lao-2
Joined Feb 2000
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Reviews3
lao-2's rating
I was appalled to see tonight's airing of "Cards on the Table." It was one of my favorite stories that I first read thirty years ago.
The whole premise is interesting: 4 suspects, 4 sleuths, and an audacious murder committed in the same room as the other suspects.
The unraveling requires an analysis of the play of several hands of bridge and a psychological comparison of the suspects (rather like Philo Vance's analysis of a poker game in the earlier "The 'Canary' Murder Case", which may have been an inspiration for "Cards").
I am not a purist. One expects a couple of details of a book's plot to be changed for dramatization or conciseness. And sometimes, the coincidences Dame Agatha employs strain credulity.
However, this filmed version was so radically altered from the book, that despite having re-read it last year, I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next.
Although the murderer remained the same, much of the back story, and the motivations and ultimate fates of several characters (both main and secondary) were completely different.
It was followed by an airing of "The Under Dog." It reminded me that the film adaptations of the Poirot short stories are frequently much different than the written versions (this one has a larger role for Miss Lemon, who makes rather silly attempts at hypnotism); however, the novels are usually more faithfully done.
I hope "After the Funeral" (another favorite story of mine being released this year) fares better. Unfortunately, I've already noticed, by viewing the notes for the cast list here at IMDb.com, that the character responsible for setting the plot in motion is missing. Where is Cora Abernethie Lansquenet?
The whole premise is interesting: 4 suspects, 4 sleuths, and an audacious murder committed in the same room as the other suspects.
The unraveling requires an analysis of the play of several hands of bridge and a psychological comparison of the suspects (rather like Philo Vance's analysis of a poker game in the earlier "The 'Canary' Murder Case", which may have been an inspiration for "Cards").
I am not a purist. One expects a couple of details of a book's plot to be changed for dramatization or conciseness. And sometimes, the coincidences Dame Agatha employs strain credulity.
However, this filmed version was so radically altered from the book, that despite having re-read it last year, I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next.
Although the murderer remained the same, much of the back story, and the motivations and ultimate fates of several characters (both main and secondary) were completely different.
It was followed by an airing of "The Under Dog." It reminded me that the film adaptations of the Poirot short stories are frequently much different than the written versions (this one has a larger role for Miss Lemon, who makes rather silly attempts at hypnotism); however, the novels are usually more faithfully done.
I hope "After the Funeral" (another favorite story of mine being released this year) fares better. Unfortunately, I've already noticed, by viewing the notes for the cast list here at IMDb.com, that the character responsible for setting the plot in motion is missing. Where is Cora Abernethie Lansquenet?
The title is actually "The Memory of all that... Gershwin on Ice". Olympians Dorothy Hamill, Lisa Marie Allen, and Tiffany Chin (as well as other talented skaters) perform to the music of George & Ira Gershwin. The original choreography, by one of the male skaters, is performed accompanied by classic recordings of Gershwin music by Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Mel Torme, as well as some singing by the narrator, tenor Jeff Harnar.
I loved this show as a young teen. I was a fan of Batman from way back, and it was either created or written by Bob Kane, the creator of Batman. It featured a humorous James Bond-like trenchcoated spy-private eye (McCool), who fought villains very closely based on Batman's foes: Jack-in-the-Box (Joker), the Owl (Penguin), Dr. Madcap (Mad Hatter). I wish I could remember more about it.