Death on the Nile (1978)

In England, Jackie (Mia Farrow) asks her friend Linnet (Lois Chiles) to give her soon-to-be husband, Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale) a job.  Linnet agrees.  Six weeks later, Simon and Linnet are on their honeymoon in Egypt.  Not only has an insanely jealous Jackie followed them, so has a cast of suspects.  Romance novelist Salome Otterbourne (Angela Lansbury) and her daughter, Rosalie (Olivia Hussey) may be financially ruined on account of a lawsuit by Linnet.  Mrs. Van Schuyler (Bette Davis) is a wealthy woman with a love of jewelry, especially pearls like the dazzling necklace that Linnet wears.  Van Schuyler's nurse, Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith), had been reduced to being a servant on account of Linnet's father's business practices.  Doctor Bessner (Jack Warden) may see his clinic ruined on account of the harsh criticisms that Linnet has leveled.  Andrew Pennington (George Kennedy), who is Linnet's uncle, has been embezzling funds and could be ruined should Linnet discover it.  Even Linnet's maid, Louise (Jane Birkin), is upset at her employer for derailing her marriage plans.  This hornets' nest of would-be murderers has the misfortune of encountering the famed Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov).  Linnet requests his assistance in ridding them of Jackie and he is soon traveling with them and the cast of suspects on the SS Karnak down the Nile.  It is little surprise when Linnet is found dead.  Poirot is joined in his investigation by Colonel Race (David Niven), an old friend and occasional assistant.  As the pair interview all the suspects, additional murders occur.

The all-star cast is terrific in this version.  Poirot is fastidious and has an uncanny knack of being in earshot of all the incriminating conversations, which he parrots back at the enraged suspect.  Unlike the recent remake, this one was filmed in Egypt.  Just this puts it head and shoulders above the Branagh production.  Better still, no anachronistic casting, no efforts to represent this group or that group, just a straight-forward adaptation of the novel.

After watching both versions, I must say that the plan was ludicrous.  A gunshot on a ship the size of the Karnak should have drawn more people.  The idea that there would be no one around seems unlikely.  The stars had to align for the outlandish plot to work.  Also, Hercule Poirot is on the ship!  Are you crazy?  Time to abort the plan and wait for another time.  Heck, maybe wait for whoever pushed the rock to give it another try.

I've not seen the David Suchet version of Death on the Nile.  Until I do, I rate this one the best.  Highly recommended.