Death on the Nile is on BBC2 at 2.10 this afternoon, and while it's on I'll be tweeting all about the behind the scenes story of the making of the film, including some of the new discoveries I've made during my research #AgathaChristie #DeathOnTheNile 
Advanced warning: There will be a lot of tweets from this account over the next 135 minutes or so. #DeathOnTheNile
Right, let’s go! So, the basics: Death on the Nile (1978) is the first appearance of Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot, and is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1937 novel of the same name.
The house is Compton Wynyates in Warwickshire. As well as popping up again in The Mirror Crack'd (1980) it also appears in Carry on Camping and Keeping up Appearances. Classics all. #DeathOnTheNile ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/catalo…
Adaptations of this era often have a prologue or early scenes that you completely forget about by about an hour in. Those wanting to solve the mystery should make sure that they remember what they learn about characters at this point... #DeathOnTheNile
The film followed Murder on the Orient Express (1974), which had starred Albert Finney as Poirot (although, as we’ll see, the journey from the Orient Express to the Nile wasn’t straightforward)
But it wasn’t just the case that a couple of producers decided to adapt the novel one day, and then put together a deal for the rights. To understand what happened we need to travel back to the late 1950s…
Agatha Christie did not like adaptations of her novels, especially for the screen, although she tolerated adaptations of her plays. Two things changed in the late 1950s:
Firstly, there was the Billy Wilder film of her play Witness for the Prosecution in 1957, the first adaptation that Christie really liked (and she was right to, it’s brilliant).
Christie and Wilder even discussed doing another film together. ‘How about a great big eight million dollar all-conclusive mystery to end all mysteries?’ he asked her. ‘Got anything up your sleeve?’
So Christie was softening a little when it came to the idea of screen adaptations, and (for various reasons not worth going into here) was also under pressure to agree to some sort of screen adaptation deal... (Don't worry, we're getting to Nile, but this is important!)
In 1960, a deal was struck with MGM that covered most of her stories, which could be adapted for either film or TV. There were plans for an ‘Agatha Christie Mysteries’ programme, as well as TV series for both Miss Marple and Poirot
Most of this didn’t happen. There was a TV pilot with Martin Gabel as Poirot, which wasn’t picked up as a series, but more successful was Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple on cinema screens.
Christie liked Rutherford as a person (she even dedicated The Mirror Crack’d to her), but not her performance as Miss Marple, nor the films themselves. Initially she just thought them uninspired and cheap looking.
She hated seeing Miss Marple in adaptations of Poirot books, and then by the mid-60s she was appalled to see Miss Marple in a (mostly) original story (‘Murder Ahoy’) and, worse, a script for a Poirot film that would be a sex comedy(!!) starring Zero Mostel
The script for this sex comedy included reactions to ‘visible evidence’ of Poirot’s sexual excitement, as well as a sex scene for the detective, and a masochistic slapping sequence in which he was to cry ‘More!’. It’s no wonder that Christie was very upset indeed.
(The film was rewritten and filmed as The Alphabet Murders with Tony Randall as Poirot. It isn’t very good.)
(Is Salome Otterbourne's mention of Snow on the Sphinx's Face a reference to Christie's unpublished first novel Snow Upon the Desert? Her autobiography mentioning it had recently been released so it's possible!) #DeathOnTheNile
Anyway, what does this have to do with Death on the Nile? Well, this is setting the scene for the fact that by the early 1970s Agatha Christie immediately declined most attempts to film her work (1972’s Endless Night was an honourable exception) as she found it all so upsetting.
Christie's agent loved this novel, but was a bit concerned that the murder takes place so late that it might not attract magazine serialisation. The film has a similar issue - it takes ages for the murder. But you know it's coming, and it's fun getting there... #DeathOnTheNile
Some of this characterisation has not aged well #DeathOnTheNile
OK, so let's get back to the 1970s. The 1974 film of Murder on the Orient Express was a very serious, expensive, star studded take on one of Agatha Christie’s most famous mysteries. Nat Cohen of EMI films had suggested it to the producer John Brabourne (aka Lord Brabourne).
So, how did they convince Christie to sign over the rights to Murder on the Orient Express? A few years ago I asked Mathew Prichard (Agatha Christie’s grandson) and he told me this story, which 'sounds apocryphal but it’s not…' #DeathOnTheNile
John Brabourne produced the film of Orient Express with Richard Goodwin, and it was a great success, both critically and commercially. Christie quite liked it (the story of her only criticising Finney’s moustache is difficult to substantiate)
Rosalind Hicks, Christie’s daughter who co-controlled most of her affairs, thought that the Murder on the Orient Express film was pretty good, although she didn’t rate Sean Connery.
It seemed obvious that there would be a follow up, but EMI would not be automatically granted the rights for another film. Nevertheless, EMI suggested three titles for adaptation – Appointment with Death, Evil Under the Sun and Death on the Nile.
