Ten Little Indians (1965)

Director:

George Pollock

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel) and
Harry Alan Towers (writer) ...

Release Date:

June 1965 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

WE DARE YOU TO GUESS!

Plot:

Agatha Christie tale of 10 people invited to an isolated place only to find that an unseen person is killing them one by one. One of them?

Plot Keywords:

Poem | Snow | Confession | Isolation | Multiple Murder

Cast

Hugh O'Brian	...	Hugh Lombard
Shirley Eaton	...	Ann Clyde
Fabian	...	Mike Raven
Leo Genn	...	General Sir John Mandrake V.C.
Stanley Holloway	...	Det. William Henry Blore
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Judge Arthur Cannon (as Wilfrid Hyde White)
Daliah Lavi	...	Ilona Bergen
Dennis Price	...	Dr. Edward Armstrong
Marianne Hoppe	...	Elsa Grohmann
Mario Adorf	...	Joseph Grohmann

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's 'Ten Little Indians' (UK) (alternative title) (USA)
And Then There Were None (UK) (alternative title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:12 (2008) | UK:A (1965) (cut) | Australia:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Kenure House Rush Co, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Tenlit Films Ltd.

Trivia:

The mysterious voice that accuses the invited guests of their specific crimes is an uncredited Christopher Lee.

Goofs:

Continuity: The killer is shown playing snooker, but just before the credits roll, the stand with the ten indians is on the snooker table, making the game impossible.

Quotes:

Judge Arthur Cannon: I find it a singular lapse of manners - a house party, and the host the last to arrive!
Mike Raven: It happens.
Judge Arthur Cannon: Not to me, young man.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Ten Little Maidens (1985)

Soundtrack:

Ten Little Indians

Unptretentious but Good Version of Miss Christie's Novel

If you enjoy crime mystery movies this is one to see. Based on a novel by Agatha Christie, it tells the story of ten people, all unknown to each other, that get trapped and isolated in a sort of castle on top a mountain where they have been invited by a mysterious host they don't know either. They soon realize the idea for their presence there is none other than to be executed one by one as a punishment for unclear circumstances that hurt and killed people in each one's past. They also realize that the avenging murderer is one of them, but who? Deaths start and it comes to the point in which no one -sill alive of course- trusts no one and everyone suspects everyone. The mystery's disclosure at the very end of the film doesn't lack surprise and goes along with the previous entertaining situations.

A rather unpretentious remake of "And There here were None" released in the 40's, this 1965 version turns out really good and stands far better than others that followed (in 1974 with Oliver Reed and Elke Sommer and in 1989 with Donald Pleasence and Brenda Vaccaro).

The dark atmosphere -the shooting was made in black and white- is good enough and interest doesn't fall along the whole picture, perhaps because the events move fast and the film's running time is perfect.

No doubt the very good performances of such experienced actors as Leo Genn (the General), Wilfrid Hyde White (the Judge) and Sterling Holloway (the detective) help a lot too. Hugh O'Brian and Shirley Eaton (a former Bond girl) are correct in their not much demanding roles).

If you didn't read Christie's novel you will enjoy the film and its mysterious plot, and if did read it you will enjoy the murderer's handling of facts in order to accomplish his sinister plan.

Some too casual and forced situations -necessary to sustain the plot and usual in Miss Christie's novels- do not affect the picture in all which is a real good one in its genre.