The Million Dollar Bond Robbery

That is alongside the likes of Wasp's Nest, The Chocolate Box, Adventure of the Italian Nobleman, The Third Floor Flat and Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb. I may be biased as I love the series and hate to criticise it, but this was really an exceptional episode. The episode could have been longer perhaps, but the final solution at least did feel satisfying in the way episodes like King of Clubs and The Double Clue underwhelmed on first viewing and improved I think on the (if my memory serves correct) on the somewhat abrupt ending of the short story. When I watch Poirot I look forward to classy production values, great music, funny moments, intelligent, compelling story telling and solid-at-least acting. All of those are here in The Million Dollar Bond Robbery. It looks elegant and is beautifully shot, and right from the iconic theme tune to the haunting undertones of the background music the music is typically great. I always look for clever dialogue and funny moments(mostly with Hastings' naivety or Poirot's sarcasm), and The Million Dollar Bond Robbery has that too, as well as a story that grabs you right in and never lets go. The acting I can't fault, David Suchet continues to be the definitive Poirot, and everybody supports him to the very best of their ability. Nobody is bad, and I also have very little bad to say about the episode, it is one of my favourites of the short story adaptations and also one of the better ones of the entire series. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Agatha Christie sometimes wove her mystery stories around real events of history. In this episode of the Hercule Poirot Mystery Theater stories Poirot and Captain Hastings are among the passengers onboard the Queen Mary for its maiden voyage from England to New York. She set sail on May 27, 1936.

This mystery is about the theft of a million dollars in bearer bonds. Poirot is hired by the London and Scottish Bank to keep an eye on the bonds as their representative delivers them to a bank in America. Besides being a very good mystery, "The Million Dollar Bond Robbery" has considerably more humor in witty dialog.

Reading about the forthcoming maiden voyage of the Queen Mary, Captain Hastings would love to make the trip. Poirot, on the other hand, gets seasick even thinking about it. Then he gets the commission to protect the bonds, so he and Hastings wind up aboard the Queen Mary. How they do for sea legs is part of the humor.

A major source of the early humor is in exchanges between Poirot and the bank's head of security, Mr. McNeil. He resents Poirot's presence, and tells him so. While he may be a good security man, McNeil is no match for the grey cells of Hercule Poirot. That goes for repartee as well as in detecting and crime solving.

This is a most enjoyable and entertaining mystery served up by Dame Agatha and her super sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Here are some favorite lines from the film.

Captain Hastings, "The Queen Mary? Poirot, you're going too far." Hercule Poirot, "No, Hasting, I'm going nowhere. Even to contemplate such a matter gives me the mal de mare." Captain Hastings, "I can assure you, Poirot, you wouldn't be seasick on the Queen Mary." Hercule Poirot, "Hastings, it is 20 years ago that I came to this country, in a boat, across the channel, and still I am not recovered."

Mr. McNeil, "I'll have you know that in the five years that I have been the head of security here, not so much as a paper clip has gone astray." Hercule Poirot, "Monsieur McNeil, I'm sure if such a thing were to happen, you would be the man ideal for the case."

Mr. McNeil, "With due respect, I can't quite see what's to be gained by employing a Belgian."

Hercule Poirot, "And yet you're traveling alone, Mademoiselle Brooks?" Miranda Brooks, "Oh, you're never alone on a ship, Mr. Poirot. I'll see ya."

Tom Franklin, "But what about the search, Mr. Poirot? You're Mr. McNeil was pretty insistent." Hercule Poirot, "I assure you, officer, Monsieur McNeil does not belong to me."

Hercule Poirot, "I'm sorry." Mr. Shaw, "Don't be. Prison can't be much worse than 25 years of the London & Scottish Bank."

Captain Hastings, "Well, there she was. As you say... glamorous young woman. But with a bit of a wig and a few bits of makeup, she could transfer herself into that dowdy, hag of a nurse." Hercule Poirot, "Yes, it was indeed very well done, Hastings." Captain Hastings, "But... well I mean... if a woman can do that one way, she can do it the other." Hercule Poirot, "Ah, Hastings." Captain Hastings, "Oh, I mean, then where are you?" Hercule Poirot, "At the beginning of wisdom, mon ami. Now, that also is something to celebrate, n'est-ce pas?

In this episode, as in a few others of the series, Poirot has been on the scene of the crime as it took place, instead of trying to solve it after it happened, as happens in the original story. In this particular case, there is no harm done by this particular change, since the screenwriters decided to set the crime on the Queen Mary (I assume they traveled to California to get those shots, since the ship is no longer seaworthy). The scenes on board ship are the only ones that save this episode from having a lower rating.

Once again we have an episode that suffers somewhat for the details that the screenwriter added to the original story. In the original story there was no gambling addiction, no attempted murder, and definitely no accomplice. The gambling addiction and the attempted murder I find to be rather silly but not too unreasonable, but I couldn't get past the addition of the accomplice. Not only was it evident that this extra person was going to play a crucial role from this person's first appearance on screen, and every subsequent appearance as well, but the explanation given at the end just did not work for me. Why did there even need to be an accomplice in the first place? Wasn't it enough that the criminal would have gained a million dollars by being successful? It just left me with a sour taste in my mouth, that no amount of creme de menthe would remove. Ugh.

The London & Scottish Bank needs to transfer one million dollars' worth of Liberty Bonds from England to America via ship (on "Queen Mary"'s maiden voyage), but when someone attempts (twice) to murder the man assigned to the job, the assignment goes to another bank employer - a younger man with gambling problems. The bank's manager asks Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings to accompany him on the trip, but despite their presence the bonds do get stolen and only the young employer had a key to the case....

An exceptional episode of the "Poirot" series. The mix of newsreel b&w footage from the 30's and new footage featuring the actors is creative, the pace is breathless, the acting from all the key players is perfect and the moment of revelation is truly stunning - I challenge anyone to say he or she had figured this one out. There are some laugh-out-loud comedic moments as well - it's amazing how a 50-minute episode of a mystery series can make you laugh more than entire 2-hour supposed comedies. A must-see. (***)

Series 3 of Poirot seems to involve any story that had strychnine poisoning featured in it. This also adds a 'double' to it as well although it is done rather well here.

Miss Lemon mentions that Poirot had problems with his previous bank, in fact he got the bank executive arrested.

Now Poirot is hired by the London & Scottish Bank to beef up the security of a large bond transfer across the Atlantic and this involves a trip on the new liner Queen Mary something which Hastings is looking forward to.

The person accompanying the bonds is poisoned so his unsuitable deputy Philip Ridgeway takes his place and he spends more time on the ship gambling.

When the bonds are stolen suspicion lands on Mr Ridgeway who was deemed unfit to lead by the bank's own head of security.

A nice nifty mystery but not too deep with a lull in the middle. It was sad to see Hastings get sea sick as he was so looking forward to the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary and his genuine disappointment that someone so glamorous could also be so dowdy as well.