I fear that it would be redundant to go over the specifics of the site and situation of the murder. Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is a classic whodunnit. WebFull Title: Murder on the Orient Express When Written: 1929-1933 Where Written: Istanbul, Turkey When Published: 1934 Literary Period: Golden Age of detective fiction Genre: Mystery Setting: A train car en route from Istanbul to Calais Climax: The revelation that all twelve passengers murdered Ratchett Antagonist: Mr. Ratchett, formerly Cassetti In addition to self-incriminating revelations Poirot had managed to extract from Hardman, McQueen, Schmidt, and the Princess, the detective has deduced Countess Elena is actually Mrs. Armstrong's younger sister, Helena. Poirot asks Bianchi to choose one solution before the train is freed from the snowdrift, but admits that the Yugoslavian police will much prefer the simple one. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. Hercule Poirot, "little gray cells" and all, is traveling from Istanbul to Calais on the exotic Orient Express. Scope (2.35:1), Pierre Paul Michel, the Conductor (as Jean Pierre Cassel), Ratchett, Regal [16], Christie, who died fourteen months after the release of the film, stated this and Witness for the Prosecution were the only movie adaptations of her books which she liked although she expressed disappointment with Poirot (Finney)'s moustache, which was far from the fabulous hirsute creation she had detailed in her mysteries.[5]. WebMurder on the Orient Express is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. One of the passengers is none other than detective Hercule Poirot. a perfect crime) had Poirot not been on the train and also overheard a conversation between Miss Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot before he boarded; however, Poirot's "'little grey cells' worked admirably, and the solution surprised their owner as much as it may well surprise the reader, for the secret is well kept and the manner of the telling is in Mrs Christie's usual admirable manner. The film starred Albert Finney as Poirot, Martin Balsam as Signor Bianchi, George Coulouris as Dr Constantine, and Richard Widmark as Ratchett/Cassetti, with the remaining cast of suspects including Sean Connery (Arbuthnot), Lauren Bacall (Mrs Hubbard), Anthony Perkins (MacQueen), John Gielgud (Beddoes), Michael York (Count Andrenyi), Jean-Pierre Cassel (Pierre Michel), Jacqueline Bisset (Countess Andrenyi), Wendy Hiller (Princess Dragomiroff), Vanessa Redgrave (Mary Debenham), Rachel Roberts (Hildegarde Schmidt), Colin Blakely (Hardman), Denis Quilley (Foscarelli), and Ingrid Bergman, who won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Greta Ohlsson. All in all, this is a fun, ensemble spectacle that you should give a watch. Hubbard is suddenly stabbed, non-fatally, in the back but cannot identify the culprit. [42] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two and a half stars, and stated that he felt it focused too much on Poirot to the detriment of the other characters, adding, "Never let it be said the director misses an opportunity to place his star front and center, unfortunately relegating just about everyone else in the obligatory international all-star cast to a paper-thin character with one or at most two defining personality traits. Nat Cohen claimed it was the first film completely financed by a British company to make the top of the weekly US box office charts in Variety. That finale where the clues are put together keeps you glued to the screen with every new beat. [15], The Soviet radio play was released in 1966. Although both the murder plot and the solution verge upon the impossible, Agatha Christie has contrived to make them appear quite convincing for the time being, and what more than that can a mystery addict desire? The main character, Suguro Takeru, modeled on Hercule Poirot, was played by actor Nomura Mansai. Principal photography began in November 2016 in the United Kingdom; it is one of the few productions in recent decades to have used 65mm film cameras. The novel used many elements of the real life case: a young child, firstborn of the family, was kidnapped for ransom directly from the crib, the parents were famous, the father was a well-known pilot and the mother pregnant, and the ransom was paid but the child found dead soon after. [11] In December 2014, the novel was included in Entertainment Weekly's list of the Nine Great Christie Novels. [33], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 61% based on 300 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The train accidentally gets stopped because of a small avalanche. Bianchi, in sympathy with the suspects after learning how evil Cassetti was, proposes the first solution, and Dr. Constantine and Poirot agree, although he will struggle with his conscience. WebMurder on the Orient Express is a novel by Agatha Christie that was first published in 1934. Colonel Armstrong, consumed by grief from the loss of his family, committed suicide. A wealthy American businessman is discovered dead, and the brilliant and beautifully mustachioed Hercule Poirot must solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again. As he disembarks, a British Army messenger asks him to investigate a