Ten Little Indians

 

 

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The story was updated, moved to a chalet in the Swiss Alps, and the old spinster became a beautiful actress. All bad ideas. The movie tells the basic story, but manages to be quite dull and eventually loses all focus as it spirals to an end. The cast is bad overall; Dalilah Lavi is especially bad, and Fabian should never have been allowed to act. Skip this one (and run in fear from the 1975 version with Oliver Reed and Elke Sommer), stick with the original from 1945 titled "And Then There Were None."

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10 little Indians went out to dine
1 choked on his little self and then there were 9
9 little Indians staying up quite late
1 ran away and then there were 8
8 little Indians travelling to Heaven
1 met a pussycat and then there were 7
7 little Indians chopping up sticks
The chopper finished 1 of them and then there were 6
6 little Indians playing with the hive
A bumble bee stung 1 and then there were 5
5 little Indians going in for law
1 got chancery and then there were 4
4 little Indians feeling all at sea
A red herring swallowed 1 and then there were 3
3 little Indians walking in the zoo
A big bear hugged 1 and then there were 2
2 little Indians sitting in the sun
1 gets all frizzled up and then there was 1
1 little Indian boy left all alone
So he went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

The above poem is the idea behind this murder mystery/thriller movie. This is the second movie version of (Dame) Agatha Christie's novel "And Then There Were None" (1939).

Although this version's background story is the same as the first movie version (ten people invited to a stranded area by a mysterious stranger and murdered in accordance to the lines in a children's poem), this one takes place in a mansion that's on an isolated snowy mountain. This version is also the first adaptation of the novel to show the murders on screen. (The mansion used in the movie was a famous one located in Rush, North County, Dublin in Ireland. It no longer exists.)

Who are these ten invited guests? They are:

1. Engineer Hugh Lombard (Hugh O'Brian)
2. Secretary Ann Clyde (Shirley Eaton)
3. Singer Mike Raven (Fabian)
4. General Sir John Mandrake (Leo Genn)
5. Detective William Blore (Stanley Holloway)
6. Judge Arthur Cannon (Wilfred Hyde-White)
7. Actress Ilona Berger (Daliah Lavi)
8. Dr. Edward Armstrong (Dennis Price)
9. Maid Elsa Grohmann (Marianne Hoppe)
10. Butler Joseph Grohmann (Mario Adorf)

(Note that the recorded voice of the mysterious stranger who invited these guests (who has the appropriate name of "U.N. Owen") is the voice of Christopher Lee.)

Purists may not like this adaptation as it was altered to fit the attitude of the "swinging sixties." Examples include changing the character of the spinster in to glamorous actress and adding much more action to compliment the mystery such as a fight scene and even a bedroom scene.

As well, the ending was changed to a less pessimistic one, borrowing heavily from the upbeat finale Christie wrote for the stage version of this story.

All the actors do a good job in their roles but I felt that Hugh O'Brian, Shirley Eaton (the Bond girl painted gold in the movie "Goldfinger"), Wilfred Hyde-White, and Stanley Holloway did very good jobs. Some people don't like Fabian's character. But he's supposed to be obnoxious. Fabian does a good job of singing the lines of the above poem.

The DVD itself (the one released in 2006) has good audio. The picture has occasional flaws but they are not distracting, There are two extras, one being a "whodunit intermission."

Finally, the only real problem (there are some minor ones) I had with this movie was the jazzy background music that occasionally plays. Although it sounds good, it did not seem to belong in a movie of this type.

In conclusion, this is an interesting adaptation of Agatha Christie's most famous novel!!

(1965; 1 hr, 30 min.; black and white; wide screen; 24 scenes)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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A snowed-in, mountaintop castle is the setting for mystery as ten strangers gather for a weekend party. They've all been invited by a man none of them know, but their host, Mr. Owens, knows a lot about them. Each of them is accused of being a murderer and Mr. Owens wastes no time in punishing them for their crimes according to the children's rhyme, "Ten Little Indians."

This version of Agatha Christie's novel is vastly inferior to the 1945 movie. It uses virtually the same script, but the actors, with a few exceptions, aren't as good. Wilfred Hyde-White, Stanley Holloway, and Dennis Price are very good as the judge, the detective, and the doctor, but Hugh O'Brian and Shirley Eaton are a stiff and unsympathetic leading couple while Daliah Lavi and Fabian's acting skills are laughable.

A major drawback is the upbeat jazz soundtrack which is completely out of place in a moody mystery. The setting is another weak point; the "castle" is a cheaply-built and fairly modern home and the mountaintop isn't really as inaccessible as it should be. Too many of the characters view the mounting death toll as a subject for derision rather than fear, so the movie lacks intensity and thrills. Disappointing.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Hugh Lombard, "Drop dead!"
8 people are invited to a remote mountaintop chalet by their host U.N. Owen; two people are already there as the butler and cook. Read more

Published on July 1 2006 by bernie

5.0 out of 5 stars it is a good movie
hey, its a good movie. all you freaks who read the book and don't want to deviate, get over it. and for those who believe '45 is better, you're just nostalgic. Read more

Published on Jan 21 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars ALWAYS TEN LITTLE INDIANS
I don't agree with most of the reviews of this. I think this is a good adaptation, and is seriously over/under/adequately acted by a marvelous group of character actors. Read more

Published on Nov 19 2003 by Michael Butts

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed results trying to realize story's potential
The 1965 film is enjoyable and energetic. The characters are well-cast, especially the doctor, judge, Blore, and general. Read more

Published on Nov 17 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars Wow...
I thought "And Then There Were None" was a bad adaptation...then one just flat out stinks.

Seriously, do not waste any time with this film. Please follow my advice.

Published on Nov 13 2003 by TrezKu13

3.0 out of 5 stars Completely Unimaginative But Enjoyable In A Cult-Film Way
The 1930s Agatha Christie novel AND THEN THERE WERE NONE was a sensation: ten unconnected people are invited to an isolated resort only to discover they have been lured by a... Read more

Published on Mar 5 2002 by Gary F. Taylor

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable version of my favorite Christie
First off, I'm a huge Christie fan, and Ten Little Indians is my favorite of her stories. This is a solid, enjoyable retelling of the story, though it lacks the top drawer... Read more

Published on July 8 2000 by Richard A. Ketterer

5.0 out of 5 stars A Suspence Classic
This is a Great Murder Mystery that is full of suspence.You will enjoy the cast of,Hugh O'Brian, Fabian,Wilfrid Hyde-White,Stanley Holloway,Dennis Price,and Daliah Lavi. Read more

Published on July 7 2000

3.0 out of 5 stars OK RETELLING OF MYSTERY CLASSIC
THE CLASSIC 1939 NOVEL BY AGATHA CHRISTIE GETS ITS SECOND OF FOUR FILM TREATMENTS. THE 1945 FILM VERSION IS STILL THE BEST(THE TITLE IS "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE") AND... Read more

Published on Jun 10 2000

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