- 6/12/2025
When a woman is found shot in her flat after Bonfire Night, Poirot is enlisted to decipher whether the victim died by her own hand, or by someone else's. Starring: David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00To be continued...
01:32Hastings, my friend, tell me, to blow up the English parliament, was it a sin or a noble deed?
01:41Oh, it's no good asking me, old son. I was never much of a one for politics.
01:44Where's Mrs. Jam tonight, then?
01:48She can't abide fireworks.
01:50Ah, the noise disturbs the delicate sensibilities of many ladies.
01:54Maybe, maybe.
01:55I think it's more that she doesn't like to see people enjoying themselves.
02:09Tell you what, though, what a good night for a murder, eh?
02:11I mean, if somebody wanted to kill anybody, nobody would know if it was a gunshot or a firework.
02:16But not so good, my friend, if your chosen method is strangulation.
02:20No, that's true. No.
02:22Or poisoning, come to that.
02:24Yes.
02:24You're pulling my leg.
02:27Yes, Hastings, we pull ever so gently the leg.
02:30Well, I still think it's a jolly good night for a murder.
02:34Anyway, I'm going to leave you here.
02:37This is where I garage my car.
02:38Good night, Chief Inspector.
02:40Good night, Poirot.
02:41Good night, Captain Hastings.
02:42Other man.
02:44Good night.
02:47Carry on, lads.
03:12You won't forget your dental appointment at 11, will you, Mr. Poirot?
03:26Hercule Poirot does not need to go to the dentist, Miss Lemon.
03:29You've put it off once already.
03:31My teeth are perfection.
03:32It is sacrilege to tamper with them.
03:35But why do we not do something constructive about my collars, Miss Lemon?
03:39That laundry is in the pay of my enemies.
03:42PHONE RINGS
03:43Thank you, Poirot's residence.
03:46Poirot, please.
03:47Oh.
03:47Japp here.
03:48Yes.
03:50Chief Inspector Japp.
03:52He's here.
04:02Good morning, Chief Inspector Japp.
04:05Here's a strange thing, Poirot.
04:07You remember how we stopped at the end of Bardsley Garden Mews last night?
04:11Where your friend Hastings keeps his car.
04:15And Hastings was saying about how the sound of a shock could be covered by the noise of a firework.
04:19Yes.
04:20Well, someone did it.
04:22Really?
04:23Not murder.
04:24Looks like suicide.
04:25But they're not entirely happy about it.
04:27I'll make it there in one hour.
04:34Cancel all my appointments for this morning, Miss Lemon.
04:41But I...
04:42Good of you to spare the time, Poirot.
04:46No, no, no, no, no, not at all.
04:47But I hope you appreciate, my friend, the urgent business I have had to cancel to be here.
04:52Oh, really?
04:53Oh, yes.
04:53The dead woman is a Mrs. Allen.
05:01She shared the house with a friend, Miss Plenderleaf, who is a professional photographer, or something along those lines.
05:09Miss Plenderleaf was away in the country.
05:16But when she came home this morning, she finds her friend's door locked.
05:21She knocks and calls, but can't get any answer.
05:24In the end, she gets really alarmed and calls the police.
05:26It's 10.45, our lads break the door down, and there's Mrs. Allen lying in a heap on the floor, shot through the head.
05:38Right, Brett, what's the trouble?
05:40Well, the position's all right.
05:42If she shot herself, she'd probably have slipped from the chair into just that position.
05:47But?
05:48The prints on the gun, sir, they're the problem.
05:50Bit of a thumbprint and a forefinger, and that's all.
05:53Just what you get from someone trying to press the dead woman's fingers on the gun and not doing it very well.
06:04Gun in left hand, wound on the left side.
06:09Presumably, she was left-handed.
06:12It looks as though she's holding the gun.
06:15But in fact, she isn't.
06:17It's just sort of lying in her hand.
06:20Anything else?
06:21Yeah, the window was closed and bolted, and the door was locked.
06:24We haven't been able to find the key.
06:30Watch this, though.
06:37Might mean something.
06:40Anything strike you?
06:42I was looking at the watch.
06:43Expensive, by the look of it.
06:56Tuesday, November the 5th.
07:01How long has she been dead?
07:03She died at about 11.30 last night.
07:05No sign of any note having been written.
07:15No.
07:17Seems to me all we've got to go on at the moment is the missing key.
07:20If the key was here, we wouldn't hesitate.
