39. The Chocolate Box

Air date: 21/02/1993
Published: Tenth story in "Poirot's Early Cases" (1974)

The Chocolate Box was never one of my favourite episodes in Agatha Christie's Poirot, although, from what I have read elsewhere, I appear to be in the minority.

As far as the adaptation goes, it has a slight resemblance - at least in the general 'feel' of the story - to The Double Clue. Perhaps it is the slightly dreamy way Poirot observes Virginie Mesnard (resembling the way he fell for Countess Vera Rossakoff in the earlier episode).

The original has Poirot recounting to Hastings an occasion when he failed to solve a crime.

Paul Deroulard was a French politician with a strong anti-church (Catholic) bent. He died while in Brussels, which was what occasioned Poirot (then in the Belgian police) being involved. Deroulard's wife had died a couple of years earlier when she had fallen down the stairs of their home.

The popular verdict was heart failure but when Poirot was approached by the suspicious cousin of Deroulard's former wife, Virginie Mesnard, he agreed to investigate further - and privately - during a period of leave. Poirot concluded that the culprit was a Mr St. Alard, a friend, whereas, in fact, it was Deroulard's mother. She killed her son because (a) she was a staunch Catholic, and hated what he stood for, and (b) because she believed he had killed his wife.

The adaptation does away with the fact that Deroulard was a Frenchman who died while visiting Brussels, and simply moves the whole 'anti-Church' movement plotline to Belgium.

The occasion is a visit by Poirot and Japp to Brussels. The latter is to be honoured by a civic society for his police work (which, apparently, has included helping the Belgian force on occasions in the past). It is while dining with a former police colleague of Poirot's - Claude Chantalier (not in the original) - that the story about the Deroulard death is told in flashback.

Interestingly, as the three men discuss it, Poirot affirms he did not make a mistake - contrary to the position held in the original.

Much of the murder detail is kept the same, with Madame Deroulard having poisoned some of her son's favourite chocolates, using someone's medication, to kill him. Her failing eyesight had caused her to put the wrong lid back on the box, which turned out to be the key clue. As Madame Deroulard was close to death, Poirot had agreed not to reveal what had happened.

In the original we are told at the end that Virginie entered a convent. In the adaptation there is a touching reunion with Poirot. She is now married (to a old chemist friend of Poirot's) and has two sons - one of whom is named Hercule!