Death on the Nile was the title that they really, really wanted – but when press reports in mid-1975 talk about plans for the next Christie picture it’s referred to as Evil Under the Sun starring Albert Finney once more. So what happened?
Death on the Nile was one of the books that Christie held in reserve, and certain rights weren’t owned by her company, and it was not financially advantageous to sell it for adaptation. EMI's lawyers tried and failed to find a loophole.
While all this was being worked out, Anthony Shaffer (writer of The Wicker Man and Sleuth) began work on scripts for both Evil Under the Sun (eventually filmed in 1982) and Appointment with Death (filmed in 1989 after director Michael Winner reduced and reworked the script)
However, things changed in January 1976. Agatha Christie died, and this meant that the rights for Death on the Nile were now available. Pre-production on Evil Under the Sun was halted, and Death on the Nile moved into production... #DeathOnTheNile
Paul Dehn, who adapted Orient Express, died in 1976, while director Sidney Lumet wasn’t interested in doing another Christie film. (In the 1990s Lumet had a meeting about making a film of The Mystery of the Blue Train with David Suchet as Poirot, but declined.) #DeathOnTheNile
(I'm aware that I'm tweeting during Lansbury's magnificent performance without mentioning it, but it's impossible to improve upon it so there's not much to say right now)
And as for Albert Finney, nobody really believed that he’d return and in May 1977 Peter Ustinov was announced as the new Poirot. Nobody seems to quite recall how he was selected, but he seemed an obvious candidate. #DeathOnTheNile
('Murder on the Nile' is the name of Christie's Poirot-less stage adaptation of the novel. You'll note that the date for the Evil Under the Sun film ended up being wrong, too. We'll come to that...)
That's good "I've been shot" acting, isn't it? On more than one count. #DeathOnTheNile
The Daily Mail looked for scandal of course. ‘What has happened to Finney? Has he fallen foul of a plot as intriguing as one of Miss Christie’s novels?,’ it asked.
'Last night EMI Films ruled out foul play. “The script makes Mr Ustinov ideal for the role,” a spokesman said. “I was not aware that the policy was to have the same actor playing Poirot in each film.”'
Miaow.
Miaow.
They're right though. The Poirot of Death on the Nile wouldn't fit Finney's portrayal. That's not to say that it couldn't have done, but it's an error to think of this as a continuation of Orient Express. They are very different films, tonally and stylistically. #DeathOnTheNile
BBC Two are trolling us a little. "Joe Public never clocks a darn thing!" #DeathOnTheNile
So, a murder at the halfway point(ish). About as late as you dare to leave it, I'd say. I'm not sure that you miss it because you know it's coming, even if you might not know who will be the victim. #DeathOnTheNile
These fake flashbacks are fun and a bit naughty, but a good way to inject some drama and cover possibilities without having characters just chat about it. But if you see it here you know you won't see it again at the end when all is revealed, don't you? #DeathOnTheNile
Ustinov confessed that ‘I didn’t know anything about Poirot before I took on the part,’ but that ‘when I signed to do the role I read all Agatha Christie’s books that featured him, and I think I got to know the fellow as well as anyone . . . ‘
Ustinov continued: ‘My approach has nothing whatever to do with Finney’s portrayal. I didn’t see it. I feel Poirot was something of a keyhole peeper! He had to be – how else could he be so omniscient and know everything about anybody’
As we're about halfway through - this research was undertaken for two books, Agatha Christie on Screen in 2016 (amazon.co.uk/Agatha-Christi…) and the forthcoming Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World (amazon.co.uk/Agatha-Christi…) - maybe you'd enjoy them...
Filming commenced in Egypt on 12 September 1977 and conditions meant that it wasn’t a pleasant shoot for the star-studded cast. The director was John Guillermin, who had previously taken on epics of a different kind with The Towering Inferno (1974) and King Kong (1976)
Various reporters were allowed on location to see the filming, including the Daily Express, which reported that 'it is not easy working here. For one thing, there is no telephone communication. Everything has to be done by Telex, which breaks down regularly about twice a week...'
'Bags get lost in transit through Cairo – which is why Maggie Smith is walking around in Mia Farrow’s shoes. And the level of the Nile – regulated by the High Dam – has dropped in recent weeks, resulting in the riverboat on which they are filming getting stuck on a sandbank.' ...
'Despite all this, morale remains high. Indeed, I would put the score at: Egypt – 1; Death on the Nile unit – 3'
Angela Lansbury even enjoyed a trip to said High Dam – a worthwhile experience if one finds dams interesting, she told her colleagues.
Angela Lansbury even enjoyed a trip to said High Dam – a worthwhile experience if one finds dams interesting, she told her colleagues.
