Evil Under the Sun (1982)

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writer:

Anthony Shaffer (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 March 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Evil is Everywhere. Even in Paradise.

Plot:

Trying to find how a millionaire wound up with a phony diamond brings Hercule Poirot to an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous. When a murder is committed, everyone has an alibi.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Hercule Poirot | Murder | Hotel | Whodunit

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Peter Ustinov	...	Hercule Poirot
Jane Birkin	...	Christine Redfern
Colin Blakely	...	Sir Horace Blatt
Nicholas Clay	...	Patrick Redfern
James Mason	...	Odell Gardener
Roddy McDowall	...	Rex Brewster
Sylvia Miles	...	Myra Gardener
Denis Quilley	...	Captain Kenneth Marshall
Diana Rigg	...	Arlena Stuart Marshall
Maggie Smith	...	Daphne Castle
Emily Hone	...	Linda Marshall
John Alderson	...	Police Sergeant
Paul Antrim	...	Police Inspector
Cyril Conway	...	Police Surgeon
Barbara Hicks	...	Mr. Flewitt's Secretary

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Evil Under the Sun (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 (1982) | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

When Poirot examines the hotel register for signatures of previous guests, he discovers the names of several international celebrities during the 1930s, including Cole Porter, whose music is featured in the film; Ivor Novello; Maurice Chevalier; Fred Astaire and his sister Adele Astaire); Charles Chaplin; and possibly Marlene Dietrich. An entry listing a home address is listed as Berlin, although the signature is illegible aside from the capital M and D). The register is likely a private joke by the filmmakers since it appears on-screen for only a brief second or two.

Goofs:

Continuity: As the Gardeners sit on the terrace watching Arlena's arrival, Odell calls Myra "Myrna."

Quotes:

Mr. Flewitt's Secretary: Hercules Parrot, sir!
Poirot: [entering the office] Poirot, Mademoiselle, pucker your lips as though about to bestow a kiss! Poi-rot.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun' (1982) (TV)

Soundtrack:

You're the Top

Greed did not pay off for a very egocentric, evil couple.

Certainly one of the most cinematographically beautiful films of the '80s, this robust murder mystery keeps you guessing up to the very end. Magnificent scenery, wonderful costumes, and a brisk plot make this a film one that you will want to see again...and again.