Air date: 04/02/1990
Published: Ninth story in "Poirot Investigates" (1924)
At the fifteenth time of asking (well, fourteenth, technically, as they had tackled one novel by now) the TV producers finally dipped into the very first collection of Poirot short stories.
The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim is an enjoyable yarn about deception and fraud. It is also, as my daughter pointed out, one of those stories where you can't help giving the game away a bit when you turn the written word into a visual production.
The Mr Davenheim of the title is a banker who goes missing from his country pile the very afternoon a rival businessman, a Mr Lowen, was due to come and see him. When Davenheim's clothes are dredged from a nearby lake the finger of suspicion seems to point to Lowen. It is later discovered that the safe in Davenheim's study has been broken into, and bearer bonds, cash, and his wife's collection of expensive jewelry taken.
In the original much of the early part of the story is being reported by Inspector Japp to Poirot as they and Hastings share afternoon tea. The adaptation cleverly moves from 'live' story to Japp's account.
Poirot, ever lauding his 'little grey cells', is challenged by Japp to see if he can't solve the case without leaving his home, within seven days.
The police discover that Davenheim's signet ring has been rather clumsily pawned by a local vagrant-come-pickpocket, Billy Kellett. Poirot eventually works out that Kellett is Davenheim's alias. He had been defrauding the bank for years, and converting money into jewelry. In the TV production it's not difficult to spot British character-actor Kenneth Colley (Admiral Piett in two of the original Star Wars films!) playing both Davenheim and Kellett!
A few minor details have been changed for the TV production. In the original Davenheim was supposed to have spent the previous autumn in South America (actually he was being Kellett in prison!); whereas now it is South Africa. There is also a bigger role for Davenheim's wife.
What is more noticeable, however, are the embellishments, several of them quite humorous. Poirot, Hastings and Japp are at the theatre watching a magician. Although apparently bored, Poirot takes up an interest in card tricks and sleights-of-hand - a theme which runs through the episode.
Lowen is now, among other things, a car racing enthusiast (much to the delight of Hastings). Also, for some obscure reason, Poirot's 'confinement' at home coincides with him being asked to look after a friend's parrot.
At one point Hastings talks to it. "Don't fraternise with the creature; I'm still training him", says Poirot. "It's only a parrot", retorts Hastings. "I was talking to the parrot", says Poirot, without looking up from his desk.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
14. The Cornish Mystery
Air date: 28/01/1990
Published: Third story in "Poirot's Early Cases" (1974)
I found The Cornish Mystery, both in its original written form and in its TV adaptation, a delightful story to follow.
It concerns a Mrs Pengelley, who visits Poirot from Cornwall, and who expresses the fear that she is being poisoned. The chief suspect is her husband, a dentist, and the motive the "yellow-haired hussy" who works as his assistant.
When Poirot and Hastings later travel down to Cornwall to see her they arrive to find she has just died! The local GP is convinced she was suffering from acute gastritis, but Poirot makes some initial investigations before returning to London. When, three months later, Edward Pengelley announces his engagement to his assistant, the outcry leads to an exhumation of the body. The discovery of arsenic poisoning prompts the arrest of Mr Pengelley.
It turns out that the motive was not love, but money. Mrs Pengelley's neice Freda was engaged to a local tailor, Jacob Radnor. Freda believed her aunt had a mid-life crush on him, but it turns out he had deliberately encouraged this. Radnor poisoned her and planned for her husband to go to the gallows for it so that he and Freda could pocket the family assets.
In the original Mrs Pengelley is very nervous about publicity when visiting Poirot. In the adaptation this is played out by her reluctance to come to his office. Instead Poirot and Hastings have to meet her in the park. Miss Lemon brokers this, although (again) she is not actually in the original. Japp isn't in the original, either, although turns up in the adaptation at the exhumation. Once again, he fears the worst: that Poirot will spoil what he thinks is a simple case.
Despite these differences the adaptation is remarkably faithful to the original, with large chunks of dialogue being taken verbatim from the original short story. For this reason the embellishments, such as they are, stand out all the more.
