Product Details

• Actors: David Suchet
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: July 8, 2003
• Run Time: 153 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00009MEAL
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,565 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #18 in	Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > British Mystery Theater > Poirot
  #34 in	Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > British Mystery Theater > Agatha Christie
  #98 in	Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > Mystery & Suspense Masters

• This is item 5 in The Agatha Christie's Poirot Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
"I have the order, the method, the psychology... I am the best. I am Hercule Poirot," declares Agatha Christie's most famous detective in "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest." And David Suchet continues to prove himself as the best actor to portray Poirot in this boxed set of three hour-long episodes. Suchet has said it is his goal to reveal Poirot's many dimensions, going beyond the caricature previous actors had made him out to be. This is most evident in "The Double Clue," in which Poirot meets his match from the criminal world--and falls in love. Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) and Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran) provide comic relief with their own attempts to solve the case, but in the end this remains a poignant tale of the one that got away. Suchet reveals a more lighthearted side of Poirot in "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest," treating viewers to the unforgettable spectacle of the fussy detective dancing the Charleston. And in "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor," he stages a cunning, ghostly charade to smoke out the murderer. As always, the production of these episodes is stunning in its attention to detail, re-creating the look, sound, and feel of 1930s high-society England. From the shot of a train shrouded in a mask of fog to the eerie sight of a room full of people in gas masks during an air raid test, the episodes also evoke the ominous atmosphere that makes mysteries so deliciously goose-pimply when viewed from the safety of a warm couch. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Product Description
Stamping out evil has never been so tidy or so much fun. Set in the art deco lushness of 1930s Europe, this PBS hit series evokes a time when fictional crime solving was far more elegant affair than it is today. David Suchet plays Agatha Christie’s brilliant detective with a winning combination of fussiness and charm, making his Poirot the most watched detective in the history of the PBS Mystery! series. Costars include Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings, Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp and Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon.

The Mysteries:
The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor—After refusing to stoop to fictional crime-solving, Poirot is soon occupied by a real whodunit.
The Double Clue—While Hastings and Miss Lemon work on a high-profile case, Poirot romances a beautiful Russian countess.
The Mystery of the Spanish Chest—A woman fearing her jealous husband invites Poirot to a fateful dinner party.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still top notch entertainment, August 2, 2000

By	F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 5 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Thanks to Acorn Media, we may very well soon have all the Hercule Poirot episodes available for easy watching, the shorter ones on tape and the longer on DVD. With the arrival of Set 5, we have cases 13-15 from the classic BBC series that was once shown on PBS and currently in shamefully abbreviated forms on a commercial channel.

I have already posted my general comments about this series on the webpages for the first four sets, so let me cut to the chase.

"The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor" begins comically enough with a would-be mystery writer of an inn owner summoning Poirot to solve a baffling case that happens to be fictional. Naturally a real death takes place under what seems to be supernatural circumstances; and the production does indeed create a wonderfully English country manor spooky-ness that makes this worth watching. Never mind that the solution involves all sorts of twists that verge on the incredible; but to invert the aphorism in "Sleuth," this is Inspector Fiction, not Inspector Fact.

"The Double Clue" is exceptional in that it shows Poirot emotionally involved with a suspect, a fascinating (at least to him) Russian countess who might or might not be involved in a series of jewel thefts. Japp is honestly in fear of losing his job unless the thefts are stopped, while Miss Lemon and Hastings do their own sleuthing as Poirot spends time with the countess. "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" has a plot within the plot, so to speak, rather far-fetched. However, the presence of actor John McEnery and the opening surreally filmed dueling sequence more than make up for any storyline inconsistencies.

Again, it is always instructive to compare these dramatizations with the originals; but the former stand up very nicely on their own.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More gorgeous Poirot adventures, July 31, 2000

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 5 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The neat-freak Belgian Hercule Poirot returns, along with the faithful Captain Hastings, blunt Scotland Yard Inspector Japp, and hyper-efficient Miss Lemon.

"The Double Clue" is a bit of a tearjerker--jewels vanish, Japp's job is on the line, and Poirot is beginning to fall for one of the suspects, neglecting his job. Hastings and Miss Lemon attempt to salvage the investigation, but without Poirot they are going to have trouble. The end is sad, and this is the first of the Poirot shows to indicate that Miss Lemon might have more than professional feelings for her employer.

"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" is a strange story about love, deceit, jealousy, honor, and lots of swords. A man is found stabbed in a "Spanish Chest"--and even Poirot is being checked out. This includes the excellent scene where Poirot, along with a friend, end up dancing the Charleston (with very bad grace)

"The Tragedy of Marsden Manor" is a particular favorite, with an elderly man dying unexpectedly and leaving a beautiful young widow who is being attacked by a ghost. The actress playing Lady Marsden is downright chilling at times, such as when she is staring up at the trees, and this story includes a man asking Poirot to proofread his mystery novel.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's great to have "Poirot" on video!, January 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Agatha Christie's Poirot, Vol. 5 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I so enjoyed the "Poirot" series when it was shown on PBS during the 1990's. David Suchet is for me the definitive Hercule Poirot, while Hugh Fraser and Philip Jackson are exactly how I always picture the characters of Captain Hastings and Chief Inspector Japp to be. This "Poirot" Box Set #5 contains three outstanding one-hour episodes. "The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor" is a haunting tale of the supernatural. Young and beautiful Susan Maltravers, mistress of Marsdon Manor, is being tormented by visions of a girl who killed herself years ago on the Manor grounds. I wouldn't like to reveal any more of the plot than that, but I would like to mention that in the episode the camera work is a remarkable feature and the denouement is terrifying. "The Double Clue" is a clever story about a theft that occurs during an elegant garden party. Even his romantic feelings for a Russian countess cannot distract Poirot from his first duty, to track down the thief. "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" is my personal favorite of the three episodes, an OTHELLO-like tale of jealous lovers. In addition to fine acting from each cast member and delightful period sets and costumes, each episode features a musical score that perfectly evokes the mood of the story. Anyone who loves the "Poirot" series will thoroughly enjoy this box set. Check out the other sets and the many full-length (103 minute) "Poirot" features, as well.