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Hercule Poirot
Actually, Hastings gives us a very good description of him when we first meet him in ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles.’ Hastings tells us he was ‘an extraordinary-looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound.’ So in half a dozen sentences, we get a clear picture not only of his physical appearance, but also an insight into his obsession with precision and order.
When Peter Ustinov played Poirot in films – ‘Evil Under the Sun’ and ‘Death on the Nile’ –I thought they were quite well done but could not accept him as Hercule Poirot at all. He was far too big for one thing. And his hair wasn’t black. And of course Poirot had jet black hair and moustache to the bitter end, not allowing nature to dictate otherwise! Going slightly off on a tangent, I have to add that I thought the later TV films of Poirot stories that Ustinov did were appalling! Modern settings, mostly Americanised characters and Hastings made out to be a buffoon. Dreadful!
Albert Finney played Poirot in ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ in the 1974 film. He’s a splendid actor, but he isn’t Poirot. Didn’t look like him and was somehow lacking in warmth or appeal, because even though he is ruthless in pursuit of truth and relentless in tracking down villains, Poirot has a benign side which should shine through; and I believe it does in David Suchet’s portrayal. I actually thought Albert Finney’s Poirot was something of a caricature, although again, I thought the film itself was well done and I enjoyed it. Certainly superior to the awful version starring Alfred Molina. I’m not even going to comment on that one! I have seen several Poirot’s in various theatres and various plays and until David Suchet came along, have always been disappointed (if not outraged.) On one memorable occasion, Hercule Poirot was played by someone resembling the man who used to get sand kicked into his eyes – before he took the Charles Atlas course! And no, this was not some village hall amateur show, but a production by a professional touring company. Guess there were no Agatha Christie books in their Green Room! So for me, it has to be David Suchet. I can completely believe in him as Hercule Poirot, even though I think some of the later full-length TV films leave a lot to be desired (but I’ll go into that elsewhere on this web-site.) Long may he continue to bring this fascinating, brilliant little man to life.
Top Blog Alert I came across an interesting article entitled 'The Strange Case of Hercule Poirot'. Written by P.D James for the daily Telegraph, the article investigates how Agatha Christie's fictional detective has survived so long? In response to the article I posted a blog item outlining what myself and other Agatha Christie fans thought of P.D James' observations. Click Here To Read The Article And Access The Blog Item
Hercule Poirot Music Video Created by Maike Unland from Germany (AKA endgegner07). Hercule Poirot Product Range
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