Chapter 5: Christie Films Make an Impact

Abstract

This chapter covers the four British and American films based on Agatha Christie’s work made between 1945 and 1960: And Then There Were None (1945), Love from a Stranger (1947), Witness for the Prosecution (1957) and The Spider’s Web (1960). These movies bridge a gap between the early attempts to find a way to bring Christie’s stories to the cinema, which resulted in either sweeping changes or alterations of key elements (although in some cases such changes had already been made for stage adaptations), and the commercial success found by MGM’s decision to cast Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple in a series of comical mysteries for the big screen. The years covered in this chapter saw no end of discussion regarding rights to exploit Christie’s works on screen, and many adaptations for the fledgling medium of television, with varying results. However, these four films demonstrate that closely following the source material could result in impact and longevity, despite the fact that there was no singular approach that guaranteed commercial or critical success.