The Sunningdale Mystery (Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime episode)

The Sunningdale Mystery is the fourth episode of Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime.The episode was written by Jonathan Hales, and directed by Tony Wharmby and first broadcast on 6 November 1983. It is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie short story of the same name.

Synopsis
As business has not been brisk, the Beresfords select a case from the newspapers.

Comparison with the original story
(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) The adaptation follows the original quite faithfully, so much so that it has hardly any action and most of the episode comprises conversation between Tommy and Tuppence as they discuss the case. This is much like in the original. The only difference is that not all the conversation takes place in an A.B.C. teashop. In this adaptation, Tommy and Tuppence actually go to Sunningdale.

The plot device of a parody of a detective from popular fiction is not used. Tommy and Tuppence do go to an A.B.C. at the beginning, and she does order him a cheesecake and milk. But there is no mention of Baroness Orczy's Polly Burton or the old man in the corner nor does Tommy play with a piece of string.

The details of the murder are narrated by Tommy, while refering to a newspaper cutting. Flashbacks enliven the narrative. Albert Batt (Reece Dinsdale) remained in the office and doesn't really have much of a role in this adaptation. After discussing the case for a while in the A.B.C. teashop, Tommy and Tuppence decide to visit the scene of the crime, Sunningdale Golf Course. In the original, they solve the case entirely by thinking through and discussing it in the teashop.

All the key events in the case are re-enacted as flashbacks. Respectable Captain Antony Sessle plays golf on the links, wearing his typical blue jacket (although this is not "bright" as in the original." The scene of crime is changed to the 17th tee and not the 7th tee. Sessle's colleague and business partner Mr Wilfrid Hollaby Sr approaches the 17th tee and sees Sessle talking with a tall woman in a brown suit. Also behind Hollaby are two other players, Major Barnard (Terence Conoley) and Mr Lecky (Denis Holmes), approaching on the 16th fairway and they also see Sessle with the woman. Sessle disappears into the bushes and then reappears to continue his game. But now he plays very badly and "like a different man".

What happened to typist Doris Evans (Emily Moore) is depicted in detail over several flashbacks and conforms to the details in the original. This begins with a scene at the cinema where a man offers to walk her home with an umbrella and stop by a teashop. The man claims to be a widower and invites her to his cottage the next weekend for a meal. Doris is shown arriving at the station and asking directions to Sessle's cottage. At the cottage, Sessle appears agitated and acts strangely and quite a siniter manner as he brandishes a big knife to slice ham to serve to her. They later take a walk to the golf course. When they get near, he pulls a gun and wants to kill her and then himself. She struggles, breaks free and runs away. She is then seen at the station in a highly agitated state asking for the next train to town. Tommy narrates that later she is arrested because blonde hair and "flame red" threads from her coat were found on the body.

The other salient details which are needed to solve the case are all narrated by Tommy who, presumably, got them from the newspaper reports. Mrs Cecil is short. Porcupine Insurance, the firm run by Sessle and Hollaby is in liquidation as their funds had been embezzled. Tuppence contributes the same point as in the original, that Doris has bobbed short hair and is unlikely to use or even carry a hatpin.

Instead of picturing the geography of the golf course in his mind, here Tommy actually plays a round accompanied by Tuppence. As they leave the 16th tee, he gets an insight--why haven't Barnard and Lecky seen the woman in brown earlier? Where did she pop up from? Tommy then finds a hidden hut, where he surmises that killer hid to change clothes and appear as woman and then back to a man again. In this adaptation, there is no Inspector Marriot who overhears them solving the case. They decide to drive back and report to Scotland Yard.

Cast

 * Francesca Annis as Tuppence Beresford
 * James Warwick as Tommy Beresford
 * Reece Dinsdale as Albert Batt
 * Denis Lill as Hollaby Junior
 * Emily Moore as Doris Evans
 * Edwin Brown as Hollaby Senior
 * Terence Conoley as Major Barnard
 * Denis Holmes as Mr Lecky
 * Robin Parkinson as Landlord
 * Dorothea Phillips as A.B.C. Waitress
 * Martin Rutledge as Cyril
 * Vivienne Ritchie as Girl
 * Jim Wiggins as Ticket Collector
 * Uncredited actor as Anthony Sessle

Fliming locations

 * The Ravenswood, Sharpthorne, West Sussex, England, UK - hotel where Tommy and Tuppence stay