07:24Suicide, we'd say.
07:25This must be a terrible shock to you, Miss Plenderleith.
07:42I still can't believe it.
07:44We'll be as brief as possible.
07:45Now, you've already told Inspector Jameson how you found the body when you came in this morning.
07:53You were away for the weekend, I take it?
07:55Yes, since Friday noon.
07:57Oh, pardon, mademoiselle.
08:00When you found the door locked, you called the police.
08:05It did not occur to you that she might have gone away and locked the door before leaving?
08:08I mean, why should she lock it?
08:12In any case, she would have left a note for me.
08:14And she did not leave any note?
08:16Of course she didn't.
08:18Tell me about Mrs. Allen, Miss Plenderleith.
08:21I met her abroad.
08:22She was on her way back from India.
08:24I was looking for someone to share a flat with me.
08:27We decided we liked each other.
08:29What about the husband?
08:32Nothing to write home about, apparently.
08:35He drank, I think.
08:36Died a year or two after the marriage.
08:45Do you know if Mrs. Allen was in any financial difficulties?
08:49No, I'm sure she wasn't.
08:51Did she have any particular man friend?
08:54Or men friends?
08:56She was engaged to be married again, if that answers your question.
09:00What's the name of the man she was engaged to?
09:03Oh, my God.
09:05I haven't told Charles.
09:06Who is Charles, Miss?
09:08The man Barbara was engaged to.
09:10Charles Laverton West.
09:11He's MP for someplace in Hampshire.
09:14I should have phoned him.
09:16We'll go around and see.
09:18But there'd be no quarrel between them, as far as you know.
09:21I'd be very surprised.
09:23Barbara wasn't the quarreling kind.
09:26What is your own opinion of Monsieur Laverton West, mademoiselle?
09:29He's young, ambitious, a good public speaker means to get on in the world.
09:37And on the debit side?
09:41Well, in my opinion, he's commonplace and rather pompous.
09:45Those are not very serious false men, mademoiselle.
09:47Oh, you don't think so.
09:50Well, they might be to you, but to Mrs. Allen, no.
09:59She would not notice them.
10:05You were fond of your friend.
10:06I know this must be upsetting for you, Miss Blenderleeth,
10:21but there are just one or two more questions I'd like to ask you.
10:26Mrs. Allen was left-handed, wasn't she?
10:29Left-handed?
10:30No, I don't think so.
10:33No, I'm sure she wasn't.
10:35Really?
10:36You see, Mrs. Allen was shot in the left temple,
10:39and the gun was in her left hand.
10:41Didn't you notice that when you found the body?
10:44No, I didn't.
10:47It was so horrible, I didn't notice anything.
10:50That's understandable, Miss.
10:51But it seems highly unlikely that a normally right-handed person
10:54would shoot themselves left-handed.
11:00Have you ever seen this before?
11:03No.
11:05It's not yours, nor Mrs. Allen's?
11:08It's not the kind of thing normally worn by our sex, is it?
11:10Oh, so you recognise it?
11:12I don't recognise it.
11:13I recognise what it is, though.
11:17It's half of a man's cufflink.
11:21Estinct!
11:21Once we've got this filter screwed down, good.
11:24Estinct!
11:25Tight!
11:26We can put the new oil in,
11:29and she will run like a well-oiled clock.
11:32Hastings!
11:33Hello?
11:41What are you doing, Hastings?
11:42Well, I thought I'd just do some work on the car.
11:45But you were to ask questions, Hastings,
11:47to send that local opinion.
11:49Oh, I've done that.
11:50Freddy?
11:51Freddy?
11:53Freddy's helping with the oil filter.
11:54That'll all go.
11:56Finger tight for now.
11:58We'll, uh, put the spanner to it when we put in a new gasket.
12:00Right.
12:01This is Mr. Poirot.
12:02Where are you, Gov?
12:03I'm Fred Dog.
12:04You can call me Freddy.
12:08Hello, Freddy.
12:10Freddy's got the goods.
12:12Did you see something last night?
12:14Well, Miss Allen,
12:15she went to the post box about six.
12:18About half nine, though, a car pulled up.
12:21Standard swallow saloon.
12:22Rubbish, really.
12:23But he looks smart.
12:25A man got out.
12:26He was about,
12:27about 45,
12:28well set up.
12:29Military looking gent.
12:30You've seen him before?
12:31Yeah, a couple of times.
