Evil Under The Sun Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Evil is Everywhere. Even in Paradise.
Holidays can be murder.
While vacationing in the Greek Isles, famous detective Hercule Poirot spotted a beautiful woman on the beach. Realizing that she was dead, he did not ask her out to dinner.
Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate a case for an insurance company regarding firstly a dead woman's body found on a moor and then a important diamond sent to the company to be insured turns out to be a fake. Poirot discovers that the diamond was bought for Arlena Marshall by Sir Horace Platt and Arlena is on her honeymoon with her husband and step-daughter on a tropical island hotel. He joins them on the island and finds that everybody else starts to hate Arlena for different reasons - refusing to do a stage show, stopping a book, and for having an open affair with Patrick Redfern, another guest, in full view of his shy wife. So it's only a matter of time before Arlena turns up dead, strangled and Poirot must find out who it is...
| Peter Ustinov | Hercule Poirot |
| Jane Birkin | Christine Redfern |
| Colin Blakely | Sir Horace Blatt |
| Nicholas Clay | Patrick Redfern |
| James Mason | Odell Gardener |
| Roddy McDowall | Rex Brewster |
| Sylvia Miles | Myra Gardener |
| Denis Quilley | Captain Kenneth Marshall |
| Diana Rigg | Arlena Stuart Marshall |
| Maggie Smith | Daphne Castle |
| Emily Hone | Linda Marshall |
| John Alderson | Police Sergeant |
| Paul Antrim | Police Inspector |
| Cyril Conway | Police Surgeon |
| Barbara Hicks | Mr. Flewitt's Secretary |
| Guy Hamilton |
6.60 out of 10 (2332 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Use those little grey cells
posted on 31 Aug 2009A mysterious murder, unbreakable alibis, and a stolen diamond... all wrapped up in a glitzy, mildly campy shell.
Yeah, you can't expect "Evil Under the Sun," with its barbed Mediterranean atmosphere, to resemble Agatha Christie's usual cozies. This relaxed murder mystery does succeed at being fun and genuinely befuddling, although the martini-swilling, sunny atmosphere make the entire gruesome murder feel rather too... relaxing. A murder shouldn't seem like a vacation... or should it?
An insurance goof and a stolen gem send Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) to "Daphne's Place," a palace-turned-hotel in a small Mediterranean country. He arrives on the same boat as famed stage actress Arlena Marshall (Diana Rigg) and her new husband and stepdaughter. Arlena openly has an affair with boytoy Patrick (Nicholas Clay) -- and then she suddenly turns up, strangled on a remote beach.
There are suspects galore: her betrayed husband, resentful stepdaughter, an old rival who is attracted to Mr. Marshall, a pair of ugly American producers whom she's bankrupting, a flaming gossip writer who has written a steamy tell-all, and her boytoy's mousy wife. But no one had the opportunity -- everyone has an alibi. So Hercule Poirot exercises the "little gray cells," unravelling the clues of a discarded bottle, a midday shower, a cannon, and perfume in a cave.
Don't expect "Evil Under the Sun" to be any more faithful to its book than Arlena is to Marshall -- several aspects of the plot are rearranged or changed, and the sense of darkness is exchanged for a rhinestoned camp quality. And the plot unfolds at a leisurely pace, dropping in hints, clues and clever deceptions like so many plastic jewels on a beach.
In fact, the clothes say it all -- both Rigg and Maggie Smith wear faux jewels on silver lame, and American Myra resembles a Christmas tree with fur. Everyone swills martinis, sunbathes, and wanders across a lush little island to the hotel. Occasionally the impending murder and its aftereffects seem almost like an afterthought.
That said, "Evil Under the Sun's" campy quality is part of what makes it so much fun. Lots of catty, witty dialogue ("She always could throw her legs up in the air higher than the rest of us... and wider..."), sniping characters with plenty of motives, and a delightfully loathsome victim. You'll want Arlena dead by the time she tells her daughter to go play with the jellyfish, and then you'll want to know who could possibly have done the impossible.
Peter Ustinov has the right combination of smarts and comedy to play Poirot, the Belgian sleuth who saves the day and drives the hotel staff crazy. And while he succeeds in bringing Poirot's eccentricities to life (such as the "swimming" scene), he never takes it over the top to the point where Poirot becomes cartoonish.
