Sad Cypress 

Elinor Carlisle seems to be the obvious murderer of her ailing aunt and the beautiful romantic rival who broke up her engagement, but Poirot uncovers darker motives.

Director:

David Moore

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), David Pirie (screenplay)

Stars:

David Suchet, Elisabeth Dermot Walsh, Rupert Penry-Jones

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Elisabeth Dermot Walsh	...	Elinor Carlisle
Rupert Penry-Jones	...	Roddy Winter
Kelly Reilly	...	Mary Gerrard
Paul McGann	...	Dr. Peter Lord
Phyllis Logan	...	Nurse Hopkins
Marion O'Dwyer	...	Nurse O'Brien
Diana Quick	...	Mrs. Welman
Stuart Laing	...	Ted Horlick
Jack Galloway	...	Marsden
Geoffrey Beevers	...	Seddon
Alistair Findlay	...	Prosecuting Counsel
Linda Spurrier	...	Mrs. Bishop
Ian Taylor	...	Shopkeeper
Timothy Carlton	...	Judge

Storyline

Elinor Carlisle and Roddy Winter are happily engaged. Elinor's aunt is Laura Welman, wealthy but ailing and bed-ridden. Elinor receives an anonymous letter warning her that someone will try to gain favour with Mrs Welman at her expense. Her aunt's doctor, Dr Peter Lord, contacts Hercule Poirot to investigate. Mrs Welman dies with no will and Elinor, as her next-of-kin, receives everything. Shortly before Mrs Welman's death, Mary Gerrard, an old friend of the family, reappears after a long absence. Roddy falls for her and this ends his engagement to Elinor. Elinor is openly resentful of Mary ending her relationship with Roddy and says she wished Mary was dead. One afternoon, Mary stops by for tea and sandwiches with Elinor and a short while later is found dead, poisoned. After a thorough investigation, which Poirot assisted in, Elinor is charged with and ultimately found guilty of the murders of Mary and Mrs Welman. She is sentenced to hang. Doctor Lord insists that Elinor is innocent ...

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Plot Keywords:

hercule poirot | doctor | sandwich | salmon | detective | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

26 December 2003 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Dorney Court, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Weekend Television (LWT),A&E Television Networks,Agatha Christie

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 100 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Kodak Vision Color Negative Film)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul McGann portrays a doctor in this episode. McGann is well known for playing the eighth version of the Doctor in the Doctor WHO series.

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Goofs

When Poirot gets into a taxi he asks to be taken to 'The British Library.' This was not created until 1973. He should have asked for 'The British Museum' or 'The British Museum Library.'

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Quotes

Hercule Poirot: Mademoiselle Carlisle, wanting a death is not a crime.

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Connections

Version of Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie: Je ne suis pas coupable (2010)

User Reviews

Clever and intriguing

Elinor Carlisle and Roddy Winter are happily engaged. Elinor's aunt is receives is Laura Welman, wealthy but ailing and bed-ridden. Elinor receives an anonymous letter, warning her that someone will try to gain favour with Mrs Welman, to her expense. Her aunt's doctor, Doctor Peter Lord, contacts Hercule Poirot to investigate. Mrs Welman dies with no will, and, as her next-of-kin, Elinor receives everything. Elinor. Shortly before her death, Mary Gerrard, an old friend of the family, reappears after a long absence. Roddy falls for her and this ends his engagement to Elinor. Elinor is openly resentful of Mary ending her relationship with Roddy and says she wished Mary was dead. One afternoon, Mary stops by for tea and sandwiches with Elinor and a short while later is found dead, poisoned. After a thorough investigation, which Poirot assisted in, Elinor is charged with and ultimately found guilty of the murders of Mary and Mrs Welman. She is sentenced to hang. Doctor Lord insists that Elinor is innocent and implores Poirot to reinvestigate the case. Poirot agrees, resulting in a race against time to save Elinor.

Clever and intriguing. The number of suspects is quite small, but you're never sure which it is. Motives by anyone other than Elinor appear non-existent, making things more difficult. So, the murderer is very well hidden, making the case even more interesting.

Sad Cypress does have a similar story and feel to Mrs McGinty's Dead. However, Sad Cypress has a much more plausible plot, especially backstory and motive.

In the great tradition of the Poirot series, a great supporting cast. The notable names this time are Paul McGann (of Withnail and I and Hornblower fame) and Kelly Reilly (True Detective S2, among other things).