Peter Makinson

Peter Makinson was a non-canonical character who was created for the film adaptation of Four and Twenty Blackbirds in Season 1 of ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot. In the film, Makinson was the agent of artist Henry Gascoigne. In the pockets of the dead Henry Gascoigne was an invitation to an art exhibition. Poirot and Hastings followed up that clue and attended the event and there met Makinson. Makinson told them he had a difficult time acting as Henry Gascoigne's agent. Henry had refused to sell his oil paintings while he was alive.

Only a few people, such as Makinson himself, and Henry's model Dulcie Lang received examples of Henry's works as gifts. Now that Henry was dead, his paintings were valuable and could be sold. For Poirot, this made Makinson a suspect in Henry's death. However Hastings later found out that Makinson had been overseas at the time of Henry's death.

Makinson also provided some background information about Henry's family. He showed Poirot and Hastings a painting in his private collection. It was that of Charlotte Gascoigne. She had once been Henry's model but his brother Anthony Gascoigne had married her and taken her away, and this led to the brothers falling out with each other.

Peter Makinson was played in the film by Clifford Rose. This character does not occur in the original story.