The always-awesome Maggie Smith also turns in a wonderful performance as the razor-tongued "maitresse en titre turned hotelier," turning in some touching and funny moments among the sharp dialogue. And Rigg is wonderfully catty, nasty, glamorous and utterly uncaring of anyone else. The supporting cast also does a wonderful job, particularly the two who play the murderers -- and are the last ones you'd expect.
The one flaw is that all the humor, glitz and wit detract a little from the dark atmosphere one expects from a murder mystery. Instead, "Evil Under the Sun" is a campy comedy that happens to have a murder in it.
Ustinov's best; good mystery, fun camp wallow
posted on 31 Aug 2009The team of John Brabourne and Co., having produced the movie versions of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile", brought back Peter Ustinov's engaging Hercule Poirot in this fun, campy offering. The star-studded cast (Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, James Mason, Roddy McDowall et al.) seem to be having the time of their lives. Anthony Shaffer's script sparkles, the sets and costumes are splendid, and John Lanchbery's gorgeous arrangements of Cole Porter classics divert at these few points when the action slows. The movie, made in 1981, holds up well; even if you know whodunit and how, there are set pieces and witty ripostes throughout to keep you amused.
My only cavil is that the recap at the end, when Poirot reveals all, moves slowly, but that's characteristic of sleuth movies and there's probably no remedy.
Terrific fun - rather underrated
posted on 18 Aug 2009This was the second of Peter Ustinov's outings as Poirot. The series went a little downhill after this but 'Evil Under The Sun' remains glorious. More tongue in cheek than 'Death On The Nile' which preceded it, considerable changes are made to the source material. Instead of an island off the Devon coast we are in the Adriatic and only a few of the original hotel guests remain intact. Its all tremendous fun though with some wonderfully witty dialogue, fabulous costumes and a great soundtrack featuring the tunes of Cole Porter.In my opinion there are no bad turns in this film but I do have a particular fondness for Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg. Sylvia Miles is superbly grotesque as Myra Gardiner and Dennis Quilley is dignified as the put upon Kenneth Marshall. Peter Ustinov is sometimes criticised for being nothing like Christie's description of her Belgian detective and this is true but he throws off the role with tremendous panache. Christie purists may prefer the David Suchet TV version of the story but it's not half as much fun as this.
Who Done It?
posted on 31 Jul 2009What a great Who Done It movie... great scenery, great character development and a wonderful music score by Cole Porter with some of his most enjoyable pieces performed through out the movie. A very typical Agatha Christie movie and you must watch closely to get all the clues to see if you can figure out Who done it! If you pay close attention you should be able to guess the culprit, although everyone is a suspect since no one likes the victim and have their own reason to want her dead, but who had not only the motive but opportunity to carry out the dastardly deed. After watching this movie I would like to see other Agatha Christie movies.The movie is good clean fun for the entire family, the way movies should be, good entertainment.
Must see
posted on 08 Apr 2009This is a superb film – right through.A group of wealthy performers, writers and producers gather for a holiday on a beautiful island hotel run by an ex-show girl played by Maggie Smith. Right from the arrival of the guests the sparks start to fly. The interplay between Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg is priceless and Maggie Smith is really funny throughout the entire film.The entire cast is absolutely top notch and they all bring their own particular quality to this murder mystery. Of course there is a nasty bit of murder and our detective just happens to be around to solve the apparently unsolvable case, Ustinov has made character his own and will always be the definitive Piorot.Throughout the film there is a dry wit which a delight and a very clever twist in the end. Not many films made this well nowadays.
