Agatha Christie on Screen

362 Pages·2016·3.455 MB·English

by  Mark Aldridge (auth.)

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Mark   Aldridge
Agatha Christie on
Screen
Mark   Aldridge
Film and Television Studies
Southampton Solent University
Southampton, United Kingdom
Crime Files
ISBN 978-1-349-67695-8 ISBN 978-1-137-37292-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-37292-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016955645
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Dedicated to my late dad, Gary Aldridge
F
OREWORD
Up until last October, when I retired as Chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd, I
have been immersed in all things Agatha Christie since my grandmother died
in 1976. Undoubtedly, the aspect of her work that took most time, and caused
the most discussion, was in the adaptations of her work into fi lm and televi-
sion (not to mention the ones we refused to authorise!). When I heard that
Mark Aldridge proposed to write the defi nitive analysis of this side of Agatha
Christie’s work, I have to confess that my reactions ranged from fascination to,
sometimes, slight apprehension. I need not have worried.
When considering adaptations, my colleagues and I tried to strike a bal-
ance between satisfying the large band of passionate Agatha Christie fans,
whose primary requirements were a faithful representation of the original
story, and the modern television and fi lm viewers, who simply wish to be
entertained. The latter, of course, are more numerous, and without their
continued support no adaptations would be considered by fi lm moguls, tele-
vision franchises or the like. When taking this approach, however, one lays
oneself open to attack from both sides, sometimes deservedly so. It is to
Mark’s credit that while continually standing on the side of the consumer,
he quite evidently understands and sympathises with the basic dilemma my
colleagues and I have always faced.
I have enjoyed reading Mark’s book (which is a jolly good read) not only
because I am frequently reminded of discussions and negotiations gone by,
which resulted in a good number of wry chuckles, but also because in the
book there are revelations of correspondence and even relationships of which
I was not aware. The book is a mine of information. Perhaps other readers
may agree with me that as well as a fascinating insight into the history of
Agatha Christie adaptations, the book also throws much light on the whole
area of television and adaptation, and its participants on every side of the
fence.
Finally, as I write this in early 2016, I am happy to say that many more
Agatha Christie adaptations are in the pipeline—demand has never been higher.
vii
viii FOREWORD
This must mean that we have all done something right, and I hope that most of
those concerned, viewers and everybody in the industry will sit down and enjoy
Mark’s book, because it is a fascinating piece of scholarship.
Mathew Prichard
Grandson of Agatha Christie
January 2016
A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Over the course of researching and writing this book, I have come into con-
tact with dozens of people who have helped steer the project in some sense.
Inevitably, I will have inadvertently missed out some names from these
acknowledgements, but I would like to thank anyone who has taken the time
to talk to me about Agatha Christie at any point over the last few years—it has
invariably helped me to focus my work on areas that I felt would yield the most
interesting discussion.
Firstly, I would like to thank my supportive colleagues at Southampton
Solent University, past and present, all of whom have helped in some capacity
through general support and interest or specifi c assistance. I would especially
like to thank Darren Kerr, Jacqueline Furby, Donna Peberdy and Karen Randell
for their encouragement, while I would also like to thank Terence McSweeney
for kindly translating extracts from some of the Russian productions. I am
particularly grateful to Claire Hines, not only for her general support of the
project, but also her willingness to read almost the entire manuscript so that
she could offer constructive and timely comments.
Thanks are also due to those who have provided opportunities for seem-
ingly endless (and enjoyable) discussions about Christie’s work in all manner of
ways—whether one to one, at an academic conference or on social media. And
so, thanks to Rhett Bartlett, Jamie Bernthal, David Brawn, Beverley Button,
Mia Dormer, David Fitzgerald, Sophie Hannah and Marjolijn Storm, all of
whom have provided interesting and helpful discussions and information about
Christie’s works.
Researching a topic to the extent required by this study means that I have
often relied on others to help me follow up a particular lead, or guide me
through unfamiliar archives. From the BBC Written Archives Centre, I would
like to thank Jessica Hogg, Louise North and Hannah Ratford, as well as the
Corporation’s legal and business affairs manager, Lorraine Stiller. Similarly, I
would like to thank the helpful staff at the British Film Institute in London,
the Margaret Herrick Archive in Los Angeles and the Library of Congress in
Washington, DC, all of whom helped me access the material I was looking for.
ix
x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I have also had valuable assistance from Shauno Butcher, Peter Crocker, Ian
Greaves, Toby Hadoke, Andrew Pixley, David Rolinson and Yasmin Wall, all
of whom have supplied me with material or information that has helped this
project. At my publisher, Palgrave Macmillan, I would particularly like to thank
Benjamin Doyle and April James, with whom I have worked over the fi nal few
months of writing the manuscript, for their enthusiasm and prompt, helpful
assistance.
In my introduction, I outline the special contribution to this book made by
John Curran, the leading authority on Agatha Christie, and Mathew Prichard,
Agatha Christie’s grandson. On a personal level, their help has been instru-
mental in making the writing of this book such a pleasure. Not only have they
offered general support and interest, they have also provided access to materi-
als and information, while also taking part in many hours of discussions about
Christie’s works. I would especially like to thank John for his invaluable cor-
rections and suggestions, while Mathew’s kind agreement to grant permission
for the reproduction of much of the archival material in this book has helped
make this a distinctive piece of research. I am hugely grateful for the time that
both John and Mathew have spent, especially when I know how busy they are.
I would also like to thank Mathew’s wife Lucy for her kindness and interest in
the project, and to thank many of those working either directly or indirectly
with the Agatha Christie archives. This includes the staff at the University of
Exeter’s special collections, as well as Joe Keogh of the family’s own archive,
and Eva Kelly and Lydia Stone of Agatha Christie Ltd—all have been hugely
helpful.
Finally, I would like to thank my close family and friends for their general
support, including my friend Sebastian Buckle, who read much of the manu-
script and provided valuable feedback as well as proving to be a useful sounding
board for ideas and complaints throughout my research. The biggest thanks
need to go to my partner James Peel, as well as my family, including my mum
Sarah, my late dad Gary and my sister Joanne, for supporting me throughout
the long gestation period of this book.