I've read some of her novels plus watching a lot of movies based on her work, so nearly every time I have this problem : discovering the killer refers to a clue which never speaks to the audience's intelligence however refers back to a plot that all the audience know totally nothing about !! That's not cleverness inasmuch as a claim of cleverness from the big famous writer ! So her mysterious novels/movies are "surprising" us with the nonexistence of any suspension around the actual killer in the first place all along. From my point of view that's –with repeating it many times - such an insult for the audience's intelligence. Expressly this tactic of (Christie) manages to not challenge the capacity of any viewer's mind but to play the silly game of having unseen part all the time like playing chess and having an extra hidden king already !! Here the littleness of the attractive elements (except Pino Donaggio's music) allowed that to be more than visible and too perceptible than ever. The irony became so weak when the writer made you not to doubt about the foolish alleged (Lauren Bacall), but it would be stronger to put her into the list of the doubtful people and make her history questionable to be refused by the ordinary viewer then take that viewer unawares by unmasking that she did it, I think that would've been better than showing its character outside the frame then bringing her as the killer by a clue which's out of the frame too ! As if the rule in (Christie)'s works is : it's not the last one you'll think of, it's the last one you'll never think of ! True that I respect every artistic technique and the freedom of any writer to select the one to use but still that "technique" is the problem with (Christie), or maybe her secret of success ?

Appointment with Death was the last theatrical release of that series of Hercule Poirot mysteries. I'm sure Peter Ustinov probably could have done others. I wouldn't be surprised if in fact the BBC Poirot series starring David Suchet which we in America saw for many years may have killed the more expensive budgeted big screen Poirot that Ustinov did so well.This particular mystery finds Hercule Poirot on holiday and in the company both on ship and later in British mandated Palestine in the mid Thirties of an American family headed by a tyrannical stepmother played by Piper Laurie. She has one grown daughter and three stepchildren one of whom is married. All live with her and the terms of her late husband's will give her complete control of the family fortune. The power of the purse keeps the whole family under her thumb. Laurie's come a long way since she was a matron in a women's prison.Another woman along on the trip who's come along way is a character based on Lady Nancy Astor, an American born woman who married a title and now has a seat in Parliament played by Lauren Bacall. She's traveling with a companion played by Hailey Mills. Also along on the trip is David Soul, Laurie's family attorney and Jenny Seagrove as a young doctor. On an excursion out in the desert Laurie turns up dead and the mystery is afoot. Of course Poirot through careful questioning and a gathering of the suspects eventually finds out who the real murderer is.The film has of course an impressive cast which also includes John Gielgud as the local police inspector in Jerusalem. A young Arab boy also dies during the film, killed because he witnessed the murder and can identify the culprit. That particular act robs us of any sympathy we might have had for the perpetrator.Appointment with Death also benefits from good photography, shot on location in both Israel and Italy with interiors done in London. All the Peter Ustinov Poirot films are of excellent quality and are a great introduction to the work Agatha Christie.

Peter Ustinov is an absolute joy to behold in the role of Hercule Poirot! He played Poirot in three theatrical films: Death On the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, and Appointment With Death. He also played Poirot in three TV movies: Thirteen At Dinner, Murder in Three Acts, and Dead Man's Folly. It's always a delight to spend time with Ustinov's Poirot. He's so much fun! The three Poirot TV movies starring Ustinov are now available in a three DVD set. I've had a great time watching these with friends and family and all of Ustinov's Poirot movies are worth watching and re-watching. My deep affection for Ustinov's Poirot grows with each viewing. He's brilliant and each of his Poirot movies are fantastic fun!

Appointment with Death is a wonderful film for pure escapism. Piper Laurie is really fantastic as Emily Boynton. Of course Peter Ustinov is always a treat as Hercule Poirot. Sir John Gielgud is a treasure to watch and Lauren Bacall is incredibly good as Lady Westholme. This is a glamorous film with additional supporting cast such as Jenny Seagrove, the handsome John Terlesky, the beautiful Hayley Mills and Carrie Fisher. David Soul is passable as the Boynton family lawyer. The scenery is wonderful, the costumes beautiful and the story intriguing. It is hard to know who has done the deed. The much underrated Michael Craig also puts in an appearance. I wish there could be more appointments with such a talented cast.