Ten Little Indians (1965 film)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The 1965 version of Ten Little Indians is the third film version of Agatha Christie's detective novel And Then There Were None. Although its background story is the same as the 1945 version (ten people invited to a stranded area by a mysterious stranger), this one takes place on an isolated snowy mountain. Most of the murder methods were just like the 1945 version, with some minor variations. This version is also the first adaptation of the novel to show the murders on screen.
An uncredited Christopher Lee provides the pre-recorded voice of "Mr. Owen".
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Alterations
This adaptation has been retooled to fit the attitude of the "swinging sixties," such as changing the character of a sinister spinster into a glamorous movie star, adding a lot more action to complement the mystery, a fight scene and even a sex scene. The film is 91 minutes long and is in black and white.
The ending was changed to a less pessimistic one, heavily borrowing from the upbeat finale Christie wrote for the stage version of the story. In the end, upon finding the dead body of Doctor Armstrong (Dennis Price), Hugh Lombard (Hugh O'Brian) and Ann Clyde (Shirley Eaton) realize they are apparently the only two left and suspicion almost drives them to the breaking point. The film pauses for a "whodunit" minute to give viewers time to decipher the clues and arrive at a solution. When the movie resumes, Clyde draws Lombard's revolver, which he had given her earlier, shoots, then returns to the house. When Clyde enters the house, she discovers a noose hanging there, with a chair under it, and Judge Arthur Cannon alive!
Cannon (Wilfred Hyde-White) explains how he carried out the murders and tricked the doctor. He then invites Clyde to kill herself rather than remain there alone to take the blame when the police arrive. Then he sips a glass of poison that he had prepared. But as he is about to succumb to the poison, Lombard walks in—they had faked his death. Seeing he has failed in causing the deaths of his last two victims, Cannon dies ("Never trust a woman" are his last words) leaving Clyde and Lombard to await the arrival of the police.
The house used in the film was Kenure House in Rush, North County Dublin, Ireland.
Credits
- George Pollock
- Agatha Christie (novel)
- Enrique Llovet, Dudley Nichols (1945 screenplay)
- Henry Towers, Peter Yedlam: Screenplay
- Malcolm Lockyer: Music/Conductor
- Ernest Steward: Cinematography
- Peter Boita: Editing
- John McCorry: Costume Design
- Michael Browne: Gaffer
Cast
This film version stars:
- Hugh O'Brian .... Hugh Lombard
- Shirley Eaton .... Ann Clyde
- Fabian .... Mike Raven
- Leo Genn .... General Sir John Mandrake B.C.
- Stanley Holloway .... Det. William Henry Blore
- Wilfrid Hyde-White .... Judge Arthur Cannon
- Daliah Lavi .... Ilona Bergen
- Dennis Price .... Dr. Edward Armstrong
- Marianne Hoppe .... Elsa Grohmann
- Mario Adorf .... Joseph Grohmann
- Christopher Lee .... Voice of 'Mr. Owen' (uncredited)
Later Remakes
