MYSTERY!: AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT: FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS (TV)
Summary
One in this mystery anthology series of Agatha Christie mysteries featuring Belgian dandy and private detective, Hercule Poirot. In this episode, a Mr. Anthony Gascoigne lies on his deathbed. The housekeeper, Mrs. Hill, calls the man's nephew, George, but he is busy at work in a theatre and says he cannot make it out to Brighton for several days, adding that she should not bother calling Anthony's estranged brother Henry. Elsewhere, Poirot observes as Hastings watches a cricket match, then departs for dinner with his dentist, Bonnington, and they talk with the waitress, who points out an elderly man, Henry the painter, who eats the same meal on the same days every week, except for a very recent deviation. The next day, Henry is found dead inside his home, apparently having accidentally fallen down the stairs. Bonnington tells Poirot about the death, and Poirot investigates, learning that Henry failed to acknowledge a passing neighbor on the previous Saturday and had only one regular visitor, his model Dulcie Lane. When they speak to her, Poirot looks around for clues as she notes that Henry was "always unusual" in his behavior. Having "a notion" that Henry's death was not an accident, Poirot meets with a forensic team and learns that Henry's time of death was around 9:30 at night, according to a postmarked letter in his pocket and judging from when he was seen at dinner. Poirot takes the letter from the coroner and finds that it is an invitation to an art show.
Poirot prepares a dinner of rabbit for Hastings, and they later attend the art show, where they meet Henry's agent, Makinson, who reveals that Henry refused to sell his oil paintings to "philistines" and that only he and Dulcie possess any. They notice another painting of Henry's featuring a different nude model: his brother's wife Charlotte. Poirot notes that everyone had something to benefit from Henry's death and suggests that the man at the restaurant was not Henry but his killer in disguise, as the corpse's teeth were not stained by the blackberries that the man was seen to eat. Dulcie states that she would never sell Henry's works, and they doubt that she is guilty. Poirot next goes to George's show to question him, but learns that he is in Brighton for his uncle's funeral, and is surprised to hear that Anthony, Henry's fraternal twin, also died very recently. Poirot and Hastings journey to Brighton and meet George, who reveals that Charlotte died ten years previously. He explains that Charlotte was Henry's "muse" until Anthony stole her, leading to their falling-out. Mrs. Hill then adds that as there was no will, George stands to inherit everything.
Hastings continues tracking the cricket scores as Poirot surmises that Anthony could not have been Henry's killer, as he predeceased him, and they journey back to London, where Poirot traces the imposter's route from Henry's home to the restaurant. He finds a change of clothes in a public bathroom and summons the forensic team to George's theatre. The scientists discover mysterious hairs on "Henry's" clothes, and Poirot reveals that someone changed the postmark on the invitation to make it look as though Henry died later than he did. He accuses George of the crime, and George attempts to flee, but is caught by the police. Poirot explains that, being an actor, George was adept at impersonating an old man, even doing a "dress rehearsal" the previous week to fool the waitress. He adds that Henry would have inherited everything from Anthony due to the lack of a will, giving George motivation to murder him. He then comments on the cricket score, revealing to a surprised Hastings that he has been paying attention all along. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: January 29, 1989 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:53:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:30357
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1989-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Nick Elliott … Executive Producer
- Linda Agran … Executive Producer
- Brian Eastman … Producer
- Renny Rye … Director
- Russell Murphy … Dramatized by
- Christopher Gunning … Music by
- David Suchet … Cast, Hercule Poirot
- Hugh Fraser … Cast, Captain Hastings
- Philip Jackson … Cast, Chief Inspector Japp
- Pauline Moran … Cast, Miss Lemon
- Richard Howard … Cast, George Lorrimer
- Tony Aitken … Cast, Tommy Pinner
- Charles Pemberton … Cast, Stooge
- Geoffrey Larder … Cast, Harry Clarke
- Denys Hawthorne … Cast, Bonnington
- Molly de Jong … Cast, Dulcie Lang
- Clifford Rose … Cast, Makinson
- Philip Locke … Cast, Cutter
- Hilary Mason … Cast, Mrs. Hill
- Cheryl Hall … Cast, Molly
- Marjie Lawrence … Cast, Irene Mullen
- Su Elliott … Cast, Edith
- John Bardon … Cast, Lavatory Attendant
- Peter Waddington … Cast, Forensic
- Guy Standeven … Cast, Vicar
- Andrew Mackintosh … Cast, Doctor
- Stephen Pruslin … Cast, Pianist
- John Sessions … Cast, Radio Voice Overs