IMDb >
Death on the Nile (1978)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsDeath on the Nile (1978) More at IMDbPro »
| Videos |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
29 September 1978 (USA)
more
Plot:
A murder is committed on a Nile steamer, but Hercule Poirot is on board... full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 4 wins
&
5 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
User Comments:
Sumptuous version of classic Christie mystery...absorbing entertainment...
more (81 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) more
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile (UK) (complete title)
more
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
140 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Spain:13 |
Iceland:L |
Singapore:PG |
Ireland:PG |
France:U |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:M |
Finland:K-16 |
Norway:16 (1978) |
Sweden:15 |
UK:PG |
USA:PG |
West Germany:12
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Aboard ship, no one was allowed his or her own dressing room, so Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, and Angela Lansbury all shared a room.
more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Simon and Linette are climbing up the pyramid there's a shot of them having climbed more than half way up, but in the next shot, looking down on them, the ground and rubble is visible only a few meters beneath.
more
Quotes:
Manager Of The Karnak:
We have found it! We have found it! Oh goody goody! Oh goody goody gumdrops! This certainly takes the camel's hump, oh yes, and no mistake.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in There's Something About Christie... Murder Made Simple (2007) (TV)
more
Soundtrack:
I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me)
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (81 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Death on the Nile (1978) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Murder on the Orient Express | Evil Under the Sun | And Then There Were None | Appointment with Death | Murder on the Orient Express |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Crime section | IMDb UK section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |


Murder aboard a Nile steamer in the 1930s is deftly handled here thanks to a good script and some excellent performances.
There can be no question about it--if you're a mystery fan of the sort of crime novels Agatha Christie wrote during her prolific writing career--this is for you. The script fashioned from one of her best works gives a number of interesting actors roles they can chew the scenery with--and most of them do. I can't praise Angela Lansbury enough for her deft and daffy portrayal of a tipsy authoress--so good, she deserved at least an Oscar nomination. The only real flaw is the film's tendency to move at a rather slow pace before things get more intense.
Other acting kudos among the suspects aboard a Nile steamer belong to Bette Davis as an elderly dowager with a penchant for stealing jewelry; her servant, Maggie Smith, with whom she exchanges some priceless barbs; Simon MacCorkindale and Lois Chiles as lovers; Mia Farrow as a vengeful ex-sweetheart; and of course Peter Ustinov as Poirot. David Niven has the least colorful role and can do little with it as he endeavors to help Poirot solve the mystery. The plot has all the ingenious twists we come to expect of Christie and is a very clever one--if slightly improbable when you stop to think about it--depending heavily on luck and coincidence.
But it's all delivered as entertainment and wrapped up in a package designed to stir the senses with an excellent musical score, some fine scenery and Oscar-winning costumes. It's a relief that the writer decided to keep the period of the novel in the 1930s rather than update it as has been done with other Christie stories--notably, MURDER IS EASY ('82) which was updated to include computer technology as part of the plotline. The period flavor here is an added pleasure.
Flavorful, and highly amusing whenever Bette Davis and Maggie Smith have a go at some wisecracks, with an ending that will surprise you if you fail to catch some of the clues. Superior entertainment.