Death on the Nile (1978)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

John Guillermin

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
Anthony Shaffer (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 September 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A murder is committed on a Nile steamer, but Hercule Poirot is on board...

Plot Keywords:

Hercule Poirot | Murder | Camel | Riverboat | Egypt

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Peter Ustinov	...	Hercule Poirot
Jane Birkin	...	Louise Bourget
Lois Chiles	...	Linnet Ridgeway Doyle
Bette Davis	...	Marie Van Schuyler
Mia Farrow	...	Jacqueline De Bellefort
Jon Finch	...	James Ferguson
Olivia Hussey	...	Rosalie Otterbourne
George Kennedy	...	Andrew Pennington
Angela Lansbury	...	Salome Otterbourne
Simon MacCorkindale	...	Simon Doyle
David Niven	...	Colonel Johnny Race
Maggie Smith	...	Miss Bowers
Jack Warden	...	Doctor Ludwig Bessner
Harry Andrews	...	Barnstaple
I.S. Johar	...	Manager of The Karnak
Sam Wanamaker	...	Sterndale Rockford
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Hicks	...	Schoolteacher (uncredited)
Celia Imrie	...	Maid (uncredited)
Andrew Manson	...	Egyptian (uncredited)

Directed by
John Guillermin

Writing credits
Agatha Christie		(novel)
Anthony Shaffer		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Brabourne	....	producer
Richard B. Goodwin	....	producer (as Richard Goodwin)
Norton Knatchbull	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Nino Rota

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Malcolm Cooke

Casting by
Dyson Lovell

Production Design by
Brian Ackland-Snow
Terry Ackland-Snow
Peter Murton

Art Direction by
Brian Ackland-Snow
Terry Ackland-Snow

Costume Design by
Anthony Powell

Makeup Department
Betty Glasow	....	hair stylist
Ramon Gow	....	hair stylist
Freddie Williamson	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Barrie Melrose	....	production manager
Ron Purdie	....	unit production manager
Ahmed Sami	....	production manager: Egypt (as Achmed Sami)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Carreras	....	assistant director
Steve Lanning	....	second assistant director
Peter Waller	....	second assistant director
Ted Sturgis	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
John Paterson	....	construction manager

Sound Department
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
John Richards	....	sound recordist
Bill Rowe	....	sound recordist (as Billy Rowe)
Nicholas Stevenson	....	sound editor (as Nick Stevenson)

Stunts
Joe Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Cardiff	....	photographer: second unit
Frank Elliott	....	focus puller
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
W.C. 'Chunky' Huse	....	grip (as Chunky Huse)
Alec Mills	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	costume supervisor
Joanna Johnston	....	assistant costume designer
Germinal Rangel	....	costume maker
Barbara Matera	....	costume maker (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Nigel Galt	....	assistant editor
Chris Kelly	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Marcus Dods	....	conductor

Other crew
Jim Brennan	....	location manager: Egypt
Richard du Vivier	....	production associate
Brian Harris	....	supervising accountant
Ron Purdie	....	location manager
Wayne Sleep	....	choreographer: tango
Edna Tromans	....	publicist
Constance Willis	....	continuity (as Connie Willis)
Elisabeth Woodthorpe	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• G.W. Films
• EMI Films
• Mersham Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• Columbia-EMI-Warner (1978) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Neue Constantin Film (1978) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• Lumiere Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Lumière Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Studiocanal Vidéo (200?) (France) (DVD)
• Thorn EMI Video Australia (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:13 | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | France:U | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1978) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Abu Simbel Temple, Abu Simbel, Egypt

Company:

G.W. Films

Trivia:

Body count 5.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Poirot theorizes how Dr. Bessner could have shot Linnet, she visibly flinches when the gun touches her temple, although she is supposed to be asleep.

Quotes:

Mrs. Van Schuyler: Shut up, Bowers. Just because you've got a grudge against
[Lynette]
Mrs. Van Schuyler: , or rather her father, no need to be uncivil.
Miss Bowers: GRUDGE? Melhuish Ridgeway ruined my family!
Mrs. Van Schuyler: Well, you should be grateful. If he hadn't, you would have missed out on the pleasure of working for me.
Miss Bowers: I could kill her on that score alone!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Murder, She Wrote: Death 'N Denial (#11.13)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Jalousie

Relaxing entertainment.

An heiress is murdered while honeymooning on a Nile cruise. Fortunately, the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is holidaying on the same paddle steamer, and begins an investigation. However, it would seem that all of the other passengers on board have clear motives for committing the murder.

This was the second of Agatha Christie's novels featuring Hercule Poirot to be filmed, after the success of 'Murder On The Orient Express' a few years earlier. The great Peter Ustinov, who so recently passed away, took on the role this time, and injected it with his own droll humour. Indeed the whole film seems rather tongue in cheek, with the all star cast having fun with their roles. Bette Davis, Maggie Smith and Jack Warden all enjoyably ham it up, but Angela Lansbury manages to outdo them all with a delightfully over the top performance as the perpetually drunk author of erotic novels. David Niven, ever the archetypal British gent, proves a good foil as Poirot's partner in the investigation.

Where the film really scores is in the locations and photography. Egypt proves a stately backdrop to proceedings and veteran Cinematographer Jack Cardiff makes the most of it. The 1930's setting also gives an air of genteel opulence to the surroundings. While the film couldn't claim to be a classic tension filled mystery, it is a pleasant, laid back and enjoyable entertainment, that's clever enough to keep you guessing until the end.