death on the Nile. [27] The two were among the very few to be shot on 65mm film since Branagh's Hamlet in 1996, and the only ones released in 2017. Foscarelli dramatically hints the murder was most likely part of a Mafia feud. When a murder occurs on the train on which he's travelling, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot is recruited to solve the case. Anthony Shaffer, Release Date (Theaters): The second, more complex and far-reaching solution links all the suspects in the coach to the Armstrong case. The cost of the cast came to 554,100. with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. The film is a good bit of fun, and it has a nice look to it, with some decent shooting, and yeah, the central murder mystery is decently engaging too. WebMurder on the Orient Express Summary Next Part 1 Chapter 1 At a train platform in Aleppo, Syria, a detective named Hercule Poirot boards a train to Istanbul. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. WebMurder on the Orient Express is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. Debenham was Helena and Daisy's governess; Foscarelli was the Armstrongs' chauffeur and a suspect in the kidnapping; Masterman was Col. Armstrong's valet; Michel is Susanne's father and the person who procured the false second uniform; Hubbard is actually actress Linda Arden (Daisy's grandmother and Sonia and Helena's mother); Schmidt was the Armstrongs' cook; and Ohlsson was Daisy's nurse. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed eight times, his door locked from the inside. [citation needed], Murder on the Orient Express grossed $102.8million in North America and $250million elsewhere for a worldwide total of $352.8million, against a production budget of $55million. [13], Two less notable events helped inspire her novel: Agatha Christie's first journey on the Orient Express in late 1928, and a blizzard near erkezky, Turkey, that marooned the Orient Express for six days just a few months later, in February 1929. WebMurder on the Orient Express had all the ingredients for a modern ensemble classic but it struggles in the end. That being said, Finney's Poirot is delightful. Poirot enlists help from Dr. Constantine, who ascertains that Ratchett was stabbed 12 times in a distorted pattern and with seemingly varying accuracy and lethality. The morning after the train departs, Ratchett tries to secure Poirot's services as a bodyguard for $15,000 as he has received death threats. The Orient Express, snowed up in Yugoslavia, provides the ideal 'closed' set-up for a classic-style exercise in detection, as well as an excuse for an international cast-list. The last scene also sets up Death on the Nile as a sequel. WebSummary. Richard Rodney Bennett's Orient Express theme has been reworked into an orchestral suite and performed and recorded several times. Director Kenneth Branagh Writers Michael Green Agatha Christie Stars Kenneth Branagh Penlope Cruz Willem Dafoe See production, box office & company info Watch on Freevee Watch Free on Freevee More The point and click computer game Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express was released in November 2006 for Windows and expanded on Agatha Christie's original story with a new playable central character as Hercule Poirot (voiced by David Suchet) is ill and recovering in his train compartment. Discover more about each cast member WebThe first adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express was the award-winning 1974 film featuring an all-star cast and Albert Finney as Poirot. WebAn American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Hildegarde Schmidt Princess Dragomiroff's maid, formerly the Armstrongs' cook. In the train car are two other passengers: Colonel Arbuthnot, a British officer stationed in India, and Mary Debenham, a young English governess. WebMurder on the Orient Express is undoubtedly one of Agatha Christie's greatest mystery novels. Coming Soon. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. Only minor changes were made for the film: Masterman was renamed Beddoes, the dead maid was named Paulette instead of Susanne, Helena Goldenberg became Helena Grnwald (which is German for "Greenwood"), Antonio Foscarelli became Gino Foscarelli, Caroline Martha Hubbard became Harriet Belinda Hubbard, and the train company's Belgian director, Monsieur Bouc, became instead an Italian director, Signor Bianchi. Hardman is an ex-policeman who admits he was in love with Susanne, and MacQueen, who had feelings for Sonia, was the son of the lawyer who represented the Armstrongs. An avalanche derails the train's engine, stranding the passengers. Crime Drama Mystery Poirot investigates the murder of a shady American businessman stabbed in his compartment on the Orient Express when it is blocked by a blizzard in Croatia. Poirot retires from the case. WebMurder on the Orient Express had all the ingredients for a modern ensemble classic but it struggles in the end. Poirot interviews the passengers and Pierre. Genre: While inspecting the passengers' luggage, Poirot is surprised to find the label on Countess Andrenyi's luggage is wet and that her passport is smudged, Schmidt's bag contains the uniform in question, and Poirot's own luggage contains the red kimono, recently hidden there. The film features the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney), who is asked to investigate the murder of an American business tycoon aboard the Orient Express train. He advises them not to automatically dismiss either. In the train car are two other passengers: Colonel Arbuthnot, a British officer stationed in India, and Mary Debenham, a young English governess. He learns that the Armstrongs had a butler, a secretary, a cook, a chauffeur, and a nursemaid. The train then, somewhat symbolically, is freed from the snowdrift and resumes its journey. