimes, without his previous sidekicks Hastings and Japp. Yet the world-weary Suchet is as compelling as ever to watch, surrounded by the decadent rich who seem to find murder an easy solution to life's inconveniences. The Mystery of the Blue Train, for instance, features a young, and suddenly very dead, heiress, with a dissolute husband, an overprotective father (a fabulously blustery Elliott Gould), greedy cousins, and all sorts of scheming money-owing hangers-on--all cocooned and coddled on a luxury train on the French Riviera. Indeed, one of the many pleasures of this collection is its very high production values; sets, costumes, and locations are detailed and opulently believable. (Though one annoying tic from the films' TV roots inexplicably remains: some "naughty" words, like the "God" in "God-damned," are edited out; surely we home viewers could handle a teensy bit of upper-crust rough talk?) The supporting casts are rich and varied, and the suspects deliciously numerous. And at the center of it all is the ever-refined, driven Poirot, who will not rest until the evil-doers are exposed. Extras include biographies of Agatha Christie and of David Suchet. --A.T. Hurley

And Then There Were None

At first glance, René Clair might seem an odd match for Agatha Christie's mystery thriller Ten Little Indians, but his buoyant touch is exactly what is missing from so many overly solemn remakes. Ten strangers gather for a mysterious gathering on a secluded island. It turns out to be a farewell party, for they all have been sentenced to die for crimes in their past by a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner who may be one of them. One by one, the guests are systematically dispatched in the manner described in the lyrics of the children's rhyme "Ten Little Indians," while the survivors nervously eye one another, splintering into tenuous alliances until the next murder throws suspicion on someone new. The terrific cast of character actors has a ball with Dudley Nichols's witty script. The flamboyant sparring of Barry Fitzgerald (whose paternal Irish lilt takes a sinister dimension) and Walter Huston is almost upstaged by Roland Young's deadpan drollery. Romantic leads Louis Hayward and June Duprez come off as arch and stiff in august company that includes a sinisterly detached Judith Anderson, a dotty and distracted C. Aubrey Smith, and a hilariously flippant Mischa Auer. The story has been remade numerous times under the title of Christie's novel, Ten Little Indians, but never as well. Clair's effervescent, lively little gem is a fatal drawing-room comedy with a body count and a surreal mood of doom. --Sean Axmaker

Ten people, strangers to each other, are invited to a lavish estate on an island. Through a recording, their mysterious host accuses each of his `guests' of murder and proceeds to exact `justice'. The tension mounts as, one by one, the number of people are reduced through the ingenious plotting of the unseen killer. Finally only two are left and each is uncertain as to weather or not the other is the murderer. A top cast of veteran performers bring the intricate twist of the plot to life. One of the most thrilling novels, climaxes at the spine tingling conclusion. Match wits with the script as you watch a thriller that has carved its own special niche in the realm of tales of suspense and mystery. Released by 20th Century Fox. Bonus Features: Bonus Classic Comedy Two-Reeler starring Leon Errol, Scene Selection, Actor Bios, Narrative track for the blind. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital Mono; 97 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year -1945.

Marple Classic Mysteries (Caribbean Mystery/4:50 from Paddington/Moving Finger/Nemesis/At Bertram's Hotel/Murder at Vicarage/Sleeping Murder/They Do It with Mirrors/Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side)

Return to post-war England for mystery and a cup of tea with Agatha Christie s most popular creation. The consummate prim and proper crime-fighting spinster Miss Jane Marple sets down her knitting needles to unwind the most ingenious crimes. As she travels from city to countryside and even the Bahamas murders missing bodies and haunted dreams have a habit of falling across Miss Marple s path--which is precisely when "tail up and head down" the beloved aunt and godmother goes into action. Digitally re-mastered and faithfully adapted from Agatha Christie s best-selling novels THE CLASSIC MYSTERIES COLLECTION features Joan Hickson (Christie s personal choice to play the spinster sleuth) in over fifteen hours of suspense misdirection rich period detail and the cleverest solutions imaginable. DVD Features: Complete Index of all Miss Marple Stories; Agatha Christie Bio; Joan Hickson Biography/Filmography; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection System Requirements:Running Time 936 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE UPC: 733961747096 Manufacturer No: AAE-74709

Joan Hickson is the epitome of Agatha Christie's spinster sleuth in this DVD boxed set of nine Miss Marple movies from British television. "Little grey-haired cobra," mutters Detective Inspector Slack (David Horovitch), the hard-slogging policeman who finds himself humbled, again and again, by the frail woman's shrewd insight and dogged determination. Whether on a tropical island, in a grand hotel, or on a bus tour of historic sites, Miss Marple never fails to uncover the buried secrets, illicit affairs, tangled finances, and boorish Americans that abound in Agatha Christie's mysteries. Hickson is said to be Christie's own choice for the role (though when Christie told her this, Hickson was taken aback, as she was still fairly young at the time), and it's easy to see why: Hickson is physically unassuming, a perfect village busybody, yet her eyes contain a constant flicker of curiosity and keen intelligence.

