Comparisons between this and the 1945 original are inevitable. While this version invariably comes up short, it has some nice moments to balance those that are less so.
On the plus side, we have Wilfred-Hyde White, Stanley Holloway, Daliah Lavi (if one can ignore the incredibly unflattering hairstyle she is forced to sport), and a surprisingly effective Hugh O'Brian. The setting and location work is very good, and it is also nice to see Marianne Hoppe (a popular actress of Nazi era Germany) in the smallish role of Mrs. Groman.
As a whole, though, the film plays (as many remakes often do) like a road company version of the original, with many of the performers seeming to walk through their roles. The less said about Fabian the better, and one only has to look at the wooden and uncomfortable performance of golden girl Shirley Eaton to understand why she never became a star.
SPOILER ALERT****** One of the glaring differences between this and the superior 1945 version is the murders themselves. In Rene Clair's original, the murders occur, for the most part, offscreen. We see bodies and not the act of murder itself. To "juice up" the action in the remake, each of the murders unfolds onscreen, and is usually predicated with the murder mystery cliche of the gloved hand and the victim saying something like "What are YOU doing here?" What this does is exonerate each of these victims, and those familiar with the plot are aware that we, as the audience, must believe that a "certain someone" has been shot through the head. This being just about the only murder that occurs offscreen makes the faked death seem more obvious and less of a surprise.
It's still a fun movie for all of its faults, and is certainly miles better than the wretched remakes. But, to echo most of the previous reviews, search out AND THEN THERE WERE NONE instead.
On the plus side, we have Wilfred-Hyde White, Stanley Holloway, Daliah Lavi (if one can ignore the incredibly unflattering hairstyle she is forced to sport), and a surprisingly effective Hugh O'Brian. The setting and location work is very good, and it is also nice to see Marianne Hoppe (a popular actress of Nazi era Germany) in the smallish role of Mrs. Groman.
As a whole, though, the film plays (as many remakes often do) like a road company version of the original, with many of the performers seeming to walk through their roles. The less said about Fabian the better, and one only has to look at the wooden and uncomfortable performance of golden girl Shirley Eaton to understand why she never became a star.
SPOILER ALERT****** One of the glaring differences between this and the superior 1945 version is the murders themselves. In Rene Clair's original, the murders occur, for the most part, offscreen. We see bodies and not the act of murder itself. To "juice up" the action in the remake, each of the murders unfolds onscreen, and is usually predicated with the murder mystery cliche of the gloved hand and the victim saying something like "What are YOU doing here?" What this does is exonerate each of these victims, and those familiar with the plot are aware that we, as the audience, must believe that a "certain someone" has been shot through the head. This being just about the only murder that occurs offscreen makes the faked death seem more obvious and less of a surprise.
It's still a fun movie for all of its faults, and is certainly miles better than the wretched remakes. But, to echo most of the previous reviews, search out AND THEN THERE WERE NONE instead.