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Amazon.co.uk Review
At first glance, René Clair might seem an odd match for Agatha Christie's mystery thriller And Then There Were None, but his buoyant touch is exactly what is missing from so many overly solemn remakes. Ten strangers gather for a mysterious gathering on a secluded island. It turns out to be a farewell party, for they have all been sentenced to die for crimes in their past by a self-appointed judge, jury and executioner who could be one of them. One by one, the guests are systematically dispatched as described in the lyrics of the children's rhyme "Ten Little Indians", while the survivors nervously eye one another, splintering into tenuous alliances until the next murder throws suspicion on someone new. A terrific cast of character actors have a ball with Dudley Nichols's witty script. The flamboyant sparring of Barry Fitzgerald (whose paternal Irish lilt takes a sinister dimension) and Walter Huston is almost upstaged by Roland Young's deadpan drollery. Romantic leads Louis Hayward and June Duprez come off as arch and stiff in a company that includes a sinisterly detached Judith Anderson, a dotty and distracted C Aubrey Smith, and a hilariously flippant Mischa Auer. The story has been remade numerous times under the title of Christie's novel, Ten Little Indians, but never as well as this 1945 version. Clair's effervescent, lively little gem is a fatal drawing-room comedy with a body count and a surreal mood of doom. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
When ten strangers all go to the secluded, island mansion of a mysterious Mr. U.N. Owen, they suddenly find that Owen wants them all dead. One by one, each is murdered in the same way as the ten little Indians in the nursery rhyme. Can the survivors find the murderer before it's too late? Watch and find out! [Black-and-white, released in 1945, with a running time of 1:37.]
This is a great movie, filled with excitement and suspense. The characters are quite interesting, and the storyline is wonderful (the movie being based on Agatha Christie's novel of the same name). I must say that, for me, Barry Fitzgerald simply stole the show, and the black-and-white film adds to the brooding tone of the movie.
So, if you are a fan of old time movies, or simply love a good mystery, then I highly recommend this movie to you. You will not be disappointed!
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Eight strangers arrive by boat at an isolated island where they were invited for the weekend to the mansion of Mr. U. N. Owen. They are greeted by the two servants, the butler and his wife, the cook. They are shown their rooms and told that at dinner they will meet their host. So starts a great Forties' movie, And Then There Were None, based on the Agatha Christie mystery, Ten Little Indians.
After dinner when Mr. Owen fails to appear, the butler puts a record on the gramophone and Mr. Owen speaks. He accuses everyone he invited, including the butler and the cook, of murder. There's the judge who sent an innocent man to be hanged. The doctor who drunkenly and fatally botched an operation. The general who sent his wife's lover to his death in battle. The detective whose perjured testimony sent a man to the gallows. There's consternation and denial. Drinks are served. The first to die is a Russian prince who strangles on cyanide in the middle of a song. And the plaster sculpture of ten little Indians, the centerpiece of the dining room table, has one little Indian smashed. As the hours pass, more die, each in the manner of the nursery rhyme
This is a wonderful movie, and very much a product of it's time. Everything about it speaks of professionalism and craftsmanship. There's not a slow moment. The suspense steadily builds. The mystery gets more and more mysterious. And while there is suspense and dread, there also is much wit and black humor. The mansion's rooms are unsettling even when they're empty. The rocky coast of the island, the grey clouds and the smashing surf make somber and unnerving backgrounds. The conclusion of the movie, when all is made clear, is amusing, satisfying and clever.
Two things stand out. First, the mystery is genuinely clever. Not too many people, seeing this for the first time, are going to figure things out. Second, the acting is great and the characters are portrayed by a whole boatload of terrific character actors: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Roland Young, Mischa Auer, Judith Anderson, C. Aubrey Smith, Richard Hayden (perfect as the adenoidal butler), Queenie Leonard. And there's also June Duprez and Louis Hayward. They work together extremely well. This is ensemble acting before ensemble acting was talked about so much.
The movie is in the public domain, so you have to be careful about the version you might buy.