12:33Dark blue overcoat,
12:34toothbrush moustache.
12:36He was in there for about an hour.
12:38I saw him come out together.
12:39So you saw him leave?
12:41I don't miss much, Gov.
12:42Then you heard what they said, of course.
12:44Yeah.
12:45He said,
12:46think it over and let me know.
12:47And she said something.
12:49Then he said,
12:49so long.
12:51And the way they talked,
12:52they were friendly, yes?
12:53Can't always tell what I was, can you?
12:55But it seemed all right.
12:56You didn't hear what Mrs. Allen said?
12:58No,
12:59she was sort of
13:00round behind the door.
13:02Now, look here, my boy.
13:03I want you to answer
13:04my next question
13:05very carefully.
13:07If you don't know the answer
13:08or can't remember,
13:08you just say so.
13:09That clear?
13:10Ask the question.
13:11Which of them
13:13shut the door?
13:15Mrs. Allen
13:15or the gentleman?
13:17I think the lady did.
13:20No, she never.
13:20It was him.
13:21He pulled it too
13:22with a big bang
13:23and then got into the car
13:24really quick.
13:25Oh.
13:26Here you are, my boy.
13:27You seem a bright kind of shaver.
13:30Here's sixpence for you.
13:31That's very kind of you, sir.
13:33But you couldn't see
13:34a way to making it shilling,
13:35could you?
13:36Go on,
13:36clear off.
13:41Let's go.
14:11Chief Inspector Japp
14:15and Mr. Flourke, sir.
14:17Good day, gentlemen.
14:18What do I owe this pleasure?
14:22No great pleasure, sir,
14:23I'm afraid.
14:24No.
14:25We brought some bad news.
14:28Go on.
14:29It's about Mrs. Allen,
14:30Mrs. Barbara Allen.
14:32What about her?
14:34Get on with it, man.
14:37She's dead, sir.
14:40Dead.
14:42I don't believe it.
14:44What's happened?
14:46Apparently suicide, sir.
14:48Was there anything
14:49worrying, Mrs. Allen,
14:50do you know?
14:51No, not a thing.
14:52We were engaged
14:53to be married.
14:54Yes, quite, sir.
14:57I can't believe it.
14:59Dead.
15:02How?
15:05Shot, sir.
15:07Shot?
15:08Good God,
15:10I hope the newspapers
15:11haven't got a hold of this.
15:13I couldn't say so.
15:16I wonder if I could just ask...
15:17Hello?
15:21Ah, yes.
15:23Yes, thank you.
15:24I'll hold on.
15:24It's the Prime Minister.
15:26I will have some questions, sir.
15:27Is it just make an appointment
15:28with my secretary at the house?
15:30Yes, I'm still here.
15:31Very good, sir.
15:32We'll do that.
15:34I'm sorry to be the bearer
15:35of such bad news.
15:41Pardon, monsieur.
15:43Allow me to express
15:44my deepest sympathy
15:45at your loss.
15:47Yes, right, thank you.
15:50Stiff upper lip,
15:50you know,
15:51that's the British way.
15:53Magnifique.
15:54By the way, sir,
15:57was Mrs. Allen
15:58left-handed?
15:59Left-handed?
16:02No, I don't think so.
16:04Can't say I ever...
16:06No, she was right-handed,
16:08I'm sure.
16:09Ah,
16:10Prime Minister.
16:12No, not at all,
16:13Prime Minister.
16:15Yes.
16:17Yes,
16:18everything's ready for you.
16:24What a stuffed fish.
16:26No,
16:27not a stuffed fish,
16:28a boiled owl.
16:29As you say,
16:30jab,
16:31more concerned
16:32about the newspapers
16:33than his fiancée
16:34being dead.
16:35Flenderless girl
16:35was quite right
16:36about him.
16:37My jury's a good-looking chap,
16:39might go down well
16:40with some women.
16:41Perhaps,
16:41but it would not do,
16:43I think,
16:43for them to have
16:44a sense of humour.
16:46The important thing is,
16:47everyone seems agreed
16:48that Mrs. Allen
16:49was right-handed.
16:51Yes.
16:51Of course,
16:53one must not
16:54jump to conclusions,
16:55mon ami.
16:56Don't mind about
16:57jumping to conclusions,
16:58Poirot.
16:58This is a murder
16:59we're dealing with.
17:15To the bulldog
17:16breathe laundry.
