SPOILER POSSIBLE! The version I saw (1981) came without captions, so I floundered a bit getting used to the dialogue without the help of captions. I also had a bit of trouble with the outdoor visuals which were not as clear and sharp as the interior shots. Then I thought I was in a quicksand of a movie that would drag me to the Infinite Boredom. Incredibly, the pace picked up and my interest was piqued. Cheryl Campbell, who excelled in PENNIES FROM HEAVEN and much later in the Poirot APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH, shone forth with her talent, and James Warwick seemed to be a perfect match for her. Was this another "secret six" kind of movie in which masked individuals plotted world domination, and didn't Christie write something like this before? It's more of a romp for the "bright young things" of the flapper age, as things turn out, not to be taken seriously since the plot is absurd. Still, high marks for the eventual conclusion which took me by surprise (OK, I am a sucker for unexpected revelations). Christie did it again: she bamboozled me. Takes patience to watch it all, since the movie runs over two hours, but it is rewarding. By the way, you have to watch the dexterity of John Gielgud in a small role as a English lord, father of the Campbell character: a great actor who can make even the smallest role memorable.

Even hardcore Whodunnit fans will probably be disappointed in this one, a slow, confusing and badly directed tv film, based on an Agatha Christie novel. Cheryl Campbell is sometimes irritating as Lady Brent, while James Warwick is adequately convincing as Jimmy Thesinger. The story is dated and lacks credibility, but this is probably due to the aforementioned poor direction; more interest was shown in recreating the late 30s era (which was achieved, by the way), which resulted in nervous editing and bad acting. Only to pass the time.3

I saw this version of one of Agatha Christie's earliest, and fluffiest, stories when it was first broadcast in 1982, and remembered it so well as an adult that I was delighted to find it in a video store.The plot doesn't recount well - basically, several outrageously wealthy young aristocrats amuse themselves by chasing after a secret society called the Seven Dials. But the pace moves right along, and the oh-so-British styling is wonderful, including discreet foreign policy dealings amid cards and cocktails at country house parties (populated by perfectly-coiffed young ladies in flapper dresses, of course).Not for everyone, but British mystery buffs will eat it up. 1920's obsessives will also want to see this one just for the gorgeous costuming and a series of stunning vintage cars that look as though someone raided a Concours d'Elegance just for this film.

I found this movie to be quite an enjoyable mystery, and very true to the early Agatha Christie style in its plot device of British state secrets being stolen and sold to foreign enemies. Although some of the interior scenes, especially right at the beginning of the film, have that slightly claustrophobic "soundstage" feel, this is quickly forgotten as the characters become more familiar and the mystery gets underway. The acting is very good, and Cheryl Campbell brings a lot of energy to the part of the flapper-heroine, Lady Eileen Brent, and James Warwick, as Jimmy The singer, joins her in playing upper-class amateur sleuth with a great deal of humour. Sir John Gielgud, as usual, steals every scene he appears in, and Harry Andrews is terrific as the stolid, slow-spoken Inspector Battle. The story follows the usual pattern of complicated twists and red herrings, but the conclusion came as a complete surprise to me, which I take as the mark of a good mystery.