After dinner when Mr. Owen fails to appear, the butler puts a record on the gramophone and Mr. Owen speaks. He accuses everyone he invited, including the butler and the cook, of murder. There's the judge who sent an innocent man to be hanged. The doctor who drunkenly and fatally botched an operation. The general who sent his wife's lover to his death in battle. The detective whose perjured testimony sent a man to the gallows. There's consternation and denial. Drinks are served. The first to die is a Russian prince who strangles on cyanide in the middle of a song. And the plaster sculpture of ten little Indians, the centerpiece of the dining room table, has one little Indian smashed. As the hours pass, more die, each in the manner of the nursery rhyme
This is a wonderful movie, and very much a product of it's time. Everything about it speaks of professionalism and craftsmanship. There's not a slow moment. The suspense steadily builds. The mystery gets more and more mysterious. And while there is suspense and dread, there also is much wit and black humor. The mansion's rooms are unsettling even when they're empty. The rocky coast of the island, the grey clouds and the smashing surf make somber and unnerving backgrounds. The conclusion of the movie, when all is made clear, is amusing, satisfying and clever.
Two things stand out. First, the mystery is genuinely clever. Not too many people, seeing this for the first time, are going to figure things out. Second, the acting is great and the characters are portrayed by a whole boatload of terrific character actors: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Roland Young, Mischa Auer, Judith Anderson, C. Aubrey Smith, Richard Hayden (perfect as the adenoidal butler), Queenie Leonard. And there's also June Duprez and Louis Hayward. They work together extremely well. This is ensemble acting before ensemble acting was talked about so much.
The movie is in the public domain, so you have to be careful about the version you might buy.
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
8 people are invited to a remote island "Indian Island" mansion by their host Mr. U. N. Owen; two people are already there as the butler and cook, a husband and wife team. Once there they find that their mysterious host has accused each of murder and commences to dispatch the guests in the order of a song of Ten Little Indians. Finding that they are cut off from the outside world they must find Mr. Owen and neutralize him before they are all dispatched. If it gets down to the last two you have a pretty good idea who it is.
All the clues are present; can you detect whodunit and why?
Pretty well acted version of an Agatha Christie classic. Everyone remembers this standard movie version "And Then There Were None" (1945) with Barry Fitzgerald. Several other attempts were made such as "And Then There Were None" (1974) with Elke Sommer and even one movie with the original book title "Ten Little Niggers" (1949) with John Bentley. A fun adaptation using a remote mountain dwelling is "Ten Little Indians" (1965) with Hugh O'Brian plays Hugh Lombard.
In this screen play version by Dudley Nichols, Hugh Lombard even keeps much of the dialog of the novel and is worth adding to you Agatha Christy collection. Many of the actors are popular of the time such as Walter Huston who plays Dr. Edward G. Armstrong. He is popular for the Walter Huston dance in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) and as Mr. Scratch in The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
the older films to view
Not yet watched the DVD because its a pressy for my husbands birthday in May hope its ok will review an update further if any problems, but its great that I can purchase the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by jean
Dreadful
I was really looking forward to watching this dvd, based on the reviews others left. After watching it however, I actually wondered if I had seen a different version. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lizlovesbooks
Enjoyable and effective "who is doing it" from the pen of Agatha...
And Then There Were None is directed by René Clair and adapted to screenplay by Dudley Nichols from the Agatha Christie novel Ten Little Indians. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Spike Owen
watch out
The Cornerstone DVD issue of this film is of indifferent quality and best avoided. The film is what it advertises itself to be, so Agatha Christie buffs are likely to enjoy it (in... Read more
Published 10 months ago by W. Hamilton
Great Atmospheric old film.
I have always loved this film and bought it recently on DVD.
Of all the versions this is obviously the best out there but I have given it 4 stars instead of 5 because having... Read more
Of all the versions this is obviously the best out there but I have given it 4 stars instead of 5 because having... Read more
Published 11 months ago by O. Finegan
a good old classic murder film
I was given the computer game a few years ago and I have wanted to see the film, I saw the film on Boxing day last year (2010), and thought it was a really good classic murder... Read more
Published 13 months ago by ohall
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE- or maybe some!
The 1930s-40s era resulted in some great films. This whodunnit- based on Ten Little Indians, by the Mistress of the Unexpected, Agatha Christie, also features a superb cast: Walter... Read more
Published 14 months ago by bill 1930s-1940s newman
Creepy and wonderful mystery
As the story opens, a boatload of strangers is arriving at a remote island estate. It seems they have all been invited by a Mr. Owens, whom none of them have met. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Kona
Fantastic Film Could Do with Subtitles
This is a very fine adaptation of a whodunnit novel by Agatha C with Walter Huston, Barry Fitzgerald, and Jane Duprez in especially good form. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Movie Fan from Portugal
Comedy/Thiller by the Queen of Thrillers
---this is a film of its time, the 1940s, a bit corny but great fun and as ever, Christie makes you think you've worked out the killer when you haven't! Read more
Published 18 months ago by Sonya Ann Porter
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