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Bouquets and Brickbats

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Nofret 08 Jan 10 at 5:17 p.m. GMT

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There has been a lot of discussion as to who was/is the best Poirot and Marple. But how about the other actors in the TV or film dramas? Do you have any particular favourie, one who captured your idea of a particular Christie character to a T? Or, perhaps through no fault of their own, but simply by poor casting or direction, a person who stood out like the proverbial sore thumb?

Here's some of my ideas - I'd be really interested to hear yours -

The ABC Murders. Mr Cust, totally believable as this lonely, pathetic gullible man who has come down in the world.

The Moving Finger - Geraldine McEwan version, actually one of the few praiseworthy aspects of that whole series IMO - the girl who played Megan as an autistic.

And at the bottom of the class

Also in the ABC Murders - I'm sorry but the murderer was all wrong - too staid and elderly. In the book Poirot says he knows that Mr Cust could not have killed Betty Barnard, as the murderer would have been a man who could "make the click" - persuade the tarty waitress to accompany him down to the beach for a bit of how's-yer-father!

Sad Cypress - OK, Roddy falls in love with Mary as she is sweet and unspoiled, the opposite of Elinor. So why did the director have her painted up and mincing across the street in stilettos?

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MissQuin 13 Jan 10 at 4:20 p.m. GMT

I think you mean me Tommy? Yes, I think it's to do with ratings which equals = cash. The Poirots tend to have better casting. The most recent Three Act Tragedy had everyone just how they should be.

Tommy_A_Jones 13 Jan 10 at 4:14 p.m. GMT

I agree Miss Quin, The Producers should get the Best person for the role not just a star who fits the bill but they probably think less people would watch, which is sad, If they had people whose faces are known but whose name aren't necessarily that would work Brilliantly, Was Hermione Norris well-known before she appeared in an Episode of Poirot? or Adrian Lukis before he was in A Carribean Mystery or Reece Dinsdale before he was Albert in Partners In Crime? and you are right Keith Allen was in The Moving Finger but it wasn't Amazing, I think I was wrong about Jack Dee as I can't find mention of him in the Cast list.

MissQuin 13 Jan 10 at 3:57 p.m. GMT

If I had a choice I'd have unknown actors suited to the role, rather than people who arent suited but are famous. I like Alan Davies in Jonathan Creek, but he was terrible in Marple! He really shouted at everyone. He is not a good serious actor.

 I thought David Walliams was very good. Which ones was Jack Dee and Keith Allen in? Was it the Moving finger? Ive not see that one. I didn't really think Micha Paris was very good in Bertrams Hotel, but then she is a singer, with possibly no or little acting experience.

Tommy_A_Jones 13 Jan 10 at 12:58 p.m. GMT

Tim McInnerney, Tim Brook-Taylor and Lily Allen's Dad are I think the only ones in the 1st Catagory and I think I am wrong about Jack Dee, I meant to say Harry Enfield. Castherine Tate became known first in a sit-com set in Cornwall with Dawn French before having her own sketch show, IMHO I dissagree with you Katherine about David Walliams who in My opinnion should stick to acting (He was Brillian't in a Polliakoff Play and forget about the Comedy. and although I didn't rate Alan Daviesd in Towards Zero I think he is a good Actor, lastly Katherine Although you are right about Rik Mayall her shouldn't be included in your list as British TV haven't shown Why Didn't They Ask Evan's yet but bravo for the question it is the sought of Trivia I love.  

Katherine 12 Jan 10 at 10:38 p.m. GMT

I think it's tricky trying to just lump a group of actors who have appeared in Christie as "comedians". There are degrees of "comedy" even in the names who have already been listed.

For instance, the performers range from actors who may be best known for appearing in a comedy, through comedy actors (who don't ever really play straight roles in anything) via sketch-show comedians to stand-ups (who aren't really actors at all!)

As an example I'd put Tim Mcinnerny in the first category (a great actor who happens to be most famous because he was in Blackadder), Catherine Tate in the second (she's worked for the RSC and her work in Doctor Who has proved she does have a broader acting range although she does still mainly play comedy), David Walliams in the third (not really a very good actor, and a bit of a one-trick pony as his stuff in Little Britain has proved), and finally Alan Davies in the last category (a good stand-up comedian but a very poor actor!)

