August 21 - The A B C Murders

Today’s movie is a murder mystery with a scene that happens on August 21. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

THE A.B.C. MURDERS

On August 21, 1936 Capt. Hastings returns from the Orinoco. [1:04 to 6:46]  Poirot has received an anonymous letter threatening something in Andover that day. The next day they learn Alice Asher was murdered last night in Andover and an ABC Railway guide left near the body. Poirot and Hasting meet her niece.  Poirot gets another letter threatening a murder in Bexhill on the 25th   and he and Hastings travel there the day before. Very early on the 25th  Betty Barnard is murdered and an ABC Railway guide left under the body. Poirot and Hastings meet with her sister Megan and boyfriend Donald Fraser. Poirot thinks they were killed just because their names start with the same letter in alphabetical order. Poirot gets a letter on the 29th that threatens a murder in Churston on the same day because it was incorrectly addressed. They learn that the very wealthy Sir Carmichael Clarke has indeed been murdered that day in Churston and an ABC Railway Guide left under the body. Poirot interviews Franklin Clarke, the brother and Miss Grey the secretary. The friends and relatives of the victims meet with Poirot to try and find a common link between the victims. Megan Barnard says her sister had just got some new stockings. Poirot  goes to interview Lady Clarke the terminally ill widow who tells him she saw Miss Grey talking to a strange man the day of the murder. Donlad Fraser tells of a dream where he kills Betty. Poirot gets a letter threatening a murder in Doncaster on September 9th. Miss Grey now recalls talking to a man selling stockings and Poirot recalls seeing new stockings in Alice Asher’s rooms and believes he’s found the link. Augustus Bonaparte Cust, stocking salesman travels to Doncaster. The relatives and the police go to Doncaster to try and prevent crime. Poirot now believes the murders were committed to obscure the solution to one of the murders in particular. Cust goes to a movie where a man is stabbed. Later he finds a bloody rag and knife in his pocket. His landlady sees him washing off blood and goes to the police, who find the knife. Cust goes and turns himself in. A witness comes forward and gives him an alibi for the Bexhill murder.  Poirot brings the suspects together and by lying forces Franklin Clarke to run, establishing his guilt in the murder of his brother. He was afraid  that if Lady Clarke died, his brother would have married Miss Grey, ending his chance of inheriting the Clarke fortune. He killed the others to force the police to look for someone with a reason to kill all the victims, not just one. He arranged for Cust to visit the murder sites on the correct days. Cust is freed.  

                       

Another triumph for Poirot. However he took a big chance. If Franklin Clarke hadn’t run, there really was no evidence against him.

Date given in film at 5:47 and 6:10

Director - Andrew Grieve

Producer - Donald Toma

Screenplay - Clive Exton

Runtime – 1 hour 43 minutes

Release date - January 5, 1992

Starring -

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot

Hugh Fraser  as Captain Hastings

Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp

Donald Sumpter as Alexander Bonaparte Cust

Donald Douglas as Franklin Clarke

Nicholas Farrell as Donald Fraser

Pippa Guard as Megan Barnard

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.