Sunday, April 26, 2009

And Then There Were None: Masterful Mystery

"One little Indian boy left all alone; he went and hanged himself and then there were none". So goes the final verse of an oft told nursery rhyme. It is also the impetus to the classic suspense chiller And Then There Were None, the oft filmed whodunit based on Agatha Christie's best selling mystery novel. This stylish, atmospheric movie premiered very aptly on Halloween 1945 and it was the first and arguably the best version of the many that were adapted to film ( all of which went under the alternative title Ten Little Indians).

Directed by Rene Clair, And Then There Were None features exactly eleven players and a cat. Ten of the eleven are the "little Indians", a motley crew who are taken by boat for a weekend house party on an isolated island off the coast of England. Their host, whom none of them have ever seen (their invitations came by way of a "mutual" friend) is Mr. U. N. Owen (unknown). Once there, the only evidence of U.N. Owen is his voice on a record, accusing each of unpunished murder at some point in their lives. They are then systematically bumped off, one by one. And who is the eleventh character you may ask? Why the boat driver who takes them to the island of course.

The film features an excellent ensemble cast with no big box office star at the helm, which works very successfully on two levels. First, since no major star was involved, the characters are able to be viewed independently and equally important to the storyline, to give a sense of balance, as opposed to two leads and a supporting cast. Second, if a top name celebrity was on board, the audience would have a much better idea of who would be left standing at the final curtain, diminishing the air of suspense and mystery. Included in the cast are Barry Fitzgerald as a judge who allowed an innocent man to be executed. Fitzgerald was in top form, having received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar the previous year for Going My Way. Walter Huston, always bringing distinction to his roles, played Dr. Armstrong, who, under the influence of alcohol, allowed a patient to die on the operating table. A romantic if suspicious chemistry develops between the two younger, more attractive characters played by Louis Hayward and June Duprez, who resembles a cross between Linda Darnell and Margo (Mrs. Eddie Albert of Lost Horizon fame). Rounding out the group is Judith Anderson, Roland Young, Mischa Auer, C. Aubrey Smith, Richard Haydn and Queenie Leonard.

Made with style and skill in the deft hands of French director Clair, And Then There Were None is full of black humor, though, mind you, it's no comedy. The who-in-the-heck-did-it ending differs from that of the novel, but not to act as spoiler, that difference goes undiscussed here.

9 comments:

  1. I remember watching this movie several times as a child. I haven't seen it in years, but I remember loving it. Just the whole atmosphere and look of the film. Now, I'll have to go find it on dvd!

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  2. I saw this on DVD a couple of years ago and enjoyed it.... June Duprez could have been a very successful actress and was one of the earliest signed photos I ever owned. She had a lot going for her but never quite the jump to star.

    Agatha Christie makes for one of the best movie/TV film writers with her crisp stories which is proven by the brilliant David Suchet as Poirot and the Marple series with Joan Hickson. Some excellent British crime drama and a nice change of pay from the brilliant but bloody crime series like Wire in the Blood and Rebus and Taggart, which also rock...

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  3. Love this film. I have only seen this once and need to watch it again. I think you are totally right that it wouldn't be such a good movie if it had bigger stars in it. You would already know they wouldn't be going first. Rupert you did it again. I love, no I ADORE Lost Horizon and had no idea that Margo was married to Eddie Albert. I am really ashamed of my classic self!

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  4. Like Michael, I haven't seen this in years. Time to check it out again. Thanks, Rupert.

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  5. Another excellent succinct review. I agree with Classic Jo, I've only seen this film once, and it deserves another look.

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  7. I love this film as much as I love the book. The differences between them don't matter, both are classic! Thanks for covering this wonderful, classic mystery film.

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  8. This version of this film is sooo much better than the 60's remake "Ten Little Indians" with Fabian of all people,but he dies early on.
    But to me there is a stand out in this movie is Judith Anderson of Rebecca fame.Its always odd to me to see her in anything else, as rebecca is one of my all-time favs.

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  9. I remember this film very well from when I was a youngster. It had all the elements of mystery and death but no graphic details. It was so well done that even a child could understand what was going on. I ordered it today from Amazon for a trip back to happier and more innocent times. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

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