MissQuin 12 Jan 10 at 8:16 p.m. GMT

Rik Mayall will be in Why didnt they ask Evans? It hasnt been shown in the UK yet though.

Tommy_A_Jones 12 Jan 10 at 4:50 p.m. GMT

Yes he was Miss Quinn, what was Rik Mayall in?

MissQuin 12 Jan 10 at 4:15 p.m. GMT

Ahhh, Tommy I think youv'e won the comedians game! But there are still some more. Rik Mayell and wasnt Alexi Sayle a comedian?

Tommy_A_Jones 12 Jan 10 at 4:04 p.m. GMT

Dawn French (Sleeping Murder), Alexander Armstrong (A Murder Is Announced IMHO both weren't very good, Griff Rhys Jones (4.50 From Paddingtom) He wasn't too bad, Mel Smith (The Sittaford Mystery) that was too long and boring IMHO for me to know if he was good or bad. Roni Ancona (Nemesis) - Laughable, Tim McInerny -probably have surname wrong (Murder At The Vicarage), Tim Brook Taylor (Murder Is Easy) Not in it enough to give a good performance and Shaun Hughes (They Do It With Mirrors) All right. And oh yes, Jack Dee, John Seesions and Lily Allen's Dad were all in The Moving Finger and all were IMHO forgettable but Miss Quinn you are right, Catherine Tate and David Walliams were both weere Very Very Good.

Bundle_ 12 Jan 10 at 3:48 p.m. GMT

This is a fun topic!

I thought that Elisabeth Dermont Walsh lookd excatly how AC described Elinor Carlislie in Sad Cypress. The resembalance is amazing. Also Phyliss Logan who played Nurse Hopkins in SC is a carbon copy of her character! The lady who played Nurse O'Brien too also looks very much like the character. Whomever the casting director was in that adapt did a great job!

Also Megan Dodds as Henrietta Savernake in The Hollow was a great choice!  Claire Price as Gerta in TH was spot on. Greg Wise as Neville Strange in Towards Zero! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how much he looked like the character; it was like he was ripped right out of the pages of the book onto the screen! The lady who played Mrs. Sainsbury Seal in One Two Buckle My Shoe too looked just like the character.

Oh there are so many more that I can't name them all right now.

MissQuin 12 Jan 10 at 3:38 p.m. GMT

Let's all play count the comedians in Marple!

I work out theres been comedians in every episode, so theres loads!

There was David Walliams (Body in the Library) and Catherine Tate (Murder is Announced), who both were actually very good.

Nofret 12 Jan 10 at 12:10 p.m. GMT

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I agree about the ITV Marples, MissQuin! It wasn't so much "spot the murderer" as "spot the comedian"! Griff Rhys-Jones as Dr. Quimper, June Whitfield as Mrs Lancaster, and the dire Harry Enfield as Symington!

MissQuin 10 Jan 10 at 11:20 a.m. GMT

I could have a long, long list of TV's characters who havnt met up my standards! Some of the people who have appeared are as Vansittart pointed out, made up characters. Bertram's hotel (Ewan) was quite bad for that. Alot of the people appearing in Marple, arent actors, but are comedians or singers. Some of them have done an excellent job, but others havnt!

sjoerdbol 10 Jan 10 at 10:24 a.m. GMT

Best - 3 people actually. First is Lois Chilles as Linnet Doyle in the 1978 version of death on the nile, she is so good in getting enemies in that movie.

Second, from the same movie, is Jack Warden who plays docter Ludwig Bessner, that really is a wonderful actor who IS Docter Bessner to me. According to the book he seems to old, but how he plays him he isn't.

Third, and last, is Princess Dragomiroff in the 1974 great version of Murder on The Orient Express. She is very good in personalising a russian aristocratic princess. In this movie are a lot of great actors, like Lauren Bacall, Anthony Perkins, Martin Balsam, John Gielgud of course. But it is to bad that they chose the wrong guy to play Poirot, because in this movie he is sort of an anti hero.

