Double Sin (Agatha Christie's Poirot episode)

Double Sin is the sixth episode of series 2 of the ITV British television drama series Agatha Christie's Poirot featuring David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, first broadcast on 11 February 1990 in the UK. The episode is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie short story of the same name and was directed by Richard Spence with dramatisation by Clive Exton.

Synopsis
A dissatisfied Poirot takes Hastings on holiday to Devon. On a bus trip in the area, they get acquainted with Mary Durrant, an antique dealer whose set of valuable miniatures promptly gets stolen.

The adaptation is faithful to the main premise of the original story with respect to the nature of the crime. However the extreme barebones nature of the narrative would not have lent itself easily to an hour long film. Nor is there much scope for mystery or additional suspects. In the adaptation Poirot recuses himself, leaving Hastings to conduct the investigation himself with the local police which therefore take longer. The criminals are exposed in a different manner. A few other side plots involving Miss Lemon and Japp are also included as time fillers.

Comparison with Original Story
(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) The setting is changed from Devon to the Lake District. And it is Poirot who suddenly and for a seemingly unaccountable reason persuades Hastings to take a holiday at Whitcomb.

Two major side plots have been added, one where Japp is conducting a north country lecture tour to raise funds for the police benevolent fund and meets Poirot and Hastings at Whitcomb. In the second, Miss Lemon down in London loses her keys to Poirot's rooms at Whitehaven Mansions. She dreams of Poirot telling her to "reconstruct the scene of the crime". She tries that and it works.

The episode begins with Poirot being morose and wanting to retire because he is past his prime. All of a sudden he decides to take Hastings for a holiday at Whitcomb as it would be beneficial for his "grey cells". At Whitcomb, Hastings spots a cheap bus tour to Windermere and persuades Poirot to try it. Unlike the original, there isn't the problem with a one-way fare being the same as return, nor is there the character of Joseph Aarons.

On the bus there is the unfriendly Norton Kane who is trying to grow a moustache and Mary Durrant. The bus stops at Redburn for refreshments. Mary has that incident where she thinks Norton has taken her case by mistake. When the bus arrives at Windermere, Mary knocks at Hastings' door and tells him her miniatures have been stolen.

From here the adaptation takes a departure from the original. Poirot is still morose and tells Hastings he is retired and recuses himself from the case. Hastings proceeds to participate in the investigations with two local constables. This proceeds along the same lines, especially with J. Baker Wood who gives the same description of the person who sold him the miniatures: middle aged woman with a moustache. The only embellishment is the car chase of Norton Kane before he is captured. He and a woman with him are brought to Wood but he says neither of them match the woman who sold him the miniatures. The price has gone up from five hundred to 15 hundred pounds--inflation! Wood does however identify the two as the author Norton Kane who is eloping with Lady Amanda Manderley. The two are released and Hastings has lost his only two suspects.

Cast

 * David Suchet as Hercule Poirot
 * Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings
 * Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp
 * Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon
 * Adam Kotz as Norton Kane
 * Caroline Milmoe as Mary Durrant
 * Elspet Gray as Miss Penn
 * David Hargreaves as Sergeant Vinney
 * Gerard Horan as Police Constable Flagg
 * Michael Shannon as Mr Baker Wood (as Michael J. Shannon)
 * Amanda Garwood as Lady Amanda Manderley
 * Paul Gabriel as Speedy Tours Rep.
 * Harry Goodier as Billy Arkwright
 * Jeffrey Perry as Hotel Receptionist
 * Anne Small as Pianist
 * Miranda Forbes as Landlady
 * George Little as Dicker
 * Ned Williams as First Urchin
 * Jack Williams as Second Urchin

Filming Locations

 * Midlands Hotel, Morecambe - Poirot's hotel in Whitcombe
 * Wray Castle, near Ambleside, Cumbria - Lake Hotel near Windermere
 * Normansfield Theatre - Lecture hall
 * Main St, Kirkby Lonsdale, Carnforth - Antique shop
 * Swine Market, Kirkby Lonsdale, Carnforth - Bus station where Poirot announces that he does not travel by bus
 * A683 (junction with Jordans Lane) - Hastings and police car chase