Sparkling Cyanide (1983)

Rosemary Barton, the beautiful wife of a top attorney, dies during their anniversary party at an exclusive restaurant. Later a suicide note is found along with traces of cyanide in her drink, but murder cannot be ruled out.

Director:

Robert Michael Lewis (as Robert Lewis)

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Robert Malcolm Young (teleplay)

Stars:

Anthony Andrews, Deborah Raffin, Pamela Bellwood

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Andrews	...	Tony Browne
Deborah Raffin	...	Iris Murdoch
Pamela Bellwood	...	Ruth Lessing
Nancy Marchand	...	Lucilla Drake
Josef Sommer	...	George Barton
David Huffman	...	Stephan Farraday
Christine Belford	...	Rosemary Barton
June Chadwick	...	Sandra Farraday
Barrie Ingham	...	Eric Kidderminster
Harry Morgan	...	Captain Kemp
Anne Rogers	...	Viola Kidderminster
Michael Woods	...	Victor Drake
Shera Danese	...	Christine Shannon
Ismael 'East' Carlo	...	Medical Examiner (as Ismael Carlo)
Linda Hoy	...	Boat Manager

Storyline

A socialite while having dinner with her husband, her sister, her aunt, a friend of her sister and her husband, her husband's assistant and an English reporter, dies. It is later learned that she died from ingesting cyanide, Initially it is believed she may have given it to herself because she's having emotional problems. But her husband gets a note saying she was murdered so he tries to prove it and part of his plan to bring out the people who were there when his wife died. He gives a toast then everybody gets up to dance or do something. When they return, he takes a drink of champagne and drops dead. So they wonder how the cyanide got into his glass. Her sister who has taken a liking to the reporter learns he is actually an investigator. And he works with the police to find the killer.

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Plot Keywords:

cyanide | attempted murder | political career | lloyds of london | investigation | 

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Sparkling Cyanide

Filming Locations:

Arden Villa - 1145 Arden Road, Pasadena, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Television, CBS Entertainment Production, The Stan Margolies Company

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the water-skiing scene, in close-up shots Iris' hands are holding the bar with both palms facing downwards on the bar. In the long-shots, the left hand is palm facing downwards, but the right hand is palm facing upwards.

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Connections

Version of Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie: Meurtre au champagne (2013)

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Soundtracks

I Get a Kick Out of You
(uncredited)
Performed by Abby Haman
Written by Cole Porter

User Reviews

Who thinks he's Hercule Poirot

I saw some criticisms over at YouTube from Agatha Christie purists who resented the American location of this made for television film. I also believe that Christie novels should always be in their original settings, but this was an all right production. And Anthony Andrews as the lead sleuth in Sparkling Cyanide is as English as you can get.

Andrews is hobnobbing with the rich and somewhat famous and strikes up an acquaintance with Deborah Raffin who is visiting her sister Christine Belford who is currently married to Josef Sommer, but deep in an affair with the married David Huffman. I've already given a few reasons for a murder and others come out during the investigation by LAPD homicide detective Harry Morgan.

Belford is victim number one as she drinks some champagne laced with cyanide at a dinner party. Later on Sommer who thinks he's Hercule Poirot gathers all the suspects together at a duplication of the same dinner party and he gets the cyanide champagne as well.

A matter as simple as the seating arrangements provides the solution.

I'm sure the original English version is better, but this certainly will do for less fussy Christie fans.