This TV version of Agatha Christie's best-selling novel was filmed in 1945 and shown on TV in England in 1949, as well as 1959. In fact, the 1959 TV version aired in the U.K. a mere five days before this one was shown in the U.S.
The story remains faithful to Christie's original work for the most part; action is set on Indian Island where ten strangers have been invited for a weekend by an unknown host. They are all accused of past crimes, and are murdered on by one, according to the nursery rhyme.
The difference in the ending here is that Lombard, who has apparently been shot by Miss Claythorne, is actually NOT dead and arrives on time to shoot the real murderer to death, just before he attempts to hang the final victim.
The technical credits and direction are very good, as is the acting from the superb Barry Jones and Romney Brent. Kenneth Haigh, James Kenney and Peter Bathurst are also good. The one poor acting job comes from Nina Foch as Miss Claythorne, often overacting. It doesn't help that she's close to 10 years older than Kenneth Haigh, as she is supposed to be the "love" interest here-she seems more like his mother! All in all, a quite good production-unfortunately however it was done in slightly under an hour-some times we have one body discovered within seconds of another-it should have really been at least 90 minutes long.
The story remains faithful to Christie's original work for the most part; action is set on Indian Island where ten strangers have been invited for a weekend by an unknown host. They are all accused of past crimes, and are murdered on by one, according to the nursery rhyme.
The difference in the ending here is that Lombard, who has apparently been shot by Miss Claythorne, is actually NOT dead and arrives on time to shoot the real murderer to death, just before he attempts to hang the final victim.
The technical credits and direction are very good, as is the acting from the superb Barry Jones and Romney Brent. Kenneth Haigh, James Kenney and Peter Bathurst are also good. The one poor acting job comes from Nina Foch as Miss Claythorne, often overacting. It doesn't help that she's close to 10 years older than Kenneth Haigh, as she is supposed to be the "love" interest here-she seems more like his mother! All in all, a quite good production-unfortunately however it was done in slightly under an hour-some times we have one body discovered within seconds of another-it should have really been at least 90 minutes long.