This set includes all but three of Hickson's outings as Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery, in which an old bore's death on an island resort sets the plot in motion; The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side, which features an aging movie star and sumptuous marble bathrooms; in 4:50 from Paddington, the launch of Sputnik is accompanied by a strangling on a train; The Moving Finger begins with poison pen letters, but poison and bludgeonings soon follow; At Bertram's Hotel is one of the most unusual stories, as murder doesn't happen until more than 3/4 of the movie has unfolded, and the ending features a dynamic rooftop chase; Murder at the Vicarage, a definitive village mystery which finds Miss Marple solving a killing on her home turf; Nemesis, in which a wealthy old friend of Miss Marple's orchestrates, after his own death, the investigation of a murder long gone cold; Sleeping Murder, one of the best, starts out as more of a ghost story than a mystery and culminates in genuine suspense; and They Do It With Mirrors, in which misdirection--the cunning art upon which any murder mystery depends--is part of the plot itself.

There are a few famous names sprinkled among the casts (among them Donald Pleasance, Halloween, Jean Simmons, Spartacus, and Joan Greenwood, The Importance of Being Earnest, who has one of the most wonderful voices in the history of British cinema), but these BBC dramas depend mostly on solid, enjoyable character actors--actors much like Hickson herself, who labored for decades in bit parts before finding her plum role. The compression necessary to turn a book into a movie sometimes makes sussing out the murderer simpler, but fans of the genre will still be delighted by Miss Marple's perceptive investigations. --Bret Fetzer

Death on the Nile

Inspector Hercule Poirot must solve the murder of a beautiful young heiress.
Genre: Mystery
Rating: PG
Release Date: 8-JUN-2004
Media Type: DVD

Following Albert Finney's quirky and compelling performance as Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, in 1974's Murder on the Orient Express, Peter Ustinov capably took over the role in this 1978 adaptation of Christie's river-bound whodunit. While on a pleasure cruise along the Nile with a taciturn companion (David Niven), Poirot slips into action following the murder of a much-despised heiress (Lois Chiles). There's no shortage of suspects... until, that is, they also start dying off, obfuscating the investigation by suggesting that several killers may be at work. With a disciplined screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, the film is solid enough (certainly better than its 1981 follow-up, Evil Under the Sun) and is graced immeasurably by a glittery cast including Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow, Olivia Hussey, Jack Warden, and Angela Lansbury. Directed with customary efficiency by John Guillermin (King Kong, The Towering Inferno). --Tom Keogh

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Definitive Collection

Tony Award-nominee David Suchet is Hercule Poirot - dressed to the nines, impeccably mannered and infuriatingly arch, he is a detective like no other. Adapted from Agatha Christie's celebrated mysteries, each film features beautiful settings and an impeccable cast.

Now, for the first time, twelve of Suchet's feature-length Poirot mysteries are available together in this collector's set. Produced by Brian Eastman (Traffik, Jeeves & Wooster), these exquisitely crafted tales of death and deception were filmed on location around the world, and features enough murder and mystery to test the mettle of our inimitably beloved Belgian sleuth.

AGATHA CHRISTIE S POIROT: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION contains all twelve A&E feature-length Poirot films:
THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD: Poirot's retirement in a quiet country village ends abruptly with the death of his disagreeable neighbor.
LORD EDGWARE DIES: Intervening in a sticky marital situation, Poirot suddenly finds himself in the midst of murder.
MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA: Poirot visits an ancient site in Iraq just before the head archeologist's unpopular wife is killed.
EVIL UNDER THE SUN: Death intrudes on Poirot's island holiday, and only he can determine who is responsible.
DEATH ON THE NILE: A pleasure cruise down the Nile turns deadly when a murder is discovered on board. Thank goodness Poirot is along for the ride.
SAD CYPRESS: The solution to a double-murder case appears to be cut and dry, but Poirot's impeccable instincts eventually lead him to the real truth.
THE HOLLOW: A weekend retreat where all the guests appear to despise one another finds Poirot hard at work doing what he does best.
FIVE LITTLE PIGS: Poirot agrees to help a young woman prove her mother's innocence, 14 years after being sent to the gallows.
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN: When the daughter of an oil magnate is found dead on the famous Blue Train to the French Riviera, Poirot must investigate the past to reveal the killer.
TAKEN AT THE FLOOD: Mystery surrounds a young woman after her new husband is killed in the London Blitz, and the mystery deepens when a man who may be her first husband shows up dead.
AFTER THE FUNERAL: Following the murder of a wealthy patriarch, Poirot is called upon to begin an investigation. The case takes a wild twist however, when his prime suspect turns up dead.
CARDS ON THE TABLE: When a woman is found dead at a card game, four investigators--including Poirot himself set out to discover which guest is the killer.

