Evil Under the Sun (1982)

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

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writer:

Anthony Shaffer (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Ustinov, James Mason, Maggie Smith

1 nomination.

Cast

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

Storyline

Hercule Poirot (Sir Peter Ustinov) is called in to investigate a case for an insurance company regarding a dead woman's body found on a moor, and then an important diamond sent to the company to be insured, turns out to be a fake. Poirot discovers that the diamond was bought for Arlena Marshall (Dame Diana Rigg) by Sir Horace Blatt (Colin Blakely), and Arlena is on her honeymoon with her husband and stepdaughter on a Mediterranean island hotel. He joins them on the island and finds that everybody else starts to hate Arlena for different reasons, refusing to do a stage show, stopping a book, and for having an open affair with Patrick Redfern (Nicholas Clay), another guest, in full view of his shy wife. So it's only a matter of time before Arlena turns up dead, strangled, and Poirot must find out who it is.

---

Plot Keywords:

hercule poirot | based on novel | agatha christie | beach | hercule poirot character | 

---

Taglines:

Evil is Everywhere. Even in Paradise.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

5 March 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Evil Under the Sun

Filming Locations:

Cala Blanca, Camp de Mar, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,690,774, 7 March 1982

Gross USA:

$6,110,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,110,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

EMI Films, Titan Productions, Mersham Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Second of six appearances playing Detective Hercule Poirot by Sir Peter Ustinov.

---

Goofs

In the film, Patrick Redfern was wearing swim briefs ("Speedos") on many occasions (suntanning on the beach, steering a motorboat with Myra Gardener on board), and it is suggested that, since the film was set in the 1930s or 1940s, that the male "overall" swimsuit was "norm", and the "Speedo" type suit was an anachronism. This is not true; by 1936 (after the Olympics) men started wearing one piece and much tighter fitting "Speedo" suits. The film is probably set before 1939 (the book was written in 1941), and by this time, fashionable and daring men would have worn this type of swimsuit, particularly to secluded getaways, such as the setting for the movie.

---

Quotes

[Poirot is interrogating the suspects]
Kenneth Marshall: It's a little difficult to accept your condolences, Poirot... when in the same breath you accuse me of murdering my wife because she was unfaithful.
Poirot: [matter of factly] I can understand that, of course.

---

Crazy Credits

The opening credits feature watercolors by British architect and artist, Sir Hugh Casson, who taught Prince Charles to paint. The titles for each actor feature an item of costume, prop or setting relevant to their character and those for the production team are similarly themed.

---

Connections

Version of Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun (2007)

---

Soundtracks

I've Got You Under My Skin
(uncredited)
Written by Cole Porter
Heard as a theme

User Reviews

Pure pleasure

Agatha Christie's novels may not be intellectually stimulating but they are perfect light reading and this delightful film recaptures that quality. Slickly directed by Hamilton and well-played by all the cast, there is a striking and surprising opening on the rainswept Yorkshire moors before we are whisked off to sun-drenched Majorca. The plot twist is one of Christie's most cunning devices, which she re-used on several occasions. And of course, as everyone else has commented, the music is sublime.