Entertainment Under The Sun
posted on 24 Dec 2008With its humor, great scenery, stylized period clothes, wonderful music, complex whodunit puzzle, and deliciously hammy acting from Peter Ustinov, James Mason, Sylvia Miles, Diana Rigg, and Maggie Smith, "Evil Under The Sun" is an absolute delight.There are a couple of different ways to watch this film. You can focus on the murder mystery story. It's not one of Agatha Christie's best, but it's good enough to invest a couple of hours to try and solve. As with other whodunits, the plot here is wildly improbable, with some rather unlikely coincidences in timing.Alternately, you can focus on the cinematic goodies that make this film such a pleasant diversion. The Mediterranean scenery is gorgeous, with towering cliffs that rise from a sparkling blue sea. The 1930's clothes and production design are opulent and lavish. Men's formal attire, women's colorful dresses and flamboyant hats, and the showy jewelry that only the idle rich could afford, are all quaint by today's fashion standards. The island resort is cozy and expensive looking, with elegant furniture, and balconies and windows that overlook the sea. Throw in lots of 1930's music by Cole Porter, especially "You're The Top", and you've got a relaxing, enjoyable cinematic experience that's pleasing both to the eyes and the ears.Arguably, the best elements of this film are the acting and the amusingly flowery dialogue. All the actors ham it up, in grand camp style. Performances may not be realistic. But they sure are lots of fun. I liked Ustinov's word pronunciations: "You remember 'zee' false diamond ... on 'zee' beach"; "Incidentally, I accept your 'hallie-by'"; "If you would care to confide in me, I should be most 'honn-erd'".The bitching between vain Arlena Marshall (Diana Rigg), a prima donna actress, and the resort's hostess, Daphne Castle (Maggie Smith) is also amusing and fun. At an opulent cocktail party, guests mingle. Then, in dramatic style, Arlena, elegantly dressed, makes a glamorously staged entrance, and vainly confesses: "Oh my, I'm the 'laust' to arrive". To which hostess Daphne, with hors d'oeuvre tray in hand, walks over and greets Arlena with a sly smile: "Have a sausage, dear.""Evil Under The Sun" is pure diversionary entertainment. There's no profound message. Nor are there any deep, subtle themes on the human condition that viewers can later ponder. The film is shallow, effervescent, animated ... fluff. But it is very high quality fluff.
"You know how funny people can be about a spot of murder."
posted on 25 Oct 2008I've lost count of the number of times I've seen Evil Under the Sun. The natural question may be "Why watch a mystery more than once when you already know whodunit?" The simple answer – entertainment. Evil Under the Sun never fails to provide me with almost two hours of entertainment. The movie is so much more than the mystery. Truth be known, Evil Under the Sun is one of the weakest of Agatha Christie's novels relying far too heavily on some absurd coincidences. So beyond the mystery, it's the location, the acting, and the character interactions that bring me back time and time again.- Location: The island scenery is simply breathtaking. The rocky cliffs set against the blue Mediterranean are beautiful. It's hard to believe that such places actually exist. The palace/hotel in which much of the film takes place is filmed in grand style. In short, Christopher Challis' cinematography is stunning.- Acting: Evil Under the Sun features some wonderful actors having what appears to be a grand old time with their characters. Peter Unsitnov, James Mason, Diana Rigg, Roddy McDowell, and Jane Birkin are all truly wonderful in their performances. But for me, Maggie Smith makes Evil Under the Sun something special. Her catty Daphne Castle is a remarkably enjoyable character.- Character Interactions: Watching any of these fine actors working together is a real treat. But the best example of what makes Evil Under the Sun so much fun is watching Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg go at each other. One of my favorite moments has to be when Smith characters describes why Rigg's character went further as an actress than she did. She explains that not only could Rigg's character kick her legs higher, but also farther apart. It's a wonderfully funny moment.
Fun time waster
posted on 27 Jul 2008Ustinov was always the most amusing of the movie Hercoles, with his droll sense of humor and almost disgusted facial expressions. He's a riot here. As other reviews have stated, tune in for the interaction between Rigg and Maggie. They make the picture. (Maggie was hysterical in her brief scene stealing role in Death on the Nile, too). Again, not the book Agatha wrote, but the book never had this scenery, either. A solid cast makes you wonder if anymore all star Christie adaptions will be made?
OK comedy murder mystery
posted on 21 Jul 2008EVIL UNDER THE SUN is a weak Agatha Christie adaptation, in that it is easy enough to figure out whodunit early on, and this rather long film gets awfully talky after awhile. Also, Peter Ustinov is a poor substitute for Albert Finney as the legendary Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this followup to the magnificent MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. Finney was all quirks and mannerisms and razor-sharp bon mots and bizarre in appearance. Ustinov is -- well, Ustinov. Fat and silly, and not particularly resembling Poirot. So is EVIL, about a murder at a swanky seaside resort, worth watching? Only for the delicious, vicious repartee between Diana Rigg as an aging, very vain stage actress and Maggie Smith as her old stage mate who is much more down to earth and now runs a hotel on a remote island in the Adriatic, if I have my geography right. James Mason and Roddy McDowell are also on board, but neither is particularly effective. It is hard to believe this clunky mystery was directed by Guy Hamilton of JAMES BOND fame.
