SYNOPSICS
And Then There Were None (1945) is a English movie. René Clair has directed this movie. Barry Fitzgerald,Walter Huston,Louis Hayward,Roland Young are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1945. And Then There Were None (1945) is considered one of the best Crime,Drama,Mystery,Thriller movie in India and around the world.
Seven guests, a newly hired personal secretary and two staff are gathered for a weekend on an isolated island by the hosts, the Owens, who are delayed. At dinner, a record is played and the host's message alleges that all of the people present are guilty of murder, and suddenly the first of them is dead, then the next. It seems that one of them is the murderer, but the leading person is always the person who is murdered next and at last, only two people are left.
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And Then There Were None (1945) Reviews
The Best of the Versions
This is a dramatization of the consummate Agatha Christie book, the benchmark for the whodunit. Each of the characters is nicely portrayed by accomplished actors. The pacing, the subdued dialogue, all make this film work, even though it was felt necessary to doctor the plot and rename characters (this I will never understand). I won't criticize because I've never felt that we should compare movies to books--they are different media--unless the plot is badly compromised. This one is not. I remember being really pleased as a young viewer that Christie is able to bring all issues to a resolution in a believable and realistic way--no hidden doors--no strange interventions. She is able to do this even in her lesser books. Sometimes it is preferable to not be open ended, leaving unfinished details. I relish this author and the movies and movie portrayals of her books. I also need to mention the music. The score is so carefully tuned to the actions of the characters. The black and white photography lends itself well to the oppressiveness of the setting where the characters find themselves. You definitely should see this film.
This may be the best mystery ever put to film.
This may be the best mystery ever put to film. If it isn't totally true to the letter of the Christie book, it is totally true to the spirit of her writing. Ten unique individuals are lured to an old house on a deserted Channel island. One by one - but I'll say no more. Very good acting, especially Fitzgerald. If you don't know the plot, you won't figure out whodunnit, despite the fact that it plays fair. There is suspense, good humor that holds up today, fine acting and a wonderful plot. Grab a cup of hot chocolate, turn the lights down, snuggle in the blanket, and prepare to enjoy a wonderful, cozy mystery which hasn't been equaled since.
Nothing But the Best
After reading all these comments I got the urge, dug out And Then There Were None and watched it the other night. I won't repeat what has been said here so many times, only that it has to be one of the greatest films of all time. What a cast!! The best character actors of the 30's and 40's, many in the twilight of their careers. It's difficult to pick out superior performances. I did, however, take note that Louis Hayward gave a standout performance as Philip Lombard, and he had to be with this competition. He really was a fine actor, who incidentally, moved like a cat, a close match to the Lombard film character as envisioned by Agatha Christie. A couple of his other outstanding films come to mind: The Man in the Iron Mask and the seldom if ever shown, Ladies in Retirement. In the credits, he was also listed as one of the three stars of the film: BARRY FITZGERALD, WALTER HUSTON and LOUIS HAYWARD. The following screen shows the rest of the distinguished cast as supporting players. The musical score is as good as the cast, alternatively moody and eerie. June Duprez comes off very well against the competition as the vulnerable Miss Claythorne. I cannot forget how exquisitely beautiful she was in color in The Thief of Bagdad (1940). The book itself was excellent (I read it over 60 years ago) however, while I would indeed watch the film repeatedly I would not go out of my way to read the book once more. P.S. (5/20/2007) Still a fan of ATTWN, I have just finished a 2001 audio version, read by Hugh Fraser (Hercule Poirot's TV sidekick). This is a six-hour, complete and unabridged version of the book which includes all the material omitted in the film and with original ending intact. At first blush, six hours might seem rather too long but believe me it just gets better and better right on through to that unique ending which has never been equaled in filmdom, and likely never will.
The Best Christie Movie
No Agatha Christie story has ever been made into a better movie than this one. The movie has the altered ending from the book (which I'm told was changed by Christie for the stage version because let's face it. The book's ending would never *ever* work in a dramatized setting, film or stage) and the character of Tony Marston has become a Russian prince to accomodate the casting of Mischa Auer, but apart from that Christie's book has been flawlessly translated right down to the last detail. The look, the settings, the characters, all of it is just right. There are also some wonderfully comedic performances that veer into some delicious black comedy at times (my favorite being Louis Hayward's bemused response to Roland Young's bumbling deductions: "And then he takes the chopper and splits open his own cranium. Fact. I'd like to see you do that yourself.") About the only casting flaw is June Duprez, who is woefully bland and dull as Vera Claythorne, the lead female character.
The masterpiece of murder mysteries
Rene Clair's masterful direction takes Christie's classic novel up to a new dimension more suitable for cinema. Every character is perfectly realized by magnificent acting. My favorite is C. Aubrey Smith who portrays General Mandrake with a British subtlety that cannot be understood fully by today's American viewers. But why quibble? Every cast member is perfect. Roland Young may actually be the most instrumental as Blore in keeping the films wit intact and never allowing it to get too serious. Barry Fitzgerald is terrific as the Judge, and Huston perfection itself as the charming, albeit alcoholic, doctor. Dame Judith Anderson, perhaps the best supporting actress of all time, dominates every seen she is in as a sinister spinster. But, of course, there is a lead, and in the hands of a lesser actor, he could have wound up being a feckless straight man to all the great character actors around him. With Louis Hayward as Mr. Lombard, the character more than holds his own with all challengers, and has an especially nice chemistry with Young. And although June Duprez is slightly out of her league as a thespian, she is plucky and capable enough, with Hayward's help, to pull off her role just fine. The atmosphere, photography, and soundtrack are all artistic perfection. This movie is a true treat for all the senses.