And Then There Were None (1945)

Director:

René Clair

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Dudley Nichols (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 October 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Agatha Christie tale of 10 people invited to an isolated place only to find that an unseen person is killing them one by one. One of them?

Plot Keywords:

Island | Record | Guest | Agatha Christie | Dinner

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Barry Fitzgerald	...	Judge Francis J. Quinncannon
Walter Huston	...	Dr. Edward G. Armstrong
Louis Hayward	...	Philip Lombard
Roland Young	...	Detective William Henry Blore
June Duprez	...	Vera Claythorne
Mischa Auer	...	Prince Nikita 'Nikki' Starloff
C. Aubrey Smith	...	General Sir John Mandrake (as Sir C. Aubrey Smith)
Judith Anderson	...	Emily Brent
Richard Haydn	...	Thomas Rogers
Queenie Leonard	...	Ethel Rogers
Harry Thurston	...	Fred Narracott

Also Known As:

Rene Clair's 'And Then There Were None' (USA) (complete title)
Ten Little Niggers (UK)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording) | Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:(Banned) (1946) | USA:Approved | Sweden:15 | UK:U (2002)

Company:

Rene Clair Productions

Trivia:

Emily Brent's line, "Those whom the gods would destroy..." is from the Greek dramatist Euripides. "The wicked flee . . ." is from the Book of Proverbs.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the ball of yarn falls through the bannister, it takes far too long to unwind than could ever happen naturally.

Quotes:

Thomas Rogers: Never in my life have I been accused of any crime, sir - and if that's what you think of me, I shan't serve any dinner.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mindhunters (2004)

Soundtrack:

Ten Little Indians

Nothing But the Best

After reading all these comments I got the urge, dug out And Then There Were None and watched it the other night. I won't repeat what has been said here so many times, only that it has to be one of the greatest films of all time. What a cast!! The best character actors of the 30's and 40's, many in the twilight of their careers. It's difficult to pick out superior performances. I did, however, take note that Louis Hayward gave a standout performance as Philip Lombard, and he had to be with this competition. He really was a fine actor, who incidentally, moved like a cat, a close match to the Lombard film character as envisioned by Agatha Christie. A couple of his other outstanding films come to mind: The Man in the Iron Mask and the seldom if ever shown, Ladies in Retirement. In the credits, he was also listed as one of the three stars of the film: BARRY FITZGERALD, WALTER HUSTON and LOUIS HAYWARD. The following screen shows the rest of the distinguished cast as supporting players. The musical score is as good as the cast, alternatively moody and eerie. June Duprez comes off very well against the competition as the vulnerable Miss Claythorne. I cannot forget how exquisitely beautiful she was in color in The Thief of Bagdad (1940). The book itself was excellent (I read it over 60 years ago) however, while I would indeed watch the film repeatedly I would not go out of my way to read the book once more.

P.S. (5/20/2007) Still a fan of ATTWN, I have just finished a 2001 audio version, read by Hugh Fraser (Hercule Poirot's TV sidekick). This is a six-hour, complete and unabridged version of the book which includes all the material omitted in the film and with original ending intact. At first blush, six hours might seem rather too long but believe me it just gets better and better right on through to that unique ending which has never been equaled in filmdom, and likely never will.