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. Read critic reviews. WebBased on the novel by Agatha Christie, Branagh's colorful, fluid Murder on the Orient Express is a worthy companion to the book's previous big-screen adaptation, Sidney Lumet's 1974 version. A thoroughly modernized and poorly received made-for-TV version starring Alfred Molina as Poirot was presented by CBS in 2001. She was sweetly stubborn. While interviewing Debenham, Poirot is shot in the shoulder by Dr Arbuthnot, who claims responsibility for the murder, but Bouc stops him from killing Poirot. The first is simple but does not meet all of the facts: a murderer disguised as a conductor boarded the train at a previous stop, murdered Cassetti, then fled at the stop as the train left. [22] In January 2017, Willem Dafoe and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo joined the cast with the latter replacing Pea, who had dropped out of the project. After the train gets stuck in a snowdrift, a nasty American named Edward Ratchett is murdered, stabbed 12 times. Antonio Foscarelli the Armstrongs' former chauffeur who had loved little Daisy. Hector MacQueen Ratchett's personal secretary and translator, whose father was the lawyer for the Armstrong family. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. The second is more complex: with every suspect connected to the Armstrongs, Susanne, or her trial in some way, they all had a motive against Cassetti: Poirot predicts that they acted together, which Hubbard confirms, admitting that she planned the murder and had recruited everyone else to help her. Arden acknowledges everything and offers to take responsibility as she was the mastermind. The Double Clue). Additionally, Phil Dunster portrays Col. John Armstrong, Daisy's father, while Miranda Raison portrays Sonia Armstrong, Daisy's mother. In December 1935, when his transcontinental luxury train is stranded by deep snow, detective Hercule Poirot is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before, with a multitude of suspects. Agatha Christie, Published in 1934, Murder on the Orient Express follows the Belgian detective Poirot, who had become a staple of her work by then. [3], Unsworth shot the film with Panavision cameras. A sequel titled Death on the Nile was released in 2022. Murder on the Orient Express is a 1974 British mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet, produced by John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, and based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. Hercule Poirot, the best detective in the world, decides to travel on the Orient Express. Murder on the Orient Express was released theatrically in the UK on 24 November 1974. [8] There were concerns about a lack of snow in the weeks preceding the scheduled shooting of the snowbound train, and plans were made to truck in large quantities of snow at considerable expense. [31] The film made $10.9million on its first day, including $1.6million from Thursday night previews at 2,775theaters. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, writing that it "provides a good time, high style, a loving salute to an earlier period of filmmaking". WebRunning Time: 2 Hours and 15 Minutes (including a 15 Minute Intermission) Its 1934, just after midnight, and a snowstorm has stopped the opulent Orient Express sleeper train in its tracks. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! 2h 7m, Distributor: WebMurder on the Orient Express is a 1974 British mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet, produced by John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, and based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie . In this version, the train Orient Kyuukou ran from the western city of Shimonoseki to Tokyo, with the train stopped by a small avalanche near Sekigahara, Gifu. While the passengers and Pierre all provide suitable alibis for each other, Poirot notes that some of them observed the woman in the red kimono walking down the hallway on the night of the murder. Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is a classic whodunnit. Poirot is riding the Orient Express one winter when it's stopped by a heavy snowfall covering the tracks. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. John Brabourne, The shock of her death caused her mother, Sonia, to die after giving premature birth to a stillborn baby; her father, Colonel John Armstrong, then committed suicide. Hoople.