Hercule Poirot appeared on film for the first time in 1931. Alibi was an adaptation of Michael Morton's stage version of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926). He was played by the tall, dark and handsome matinee idol Austin Trevor. In spite of his physical unsuitability, Trevor played the dapper detective in two more films, Black Coffee (1931), an adaptation of Christie's first play, and Lord Edgware Dies (1934) based on the 1933 novel.
Poirot's TV debut took place in the United States in 1962 on CBS. Martin Gabel starred in a half-hour General Electric Theater presentation entitled Hercule Poirot, which was an adaptation of the short story "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim."
Poirot returned to the cinema thirty years later with The Alphabet Murders (1966). The film starred American actor Tony Randall as Poirot. Robert Morley played Captain Hastings as rather more of a bumbling, Watson-like assistant than usual. An earlier version of the film, with Zero Mostel cast as Poirot, had been scrapped because of Christie's vehement objections to a bedroom scene.
Poirot, played by Albert Finney, appeared in Murder on the Orient Express (1974) in what many critics feel is the truest representation of the detective on film. Heavily made up and with brilliantined hair and a little moustache, Finney both looked the part and captured the combination of fussiness and cunning of the novels. The cast including John Gielgud, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York, Anthony Perkins and Ingrid Bergman. Gorgeous period sets and costumes contributed to the film's immense popularity, and the picture deservedly won three British Film Awards and six Oscar nominations.
Peter Ustinov played Poirot in a number of cinema films shot in various exotic locations including Death on the Nile (1978), Evil Under the Sun (1982), and Appointment with Death (1988). He also appeared three times in the TV films Thirteen at Dinner (1985), Dead Man's Folly (1986), and Murder in Three Acts (1986). Ustinov's Poirot, was, perhaps, a little heavier and a little more intentionally comic than Christie intended. Of these performances, Death on the Nile is the best, with Ustinov joined by such stars as Bette Davis, David Niven, Angela Lansbury and Maggie Smith. In Evil Under the Sun Ustinov is supported by Colin Blakely, Maggie Smith, James Mason and Diana Rigg.
In 1989 LWT (London Weekend Television) in the UK began broadcasting the highly praised Agatha Christie's Poirot in a series of TV films set in the 1930s.
The key roles were played by:
David Suchet (Hercule Poirot)
Hugh Fraser (Captain Hastings)
Philip Jackson (Chief Inspector Japp)
Pauline Moran (Miss Lemon)
After a five-year hiatus, the year 2000 brought two new productions starring David Suchet, Lord Edgware Dies and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. They were followed by Evil Under the Sun and Murder in Mesopotamia.
In 2001 a TV version of Murder on the Orient Express was made starring Alfred Molina as Poirot. With a modern-day setting Poirot used a laptop computer and a Palm Pilot.
The LWT TV series includes:
1- 8-89 THE ADVENTURE OF THE CLAPHAM COOK Scr: Clive Exton D: Edward Bennett
1-15-89 MURDER IN THE MEWS Scr: Clive Exton D: Edward Bennett
1-22-89 THE ADVENTURE OF JOHNNY WAVERLY Scr: Clive Exton D: Renny Rye
1-29-89 FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS Scr: Russell Murray D: Renny Rye
