Murder in Three Acts

Murder in Three Acts Information

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).

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.

A 2010 version made for television starring David Suchet as Poirot restored the title Three Act Tragedy as well as again making Sir Charles Cartwright (played by Martin Shaw) a stage actor from Britain.

Cast of the 1986 version

Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot
Jonathan Cecil as Captain Arthur Hastings
Tony Curtis as Charles Cartwright
Emma Samms as Egg
Dana Elcar as Dr Strange
Lisa Eichhorn as Cynthia Dayton
Nicholas Pryor as Freddie Dayton
Fernando Allende as Ricardo Montoya
Pedro Armendriz, Jr. as Colonel Mateo

Frances Lee McCain as Miss Milray
Marian Mercer as Daisy Eastman
Diana Muldaur as Angela Stafford
Concetta Tomei as Janet Crisp
Philip Guilmant as Rev. Babbington
Jacqueline Evans as Mrs Babbington
Martin LaSalle as Doctor
Alma Levy as Nurse
Julio Monterde as Manager

Ustinov as Poirot

Murder in Three Acts was Peter Ustinov's fifth portrayal of Christie's Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Ustinov played Poirot in a total of six films:

Death on the Nile (1978) - theatrical film
Evil Under the Sun (1982) - theatrical film
Thirteen at Dinner (1985) - TV film
Dead Man's Folly (1986) - TV film
Murder in Three Acts (1986) - TV film
Appointment with Death (1988) - theatrical film

This webpage uses material from the Wikipedia article "Murder_in_Three_Acts" and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. Reality TV World is not responsible for any errors or omissions the Wikipedia article may contain.

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