THE JEWEL ROBBERY AT THE GRAND METROPOLITAN

UK, 1993, 50 minutes, Colour.
David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, Pauline Moran, Trevor Cooper, Sorcha Cusack, Karl Johnson, Elizabeth Rider, Hermione Norris.
Directed by Ken Grieve.

This is one of the many short stories in the 70 episode series of television films of popular Agatha Christie stories with David Suchet as Poirot.

The story is as the title suggests. Poirot is in Brighton, ordered to have a holiday but wanting a case. He is introduced to the theatrical entrepreneur who has spoken to the press about the pearl necklace from czarist times which is being warned by his actress wife in the play which is about to to the United States. The necklace is stolen.

This is a locked room mystery. However, Poirot provides a neat explanation and the thieves turn out to be the entrepreneurs chauffeur and his wife, who is working at the May as a maid at the hotel and brings the entrepreneurs assistant her meal – with the box with the necklace locked and seen of an in close-up.

And the solution seems particularly logical!

1. The title? Accurate?

2. The popularity of Agatha Christie stories, mysteries, the television versions with David Suchet as Poirot?

3. This film as a short story, the running time, succinct, the crime, the suspects, the investigation?

4. The silent film footage, the story of the necklace? The entrepreneur, his play, his wife wearing the necklace, the speech to the media, promotion? The performances, the actress wearing the necklace, the story about its being stolen – and the later performances with the audience laughing at the references?

5. Poirot, the doctor, two weeks rest, his unwillingness, going to Brighton, Hastings with him? Joke about his being identified as Lucky Len from the newspapers? At the hotel, the mysterious stranger with the walking stick, walking up stairs? His room, comfort? The encounter with the entrepreneur, the invitation to see the play, the chauffeur taking him?

6. The jewel box, its being locked, pro and Hastings walking self-esteem to the theatre, the encounter with the playwright and the thugs because of his gambling? The relationship between the two? The playwright disgruntled about the entrepreneur altering the play? His loitering around the hotel? His being under suspicion?

7. The actress having the only key, the locked box, the force key in the hem of the dress of self-esteem? The maid, bringing the meal, self-esteem sewing, moving out of the room for scissors and thread? The locked doors? The discovery of the missing jewels? The entrepreneur and is upset?

8. The interrogations, Celestine under suspicion? The clue from Oscar Wilde? The name of the guest at the hotel?

9. The confrontation with the chauffeur, the truth, the revelation of how the robbery was achieved, Celestine’s absence, the maid and her speed in opening the box, the door, giving the necklace to Saunders?

10. At the theatre, the story about the jewels and whether they were authentic or not, Saunders coming to the theatre, his being caught?

11. At recovering not by having a holiday but by solving a case?