17:19Dear sirs,
17:21once again,
17:25I am obliged
17:28to communicate
17:32to you
17:32the dissatisfaction
17:37I have
17:37for your statching
17:40of my colours.
17:44I refer
17:47to my instructions
17:50of the 2nd of March,
17:531935
17:54and subsequent letters
17:57and you look them up
18:02in the file,
18:02Miss Lemon,
18:02and enumerate them.
18:03All of them,
18:04Mr. Poirot?
18:05All of them,
18:05Miss Lemon.
18:06It has become serious.
18:07The trouble is,
18:10Mr. Poirot,
18:11they just don't understand
18:12the letters.
18:13Why not?
18:14They're Chinese,
18:15Mr. Poirot.
18:18The bulldog breed laundry
18:19is Chinese?
18:20Yes,
18:21Mr. Poirot.
18:22What is the world
18:23coming to,
18:24Miss Lemon?
18:24I'm sure I couldn't say,
18:26sir,
18:26but when the boy
18:27brings your laundry back,
18:28he brings the letters
18:29back too
18:29for me to explain to him.
18:31And you do?
18:32No.
18:33Why not?
18:35I don't speak Chinese.
18:39So what do you say to him?
18:40Well,
18:41I say,
18:43him collar,
18:44no velly good,
18:45starchy.
18:47I show him the collars
18:48and say it.
18:54This thing,
18:55my friend,
18:56you spent some years
18:57in China,
18:57did you not?
18:58No, absolutely.
18:59Fine fellas,
19:00fine fellas.
19:01Did you ever have
19:02any trouble
19:02with your laundry?
19:04Yes,
19:04I did,
19:05as a matter of fact.
19:07And what did you say
19:07to them?
19:08Well,
19:09I said,
19:10him collar,
19:11no velly good,
19:11starchy.
19:12That's where I got it from,
19:14sir.
19:14I asked the captain
19:15knowing he'd been in the east.
19:16But Hastings,
19:17my collars,
19:17they do not get any better.
19:19No,
19:20mine didn't either,
19:21now I come to think about it.
19:24Miss Lemon.
19:25Why don't you get yourself
19:33some turned down collars,
19:34Poirot?
19:35They're much more
19:35the thingy,
19:36though.
19:37The thing Hastings?
19:39Do you think Poirot
19:40concerns himself
19:41with mere thingness?
19:43No.
19:43No?
19:44No,
19:45I see that.
19:46The turned down collar
19:47is the first symptom
19:48of decay
19:48of the grey cells.
19:49It's Chief Inspector Japp,
19:51Mr Poirot.
19:52Well,
19:52she's out of it.
19:56Good morning,
19:57Chief Inspector Japp.
19:59Yes,
19:59well,
19:59good morning.
20:01Now,
20:02who
20:03is out of it?
20:05Plenderleith.
20:06She was playing bridge
20:07in Essex
20:07up at midnight.
20:08We've got to give up
20:09any idea of her
20:10being concerned
20:10in the business.
20:12A disappointment,
20:14Japp.
20:17You are still convinced
20:19that we are dealing
20:20here with a mother.
20:23No doubts about it.
20:28Something I've been
20:28meaning to ask you,
20:29Poirot.
20:31What was that
20:31you were sniffing at
20:32in the room
20:33when we first
20:33examined the body?
20:35Sniff, sniff, sniff.
20:36You got a cold,
20:37have you?
20:38No.
20:38I always thought
20:39the little grey cells
20:40were in your brain.
20:41Don't tell me
20:42your nose cells
20:43are superior
20:43to everyone else's,
20:44too.
20:45By no means.
20:46It was merely
20:47cigarette smoke.
20:49I didn't smell
20:50cigarette smoke.
20:51No more did I,
20:52my friend.
20:55There were nine
20:56cigarette ends
20:56in the ashtray.
20:57Six of them gasped
20:58as three Turkish.
21:00Exactly.
21:01Your wonderful nose
21:03cells knew that
21:03without looking,
21:04I suppose.
21:05I assure you,
21:05my nose does not
21:06enter into the matter.
21:08My nose registered
21:09nothing.
21:10But the brain cells
21:11registered a lot.
21:12Well, there were
21:13certain indications.
21:15Did you not think so?
21:19Now, am I wrong?
21:23Or are we going
21:24to talk further
21:25with the beautiful
21:26Miss Blenderleith?
21:28Yes.