Poirot - The Complete Collection (Lord Edgeware Dies / The Murder of Roger Ackroyd / Evil Under the Sun / Murder in Mesopotamia)

Four beautifully made mysteries comprise this boxed-set collection of Agatha Christie classics, in which David Suchet perfectly captures the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, in which yet another of Poirot's retirements is interrupted with murder, is an admirable adaptation of a nearly unfilmable plot. Lord Edgeware Dies offers the pleasing combination of murder, theater folk, and a glimpse of a besotted Poirot. Evil Under the Sun features cold-blooded murder at a sunny health resort, and Murder in Mesopotamia doubles the fun by dropping all the intrigue into an archaeological dig. Each mystery is lovingly crafted with clever direction, a clear fondness for Christie's work, and painstakingly accurate period settings. Suchet and Hugh Fraser (as Captain Hastings) make a marvelous pair, capturing both the easy companionship and the frequent bickering of true friendship. Special DVD features include an index of all the Hercule Poirot stories and biographies of Agatha Christie and David Suchet. --Ali Davis

Agatha Christie's Marple: Series 1

Miss Marple is back, and what an invigorating, happy experience this quartet of British television productions is for both mystery fans and casual viewers. The luminous Geraldine McEwan (Vanity Fair), following in the footsteps of Helen Hayes, Angela Lansbury, Margaret Rutherford, and others, essays Agatha Christie's aging, amateur sleuth as a discreet observer, knowing friend, and judicious dispenser of wisdom during murder investigations. But what really makes these crisp adaptations a delight is the endless parade of familiar actors playing those numerous suspects, baffled police, and innocent observers who routinely populate Christie's glossy, whodunit landscapes. It's hard not to be dazzled by supporting casts that include Tara Fitzgerald, Robert Powell, Simon Callow, Joanna Lumley, Ian Richardson, Jane Asher, Miriam Margolyes, Tim McInnerny, Herbert Lom, and Jenny Agutter, all nestled into gorgeous, post-World War II backdrops, usually in the English countryside.

This boxed set includes "The Murder at the Vicarage," based on Christie's 1930 book about the killing of one hugely unlikable Colonel Protheroe (Derek Jacobi) in Jane Marple's pretty home village of St. Mary Mead. Typically, there is no end of likely suspects, but what makes the investigation unusual is a pair of competing confessions from two illicit lovers (Jason Flemyng, Janet McTeer). Stephen Tompkinson (Ballykissangel) is very good as a police inspector who slowly develops admiration for Miss Marple's keen mind. "The Body in the Library" finds Marple aiding the brassy Dolly Bantry (Lumley) after the latter finds the body of an unknown woman in her library. Callow is wonderful as another cop who initially underestimates the heroine's gifts. "A Murder Is Announced," in which a killing is advertised before it happens, and "4:50 from Paddington," about a murder without a body, round out the set with imaginative plots and memorable performances. Don't miss the special featurette in which McEwan and others talk about the endless appeal of Miss Marple. --Tom Keogh

She's back! Proper, demure, and sharp as a tack, Agatha Christie's beloved Miss Marple returns to the limelight in sparkling new adaptations of four classic Christie novels. Geraldine McEwan (The Magdalene Sisters, Mapp & Lucia) is the ladylike sleuth, a wispy senior citizen who blows the police professionals out of the water with her keen insight and shrewdly analytical nature. Fearless and uncommonly wise to the worst in human nature, Marple has lived a long time-and she's paid attention.

As seen on the PBS Mystery! series, these lavish 21st-century productions are rich in post-WWII period atmosphere and delicious Christie wit, with star-studded casts that include Joanna Lumley, Derek Jacobi, Tara Fitzgerald, Ian Richardson, Janet McTeer, Zok Wanamaker, Simon Callow, James Fox, John Hannah, and Celia Imrie.

The Mysteries:
Murder at the Vicarage
The Body in the Library
A Murder Is Announced
4:50 From Paddington

DVD special features include an hour-long behind-the-scenes featurette with cast and crew interviews, a history of Miss Marple adaptations, a photo gallery and more.