Death in the Clouds (12 Jan. 1992)
"Agatha Christie's Poirot" Death in the Clouds (original title)

While Poirot sleeps on an airplane flight from Paris to London, a notorious French moneylender is murdered with a poisoned dart.

Director:

Stephen Whittaker

Writer:

William Humble (dramatized by)

Stars:

David Suchet, Philip Jackson, Sarah Woodward

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Philip Jackson	...	Chief Inspector Japp
Sarah Woodward	...	Jane Grey
Shaun Scott	...	Norman Gale
Cathryn Harrison	...	Lady Horbury
David Firth	...	Lord Horbury
Amanda Royle	...	Venetia Kerr
Richard Ireson	...	Inspector Fournier
Jenny Downham	...	Anne Giselle
Eve Pearce	...	Madame Giselle
Roger Heathcott	...	Daniel Clancy
Guy Manning	...	Jean Dupont
Gabrielle Lloyd	...	Elise
John Bleasdale	...	Mitchell
Harry Audley	...	Raymond Barraclough

Storyline

After spending a bit of a holiday in Paris, Poirot finds himself on a flight to London with an odd assortment of people, some of whom he had met during his stay. When one of the passengers, Madame Gisele, is murdered during the flight by a poisoned dart, Poirot is asked by Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard to assist with the investigation. Gisele was a well-known moneylender with penchant towards blackmail. When Lady Horbury denies knowing the dead woman - which Poirot knows is false - the police clearly have their prime suspect. Poirot however, sees a far more complex plot to gain access to the victims money.

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Plot Keywords:

murder mystery

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Crime | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 1992 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Twickenham Studios, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 100 min (14 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode can be dated to 1935, when Fred Perry of the UK defeated Gottfried von Cramm of Germany in the men's singles championship. Von Cramm defeated Perry in the 1936 championship.

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Goofs

The story is set in the summer of 1935 and much of it takes place on board a Douglas DC-3. But the Douglas DC-3 had its maiden flight shortly before Christmas that year and it was not introduced into service until 1936.

User Reviews

Absorbing and stylish, not Poirot's best, but a rock solid outing from the series

I only have vague memories of the book, so I can't judge properly by how faithful this adaptation is. That said, this is very absorbing and stylish. There are parts when the pace is a tad too sluggish and the final solution feels a bit more strained than it usually is. Even with the failings this is still a rock solid outing from the brilliant Poirot series. This adaptation is sumptuously filmed, with fine locations (Paris looked amazing!) and costumes, and the music is gorgeous. The acting is also very well done; David Suchet is impeccable as always as Poirot, and while Hugh Fraser as Hastings is noticeably absent, Phillip Jackson as Japp gets more screen time, and makes the most of it in a truly delightful performance. Sarah Woodward is very pretty and likable as Jane Grey, and Shaun Scott does a good job as Norman Gale. All in all, very well done. 8/10 Bethany Cox