Death On The Nile (1978)

Death On The Nile - 1978

Our next film is 1978's Poirot murder/mystery "Death On The Nile", which follows the tale of an heiress found murdered on board a cruise during her honeymoon.  As always in these films, all the passengers have a connection to the deceased, and it is up to our famous Belgian sleuth Poirot to find the murderer.

The film's superb cast includes Peter Ustinov, Jane Birkin, Lois Chiles, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Jon Finch, Olivia Hussey, George Kennedy, Angela Lansbury, Simon MacCorkindale, David Niven, Maggie Smith, Jack Warden, and Sam Wanamaker.

Wealthy heiress Linnet Ridgeway returns to her English estate to be greeted by her good friend Jackie.  Jackie wants Linnet to give her out of work fiance a job.  Linnet agrees to meet with him.

When Jackie brings Simon to meet Linnet, the two only have eyes for each other, and Jackie is left on the sidelines.  Linnet and Simon are married after a whirlwind romance.

They take a honeymoon to Egypt, where they spend time horseback riding around the pyramids and the Great Sphinx.

Unfortunately, Jackie keeps showing up and making a nuisance of herself, tormenting Linnet at every turn.

Also in Egypt on holiday is Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who happens to witness the scene between Jackie and the honeymooners.

As the next part of their honeymoon, Linnet and Simon board a boat for a cruise down the Nile.  Also on the boat is Monsieur Poirot and his friend Colonel Johnny Race.

Linnet and Simon breathe a little easier when they are on board and out of Jackie's reach.

Things are far from smooth sailing, however.  At the Karnak Temple, Linnet is nearly crushed to death by a falling temple stone.

And at the temple at Abu Simbel, Jackie again makes her presence known.  What is even more irritating is that Jackie has now joined the cruise.  When she meets Monsieur Poirot on the boat, he tells her, "I must warn you, mademoiselle: do not allow evil into your heart, it will make a home there."

And, sadly, it isn't long before evil joins the cruise, too.  Linnet is shot in the head and killed.  Her husband Simon has also been shot.  And Jackie was with people and under the influence of a strong sedative.  Who could have killed Linnet?

As it turns out, any one of the passengers on board could've done it.  All had a motive.  Monsieur Poirot and Colonel Race are asked to take on the investigation.  Among the suspects is Linnet's maid.  She asked Linnet to give her some money that was promised to her.  When Linnet refused, the maid became extremely upset.

Linnet's American lawyer is also on board, and he is very anxious to cover up and conceal the fact that he has been embezzling heavily from Linnet.

Also on board is Mrs. Van Schuyler, who has had her eye on a valuable pearl necklace that Linnet possessed.  The necklace also turns up missing.

Mrs. Van Schuyler's maid is also a suspect.  Her father and Linnet's father were business partners.  Linnet's father went on to success, while the maid's father was ruined.  The maid has wished nothing but ill on the Ridgeway family.

Over-sexed author Salome Otterbourne is being sued by Linnet for having used Linnet as the model for one of the characters in her romance novels.  Poirot reminds Madame Otterbourne that "you cannot libel the dead", and that could be the motive for killing her.

Otterbourne's daughter is also aboard and anxious to protect her mother at all costs.  Jim Ferguson, who takes an interest in the younger Miss Otterbourne, is a Communist, and intensely hates Linnet's wealth.

And then there is Dr. Bessner, who was going to be exposed by Linnet for some of his medicinal practices that he used on her friends.

By the end of the film, Monsieur Poirot has rounded everyone up and tells how the murder went down in his inimitable style.

One of the film's funny moments comes near the beginning when still on land.  Salome Otterbourne is giving Colonel Race a lesson in the tango.  She dances quite enthusiastically and funnily around him.

Another good moment is when Monsieur Poirot discovers that a cobra has been placed in his cabin on board the ship to get rid of him.  Some quick thinking and the intervention of Colonel Race saves the day.

Cast rundown:

   Peter Ustinov................................Hercule Poirot

   Jane Birkin...................................Louise Bourget

   Lois Chiles....................................Linnet Ridgeway Doyle

   Bette Davis...................................Marie Van Schuyler

   Mia Farrow....................................Jacqueline de Bellefort

   John Finch....................................James Ferguson

   Olivia Hussey................................Rosalie Otterbourne

   George Kennedy............................Andrew Pennington

   Angela Lansbury............................Salome Otterbourne

   Simon MacCorkindale.....................Simon Doyle

   David Niven..................................Colonel Johnny Race

   Maggie Smith................................Miss Bowers

   Jack Warden.................................Dr. Ludwig Bessner

   Sam Wanamaker...........................Sterndale Rockford

And that's all for Death On The Nile.  It's another triumph in the Ustinov/Poirot films.  The cruise, by the way, is impossible to take.  The trip starts in Aswan then goes to Karnak, followed by Abu Simbel, which is in the opposite direction from Aswan.  It was also never possible to sail from Aswan to Abu Simbel because of the cataracts in that section of the Nile.  Apparently, actors had to be in the makeup room at 4 a.m. so they could start shooting by 6 a.m.  This was all in an effort to beat the heat, which would get up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.  You can see the actors sweating profusely in several scenes during the film.

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