Murder in Three Acts

Murder in Three Acts
Written by Agatha Christie
Scott Swanton
Directed by Gary Nelson
Starring Peter Ustinov
Tony Curtis
Emma Samms
Fernando Allende
Jonathan Cecil
Country of origin UK
US
Language(s) English
Production
Running time 94 minutes
Distributor CBS Television
Chronology
Preceded by Dead Man's Folly
Followed by Appointment with Death

Murder in Three Acts is a 1986 British-American television film produced by Warner Bros. Television, featuring Peter Ustinov as Agatha Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Directed by Gary Nelson, it co-starred Jonathan Cecil as Hastings, Tony Curtis, and Emma Samms.

The film is based on Christie's book Three Act Tragedy (1934).

Contents

Synopsis

Poirot joins his assistant Hastings in Acapulco, Mexico, where Hastings is staying. They go to a party at which the other guests include the writer Janet Crisp, the American actor Charles Cartwright, a clergyman called Babbington, Daisy Eastman and her daughter Egg, Dr Strange, and Ricardo Montoya. Babbington dies of poisoning, and then Strange is poisoned, too. Poirot hunts the murderer.

Changes to the original story

The main change is the relocation of the action from London to Acapulco. In the book, Poirot's assistant is Satterthwaite, replacing Hastings, but in the film Hastings is reinstated in his usual role. Christie's English theatrical actor Sir Charles Cartwright turns into Charles Cartwright, an American movie star.

Cast of the first version

Ustinov as Poirot

External links