2- 5-89 THE THIRD FLOOR FLAT (Donovan: Nicholas Pritchard) Scr: Michael Baker D: Edward Bennett
2-12-89 TRIANGLE AT RHODES Scr: Stephen Wakelam D: Renny Rye
2-19-89 PROBLEM AT SEA Scr: Clive Exton D: Renny Rye
2-26-89 THE INCREDIBLE THEFT Scr: David Reid & Clive Exton D: Edward Bennett
3-12-89 THE KING OF CLUBS Scr: Michael Baker D: Renny Rye
3-19-89 THE DREAM Scr: Clive Exton D: Edward Bennett
1- 7-90 PERIL AT END HOUSE (120) Scr: Clive Exton D: Renny Rye
1-14-90 THE VEILED LADY Scr: Clive Exton D: Edward Bennett
1-21-90 THE LOST MINE Scr: Michael Baker & David Renwick D: Edward Bennett
1-28-90 THE CORNISH MYSTERY Scr: Clive Exton D: Edward Bennett
2- 4-90 THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MR. DAVENHEIM Scr: David Renwick D: Andrew Grieve
2-11-90 DOUBLE SIN Scr: Clive Exton D: Richard Spence
2-18-90 THE ADVENTURE OF THE CHEAP FLAT (Robinson: John Michie, Luigi: Nigel Whitmey) Scr: Russell Murray D: Richard Spence
2-25-90 THE KIDNAPPED PRIME MINISTER Scr: Clive Exton D: Andrew Grieve
3- 4-90 THE ADVENTURE OF THE WESTERN STAR Scr: Clive Exton D: Richard Spence
9-16-90 THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES (120) Scr: Clive Exton D: Ross Devenish
1- 6-91 HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? (Nicholas: Peter Birch) Scr: Andrew Marshall D: Brian Farnham
1-13-91 THE MILLION DOLLAR BOND ROBBERY Scr: Anthony Horowitz D: Andrew Grieve
1-20-91 THE PLYMOUTH EXPRESS (Carrington: Julian Wadham) Scr: Rod Beachem D: Andrew Piddington
1-27-91 WASP'S NEST Scr: David Renwick D: Brian Farnham
2- 3-91 THE TRAGEDY AT MARSDON MANOR Scr: David Renwick D: Renny Rye
2-10-91 THE DOUBLE CLUE Scr: Anthony Horowitz D: Andrew Piddington
2-17-91 THE MYSTERY OF THE SPANISH CHEST Scr: Anthony Horowitz D: Andrew Grieve
2-24-91 THE THEFT OF THE ROYAL RUBY Scr: Anthony Horowitz & Clive Exton D: Andrew Grieve
3- 3-91 THE AFFAIR AT THE VICTORY BALL Scr: Andrew Marshall D: Renny Rye
3-10-91 THE MYSTERY OF HUNTER'S LODGE Scr: T.R. Bowen D: Renny Rye
1-5-92 THE ABC MURDERS (120) Scr: Clive Exton D: Andrew Grieve
1-12-92 DEATH IN THE CLOUDS (120) Scr: William Humble D: Stephen Whittacker (US: Death in the Air) (copyright 93)
1-17-92 ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE (120) Scr: Clive Exton D: Ross Devenish (US: An Overdose of Death) (copyright 93)
1-17-93 THE ADVENTURE OF THE EGYPTIAN TOMB Scr: Clive Exton D: Peter Barber Fleming
1-24-93 THE UNDERDOG Scr: Bill Craig D: John Bruce
1-31-93 THE YELLOW IRIS (Anthony: Dorian Healey) Scr: Anthony Horowitz D: Peter Barber Fleming (copyright 94)
2- 7-93 THE CASE OF THE MISSING WILL (Robert Sidaway: Edward Atterton) Scr: Douglas Watkinson D: John Bruce
2-14-93 THE ADVENTURE OF THE ITALIAN NOBLEMAN Scr: Clive Exton D: Brian Farnham
2-21-93 THE CHOCOLATE BOX Scr: Douglas Watkinson D: Ken Grieve
2-28-93 DEAD MAN'S MIRROR Scr: Anthony Horowitz D: Brian Farnham
3- 7-93 THE JEWEL ROBBERY AT THE GRAND METROPOLITAN Scr: Anthony Horowitz D: Ken Grieve
1- 1-95 HERCULE POIROT'S CHRISTMAS (120) Scr: Clive Exton D: Edward Bennett (US: Murder for Christmas) (copyright 94)
2-12-95 HICKORY, DICKORY, DOCK (120) (US: Hickory, Dickory, Death) Scr: Anthony Horowitz D: Andrew Grieve
2-11-96 MURDER ON THE LINKS (120) (Jack: Benjamin Puller) Scr: Anthony Horowitz D: Andrew Grieve (copyright 94)
DUMB WITNESS (120) Scr: Douglas Watkinson D: Edward Bennett (US: Poirot Loses a Client) (copyright 94)
THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD (120)
LORD EDGWARE DIES (120)