MURDER IS EASY
US, 1982, 100 minutes, Colour.
Bill Bixby, Lesley- Anne Down, Olivia de Havilland, Helen Hayes, Patrick Allen, Shane Bryant, Freddie Jones, Leigh Lawson, Jonathan Pryce, Timothy West.
Directed by Claude Whatham.
Murder is Easy is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. While the novel is still set in England, the central character has become an American for American television audiences. He is played by Bill Bixby, better known for his role in the series The Incredible Hulk.
There is a very strong supporting cast led by Lesley- Anne Down with veterans Olivia de Havilland and Helen Hayes. The rest of the cast is a vintage British supporting cast ranging from Timothy West to Jonathan Price and an early screen role.
Direction is by Claude Whatham who has worked mainly in television but made the feature films That’ll Be The Day and Swallows and Amazons in the 1970s and travelled to Australia to direct the Judy Davis- John Hargreaves film, Hoodwink in 1981.
1.The popularity of Agatha Christie, her writing? Her characters? The nature of her mysteries? The tradition of the novels, the tradition of screen adaptations?
2.The qualities of this telemovie, the use of the English countryside, the strong cast, the creation of mood?
3.The convolutions of the plot, the development of the characters, indication of clues? Luke Williams as hero, mathematician and author, an American? Computer work? His meeting Miss Fullerton?, the train journey, getting the information? His being intrigued? His character, curiosity? Deaths?
4.His going to the village, meeting the people in the village, friendship, work? The encounter with Bridget Conway? Falling in love? The nature of the investigation, probing characters? The confrontation with Honoria? The ending and his being the hero?
5.Bridget, her fiancé, the money issue, her relating to Luke, her suspicions, the investigation, becoming the heroine?
6.Honoria, her nice manner, the Olivia de Havilland style, her place in the village, involvement, relationship with Lavinia? The stories? Lord Easterfield and his story? The reverse? The final confrontation?
7.Honoria, the possibilities?
8.The range of characters in the village, the performance by the classic English cast? Suspicious types? The nature of the puzzle? Solution? Motivation?
