Hercule Poirot's sidekick, Captain Hastings, has a lot of running around to do in "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim." That's because Poirot has accepted a five-pound wager by Chief Inspector Japp that he, Poirot, could not solve a case without leaving his apartment. So, Hastings has to do his checking of the crime scene, interview suspects, and otherwise hunt for clues. He can then pass information on to Poirot at his apartment.
With that condition hanging over the plot, there are some scenes that are very funny as Japp and Hastings pass each other between interviewees and crime scene checks. Miss Lemon is also in this Agatha Christie story of her famous Belgian super sleuth,
The plot itself is an interesting one, and somewhat intriguing. But, as with the few other Christie mysteries that don't have a large number of characters, it's less taxing trying to figure out what happened. Although I didn't have all the details figured out in this case, shortly after Poirot said he had it solved, I was able to guess and understand who was the villain before Poirot revealed the whole solution.
One thing in this film was a bit unnerving to me. The Davenheim house was of more modern architecture, painted white, and with lots of glass. This particular place used here was in Joldwynds, Surrey, UK, which was used in another Poirot mystery, "The Theft of the Royal Ruby." But a house or house very similar to it have been used in a few other Christie mysteries. While they surely exist and some people do live in homes like those, they don't seem quite real for the English countryside of the 1920s and 1930s.
Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Hercule Poirot, "One must always seek the truth from within."
Miss Lemon, "You do like birds, don't you, Mr. Poirot? Hercule Poirot, "Miss Lemon, small animals have no part to play in the home life of a private detective from Belgium... Except, of course, as a source of nourishment."
Hercule Poirot, "And please do not fraternize with that creature. I am still training him." Captain Hastings, "It's only a parrot." Poirot, "I was talking to the parrot."
With that condition hanging over the plot, there are some scenes that are very funny as Japp and Hastings pass each other between interviewees and crime scene checks. Miss Lemon is also in this Agatha Christie story of her famous Belgian super sleuth,
The plot itself is an interesting one, and somewhat intriguing. But, as with the few other Christie mysteries that don't have a large number of characters, it's less taxing trying to figure out what happened. Although I didn't have all the details figured out in this case, shortly after Poirot said he had it solved, I was able to guess and understand who was the villain before Poirot revealed the whole solution.
One thing in this film was a bit unnerving to me. The Davenheim house was of more modern architecture, painted white, and with lots of glass. This particular place used here was in Joldwynds, Surrey, UK, which was used in another Poirot mystery, "The Theft of the Royal Ruby." But a house or house very similar to it have been used in a few other Christie mysteries. While they surely exist and some people do live in homes like those, they don't seem quite real for the English countryside of the 1920s and 1930s.
Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Hercule Poirot, "One must always seek the truth from within."
Miss Lemon, "You do like birds, don't you, Mr. Poirot? Hercule Poirot, "Miss Lemon, small animals have no part to play in the home life of a private detective from Belgium... Except, of course, as a source of nourishment."
Hercule Poirot, "And please do not fraternize with that creature. I am still training him." Captain Hastings, "It's only a parrot." Poirot, "I was talking to the parrot."
