WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS?

UK, 1980, 180 minutes, Colour.
Francesca Annis, James Warwick, Eric Porter, Leigh Lawson, John Gielgud.
Directed by Tony Wharmby, John Davies.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? is a TV dramatisation of Agatha Christie's novel. It is part of the popularity of Agatha Christie stories in the '70s and '80s. Margaret Rutherford had some success in brief low-budget Miss Marple stories. Witness For The Prosecution was a success in the '50s. Tony Randall did a satiric turn as Poirot in The A.B.C. Murders. Albert Finney was Poirot in Murder On The Orient Express and Peter Ustinov was Poirot in Death On The Nile and Evil Under The Sun. Angela Lansbury was Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack’d. There was also the fictional story about Agatha Christie's disappearance with Vanessa Redgrave taking the part of Agatha Christie.

This telemovie is three hours in length and captures the atmosphere of the Christie novel. It is very strong in its reproduction of the style of life in the English countryside in the '30s. The setting is Wales with movement to a wealthy household. This gives the opportunity for portraying the countryside, the lavish mansions, the elite way of life with the class distinctions of the times. The film takes these for granted and invites audience nostalgia about these good old days. Costumes, decor, cars are all part of the atmosphere.

The cast is excellent with Francesca Annis and James Warwick as Bobby and Frankie, the amateur sleuths. An excellent British stage, cinema and television cast take up the central roles. Particularly good are John Gielgud as Bobby's vicar father and Eric Porter as the seemingly sinister Dr. Nicholson. Leigh Lawson has a good role as the suave villain. The long running time enables all the angles to be presented on screen, gives the audience time to study the characters and then to listen to the explanations and to find out how they have been tricked - for indeed in this film the audience is often tricked.

1. The popularity of Agatha Christie's novels over so many decades? Her presentation of the English way of life, the direct presentation of her characters, the basic mysteries, clues? Her style in diverting attention from the villains? How evident was this here?

2. An adaptation of Agatha Christie for television? Length, multiple characters, the picture of England in the '30s? The leisure for presenting the crimes, characters, motivations and explanations? How ultimately satisfying?

3. Audience interest in the Agatha Christie world of the '30s: Wales, leisure and affluence, the difference between classes, the background of religion, medicine, drugs, fraud and international crime? The overtones of period comedy of manners?

4. The importance of the cast and their contribution to atmosphere? The guest stars?

5. The initial focus on the killing, the presentation of clues and Roger's presence? The various hypotheses with time to frame them? Agatha Christie and her ability to mislead her audience? The satisfaction of understanding the truth? The irony of the identity of Evans - and the audience seeing her almost run over by Roger at the beginning of the film?

6. Bobby as hero - the ineffective English young man of the times yet becoming a hero? His poor gold playing, discussions with Dr. Thomas? The discovery of the body and his reaction? Playing the organ, meals with his father, discussions with his father and the vicar's expectations for him and disgust with him? His performance at the inquest? Writing the letter about the victim's last words? His being poisoned and recovering? His friendship with Frankie and love for her? Joining her in the research and investigation? His friendship with Badger and their fixing up the cars - with the comic touch? His working as Frankie’s chauffeur and his presence at various important points? His being kidnapped outside Dr Nicholson's? The escape? The decision about Moira at the end? (And his infatuation for her parallelling Frankie's for Roger?) The discovery of the truth about John Savage, the interview with the servants, the discovery of Evans?

7. Frankie and her aristocratic background, style, lady of leisure, her curiosity? Friendship with Bobby? Arrival at the inquest and her curiosity being roused? Her decision to be involved, contriving the accident with her doctor friend? Her stay in the household? Observing the decline of Henry? Becoming friends with Roger and being charmed by him? Friendship with Sylvia and her son? The encounters with Dr. Nicholson and her suspicions? Belief in Moira? Her searching out clues, phone calls to Bobby, rides with him as her chauffeur? The dangers especially with the drama of Henry's death? Her being captures? The unmasking of Roger? The tracking down of Moira and her quick thinking about the poison? The interview with the servants and the discovery of Evans? Her accepting Roger's invitation and being trapped by him after hearing the truth? His gallantry in letting her go? An attractive (if unreal) heroine? The character sketch of this kind of woman?

8. The initial killing and Roger's presence? Dr. Nicholson and Moira and the range of suspicions? Henry's death and audience judgments? The attempts on Bobby's life? The green car and Bobby's finding it? Audience presumptions and their response to evidence?

9. How satisfying were the intricacies of the plot: Savage and his money to Mrs. Templeton, the drugs background, the initial victim and his discovery of the truth, his visits to Henry and Sylvia, curiosity about Dr. Nicholson, the photo of Moira? Henry and Sylvia and the relationship with Dr. Nicholson? Dr. Nicholson's presence? The kidnapping? The unmasking of Roger as villain? Audience suspicions of Moira? The explanations - especially concerning the title of the story?

10. The character of Dr. Nicholson - his appearance, association with drugs and the hospital, classes, sinister manner? Moira and her innocence and vulnerability? Audience misjudging? Sylvia and her relationship with Henry, Roger, Dr. Nicholson?

11. Moira and her sweetness and the sudden unmasking? The credibility of her being such an arch criminal?

12. Roger as suave villain? At the beginning with the body, at home and his charming the audience as well as Frankie? His disguises and Badger's memory of him? The unmasking, the truth? Frankie confronting him with his madness? His wanting to take her away with him? His gallantry in setting her free?

13. The character sketch of Henry and his decline? Sylvia and her concern for her husband?

14. The background characters and their contribution: the lawyer and his explanation of John Savage's will after Bobby impersonated him? The society lady who had taken the victim down to the country? The policeman at the old house?

15. John Gielgud as vicar - a sign of the times, the comedy clashes with his son? Dr. Thomas and his contribution at the inquest?

16. The Templetons' servants and the discussion about Evans? The truth about Evans - and her near accident at the beginning, her presence at the vicarage?

17. The pleasure of investigating a murder mystery? Involvement in Agatha Christie's world? Crime, morals, puzzle, judgment?