PERIL AT AND HOUSE
UK, 1990, 103 minutes, Colour.
David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, Pauline Moran, Polly Walker, John Harding, Alison Sterling, Elizabeth Downes.
Directed by Renny Rye.
This was the first of the four novels to be filmed in the television series of Agatha Christie mysteries with David Suchet as Poirot.
Once again, there is an exotic setting, the Cornish coast, homes, hotels, holidaymakers. Poirot and Hastings are enjoying a holiday. They encounter a very attractive young woman, ‘Nick’ Buckley, played very attractively by Polly Walker. She explains there have been several attempts on her life, the fixing of brakes, a bullet through her hat. Hastings, as always with women, is charmed. Poirot is also attracted.
The young woman lives alone in a mansion, is said to have been engaged to a pilot who is attempting a round the world flight. She has several friends with whom she has parties, and a naval commander who is attracted to her, a lawyer cousin, and a cousin from Yorkshire whom she invites to her house for a fireworks display and a holiday.
The film takes its time in setting up the characters, each friend being rather suspicious. However, it is the cousin from Yorkshire who is murdered, another seeming attempt on Nick’s life. She is taken to the hospital, sedated, secluded in case of another attack.
Poirot investigates. There are various complications, especially with poisoned chocolates. It is also revealed that the group of friends have a cocaine habit, supplied by Harley Street doctor and his nephew, the naval commander.
There is also a subplot with the maid and a groundskeeper, but especially with an Australian couple, (very broad accent) who become involved with Nick’s making of a will. There are various consequences because the pilot was left a fortune by his recently deceased uncle and had made a will before he took his flight.
With the murder, Chief Inspector Japp arrives, as does Miss Lemon.
Nick does seem at times too good to be true – and that is the solution, via a contrived séance with Miss Lemon acting the medium, an ingenious and complex plot for her to get the inheritance from the dead pilot.
1. The popularity of the television series of Agatha Christie mysteries with David Suchet as Poirot?
2. The Cornish setting, the coast, hotels, mansions, beaches, social life? The musical score?
3. Poirot and Hastings on holiday, the continued banter? Miss Lemon and her research, arriving later, Poirot using her for the seance, and her performance as a medium?
4. Nick Buckley, attractive, Hastings’ response, Poirot becoming protective? The threats on her life? Her living in the mansion, owning it? Her lawyer cousin in the town? Her fears? The fireworks occasion, her inviting her cousin from Yorkshire, the cousin being killed? Nick’s collapse, depression, hospital, protected, the chocolates, the threat to her life?
5. Nick’s friends, Freddie a friend from childhood, her relationship with Lazarus and her explanations, the naval commander, his attention to Nick? The allusion to the similar watches? The later revelation that they contained cocaine? The naval commander the agent, getting the drug from his Harley Street doctor uncle? The glamour, parties, all suspects?
6. The news of Nick’s death? The various reactions? Her will, her relationship with the pilot, his inheriting the money from his uncle, his death, his will?
7. The Australian couple, the broad accent, the wife in the wheelchair? Witnessing the will? Nick’s will, the bequests to the Australians because of kindness to her father in Australia? The wife contriving the will? The ignorant husband?
8. Poirot gathering everyone together, for the revelation? His suggestion about the seance, Miss Lemon and her performance? Nick arriving?
9. The Australian couple and their being exposed and taken?
10. Miss Lemon and Hastings, their jokes about the variety of possibilities from Christian names? Poirot getting the clue?
11. The revelation, Nick’s name of Magdala, Maggie, her cousin Maggie? The truth about the engagement? The whole plot ingeniously engineered by Nick? Her being taken away, her watch, her death by cocaine?
