Victoria Silverwolf
Vegetarian Werewolf
Agatha Christine Adaptations of the 1960's That Emphasized Comedy Over Mystery Double Feature:
The Spider's Web (1960)
Diplomat's wife receives a visit from the guy who is now married to the diplomat's first wife. He claims to be there to claim custody of the diplomat's preteen daughter (new wife's stepdaughter) although, in our first clue, he is also very surprised to see the new wife there. Some time later, he sneaks back in and somebody kills him with the classic blunt instrument. When the new wife finds the body, she and three guys who are hanging around to be suspects/red herrings decide to hide the body instead of calling the cops. (The excuse is that the diplomat is about to show up with an important foreign visitor and the cops would seriously mess things up.) Somebody calls the cops anyway, so they investigate. What does it all have to do with the fact that the diplomat and his wife rented their home for an incredibly low price? Or with somebody who calls the house asking for "Mrs. Brown" and then hanging up? Or a desk with a hidden drawer that seems to contain only some not-very-valuable old autographs?
Based on Christie's play "Spider's Web" and following it closely, from what research tells me, this plays out like a bedroom farce despite the typically intricate mystery plot. From what I can tell, Christie deliberately wrote a comic mystery, as if she were parodying her own works. It's a moderately entertaining bit of light entertainment.
The Alphabet Murders (1965)
Extremely loose adaptation of Christie's novel The A.B.C. Murders. Tony Randall is weirdly cast as Hercule Poirot, trying to play the part with fake bald head, fake mustache, and fake accent. At least he says he's Belgian. The bare bones of the plot are here (somebody with the initials AA is killed, then somebody with the initials BB, then with the initials CC) but transformed into pure slapstick. Poirot is performed as if he were Inspector Clouseau. Anita Ekberg is around as a woman with the initials ABC who acts in a completely irrational manner. Fails as comedy or mystery.
The Spider's Web (1960)
Diplomat's wife receives a visit from the guy who is now married to the diplomat's first wife. He claims to be there to claim custody of the diplomat's preteen daughter (new wife's stepdaughter) although, in our first clue, he is also very surprised to see the new wife there. Some time later, he sneaks back in and somebody kills him with the classic blunt instrument. When the new wife finds the body, she and three guys who are hanging around to be suspects/red herrings decide to hide the body instead of calling the cops. (The excuse is that the diplomat is about to show up with an important foreign visitor and the cops would seriously mess things up.) Somebody calls the cops anyway, so they investigate. What does it all have to do with the fact that the diplomat and his wife rented their home for an incredibly low price? Or with somebody who calls the house asking for "Mrs. Brown" and then hanging up? Or a desk with a hidden drawer that seems to contain only some not-very-valuable old autographs?
Based on Christie's play "Spider's Web" and following it closely, from what research tells me, this plays out like a bedroom farce despite the typically intricate mystery plot. From what I can tell, Christie deliberately wrote a comic mystery, as if she were parodying her own works. It's a moderately entertaining bit of light entertainment.
The Alphabet Murders (1965)
Extremely loose adaptation of Christie's novel The A.B.C. Murders. Tony Randall is weirdly cast as Hercule Poirot, trying to play the part with fake bald head, fake mustache, and fake accent. At least he says he's Belgian. The bare bones of the plot are here (somebody with the initials AA is killed, then somebody with the initials BB, then with the initials CC) but transformed into pure slapstick. Poirot is performed as if he were Inspector Clouseau. Anita Ekberg is around as a woman with the initials ABC who acts in a completely irrational manner. Fails as comedy or mystery.