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Poirot's Accoutrements d'homme

knottyceltic 10 Oct 10 at 8:59 a.m. GMT

Halloween is coming for us North Americans but could be a costume party for those across the pond.  If we were to dress as Poirot for the evening what would we need?  If you think of all the things that M. Poirot carries in canon and in film, the man must be laden like a pack mule!

I'll start with a couple items:

His little silver "vase" lapel pin

His little silver cigarette case with tiny black cigarettes

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MissQuin 09 Jan 11 at 10:44 a.m. GMT

I was reading The Adventure of The Christmas Pudding at xmas. I don't know if this has been mentioned before, as it is a long post. But Poirot was wearing a nightcap! So this can be added to the list. I'm not sure why people used to wear them. I guess to keep their heads warm.

I love the idea of List of Poirot items he has at Whitehaven Mansions. You should post it Mr Graves.

knottyceltic 25 Nov 10 at 11 p.m. GMT

Ooooh!  that sounds like a fantastic fun activity Mr. Graves!  I love it!  You should advertise it as it's own topic if you haven't already.  In the meantime I'm still collecting pictures of all the lovely accoutrements that we have listed and I will make a big collage that we can use as "DESKTOP" decoration for our computers.  To help me out, I wonder if anyone can tell me what dimension it should be.  I've never done this before so I have no idea what I'm doing but I promise you all I will do my best  :o)

Mr_Graves 25 Nov 10 at 9:39 p.m. GMT

Poirot makes smoking so fashionable again! Yes, we must have matches and a sterno pot. I was wondering what his little trinket was called...

And now I fear that we have listed every possible accessory Poirot is ever likely to need! But I had a "little idea", as Poirot would call it, or maybe and idea fantastic! What I thought was, maybe now that we have discussed his apparel, the next thing would be his flat at 56B Whitehaven Mansions! What sort of things would Poirot have...

knottyceltic 13 Nov 10 at 8:50 p.m. GMT

oh goodness and we added mustache wax but we didn't add that little gadget (a sterno pot we call it here, not sure what it's called in England) that he lights with a match to melt the wax.  And I suppose we have to add a box of wooden matches since he never uses his fancy pocket lighter to light the flame.

knottyceltic 13 Nov 10 at 8:46 p.m. GMT

I'm thinking he must have  travelled with at least 2 TRUNKS darknight.  Even his carry-on train bag must have been ENORMOUS!!!  hahaha!  And did poor Georges do all this "lugging" of luggage?  The poor man must have died an early death.  :o(

NightRayDuck 13 Nov 10 at 8:32 p.m. GMT

How large is M. Poirot's luggage so far? Do you think he'll be charged very much extra fees for the luggage weight by the modern airlines?

knottyceltic 13 Nov 10 at 8:18 p.m. GMT

I could be wrong but I don't think we've added "cufflinks" yet.

MissQuin 07 Nov 10 at 10:54 a.m. GMT

Do you mean a fantasy casting for Chrisite? Pongo did an excellent Then There Were none cast using Hitchock actors.

Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman,Leo G. Carroll,Farley Granger or Anthony Perkins and  James Stewart suggested.

Mr_Graves 07 Nov 10 at 8:18 a.m. GMT

Unfortunately, no Ustinov on the Orient Express... I think he sort of replaced Finney.

I would love to get into these old adaptations...I like old movies anyway, but seeing people other than Suchet and McEwan and McKenzie slip into the roles of AC's much-loved sleuths could be interesting...

NightRayDuck 05 Nov 10 at 5:52 p.m. GMT

I am feeling the same way about these decades-old Poirot adapts, MissQuin...

MissQuin 05 Nov 10 at 2:32 p.m. GMT

knottyceltic

 I'M sure but he would have that HIDEOUS mustache BRACE that Albert Finney wore when he portrayed a rather lunatic looking/acting Poirot.  I wince even at the thought of his portrayal and that ridiculous THING he strapped to his face/stache!

Ive not seen this film, so I'm a bit mysterfied here... I'm quite curious enough to watch it now. Wasn't there ever a Ustinov version of Orient Express?

knottyceltic 04 Nov 10 at 9:38 p.m. GMT

My favourite Bacall line from Orient express was

Bianchi: You mean you saw the man? You can identify the murderer?Mrs. Hubbard: I mean nothing of the kind. I mean there was a man in my compartment last night. It was pitch dark, of course, and my eyes were closed in terror...Bianchi: Then how did you know it was a man?Mrs. Hubbard: Because I've enjoyed very warm relationships with both my husbands.Bianchi: With your eyes closed.Mrs. Hubbard: That helped.

lol!  Her comedic delivery was as you folks say "spot on" 

Mr_Graves 04 Nov 10 at 7:55 p.m. GMT

Kathy Bates in Titanic!!!! I loved her performance, too! Both she and Bacall had some great lines, I agree. She did the comedy so well. Of course...

I particularly like it when she says that her handkerchiefs are sensible things, not expensive, frilly affairs. "One sneeze and it has to go to the laundry!" 

That movie simply screamed 1970s. Not too pretty.

knottyceltic 04 Nov 10 at 11:36 a.m. GMT

LOL!  Your posts are so funny Mr. Graves.  And I agree...Finney's portrayal overall is "cringe-worthy" to say the least.  I too don't understand all the raving about the '74 adaptation.  I'm a big Bergman fan but I have to say my favourite in that *cough* *cough* adaptation was Lauren Bacall as Mrs. Hubbard.  She gives some good "one liners" and does the stereo-type "American" of the era very forcefully similar to how Kathy Bates does the unsinkable Molly Brown in Titanic 

Mr_Graves 04 Nov 10 at 8:24 a.m. GMT

Please don't remind me of Albert Finney! So many people harp on about the 1974 MOTOE, but I couldn't bear him. His accent was cringe-worthy, and as for that hair! Of course, they had to slick him down with black boot-polish... As for the strange moustache contraption, it is a possibility. There's is nothing more displeasing than deranging the symmetry of one's moustache whilst in bed. But Mr Finney, he wears it with no sincerity. Poirot would be very serious about the neatness of his moustache... The saving grace of that movie, I think, was Ingrid Bergmann...

knottyceltic 04 Nov 10 at 3:56 a.m. GMT

Ooops!  Mea culpa I put that last one in the wrong thread  ;o)  No hair pins on Poirot's dressing table I'M sure but he would have that HIDEOUS mustache BRACE that Albert Finney wore when he portrayed a rather lunatic looking/acting Poirot.  I wince even at the thought of his portrayal and that ridiculous THING he strapped to his face/stache!

knottyceltic 04 Nov 10 at 3:13 a.m. GMT

TV/Movie Miss Marple wears her hair up in the back so I think her dressing table would have HAIR PINS on it.

knottyceltic 04 Nov 10 at 3:11 a.m. GMT

VERY WELL SAID about Poirot, Mr. Graves.  Couldn't have described his manner with words as well as you have. 

Mr_Graves 04 Nov 10 at 1:52 a.m. GMT

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Such an enigmatic remark... Poirot loves to stir up intrigue with his words, when it is the easiest thing in the world to simply say "He is also Lord Dawlish!"

knottyceltic 04 Nov 10 at 12:21 a.m. GMT

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Mr Graves, regarding signet rings... I love the scene in DotN where Poriot/Suchet finds Mr. Ferguson's ring in his jewel case.  Colonel Race says "Mr. Ferguson is a Bolshi" to which Poirot with the ring says "that's not all he is".