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Death on the Nile (1978 film)

From Alfawiki
Mersham Productions
Company typeFilm production company
IndustryFilm production
ParentEMI Films

Death on the Nile is a 1978 British mystery film adapted from Agatha Christie's 1937 novel, directed by John Guillermin with a screenplay by Anthony Shaffer. This film marks the debut of Peter Ustinov as the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, supported by a distinguished ensemble cast including Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Jane Birkin, David Niven, George Kennedy, and Jack Warden. It acts as an independent follow-up to the 1974 movie Murder on the Orient Express.

The narrative is set in Egypt during 1937, primarily taking place aboard a vintage paddle steamer cruising the Nile River. The film features prominent Egyptian landmarks such as the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the temples of Abu Simbel and Karnak.

Produced by Mersham Productions in conjunction with EMI Films, the film was made with an estimated budget of $8 million and went on to earn $18 million globally. At the 51st Academy Awards, it received the accolade for Best Costume Design.

Plot

Linnet Ridgeway, a wealthy expatriate heiress, employs Simon Doyle—fiancé to her friend Jackie de Bellefort—as manager of her English estate. Following a swift romance, Linnet and Simon wed. While honeymooning in Egypt, they unexpectedly encounter Jackie, who has been jilted. The couple feigns taking a train to Alexandria but instead boards the Nile paddle steamer S.S. Karnak. Detective Hercule Poirot becomes aware of the underlying tension.

During an excursion to the Temple of Karnak, a large stone narrowly misses hitting Linnet and Simon. Despite Poirot’s warnings, Jackie joins the cruise armed with a pistol and demonstrates remarkable shooting skills. Intoxicated at dinner, she wounds Simon in the leg with a gunshot. The following morning, Linnet is discovered murdered—shot in the head—with the letter "J" scrawled in blood on the wall. However, Jackie has an alibi; fellow passenger Miss Bowers had sedated her and kept watch over her throughout the night.

Poirot teams up with lawyer Colonel Race to investigate. Race is pursuing Andrew Pennington, Linnet’s trustee, who is suspected of embezzling funds. Almost every passenger aboard possessed possible motives: Linnet’s maid Louise Bourget resented being denied a dowry; Pennington aimed to hide his financial misconduct; kleptomaniac socialite Mrs. van Schuyler coveted Linnet’s pearl necklace; van Schuyler’s nurse Miss Bowers blamed Linnet’s father for her family’s downfall; author Salome Otterbourne was embroiled in a libel lawsuit initiated by Linnet; Otterbourne’s daughter Rosalie sought to shield her mother; Communist writer Jim Ferguson despised Linnet’s affluence; and Swiss psychiatrist Ludwig Bessner feared exposure of his unconventional treatments.

Recovered from the Nile was a bundle containing the missing pistol wrapped in Mrs. van Schuyler’s stole—which bore a bullet hole—a handkerchief stained with red ink, and a marble ashtray. When Linnet’s pearl necklace goes missing, van Schuyler denies theft; however, Poirot and Race later find it concealed on Linnet’s body, concluding that van Schuyler returned it.

Louise Bourget is found murdered with her throat slit by Bessner’s scalpel while clutching a torn banknote fragment. Poirot deduces she had blackmailed her killer after witnessing them leave Linnet’s cabin. Just as Salome Otterbourne is about to disclose Louise’s murderer, she is fatally shot using Pennington’s revolver.

In a final gathering of all passengers, Poirot exposes Simon as Linnet’s murderer and Jackie as his accomplice—they had maintained their affair throughout. Jackie orchestrated shooting Simon to mislead suspicion while Simon killed Linnet before shooting himself in the leg using van Schuyler’s stole as a makeshift silencer. He discarded evidence into the Nile but treated his wound with another handkerchief. Jackie then murdered Louise for blackmail and Salome for witnessing Louise's killer. Their scheme aimed for Simon to inherit Linnet's wealth and reunite with Jackie.

When confronted with these revelations, Jackie admits guilt and embraces Simon before tragically shooting both him and herself with her reclaimed pistol.

Cast


Development

Following the triumph of Murder on the Orient Express in 1974, EMI Films sought to adapt another Agatha Christie mystery. Although initially intending to produce Death on the Nile, rights were secured only after delaying Evil Under the Sun. Under the guidance of executives Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings, EMI pursued international appeal with projects like The Deer Hunter and Convoy, while Death on the Nile retained a distinctly British cinematic approach. Nat Cohen of EMI successfully negotiated a US television deal that covered more than the film’s production expenses.

The director assigned was John Guillermin, who had recently helmed major hits such as The Towering Inferno and King Kong.

Casting

Albert Finney declined to return as Hercule Poirot due to extensive makeup requirements for the Egyptian setting. Consequently, producers selected Peter Ustinov, highlighting his talents as a versatile character actor. The production assembled a star-studded ensemble cast, featuring Jane Birkin’s first British film appearance in ten years.

