Darlings, Would You Believe It Took Me 71 Years To See This Movie?????????????????????????

                          All this relates to my film project, which is ultimately catching up on movies I have yet to see because of my fear of cataract surgery.  I had just re-read the Agatha Christie novel, after a string of highbrow fiction.  I needed something light and frothy and this work delivers.  I think it is Dame Agatha's best.

                           Now, for years, girls, I had heard about Rene Clair's 1945 film version of this story, which was famous for his direction and a wonderful cast.  The cast is indeed wonderful but let me voice my first reservation; though Clair's direction is adept enough, too often this film is played for wit, like a British drawing room comedy.  I think the film would have been better served had it been directed by Alfred Hitchcock.  He may have been wanted, and may have wanted to do it, but don't forget he was still under contract to David O. Selznick, who kept him on a short leash.  Also, since Twentieth Century-Fox made the film, and given June Duprez' startling resemblance, couldn't they have had her role played by Gene Tierney??????????????????

                                The plot remains the same.  Ten unknown people are invited to a remote island by an injustice collector who wants to mete out the justice he/she thinks they deserve. One by one, the guests are killed off in mysterious, unsolvable ways.  Now, the film is faithful to the book, up to a point.  But there is a part which it disengages.

                                 Everyone in the novel is killed, including the perpetrator.  In the film, the two lovers--Louis Hayward and June Duprez, escape, while the alleged killer hints at suicide, but disappears, so does he really die or not?  This ruined the film for me.

                                  Nevertheless, the actors are strong, and so are the stylized Hollywood sets.  A real period feel is captured.  The costumes designed by Rene-Hubert do help, as does the art direction and set design of Ernst Fegte and Edward G. Boyle.  Their work is atmospheric and masterful.

                                   I am glad I finally got a chance to see this film For those who have not, I urge you to do so.  Even more if you haven't, I urge you to read the book first.

                                   The real thrills are all there, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!