And Then There Were None | Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston

And Then There Were None | Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston | great movie

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And Then There Wer...

	And Then There Were None Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston Englewood Entertainment, 1997 average customer review:based on 94 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

At first glance, René Clair might seem an odd match for Agatha Christie's mystery thriller Ten Little Indians, but his buoyant touch is exactly what is missing from so many overly solemn remakes. Ten strangers gather for a mysterious gathering on a secluded island. It turns out to be a farewell party, for they all have been sentenced to die for crimes in their past by a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner who may be one of them. One by one, the guests are systematically dispatched in the manner described in the lyrics of the children's rhyme "Ten Little Indians," while the survivors nervously eye one another, splintering into tenuous alliances until the next murder throws suspicion on someone new. The terrific cast of character actors has a ball with Dudley Nichols's witty script. The flamboyant sparring of Barry Fitzgerald (whose paternal Irish lilt takes a sinister dimension) and Walter Huston is almost upstaged by Roland Young's deadpan drollery. Romantic leads Louis Hayward and June Duprez come off as arch and stiff in august company that includes a sinisterly detached Judith Anderson, a dotty and distracted C. Aubrey Smith, and a hilariously flippant Mischa Auer. The story has been remade numerous times under the title of Christie's novel, Ten Little Indians, but never as well. Clair's effervescent, lively little gem is a fatal drawing-room comedy with a body count and a surreal mood of doom. --Sean Axmaker

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A Fourth DVD Version Since 2007

For those who can play code-2-DVDs, there is a fourth version on the market. The French Canal+ (see Am.fr) has edited in 2007 a restored version that is the best so far (I already own the "best" code-1-version by Image disc). The language is English, of course - just ignore the French subtitles, they do not hurt. There are no blemishes as flickers, specks and faded pictures, the b/w-contrast is very good, the sound of course very mono, the background music rather too loud, and the wide-angle takes could be sharper. Well, the movie was produced in 1945 - maybe Criterion or mk2 (its French equivalent) could do better? I doubt it. As for commenting on the transfer: that is the most essential information for me. Whoever goes for such a classic does usually know what he wants: a good transfer. So please stop enthusing and go on informing. Thanks!

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great movie

The movie is great but the cover is deceiving, it shows it in color but the movie is in black & white.

Stands the test of time... a lesser known classic...

Outstanding director + outstanding cast = ensemble performance to keep you guessing: who is the killer?

For movie buffs: the cinematography is in keeping with a stage play rather than a movie, adding an element of claustrophobia. Roland Young delivers a performance the diametric opposite of his role as "Topper", while Richard Haydn (Sound of Music) as the drunk butler is priceless. But all of them may surprise...

For Christi buffs: the movie follows the book closely - up to the end, which was a little too depressing for moviegoers of the era. Nonetheless you will be mystified right up to the end.

I am satisfied with the VCI edition of And Then There Were None at the price, and have seen it 3 times since it arrived.

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Ten Little Indians Went Out To Dine...

I really enjoy Agatha Christie, and I usually love old movies, but this first film version of her mystery novel AND THEN THERE WERE NONE is extremely disappointing. Directed by Rene Clair and containing an all-star cast, this film should be a truly excellent thriller; unfortunately, this screen play is a terrible adaptation of Ms. Christie's stellar novel. The dialogue is awkward and stilted, the suspense never really builds, and the ending is utterly predictable.

As the story goes, eight people, a butler, and a housekeeper are invited by a Mr. U. N. Owen to spend a weekend at a mansion on a barren island somewhere off the English coast. Each person has in some way been responsible for a death, and these sins have gone unpunished...until now. One by one, the 10 individuals are each killed in a manner consistent with the nursery rhyme, Ten Little Indians. This excellent cast of well-known character actors and actresses is lead by Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson, and C. Aubrey Smith. As the characters in this film attempt to identify their murderer, they eventually come to the conclusion that it must be one of them, since they are the only people on the otherwise deserted island. The mistrust and suspicion then kick into full swing. At the unsatisfactory end of the film, the identity of the murder and his reasons for killing are a real let down.

This film starts with all of the ingredients to be a winner: a known director, well loved actors, not to mention a brilliant story. Unfortunately, once the dreadful screen play is mixed in, the ingredients all curdle, and the over all result is extremely unpalatable.

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