Filming

Scenes set in England were primarily shot in the village of Hambleden, at Cliveden’s main gates in Buckinghamshire, and within the country estate of Compton Wynyates located in Warwickshire.

In late 1977, the crew spent seven weeks filming in Egypt, including four weeks aboard the steamer Karnak (historically known as SS Memnon). Locations encompassed Aswan, Abu Simbel, Luxor, and Cairo. To minimize engine noise interference with filming, the ship was frequently towed with its engines off. Desert sequences involved early morning makeup calls and shooting sessions scheduled before peak heat hours, which could reach approximately 54 °C (130 °F). Bette Davis commented on these strenuous conditions, contrasting them with classic filmmaking by describing them more like travel documentaries.

Director John Guillermin acknowledged robust cooperation from Egyptian authorities, noting Agatha Christie’s popularity there and emphasizing that the narrative was “unpolitical.” The production encountered logistical hurdles such as a shortage of hotel bookings that necessitated multiple crew relocations. Guillermin was not permitted to review daily footage; instead, film reels were sent directly to producers based in London. A humorous incident occurred during a romantic scene when a desert fly landed on Lois Chiles's teeth, causing laughter after Guillermin called “cut.”

Guillermin praised the cast’s professionalism and strong esprit de corps: “Bette Davis was an absolute bastion of support and enthusiasm,” he remarked. The actors’ humor contributed to a relaxed working environment. His vision for Poirot was to present him as more approachable and empathetic, which Peter Ustinov successfully embodied.

Costume designer Anthony Powell earned his second Academy Award for Best Costume Design for this film, incorporating distinctive elements such as diamond-embellished heels for Lois Chiles and python-patterned footwear for Bette Davis.

Cinematographer Jack Cardiff collaborated with Guillermin to achieve a visual style reminiscent of 1930s cinema. The tango sequence was choreographed by British dancer Wayne Sleep.

During production, David Niven frequently traveled between London and Switzerland due to his daughter’s serious automobile accident.

Release

Although produced in the United Kingdom, Death on the Nile had its debut in New York on 29 September 1978, strategically timed to coincide with ticket sales for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's December launch of the travelling exhibition The Treasures of Tutankhamun, which heightened public fascination with Egyptian relics. For the American audience, artist Richard Amsel adapted the original British poster by incorporating King Tutankhamun’s profile holding a ceremonial dagger and a modern revolver, set against the ensemble cast.

In London, a Royal Charity Premiere was held at the ABC Shaftesbury Avenue (Saville Theatre) on 23 October 1978, graced by the presence of The Queen, Prince Philip, and Earl Mountbatten.

Box office

Following the acclaim of Murder on the Orient Express, expectations for Death on the Nile were elevated. Nevertheless, it generated $14.5 million in U.S. box office revenue, falling short of Orient Express’s $27.6 million. EMI reported it as the top-performing foreign film in mainland China, attracting 5 million viewers in Shanghai alone.

Producer Nat Cohen remarked that despite American television networks paying three times more than they did for Orient Express, the film underachieved in the U.S. market. It achieved moderate success stateside and earned quadruple the revenue of Orient Express in Japan; however, its overall earnings remained lower than its predecessor.

Critical response

David Robinson of The Times found the movie enjoyable but criticized its excessive length and felt it was less compelling than Murder on the Orient Express. He opined that screenwriter Anthony Shaffer and director John Guillermin were not as well-matched to Agatha Christie's work as those who handled the previous film.

Pauline Kael characterized Shaffer’s screenplay as well-organized but lacking in emotional depth and suspense, while commending performances by Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, and Peter Ustinov. Leslie Halliwell praised the film's 1930s ambiance and its visual style reminiscent of travel posters but observed repetitive crime motifs and underutilization of its talented cast.

More than three decades later, Death on the Nile maintains an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 critiques, with an average score of 6.8 out of 10.

Awards and nominations

Award Category Recipient Outcome
Academy Awards (51st) Best Costume Design Anthony Powell Won
Golden Globe Awards (36th) Best Foreign Film Death on the Nile Nominated
BAFTA Awards (32nd) Best Actor Peter Ustinov Nominated
BAFTA Awards (32nd) Best Supporting Actress Angela Lansbury Nominated
BAFTA Awards (32nd) Best Supporting Actress Maggie Smith Nominated
BAFTA Awards (32nd) Best Costume Design Anthony Powell Won
Edgar Award Best Motion Picture Anthony Shaffer Nominated
Evening Standard British Film Awards Best Film John Guillermin Won
Evening Standard British Film Awards Best Actor Peter Ustinov Won
National Board of Review Awards (1978) Best Supporting Actress Angela Lansbury Won

Sequels

The third installment featuring Poirot, titled Evil Under the Sun, initially planned for release in 1979, ultimately premiered in 1982. This was succeeded by various television movies starring Ustinov and a further theatrical adaptation released in 1988 called Appointment with Death, which marked Ustinov’s final portrayal of Hercule Poirot.

External links

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