FROM BOOK TO SERIES: HERCULE POIROT

Sorry - I didn't mean to publish this until after I had finished the audiobook - and that took nearlya week (I kept falling asleep during it, its been a busy week around here)
But now I am done ... I can now update and publsh this now.

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Everytime I see the titla of this case, i can never remember who solves the case ... then I remember, its Poirot, of course.

We will look at the PBS series firest (via BBC) simply because it is the easist to do while watching .... and I've seen it several times before ... not one of my favorites - not so much because Poirot nearly FAILS on this one ... but the acting is so bad by the background (non-regulars) actors.

And now - as always ... 

SPOILER ALERT

The A-B-C MURDERS

The episode opens at a train station ... a train is rolling in, and someone is getting a ticket punched for "Victoria".
Turns out it was Captain Hastings returning cayfrom a trip to someplace where he was able to kill a cayman.
He see Poirot waiting for him ...
Poirot takes him back to his very own apartment, stating that until Hastings can get his own apartment back, he will be staying at Poirot's place, with him.

I just can't see this -- Poirot is a very particular with things, time ... he's kind of like Sheldon Cooper, only Belgium.

Hercule Poirot tells Hastings that things have been quiet while he's away ... but now that he's back they can go on the "hunt" again.

And POOF -- a case shows back up.
The ABC murderer has named himself ... but since its only the "A" murder which has been committed - why would he name himself "ABC"?

Inspector Japp shows up in this production as well ... he's the inspector on the case.
Poirot leaps to the concludes that the next person will have a last name beginning with "B" and living in a city beginning wih a "B" ... interesting conclusion since there's only been ONE killing so far, way too early to find a pattern of any sort.

They then pop over/into a movie theater where they are showing a movie about a murderer .... and they focus in on one man in the audience.
This same man later is in a library where he mets a man who speaks about murder and begins to laugh melialchy. 

After victim 3, there is finally a link to nylon stockings ... 

The interesting part is murder #4 -- Poirot totally messes it up ... and its too late to stop it.

But, is the murderer who we think it is???

Of course, they are trying to squeeze a novel into only 45 minutes - 1 hour ... and it would seem that a series of crimes which follow the alphabet would seem rather simple to follow (a each scene is a train schedule turned to the pageturned to where the murder took place)
But ... while they do a good job at telling about how Poirot is trying to work it out, you know very early WHO it is!!
It would have just been nice if someone had actually READ the book BEFORE writing the screenplay for the show ...

My issues with the episode:
1)Japp shows up at the beginning and then at the end ... he is NOT the main Inspector in this story
2)Hastings is MARRIED at this time ... and while Christie doesn't say it, one must assume the marriage is strained - he expects to be apart from her for about 6 months while in London "on business"
3)The never gives the impression that Poirot feels like the "madman" is getting the upper hand (I do like this aspect in the episode)
4)Poirot PRAISES Hastings in the novel, for his "uniue" way of looking at things - although, he simply looks at things differently than Poirot - but still, he seems more annoyed with Hastings in the episode than anything else.

There are also little bits of history worked in ... that many Americans may not understand but in England .... everyone would have remembered.

The bit of history involves King Edward VII (David) who gave up his throne in order to marry Wallis Simpson.

In the novel there is a small scene which is simply brushed over ... but if you know the story of David and Wallis, you would understand!

It all bagan with a photograph ... David (then Prince David) was on a cruise with a group of friends ... the photograph shows Wallis Simpson TOUGHING his arm while the group was speaking.

GASP!!!!

Litle moves like this can give away so much ...

In the book - a young woman touches the arm of a man .... I don't even know if Christie realized that she had written it in there ... but I cannot imagine she missed it completely!!!!
I think the touch revealed so much more about this pair than even Poirot realizes.

This is a two part audiobook, and I have not been able to find a copy of the episode yet ...

I will embed part 1 of the audio here, it sould have a link on its own to part 2

Please remember ...

THESE ARE NOT MY WORKS ...I only include them to make it easy for you to find them.