Worst is of course, I think, Jonathan Cecil who plays Hastings in Thirteen at Dinner, death mans folly and murder in three acts. Along the side of Peter Ustinov, who is one of my favorite actors, he looks even worse.

vansittart 09 Jan 10 at 5:45 p.m. GMT

There's an awful lot to choose from in both categories but one or two who spring to mind are,

Best - Monica Dolan as Miss Gilchrist in 'After The Funeral', Natasha Little as Ann Shapland in 'Pigeons', Helen Grace as Jane Wilkinson in 'Lord Edgeware Dies', Sarah Miles as Lucy Angkatell in 'The Hollow', Janet McTeer as Ann Protheroe in 'Vicarage' (McEwen), Sophia Myles as Gwenda in 'Sleeping Murder' (McEwen), Ursula Howells as Miss Blacklock in 'Murder Is Announced' (Hickson) and, yes, I agree with Lois Chiles as Linnet Doyle in Ustinov's 'Death on the Nile'

Worst - many of the Cloades in 'Taken at the Flood' but especially Celia Imrie and Tim Pigott-Smith, John Hannah as Dr Gerard in 'Appointment With Death', Ronni Ancona as the made-up Amanda Dalrymple in 'Nemesis' (McEwen), Amanda Burton as Sister Clotilde in the same film and everyone except Zoe Telford as Emily in the terrible 'Sittaford Mystery (McEwen).

stylestocurtain 09 Jan 10 at 11:49 a.m. GMT

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My favourite is Linnet Doyle in Ustinovs Death on the Nile. I think it just worked so well, the beautiful but very, very determined and focussed heiress who will get whatever she wants. Especially when she counter-threatens Dr Bessner "So sue me! - if you dare!". The Suchet one was really good as well but I thought Lois Chiles was better - it made you really believe that she'd swooped down and taken Simon for her own from Jackie's arms!

By contrast, while she was very good, I don't think Jaqueline was the best choice in the Suchet one ... I thought Jackie was supposed to be fiery and Latin, this Jackie was a bit too laid back ...

Miss Sainsbury Seale in One Two Buckle My Shoe - what a brilliant performance! You really believed she was this well-meaning chattering scatterbrained lovely lady. And Gerda too - quite scary when dressed as Helen Montressor!

Not a fan of Sugden in Hercule Poirot's Christmas - that is, I thought his performance was great, but he didn't look anything like Simeon Lee!! When Poirot affixes the moustache to the portrait, there's no likeness at all!

Paul Renault from Murder on the Links. Really believable, and even though we don't knew throughout he's a bad guy as well as the victim, he's still slight;y creepy and you have the inclination not to trust him. Bella was great as well, so elegant!

Anyone else scared stiff by the dead tramp in that episode??

MissQuin 09 Jan 10 at 10:06 a.m. GMT

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The most accurate portrayl Ive seen is in Marple Ordeal by Innocence. Burn Gorman was spot on with Jacko Argyle. He looked right, spoke in the way I imagined in the book, had an oily kind of charm. Also Sarah Miles as Lucy Angkatell in The Hollow. She was perfect as the eccentric Lucy. I enjoyed Frances De La Tour in Death in the Nile. Very theatrical, which the character was!

The person  that seemed too far way from the original character was Celia Imrie as Mrs Kathy Cloade in Taken at the flood. I got the impression in the book, that Kathy wasnt really eccentric. She used Spiritualism as a veil for which she could go to Poirot and ask for help. The TV portrayl was that Kathy was a ranting lunatic! She was completely over the top! There are quite a few in Taken at the Flood, who I felt werent how I pictured.

In fact, theres been many characters that have been wrecked. Tim Allerton in Death on the Nile was terrible! I squirmed evertime he was on screen. It wasnt the acting, just the fact they had transformed  Tim into someone really annoying!

Nofret, I know what you mean about the ABC murders. I loved the TV version, but the actor hasnt got what AC charcaters call SA! On the other hand, it could be he told lots of lies about being a Lord with lots of money. That could have lured Betty to her doom..?