Christie Classics: Poirot Suchet; 1945s, “And Then There Were None”; Hickson's Marple; Dietrich as Prosecution Witness
Agatha Christie's latest cinematic film, The Haunting of Venice, may be dull and tired, but the crime queen's relationship with the screen (big and small) often bears great fruit.
The first adaptation dates from almost the same period as her earlier novels, and over the course of nearly a century we've seen some directors play fast and loose, and some be obsessively true to Christie's goals.
Here are the best in descending order.
20. ABC Murders (2018, TV) 
John Malkovich as Hercule Poirot Photo: TBC
Christie's enduring 1936 plot was “borrowed” by Lee Child when he wrote the Jack Reacher novel One Shot (adapted into the first film). It was the necessary engine for this divisive attempt at a new spin on Poirot, which not only cast John Malkovich with a neat gray goatee, but also made him look weary and miserable. At least a curiosity.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
19. The Mirror Cracked (1980, film)
Much of it is just silly, not least Angela Lansbury's overly fussy Marple and plenty of mature overacting throughout. But Guy Hamilton's usual camp demeanor still makes it an underwhelming treat, with Liz Taylor and Kim Novak heading to a starstruck village in search of a top-notch bitch as feuding Hollywood divas. Plus Rock Hudson, of course.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video/Apple TV
18. Murder with Mirrors (1985, TV)
Helen Hayes is plucky but all-American – few people love Marple, essentially picking up where Lansbury left off for Warner Bros after The Mirror Cracked flopped. The big plus here is the supporting cast: Bette Davis, John Mills, Leo McKern, Dorothy Tutin, Anton Rogers, Frances de la Tour and a young Tim Roth.
17. “Glittering Cyanide” (1983, TV)
One of the most memorable plots that Christie hatched without Poirot or Marple was keeping an eye on someone's bag at the dinner table and who was sitting where. This very Californian effort epitomizes the early 1980s, when Christie was all the rage in pre-Murder, She Wrote America, but at least an Englishman in the cast (Anthony Andrews) was able to bring her out.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
16. Ordeal by Innocence (2018, TV) 
Bill Nighy in Ordeal by Innocence Author: James Fisher
The recent blows to individual Christies have not been to everyone's taste – indeed, there are some that most certainly have not been to anyone's taste. This three-part BBC project was probably best received, with major plot changes that reviewers laughed at and a star-studded cast playing the murderous Argyll family, including Bill Nighy, Anne Chancellor and Matthew Goode.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
15. Why didn't they ask Evans? (1980, TV)
Remade in a 2022 version written and directed by Hugh Laurie, the story of amateur sleuths Bobby and Frankie solving a murder on a golf course already has a strong reputation: in 2011, ITV tried to shoehorn Julia MacKenzie's Marple into it. , but there was also a star-studded version with John Gielgud and Francesca Annis.
Watch on Britbox
14. Murder on the Orient Express (1974, film)
Kicking off the newly returned vogue for the Christie star, Sidney Lumet's handsome blockbuster was a huge success, even if Albert Finney (despite an Oscar nomination) is insufferably bad company as Poirot. Ingrid Bergman even won one match with a ridiculously grouped lineup that never had enough chances to play each other.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
13. Peril at End House (1990, TV) 
David Suchet in Peril at End House Photo: ITV/Shutterstock
Not all episodes of Suchet's Poirot survive, partly because some of them clearly (but ineffectively) depart from Christie's plots. The first adapted novel, set on the Cornish coast, is a striking exception with some particularly stunning costumes: Miss Lemon has rarely looked more glamorous and Polly Walker's ideal is in jeopardy.
Watch on ITVX
12. Sleeping Murder (1987, TV)
The criminal comes outside with Marple off-screen, but she is still one step ahead, intervening by throwing soap in his face to stop another murder. The unparalleled quality of Hickson's adaptations makes them all fun to watch: while they aren't the absolute best of the best, they do include a neat riff on Webster's The Duchess of Malfi.
Watch on Britbox and Amazon Prime Video
11. 4.50 to Paddington (1997, radio)
Christie radio adaptations are a venerable tradition, dating back to 1934, when Miss Marple Tells the Story was broadcast on the Beeb. Better than any Marple since Hickson on television, June Whitfield recorded the entire collection starting in 1993, which is available as a box set on CD. They are frankly old-fashioned and businesslike.