Of all the cast, it was Bette Davis who inspired the most nerves from her co-stars. The Sunday Mirror reported that her first words to the producers were: ‘I’m not used to being brought to Egypt. Egypt is usually brought to me.’ #DeathOnTheNile
Sunday Mirror: “On the eve of their first scene with her, Ustinov and David Niven decided to retire early and mug up on their lines in private. ‘We thought it best to be word perfect next day because she is renowned to be a stickler on that score,’ said Ustinov.” #DeathOnTheNile
‘In the morning, however, David and I were astonished when Bette couldn’t remember her lines. “It’s no good,” she sighed. “I’m dead tired. I’ve been up half the night learning my lines because I was worried that I would get it wrong in front of you guys.” #DeathOnTheNile
Bette Davis later co-starred in another Christie adaptation, the TV movie of Murder with Mirrors (aka They Do it With Mirrors), which starred Helen Hayes as Miss Marple. By this point Davis was very unwell, having suffered a stroke, and not in good spirits. #DeathOnTheNile
Producer of Murder with Mirrors Alan Shayne recalled what happened after Hayes had greeted Davis on set on the first day, saying ‘How are you Bette? I’m so glad we are working together.’
‘Look,’ Bette Davis said, ‘We’re going to be here for days, and there’s no point wasting our breath saying “Hello” and “How are you?” every time we see each other. Let’s just do our work.’ Shayne said that to his knowledge the two ladies never spoke again.
Lansbury is giving the greatest performance in screen history here #DeathOnTheNile
After seven weeks in Egypt the shoot moved to Pinewood Studios, where some of the filming was covered by the TV show Clapperboard, and some other documentary crews. Here's a glimpse behind the scenes, and part of an interview with John Brabourne #DeathOnTheNile
Here's a little more of John Brabourne discussing his meetings with Agatha Christie, his thoughts on the characterisation of Poirot, and Peter Ustinov reflecting on taking over the role (with a French accent!) #DeathOnTheNile #AgathaChristie
Ooh, they've edited out some of Otterbourne's murder, so we don't get the grisly squib of blood exploding on her forehead. Back in 2012 ITV agreed to edit out another shooting (won't say which, spoilers) from future transmissions after someone complained to OFCOM #DeathOnTheNile
You can see the full version here:
Death on the Nile was released in the United States before the UK so that it could coincide with a tour of Egyptian artefacts – you can read more about that here: neh.gov/humanities/201…
In 1974 the royal premiere of Murder on the Orient Express had been one of the final public appearances of Agatha Christie, who was 84 years old. She got out of her wheelchair to greet the Queen.
In 1978 the royal premiere of Death on the Nile was so popular that the Queen and Prince Philip had to watch it in separate screens showing the film simultaneously. Here's the Queen and the Earl of Mountbatten in attendance, then I.S. Johar, Jane Birkin, and Peter Ustinov.
Reviews were mixed. Many critics felt it to be overlong and weaker than Orient Express (which had not attracted great reviews at its premiere, but this was swiftly forgotten by most). Newsweek’s review was headlined ‘Snoring down the Nile’.
Screen International: ‘the elegance and the eccentricities of the period are reflected in the costumes, and everything is given an extra shimmer of unreal perfection.’ Regarding Ustinov, the review argued that he was a ‘screen actor of infinite subtlety’
Monthly Film Bulletin described Ustinov’s take on Poirot as ‘a competent characterisation but one which (in contrast to Albert Finney’s thoughtfully controlled eccentricity in Orient Express) never escapes from the over-practised persona of Ustinov himself’
‘Success on the Nile’ was Screen International’s headline in December 1979, after the picture won Best Film, Peter Ustinov was awarded Best Actor, and Simon MacCorkindale designated ‘Most Promising Newcomer’ at the Evening News British Film Awards
EMI Films moved on to thoughts of the next Christie picture. In 1979 it was announced that Angela Lansbury would play Miss Marple in a new movie, and that it was planned to alternate between her and Poirot for future Christie films.
(There is a long story to be told about the ramifications of Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple, but that is not for today.)
The next Poirot picture was announced as Evil Under the Sun, initially expected to commence production in 1978, with Appointment with Death following later.
However, plans were suspended when Lord Mountbatten was killed in an IRA attack on his boat - also on board was John Brabourne and his family; all were injured and one of Brabourne’s sons and his mother were among those killed. Inevitably, production was delayed.
Ustinov continued to play Poirot throughout the 1980s, in three TV movies and one final theatrical film, Appointment with Death, in 1989 – a year that also saw David Suchet make his debut in the role. Ustinov’s time as Hercule Poirot was over. #DeathOnTheNile
Hope some of you enjoyed that. If so, why not pre-order my new book that tells the story of 100 years of Poirot (amazon.co.uk/Agatha-Christi…), or my 2016 'definitive' (so it says here) history of Agatha Christie on Screen: amazon.co.uk/Agatha-Christi… #DeathOnTheNile
