The Seven Dials Mystery (1981)

Earlier this year there was a lot of excitement around a brand new Agatha Christie adaptation. Mia Mckenna Bruce was the star of Seven Dials Mystery, a 1920s set thriller that centred around a secret organisation, a stolen patent/formula and young aristocrat Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent. This was one of Agatha’s early stories and remains a clever, ingenious adventure, but the new version, from Netflix, faced criticism for the numerous changes from the original. I quite enjoyed it, but have to profess to liking Agatha’s original version more.

One of the great things about the newer adaptations of Agatha’s work is that they help fans like me discover older works that have almost been forgotten. The Seven Dials Mystery on Netflix encouraged Sky Arts to show a much older adaptation of the work, one dating from LWT, from 1981, and one that was much more faithful to the original. I sat down to enjoy this yesterday and have to say that although it is a little bit dated in its look and cinematography, it is utterly charming and enjoyable.

Thoughts?

Why did I enjoy it so much? Well, as already mentioned, it is a faithful version of the original tale, and as I generally find the Dame’s writing and plots to be peerless, I love adaptations that don’t tamper with them. I loved Helena Bonham Carter in the Netflix version, but Sir John Gielgud is perfect as the eccentric Marquis of Caterhan especially in his dealings with the po-faced George Lomax ( laughing and listening outside the door is a hoot!). Cheryl Campbell is a lovely Bundle, she was a great actress of the late 70s/early 80s and has just the right amount of charm, sass and glamour for Bundle. With Bill as her true love, rather than the tragic Gerry Wade, Bundle is allowed to have fun in her search for the truth, which is missing in the Netflix adaptation.

We also have to talk about the charming, feckless villain Jimmy Thesinger. I adored James Warwick in this role, he made a wonderful, handsome bad guy in a very 1980s style (think Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet as an Agatha baddie!). It is interesting that he later become Tommy Beresford in the 1983 adaptation of Partners in Crime. This is another Agatha adaptation that is on my list to watch this Summer, so watch this space!

There is just so much to admire about this adaptation, not least the stunning Rula Lenska at the height of her allure as the mysterious Countess Radzsky, and Lucy Gutteridge as the winsome, adorable Lorraine Wade. Although it has to be said that the internal scenes are a little bit stagy and creaky, the costumes, external settings and the wonderful fun cast make this a charming Agatha Christie period piece that is well worth a look.

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