10. Thirteen at Dinner (1985, TV) 
David Suchet and Faye Dunaway in Thirteen at Dinner Photo: Cinematic/Alamy Stock Photo
If you want to see the pairing of Ustinov and Suchet – the former as Poirot, the latter as Cockney Inspector Japp in a joke-filled adaptation of Lord Edgware Dies – this is where to go. Bill Nighy is a drunken playboy, but they are all, naturally, overshadowed by the outstanding American actress Faye Dunaway.
9. The Endless Night (1972, film)
Sidney Gilliat's strange and rather engrossing work has a British New Wave flavor: energetic photographer Hywela Bennett kisses David Hemmings' cousin in Antonioni's Blown Up. Hayley Mills, Britt Eklund and George Sanders star in a film that isn't revealed until the very end: instead, it's a nerve-wracking psychological case.
Watch on Britbox
8. A Murder Called (1985, TV)
Joan Hickson's third film, Marples, is a classic three-parter in which a village party goes dark, a stranger invades, and gunshots ring out. Joan Sims, John Castle and the wonderful Ursula Howells give the story weight, direction is assured, and Hickson handles the melodramatic climax calmly.
Watch on Britbox
7. Death on the Nile (1978, film) 
Death on the Nile Photo: Christophel/Alamy Collection Stock Photo
The first and most famous of Ustinov's six films, with the last (Michael Winner's terrible 1988 Rendezvous with Death) being the lousiest. It's much better than Branagh's, with the likes of Bette Davis, David Niven and Mia Farrow classifying the establishment, and one of Christie's most ingenious plots meticulously crafted.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
6. Murder Most Foul (1964, film)
Margaret Rutherford starred in four Marple adaptations (1961–1964), which Christie herself disliked: there was too much comic awkwardness and the murder was never taken seriously. However, the film itself (based on The Dead of Mrs. McGinty) is the best of the bunch, with a surprisingly action-packed finale in the theatrical realm.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
5. Dumb Witness (1996, TV)
Prime Suchet, this time, with the USP of an adorable fox terrier named Bob who knows who he is before anyone else. There is a scene on the pier where Poirot explains his discoveries to one Bob, which epitomizes the actor's decent control, with a slight glint in his eye. And Suchet isn't so bad either.
Watch on ITVX
4. Evil Under the Sun (1982, film) 
Peter Ustinov in the film “Evil Under the Sun” Photo: Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo
Peter Ustinov's second film, Poirot, didn't reach the box office heights of its first, but it's even more fun because it's set on the Adriatic island of Cole. Porter on the phonograph and a cheerful ensemble (James Mason, Sylvia Miles, Roddy McDowall) clearly enjoying Guy Hamilton's touches. Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg duel fabulously and even sing.
Watch on ITVX
3. Witness for the Prosecution (1957, film)
Cynicism about the trial is the driving force behind the story and is undoubtedly what drew Billy Wilder to the material. This is Christie's classiest Hollywood translation, skillfully crafted as both a detective series and a courtroom drama. Charles Laughton is in his plump element as the smug lawyer, and Marlene Dietrich is disgustingly perfect as the accused's German wife. Watch on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
2. Nemesis (1987, TV)
Christie's chilling masterpiece is a tale in reverse; the victim, Verity Hunt, is “too loved, too innocent, too untouched,” to quote the unimprovable Marple Joan Hickson. There is an unusually deep sobriety in this teleplay, Margaret Tyzack is good in every way, and there are certain shots (the slowly turning door handle) that send chills down your spine.
Watch on Britbox
1. And Then There Were None (1945, film) 
And Then There Were None Photo: Allstar Picture Library Limited./Alamy Stock Photo
Rene Clair's witty classic, Christie's first truly acclaimed film and still his best, takes the novel's eerie poignancy to the extreme (though he ditched the racially offensive title and tweaked the ending). The idea of ten strangers on an island has inspired countless diabolical thrillers (the Saw series, The Glass Onion), but they couldn't match the cold intransigence of this thriller. The actors are delighted.
Watch on Apple TV/Youtube.
The Haunting of Venice is already in cinemas.
Which Agatha Christie adaptation have you seen? Tell us in the comments section below.
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