I mentioned in my review of 1985’s “Thirteen at Dinner” that Poirot feels out of time in the 1980s. However, other Agatha Christie novels translate quite well to new time periods. Such is the case with the 1983 TV movie adaptation of “Sparkling Cyanide” (1945).
Director Robert Michael Lewis’ film isn’t extravagant, but the 1983 Los Angeles setting plays nicely for this story about rich movers-and-shakers and the people in their circle such as relatives and secretaries. The women and men look fabulous with their hairstyles, makeup and fashions.
Character-driven mystery
Lewis shows them off as the teleplay by Robert Malcolm Young, Sue Grafton and Steven Humphrey lets us get to know each one. “Sparkling Cyanide’s” cast is large, and – since I hadn’t read the book in a while – I learned who they were and what their motives might be at the same pace as by-the-book investigator Captain Kemp (“M*A*S*H’s” Harry Morgan). He stands in for the book’s Colonel Race, who – sorry Race fans – isn’t missed.
“Sparkling Cyanide” (1983)
Director: Robert Michael Lewis
Writers: Robert Malcolm Young, Sue Grafton, Steven Humphrey; based on the Agatha Christie novel
Stars: Anthony Andrews, Deborah Raffin, Pamela Bellwood
The writers simply nationality-flip private investigator Tony Browne (Anthony Andrews) so he is now visiting the U.S. from his home in the U.K. They keep everyone else more or less intact from the novel, just making them American.
The book and film share the same Rosemary (Christine Belford) problem. She’s supposed to be a deep character from this period when Christie was into deep characters, but neither medium quite achieves it. Belford is generically beautiful – we believe that politician Stephan (David Huffman) would have an affair with Rosemary (even though his wife, June Chadwick’s Sandra, is also a looker).
But Belford strains through scenes of Rosemary telling her older husband she loves him “in her own way.” After Rosemary’s suicide-or-murder, other characters tell us that Rosemary was complex – she could be cruel, but she could also be warm. It would’ve been nice if Rosemary’s characterization came organically.
Although neither Christie nor the film make Rosemary pop, it doesn’t matter all that much since the character roster is loaded. Next grabbing our attention are Tony and Rosemary’s (beautiful, naturally) best friend, Iris (Deborah Raffin). They play out a primetime TV romance like what you might’ve seen on “Dallas” at the time, except not drawn out for an episode count.
Maximizing the budget
“Sparkling Cyanide” uses a house, an office, a glitzy restaurant/ballroom and only a few other locations yet doesn’t feel claustrophobic. It’s like a costume drama but, because it comes from Christie, it’s loaded with personalities and possible motives.
The one time Lewis tries for an action scene – an attempt on Iris’ life while she’s waterskiing (!) – it’s ridiculous. But by this stage, I had been pulled into the whodunit and forgave the misstep.
Since it came during the 1940s period of several superior character-driven novels, “Sparkling Cyanide” doesn’t stand out among Christie’s catalog. Some may point to the flashback structure (abandoned in the film), but I find it doesn’t add all that much.
While unspectacular, it’s still a good mystery featuring staples like inheritances, wills, fake identities and backgrounds that are hidden from the reader/viewer – along with Christie’s neat observation about the confusion of finding your spot at a circular table. A downside is that every possible solution is equally plausible, so it’s not clear why Tony and Kemp guess correctly.
Because of two showpiece sequences where everyone is dressed up, dining and dancing (and dying from cyanide poisoning), the novel does have a glitzy quality. The movie smoothly brings that glitz to 1983 L.A. and — with smart minor alterations – delivers a faithful, engaging adaptation.
Sleuthing Sunday reviews an Agatha Christie book or adaptation. Click here to visit our Agatha Christie Zone.