21:30You know,
21:31there was something
21:32missing from that room,
21:34Chief Inspector.
21:34but also something
21:38added,
21:39I think.
21:41You know what's
21:42worrying me,
21:43Poirot?
21:44Yes.
21:45Yes?
21:46What do you mean,
21:46yes?
21:47I saw you looking
21:47at Mrs. Allen's
21:48checkbook study yesterday.
21:50You're too clever
21:51for your own good,
21:52you are, Poirot.
21:53And you noticed
21:53as I did
21:54that Mrs. Allen
21:55drew out 200 pounds
21:56in cash from her bank
21:57on Monday morning.
21:58And three months ago,
21:59on the 6th of August,
22:00another 200.
22:01Truly?
22:01Truly.
22:03And there's no 200 pounds
22:04in this house
22:04that my last could find.
22:10I'm afraid,
22:11Miss Blenderleith,
22:12that we are no longer
22:12treating this
22:13as a case of suicide.
22:15Suicide?
22:17You see,
22:18being as how your friend
22:19was in no way,
22:20shape, or form
22:20likely to commit suicide,
22:22we have to consider
22:23the alternative
22:24murder.
22:27Murder?
22:28Are you sure?
22:31How horrible.
22:33Horrible, perhaps,
22:35mademoiselle,
22:36but impossible.
22:39I suppose it's possible.
22:43And if there was a murder,
22:45there would have to be
22:45a motive.
22:47Ask me any questions
22:48you like,
22:49but I don't see
22:50how I can help you.
22:55On Monday night,
22:57Mrs. Allen had a visitor.
22:58He's described
22:59as a man of 45,
23:01military bearing,
23:02toothbrush moustache,
23:04smartly dressed,
23:05and driving
23:05a standard
23:06swallow saloon car.
23:07Do you know
23:08who that is?
23:09Sounds like
23:09Major Eustace.
23:12Who's Major Eustace?
23:13He was a man
23:14Barbara had known
23:15in India.
23:15He turned up
23:16about a year ago,
23:17and we've seen him
23:17on and off since.
23:19He was a friend
23:20of Mrs. Allen's.
23:22He behaved like one.
23:24Would it surprise you,
23:25Miss Blenderleith,
23:26if I suggested
23:27that this man
23:28was blackmailing
23:29Mrs. Allen?
23:31Of course.
23:34So that was it.
23:35Of course.
23:37You find the suggestion
23:38feasible, mademoiselle?
23:39I was a fool
23:40not to think of it.
23:43I wish she told me.
23:46I'd have told him
23:46to go to the devil.
23:48But he might have gone,
23:50might he not,
23:51to Monsieur Leverton West?
23:52Yes.
23:56Yes, that's true.
24:00Which room
24:01do you think
24:02Mrs. Allen
24:02would have received
24:03her visitor in?
24:05Oh, probably in here.
24:07On the other hand,
24:08if she wanted to write
24:08a cheque or anything
24:09of that kind,
24:10she'd probably
24:10take him upstairs.
24:11There was no question
24:11of a cheque.
24:13Mrs. Allen drew out
24:13200 pounds in cash
24:14on Monday.
24:16So far,
24:16we've not been able
24:17to find any trace
24:17of it in the house.
24:18But I'd like to have
24:21just one more look
24:22round, if I may.
24:23Look any way you like.
24:33Would you like to sit down?
24:48Cigarette?
24:58You are most kind.
25:13There's cupboard
25:13under the stairs,
25:14Miss Plenderleith.
25:15It's locked.
25:20Yes, I've already
25:21found that out.
25:22Could I have the key,
25:23please?
25:25Um,
25:26I don't know
25:28where it is.
25:29Oh,
25:30that's too bad.
25:32Don't want to have
25:33to break the lock.
25:36No.
25:38Um,
25:39it might be upstairs.
25:45I managed to find it.
26:07Good.
26:07We keep it locked,
26:14otherwise one's
26:15umbrellas and things
26:16have a habit
26:16of getting pinched.
26:18Very sensible.
26:20Right.
26:32That's mine.
26:32It came back with me
26:39yesterday morning,
26:40so there can't be
26:40anything there.
26:42Just as well to be
26:43on the safe side.
26:49Nothing much there.
26:51No, well,
26:52there couldn't have been,
26:52could there?
26:53Good.
27:09Good.
27:09Good.
27:10Good.
27:14Good.
27:15Good day.
27:17Good.
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