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Simply Perfect

A Masterpiece!

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is one of the few Agatha Christie novels that I have not read so I am not in a position to say how faithful or otherwise this adaptation is. It's a fast moving TV movie starring many famous TV faces of the time (late eighties). Although a thriller, the emphasis is mainly on comedy with Stephanie Zimbalist very likable and endearing as 'girl in search of adventure' Anne Beddingfield. She has a suitably square jawed, handsome hero to team up with in Simon Dutton and is surrounded by an assortment of rather two dimensional 'suspects' including Edward Woodward being VERY English and Rue McClanahan being VERY Southern and basically replaying Blanche from 'The Golden Girls'. Tony Randall shows that he is definitely NOT a master of disguise and there is a very funny episode towards the end when the ladies 'fail to recognise him'. There are a few moments like this (Anne escaping from the worst cell ever, the prat-fall over the edge of the waterfall etc) which one is never quite sure if they are meant to be funny or not.On the whole this is quite enjoyable fluff but I must now read the novel which I believe is a far superior tale.

First off, the book is better than this. And second off, Tony Randall all but kills the mystery with his dorky obvious disguises. Rue McClanahan is the only spritely member of the dull cast, which is put thru the bland predictable motions that again, are less romantic and adventurous than the novel. Miscast Stephanie Zimbalist is more irritating here than she was in Remington Steel, which I didn't think was possible.... Should have had a spunky Brit in the lead, but oh well, can't have everything, can we?

This is the best of the made-for-tv movies done by CBS. There is no video avaliable, but it does sometimes come on the Fox Family Channel or Encore Mystery Channel. More of an adventure story than a mystery, the action keeps up well until it lags towards the end. Randall provides comic relief appearing as an elderly vicar lugging a suit case full of bibles around and as a female secretary. 3 stars out of 4. Certainly better than any of the Helen Hayes & Peter Ustinov Tv Movies.

A much better and more enjoyable film than you would suspect from a made-for-TV movie and a zillion-year-old Agatha Christie mystery story. Nice location footage too.