Quite good
posted on 28 May 2008I find Ustinov's Poirot too far removed from Agatha's conception of the "finnicky little Belgian". And I have less patience with it in this one than in "Death on the Nile". The supporting performances seem to be a little disjointed and disconnected from each other. The plot is too convoluted and depends on too many coincidences to be completely convincing. But all that can be set aside. The movie's still great fun to watch.
The second best Poirot theatrical release
posted on 28 Apr 2008The best still remains "Death On The Nile". I feel that the "first act" of "Evil Under The Sun" is ever-so-slightly too long. And the very final moments of the film, after the revelation of the killer(s) and AFTER the classic "Jane Birkin walking down the staircase" scene, could have been better executed. Other than that, this is a highly enjoyable film that can be watched multiple times. The first time, you'll like it more for the cleverly conceived mystery, which I would actually classify as one of Agatha Christie's best; it seems almost unsolvable, yet it's so simple when it's all explained. In the following viewings, you'll appreciate more the magnificent locations (I'm still planning to visit "Daphne's place" someday - I'd love to see how and if it has changed over the years), the quotable dialogue, the delightful performances from the entire cast (starting of course with Sir Peter Ustinov, so funny when he's reveling in his own brilliance), the grandiose score. The generally excellent David Suchet "Poirot" series also adapted this story, in 2002, but that version can't hold a candle to this one in my opinion. (***)
Getting a bit fagged out.
posted on 02 Mar 2008One of the better Christie adaptations. Enjoyable but still getting noticeably tired.The performances are fine. Ustinov's Hercule Poirot is the equal of both David Suchet and Albert Finney, fine Poirots in their own right. Roddy MacDowell plays a snoopy gay journalist to just the right level -- see him perching on the steps with his hips cocked to one side, his elbow extended and his hand resting on his waist, a cigarette held so daintily in the other hand. At the top, but not over it. ("This may not be cherchez la femme but it is definitely cherchez la fruit," says Maggie Smith offering him up as a suspect.)Ditto for Diana Rigg as the bitchy actress entering the decline of her career. The most amusing part of the movie is when Rigg exchanges catty insults with Maggie Smith as the prim proprietor of the hotel. "We all admired you when you were in the chorus line and kicked your legs up higher than anyone else -- and wider." Poor Rigg's husband stands between the two as they diss one another, a slightly puzzled look on his face because -- well, let's face facts -- women are so much better at this sort of thing than men. Rigg, nota bene, has one powerful knockout of a figure. Whew. Her male counterpart, Nicholas Clay, swaggers smugly around in a pair of tight black drawers that threaten to reveal his shortcomings at any moment, but it's just not the same as Diana Rigg and those endlessly long suntanned legs. Sylvia Miles is outrageous as a garishly made-up obstreperous American lady, croaking out vulgarisms like, "They had to stash her away in the BOOBY HATCH." And James Mason (underused) has a splendid scene in which he is queried by Poirot and delights in explaining why he has no alibi. "No, not like the detective novels. No one saw me. No caretaker coming along, gallantly touching his forelock in greeting." For a few moments the dialog seemed to come out of Vladimir Nabokov. The lines were good, but I guess the fact that Mason had once been a splendid Humbert Humbert had something to do with the impression.I suppose the exclusive use of Cole Porter's music (splashy, fully orchestrated, fully blown, with 1930ish arrangements) was supposed to add some additional interest to the story but I'm not sure it was much of an improvement over the original scores for "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile." Okay, "Get Out of Town" and "I've Got My Eye on You" were apt enough titles but the music seemed self conscious, as if the score meant to draw attention to its own wit.The wardrobe in both of the recent earlier Poirots was good. Sometimes, as in the case of Angela Lansbury in "Death on the Nile," it was great! Here, the period is the 1930s rather than the 1920s, and the wardrobe, like the score, seems to be trying too hard. The costumes are flashy without being at all attractive. Did women have those broad built-in shoulders like Arnold Schwarzenegger back then? Or hats like paellerias with feathers? It all seems overdone.The plot is good Christie and the locations, while not exactly majestic, are attractive and used to their fullest extent.Yet this doesn't quite measure up to the preceding two Poirots. It reminds me of the slow deflation in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series, the ones with Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. There's an increased sense of going through the motions. Subsequent episodes with Ustinov were to become cheaper and more slapdash.I don't mean to say that it's a crummy movie, because it's not. It's pretty good, especially if you haven't seen the earlier entries. An interesting, genteel Whodunit, with not a drop of blood to be seen.
