Richard Marden’s deft editing adds to the overall atmosphere of the film, with Christopher Challis’ cinematography bringing the Adriatic setting to life in rich vibrant colours. His experienced direction is also vital to making the various intersecting events leading up to Arlena’s murder, and eventual denouement of the film, engaging, rather than confusing. He even manages to somehow make Emily Hone seem less wooden, even if he can’t quite avoid her looking like she’s reading lines off the floor half of the time. He gets wonderful performances out of everyone, emphasising Ustinov’s comedic abilities as the Belgian detective. It was rather wondrous for me to discover many a moon ago, that one of my favourite Bond directors was at the helm of a film that could not be more disparate than that output. Guy Hamilton’s direction is also wonderful. “I will end you, Daphne.” “Not if I end you first, dahling!” Poirot has to root out the culprit amongst a sea of people intent on burying the skeleton in the sand. Naturally, when Arlena is murdered whilst sunbathing, the suspect list is rather long.

In addition to these escapades, Arlena is also carrying on an extremely obvious affair with the slick gigolo type, Patrick Redfern (played by Nicholas Clay), much to the chagrin of Kenneth, and Patrick’s mousey wife, Christine (played by Jane Birkin).

It seems that the famous stage actress, Arlena Marshall (played by Diana Rigg), has run off with Blatt’s incredibly valuable jewel, and is going to Daphne’s island with her new husband, Kenneth (Denis Quiley), the man she left Blatt for.

These include Poirot (of course), who is investigating the attempted insurance fraud perpetrated by the rather “common” Sir Horace Blatt (played by Colin Blakely). Dust jacket illustration of the first UK release of the novel in 1941 which sold for 7/6.Ī veritable cast of characters come together on the very exclusive resort island, run by Daphne Castle (played by Maggie Smith).

Evil under the sun poirot