[32]. Pierre Michel the train conductor and the father of Daisy Armstrong's nursery maid, who committed suicide after the murder. In December 1935, when his transcontinental luxury train is stranded by deep snow, detective Hercule Poirot is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before, with a multitude of suspects. WebSummaries. Its running time would have been around 67 minutes and it could have been a very respectable B-picture. Cyrus Hardman poses as an Austrian scientist named Gerhard Hardman for part of the film. Beddoes: No, it's about 10:30, Mister Foscarelli. Summary & Analysis Chapters 13, Part one Chapters 45, Part one Chapters 68, Part one Chapter 13, Part two Chapters 46, Part two Coming Soon, Regal The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. DVD documentary "Making Murder on the Orient Express: The Ride", Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the well-known British department store (at that time known as "Debenhams and Freebody"), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, "LUMIERE: Film #61364: Murder on the Orient Express", "Murder on the Orient Express, Box Office Information", The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories, Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories, Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple, Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express, King: A Filmed Record Montgomery to Memphis, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_on_the_Orient_Express_(1974_film)&oldid=1149982648, Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award-winning performance, Films produced by John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne, Films produced by Richard Goodwin (producer), Rotten Tomatoes template using name parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 16:48. WebMurder on the Orient Express had all the ingredients for a modern ensemble classic but it struggles in the end. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. Beddoes: I am reading "Love's Captive," by Mrs. Arabella Richardson. In the United States, it was published on 28 February 1934, under the title of Murder in the Calais Coach, by Dodd, Mead and Company. The film is the fourth screen adaptation of Christie's novel, following the 1974 film, a 2001 TV film version, and a 2010 episode of the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot. The film was a commercial and critical success. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. [15] In September 2016, Tom Bateman, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Michael Pea, Judi Dench, Lucy Boynton and Derek Jacobi joined the cast. [12], The kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's son in 1932 inspired that element in Christie's novel two years later. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! "[13] On Metacritic it has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]. Murder on the Orient Express is Christies most famous work, with 3 movies based on it. wife is finalized, which he claims was what the cryptic discussion Poirot overheard in Istanbul was about. Other stars included Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, and Ingrid Bergman, who won an Oscar for her role as Greta Ohlsson. Poirot accepts the case. Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is a classic whodunnit. For other uses, see, Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition, excluding those who were not suspects, namely Poirot, Bouc, and Dr. Constantine, Murder on the Orient Express (disambiguation), Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express, "American Tribute to Agatha Christie: The Classic Years 1930 - 1934", "Book awards: The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time Mystery Writers of America", "Agatha Christie's Poirot: Tom Conti, Sophie Okonedo, Paterson Joseph, Rula Lenska & Art Malik star in a new adaption of Murder on the Orient Express", "Kenneth Branagh in Talks to Direct Agatha Christie's 'Murder on the Orient Express' (Exclusive)", "The Full 'Murder on the Orient Express' Cast Includes Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, More (UPDATE)", "Penelope Cruz Joins 'Murder On The Orient Express', "Johnny Depp To Star in 'Murder On The Orient Express' At Fox', "Manuel Garcia-Rulfo Boards 'Murder On The Orient Express'; Vivica A Fox Joins 'The Mafia Aint Dead', "Josh Gad Boards Fox's 'Murder On The Orient Express', "Ballet Star Sergei Polunin Lands Roles in 'Murder on the Orient Express,' 'Red Sparrow' (Exclusive)", "Willem Dafoe is latest addition to 'Murder on the Orient Express' all-star cast", "Willem Dafoe Joins Ensemble Cast Of Fox's 'Murder On The Orient Express', "Olivia Colman 'gutted' to miss Globes ceremony", "Max Von Essen, Julie Halston, and More Star in Murder on the Orient Express", "Agatha Christie and Archaeology: The Excavations at Nineveh, Arpachiyah, Chagar Bazar and Tell Brak; 19311939", The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories, Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories, Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple, Miss Marple's Final Cases and Two Other Stories, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_on_the_Orient_Express&oldid=1148716434, Works originally published in The Saturday Evening Post, British novels adapted into television shows, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bouc Poirot's friend and a director of the. original, Release Date (Streaming): Cinemark Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. WebMurder on the Orient Express. The family's nursemaid Susanne was wrongly suspected of complicity, leading to her being arrested and subsequent suicide in police custody, only to be found innocent afterwards. The killers gather in his cabin and stab him one by one while he is drugged but awake, rather than stabbing him independently while he is unconscious. In 1934, famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot solves a theft at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. An all star cast aboard a luxuary train are questioned and suspected of a murder when one of the passengers who was already fearing for his life is found dead and all this seems to be releated to a child that was kidnapped and murdered years earlier. Hubbard had Ohlsson lock the communicating door between her compartment and that of Cassetti, which invalidates her story of the man in her compartment, and Schmidt bumped into a stranger wearing a Wagons-Lits uniform. The screenplay is by Paul Dehn. On vacation. That night, Bianchi gives Poirot his compartment and shares a coach with Stavros Constantine, a Greek doctor. Poirot is portrayed as significantly younger and less eccentric than Christie's detective, and is given a subplot involving a romantic relationship with Vera Rosakoff, who is loosely based on an infrequently recurring character of the same name. Debenham wore the kimono, and Arbuthnot stabbed Hubbard without endangering her life, to convince Poirot of a lone killer. This is rejected by Bianchi and Dr. Constantine as absurd but Poirot tells them they may reconsider that opinion. The only passengers not involved in the murder are Signor Bianchi and Dr. Constantine. [27] The character of Col. Arbuthnot is combined with Dr. Constantine to create Dr Arbuthnot, a sniper who served under Col. Armstrong in the war and had his medical school paid for by Armstrong; MacQueen's father is portrayed as having been a prosecutor in the Armstrong case rather than the Armstrong family's lawyer, and whose career was ruined after he prosecuted the maid Susanne; and Monsieur Bouc is changed from the director of the company to the director's nephew. WebMurder on the Orient Express Summary Next Part 1 Chapter 1 At a train platform in Aleppo, Syria, a detective named Hercule Poirot boards a train to Istanbul. Ratchett has been receiving death threats; recognizing Poirot, he tries to hire him for protection. , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. The next morning, Poirot discovers Ratchett was murdered during the night after having been stabbed a dozen times. Hubbard rings her bell and tells Michel a man passed through her room. Hercule Poirot, "little gray cells" and all, is traveling from Istanbul to Calais on the exotic Orient Express. However, heavy snowfall the night before the shooting made the extra snow unnecessaryjust as well, as the snow-laden backup trucks had themselves become stuck in the snow.[9]. When Poirot shows him the photo of Paulette, he is visibly moved. That night, Poirot hears strange noises coming from Ratchett's compartment, and later sees someone in a red kimono running down the hallway. WebMurder on the Orient Express is a 1974 British mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet, produced by John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin, and based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie . Further clues are discovered, including a pipe cleaner, a handkerchief with the initial "H", Cassetti's broken watch, and a conductor's suit. According to one report, Christie gave approval because she liked the previous films of the producers, Romeo and Juliet and Tales of Beatrix Potter. Copyright Fandango. WebMurder on the Orient Express is a 2017 mystery film directed, co-produced by, and starring Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, written by Michael Green, and co-produced by Ridley Scott. But when an unpopular billionaire is murdered en route, Poirot takes up the case, and everyone on board the famous train is a suspect. The case of the vanishing mystery writer: Christie liked only two of the 19 movies made from her books. and the The entire budget was provided by EMI. Best of all, Branagh directs himself in the role of the famous detective Poirot, and it's as natural a fit as his outings as Henry V and Hamlet were. This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 21:17. The voice cast featured Vsevolod Yakut as Poirot, Rostislav Plyatt as Colonel Arbuthnot, Maria Babanova as Hubbard, Oleg Yefremov as Hector McQueen, Leonid Kanevsky as Antonio Foscarelli, Angelina Stepanova as Princess Dragomiroff and Alexander Lazarev as Hardman.[16]. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year under the title of Murder in the Calais Coach . In the train car are two other passengers: Colonel Arbuthnot, a British officer stationed in India, and Mary Debenham, a young English governess. A little bit of a revenge fantasy dressed up with loads of star power. Pierre Michel, the train's conductor, knocks on Ratchett's door, but a voice from inside responds, "Ce n'est rien. When a murder occurs on the train on which he's travelling, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot is recruited to solve the case.