Enjoyable
posted on 28 Feb 2008With the relative success of Death on the Nile, studios decided to grab Ustinov again, assemble some of the same stock company {Maggie Smith, Jane Birkin] and take him to the Adriatic coast sometime in the 30s. It is a highly enjoyable mystery, though rather easy to solve as to method once we see the model of the island. It is also more economical than Nile, without the long prelude to murder that threatens to make us lose interest in the cardboard characters that surround the detective.Ustinov will never be able to summon up the rage of Albert Finney in the finale of Orient, partly because we laugh with him at his foibles, not at him. He does not take himself as seriously as Finney, or David Suchet in the BBC Poirots, but he is great fun and is consistent. He would actually make a fine Miss Marple, as he snoops about and eavesdrops.The director does more to restrain the scenery chewing that was the staple of Nile; this is not to criticize such acting. Cardboard characters deserve over the top acting.There are a couple of points that make us wonder if the writer and director have lost their way. Maggie Smith encounters a dead rabbit; while some say this is symbolism, it has little place in this light story and is never explained. Then James Mason goes skulking about on a path, but we are told he was reading in the garden. Kind of reminds us that we never did know who killed Owen Taylor in The Big Sleep.
A must see.
posted on 02 Jan 2008This is a first rate film.Rarely are so many top actors seen together in one production.What the director did was to take an Agatha Christy murder mystery and sparkle it with humour and dry wit. Maggie Smith is absolutely priceless and her bitching with Diana Rigg is reminiscent of Wilde`s importance of being Earnest. Each of the actors look as though they had a terrific time throughout the production as they camp up the roles but still manage to keep the serious side of the plot going.A must see.
Decent whodunnit with some wonderful performances.
posted on 30 Dec 2007Agatha Christie never came out too well on film, her "clockwork" plots seemed even more artificial when acted out than on the page. That said, this is one of the more enjoyable adaptions of her work, thanks to some excellent performances, especially from Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith.Rigg is the bitch-goddess theatrical Diva whom everyone hates and one person kills, and she has an utterly wonderful time swanning around bitching off at everyone around her. Maggie Smith has less to work with as the hotelier with a shady past, but is just as much fun to watch. Their scenes together are priceless, two wonderful actresses at the top of their form enjoying themselves immensely.Peter Ustinov is fine as Hercule Poirot, he has some lovely comic scenes as the fussy Belgian, although the two divas rather leave him in the shade. Roddy MacDowell is enjoyable as a bitchy writer, and young Jane Birkin is impressive as Rigg's resentful, neglected stepdaughter.The film as a whole is not great, it's rather slow and drags when Rigg and Smith aren't there; but there are some fine moments, the photography of the Greek island setting is ravishing, and so I say what the heck, watch.
Witty and bitchy dialogue given the royal treatment by Diana Riggs and Maggie Smith...
posted on 13 Oct 2007Definitely one of the more enjoyable adaptations of Agatha Christie novels due to brilliant dialog exchanges between members of an all-star cast--as well as the inclusion of a number of attractive Cole Porter tunes amid spectacular scenic backgrounds. If you enjoyed Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot in 'Death on the Nile' you'll find him twice as amusing in this one. But the film really belongs to Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith who have a fine time with the witty, brittle lines. James Mason and Roddy McDowall are also impressive, as are a number of other players who form the usual vast number of suspects. A clever, if contrived, plot that strains credibility--depending so much on coincidences--but as usual, Christie is clever enough to cover any weaknesses with other distractions. Enjoyable for any mystery fan. The photography of the seaside spa is a feast for the eyes.
"Disappointing all-star version of a fine whodunit."
