I feel like I've seen several adaptations of "Dead Man's Folly," but in reality, the only other one that exists, I think, is the 1986 film starring Peter Ustinov.
This happens to be one of Christie's strongest and cleverest stories and lends itself well to the screen.
A wealthy man, George Stubbs, has purchased the beautiful Nasse House and is having something akin to a carnival. He has asked the noted mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver to design a murder hunt. Uncomfortable, Mrs. Oliver persuades Poirot to come to Nasse House, as she's convinced there are problems afoot.
One problem is Stubbs' temperamental wife, Hattie, who seems immature. The guests include politicians, a secretary, an architect, and the house's former owner, who lives in a guest cottage. And there are students who traipse through the grounds as a shortcut to their transportation.
A sullen youngster, Marlene Tucker, has been chosen as the murder victim. She then becomes the murder victim for real, the reason unknown. Then Hattie Stubbs disappears, and the ferryman is found dead.
Questions arise: Did Marlene see something that made her a murder victim? Was Hattie kidnapped? And then there's the "folly," a misplaced building of no use.
This is a complicated case for Poirot, but he's up to the task.
Excellent story with high production values and some good acting, most notably from Suchet. Zoe Wanamaker kind of misses it as Ariadne Oliver, going for a low, gravelly voice that doesn't quite make it. Sinead Cusack does a grand job as Mrs. Folliat, and Sean Pertwee is excellent as George Stubbs.
After so many years of "Poirot," it's nice to see the episodes are in good form.
This happens to be one of Christie's strongest and cleverest stories and lends itself well to the screen.
A wealthy man, George Stubbs, has purchased the beautiful Nasse House and is having something akin to a carnival. He has asked the noted mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver to design a murder hunt. Uncomfortable, Mrs. Oliver persuades Poirot to come to Nasse House, as she's convinced there are problems afoot.
One problem is Stubbs' temperamental wife, Hattie, who seems immature. The guests include politicians, a secretary, an architect, and the house's former owner, who lives in a guest cottage. And there are students who traipse through the grounds as a shortcut to their transportation.
A sullen youngster, Marlene Tucker, has been chosen as the murder victim. She then becomes the murder victim for real, the reason unknown. Then Hattie Stubbs disappears, and the ferryman is found dead.
Questions arise: Did Marlene see something that made her a murder victim? Was Hattie kidnapped? And then there's the "folly," a misplaced building of no use.
This is a complicated case for Poirot, but he's up to the task.
Excellent story with high production values and some good acting, most notably from Suchet. Zoe Wanamaker kind of misses it as Ariadne Oliver, going for a low, gravelly voice that doesn't quite make it. Sinead Cusack does a grand job as Mrs. Folliat, and Sean Pertwee is excellent as George Stubbs.
After so many years of "Poirot," it's nice to see the episodes are in good form.