First, although referred to, Pengelley's assistant plays no real part in the original, but in the adaptation Poirot and Hastings visit her during their initial enquiries. This enables the producers to indulge in one facet of the team's characteristics that regularly surfaced: Hastings' soft-spot for an attractive woman. Here he is utterly tongue-tied in the dentist's surgery. When he and Poirot leave he exclaims: "What a stunner!"
Second, in the adaptation we see the funeral and a reading of the will, as well as Hastings and Miss Lemon dabbling in ancient Chinese oracle reading (which, I felt, was an unnecessary intrusion).
Third, in the original, Poirot - who knows he has no evidence - convinces Radnor to sign a confession, promising to give him 24 hours start before passing it to the police. Part of his ruse is to point out of the window to two bystanders and imply they are tailing him. Interestingly, in the adaptation, it is Hastings - in a rare moment of quick-witted improvisation - who does this (much to Poirot's amazement!). Interestingly, the original ends at this point, with the implication that Poirot will keep to his promise. In the adaptation it is clear he is not going to do so (to the annoyance of the ever upright and decent Hastings!).
Finally, the presence of Japp allows for the not uncommon 'light' ending. On this occasion, Poirot and Hastings disappear just before the Chief Inspector is informed his case against Pengelley has collapsed!
Published: Third story in "Poirot's Early Cases" (1974)
I found The Cornish Mystery, both in its original written form and in its TV adaptation, a delightful story to follow.
It concerns a Mrs Pengelley, who visits Poirot from Cornwall, and who expresses the fear that she is being poisoned. The chief suspect is her husband, a dentist, and the motive the "yellow-haired hussy" who works as his assistant.
When Poirot and Hastings later travel down to Cornwall to see her they arrive to find she has just died! The local GP is convinced she was suffering from acute gastritis, but Poirot makes some initial investigations before returning to London. When, three months later, Edward Pengelley announces his engagement to his assistant, the outcry leads to an exhumation of the body. The discovery of arsenic poisoning prompts the arrest of Mr Pengelley.
It turns out that the motive was not love, but money. Mrs Pengelley's neice Freda was engaged to a local tailor, Jacob Radnor. Freda believed her aunt had a mid-life crush on him, but it turns out he had deliberately encouraged this. Radnor poisoned her and planned for her husband to go to the gallows for it so that he and Freda could pocket the family assets.
In the original Mrs Pengelley is very nervous about publicity when visiting Poirot. In the adaptation this is played out by her reluctance to come to his office. Instead Poirot and Hastings have to meet her in the park. Miss Lemon brokers this, although (again) she is not actually in the original. Japp isn't in the original, either, although turns up in the adaptation at the exhumation. Once again, he fears the worst: that Poirot will spoil what he thinks is a simple case.
Despite these differences the adaptation is remarkably faithful to the original, with large chunks of dialogue being taken verbatim from the original short story. For this reason the embellishments, such as they are, stand out all the more.
First, although referred to, Pengelley's assistant plays no real part in the original, but in the adaptation Poirot and Hastings visit her during their initial enquiries. This enables the producers to indulge in one facet of the team's characteristics that regularly surfaced: Hastings' soft-spot for an attractive woman. Here he is utterly tongue-tied in the dentist's surgery. When he and Poirot leave he exclaims: "What a stunner!"
Second, in the adaptation we see the funeral and a reading of the will, as well as Hastings and Miss Lemon dabbling in ancient Chinese oracle reading (which, I felt, was an unnecessary intrusion).
Third, in the original, Poirot - who knows he has no evidence - convinces Radnor to sign a confession, promising to give him 24 hours start before passing it to the police. Part of his ruse is to point out of the window to two bystanders and imply they are tailing him. Interestingly, in the adaptation, it is Hastings - in a rare moment of quick-witted improvisation - who does this (much to Poirot's amazement!). Interestingly, the original ends at this point, with the implication that Poirot will keep to his promise. In the adaptation it is clear he is not going to do so (to the annoyance of the ever upright and decent Hastings!).
Finally, the presence of Japp allows for the not uncommon 'light' ending. On this occasion, Poirot and Hastings disappear just before the Chief Inspector is informed his case against Pengelley has collapsed!
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