posted on 12 Jun 2007Multi-millionaire tycoon Sir Horace Blatt (COLIN BLAKELY) is accused of fraud after attempting to insure a forgery of a precious jewel for £40,000. However, when Hercule Poirot (PETER USTINOV) visits Sir Horace on behalf of the insurance company, it turns out that the jewels had been switched and Poirot is engaged to find out whom. The case takes Poirot to an Adriatic island where the luxury hotel is ran by former actress Daphne Castle (MAGGIE SMITH) and incidentally Sir Horace is on holiday there too. However, the atmosphere of this idyllic location becomes electric on the arrival of stage actress Arlena Marshall (DIANA RIGG) and her husband Kenneth Marshall (DENIS QUILLEY) and her stepdaughter Linda (EMILY HONE). Arlena is disliked by the other guests for various reasons. For instance there's theatre producers Odell Gardener (JAMES MASON) and his wife Myra (SYLVIA MILES) whom Arlena walked out on their play costing them vast amounts of money. Then there's author Rex Brewster (RODDY MCDOWALL) whom Arlena refused to allow the rights for him to publish his biography on her life story and even the hotel manager Daphne disliked her because they used to work together on the stage and didn't get on. To make matters worse, Arlena is having an affair with the womanising Patrick Redfern (NICHOLAS CLAY) in clear view of her husband and stepdaughter and Redfern's own wife Christine (JANE BIRKIN) is well aware of the fact too causing furious arguments between her and Patrick. Things come to a head the following day when Arlena is found strangled on the beach and Hercule Poirot finds himself investigating the murder and there are plenty of suspects as well as the theft of Sir Horace Blatt's jewel. Could the two crimes be connected?EVIL UNDER THE SUN was based on Agatha Christie's novel, which was first published in 1941. However, Christie's original setting was the Devon coast, but the producers elected to relocate the story to Majorca thus robbing the story of any menace and suspense. No amount of huge production values, classy location photography or a star-studded cast can disguise the fact that this is a disappointing and mediocre film. The acting leaves much to be desired as none of the actors here seem suited to play Christie's characters and most of them go way over the top. Ustinov created a memorable portrayal as Poirot in DEATH ON THE NILE, but here he elects to play the Belgian sleuth far too tongue in cheek . Sadly, this would also be the case in his subsequent outings as Poirot. The best acting comes from Nicholas Clay and Jane Birkin (she appeared in Death On The Nile alongside Ustinov and Smith) who are good as Patrick and Christine Redfern and Enily Hone also gives an outstanding performance as Arlena's unhappy stepdaughter Linda who is caught between her father's unhappy marriage and her stepmother's flirtations with other men. The script is by Anthony Shaffer who did fine work for Alfred Hitchcock's FRENZY (1972) and also a marvelous script for the cult British horror movie THE WICKER MAN (1973), but he isn't at his best here and neither is Guy Hamilton who was one of the leading directors in the James Bond series in the 1960's-70's and in 1954, he did a fine version of JB Priestly's classic play AN INSPECTOR CALLS.Happily, twenty years later in 2002, ITV gave us a fine version of the story as part of their long running and highly popular series starring David Suchet as Poirot. This not only restored the story to its original setting, but the cast was made up of actors who weren't international stars but who were most suitable to play Christie's characters.
It may be cliché, but the book was better...
posted on 05 Nov 2006First off, any movie with Maggie Smith and I'm on board.I will say this, Agatha Christie's books are illustrious enough, I don't really see much room for improvement, if any. When people eliminate characters, and change others, it seems arrogant, and unnecessary.Diana Rigg is always....delightfully...dramatic, but the character of Arlena is so perfectly painted in the book, and Diana completely does away with Arlena's sexual prowess. Rigg makes Arlena more of a drag queen than a femme fatal. The entrance of Arlena in the book is so well written, ascending the stairs to the people below, and instead we get a cranky, cantankerous old Diva, rather than the serpentine, Scarlet Woman that Christie gave us in her book. Why a gorgeous, muscled Nicholas Clay would ever lust after Rigg is beyond my understanding. Charles Busch probably would have been a sexier Arlena Marshall. and oh. my. god... the musical number.......oh my god.... I'm convinced that Rigg is actually a man now. Overall, the film was entertaining, perhaps very entertaining to someone who has never read Miss Christie's book, but I can assure that someone that the book, the original "Evil Under the Sun" is far more entertaining.
Hercule Poirot shows proper swimming techniques
posted on 31 Aug 2009Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot is challenged to locate a missing jewel. To do this he must go to a small island. Guess who has a tendency to get seasick? He requests his fee in guineas (a guinea is equivalent of 21 shillings.)
Naturally someone(s) is unexplainably dispatched. Of course the island is loaded with the usual suspects. Everyone has a motive and an alibi. By this time you have completely forgotten how the movie started.
Speaking about the movie, they pulled out all the stops with expensive locations, costumes, and actors. And Cole Porter tossed in for ambiance. There was even an appearance of Roddy McDowall who played Alan "Mollymauk" Musgrave in "Lord Love A Duck" (1966)
Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile