The Alphabet Murders (1965)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Frank Tashlin

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
David Pursall (writer) ...

Release Date:

17 May 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Comedy

Tagline:

It's really no mystery why this girl is MURDER... it's as simple as ABC if you look hard enough!

Plot:

The Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigates a series of murders in London in which the victims are killed according to their initials...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Hercule Poirot | Detective | Private Detective | Miss Marple

Cast

Tony Randall	...	Hercule Poirot
Anita Ekberg	...	Amanda Beatrice Cross
Robert Morley	...	Hastings
Maurice Denham	...	Japp
Guy Rolfe	...	Duncan Doncaster
Sheila Allen	...	Lady Diane Clarke
James Villiers	...	Franklin Clarke
Julian Glover	...	Don Fortune
Grazina Frame	...	Betty Barnard
Clive Morton	...	Sir Edward ('X')
Cyril Luckham	...	Sir Carmichael Clarke
Richard Wattis	...	Wolf
David Lodge	...	Sergeant
Patrick Newell	...	Cracknell
Austin Trevor	...	Judson

Also Known As:

The ABC Murders

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:U (1965) (cut) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Trivia:

At one point Seth Holt was slated to direct this film and Zero Mostel was to have played Poirot.

Goofs:

Continuity: The sleeping Mrs Fortune's mouth changes position from shot-to-shot, and occasionally doesn't match the snoring soundtrack.

Quotes:

Hastings: Where have you been? What have you been doing?
Hercule Poirot: Arranging a little extra insurance my friend.
Hastings: Oh really? Personally I always feel perfectly safe with British railways. Mind you its very different in France, isn't it?
Hercule Poirot: I wouldn't know. I am not French, I am Belgian.
Hastings: Well it's the same thing, you both eat horsemeat.

Movie Connections:

Version of "Agatha Christie: Poirot: The ABC Murders (#4.1)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Amanda

Up there with Peter Sellers' Clouseau!

Frank Tashlin's "The Alphabet Murders" is precisely that. Not Agatha Christie. The film is a work of cinema and therefore not obligated to any other medium or versions. Are there really people out there that still don't realize that film is a separate entity and should always...ALWAYS...be judged as a separate piece of work? First of all this is a comedy: Tashlin...Randall. Get it??? If the film had been made with Jerry Lewis (often directed by Tashlin) would that have driven the point more? If it had been made animated with Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd (often directed by Tashlin) would that have driven the point? THIS IS NOT CHRISTIE...IT'S A #*^))^%$#&%@ SPOOF!!!!!!!! Apparently some are missing a few little grey cells too many!!!! Now. With that said. Tony Randall and company are a hoot. Tashlin is a hoot. This film (shot in cool hip black and white with a French musical score) is a hoot and a tribute to French comedy, English comedy, Christie, and comedy in general. I would rank this film up there with Peter Sellers' Clouseau. If only all the Christie films were this fun.