The Adventure of the Clapham Cook (Agatha Christie's Poirot episode)

The Adventure of the Clapham Cook is the first episode of series 1 of the ITV British television drama series Agatha Christie's Poirot featuring David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, first broadcast on 8 January 1989 in the UK. The episode is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie short story of the same name and was directed by Edward Bennett with dramatisation by Clive Exton.

Synopsis
Mrs Todd prods Poirot into investigating the disappearance of her cook, Miss Eliza Dunn. The Detective is reluctant at first, as he views the case is beneath his dignity, but eventually accepts.

The TV episode is a largely faithful adaptation of the original short story but with the addition of the characters of Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon.

Comparison with Original Novel
(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)


 * As the very first of the Poirot series, the adaptation is extremely faithful to the original, right down to the actual words in the dialogue, for example the way Mrs Todd berates Poirot for being too snobbish to take up her case, the humourous interview between Poirot and Annie (name is changed from Bessie in the original) about white slavers and Poirot's fury when discharged from the case with payment of 1 guinea.
 * Like in the original, he advertises for Eliza Dunn and gets a reply. However Eliza Dunn's cottage is not in Carlisle but in Keswick. She does not come to London to be interviewed by Poirot. Instead Poirot and Hastings go to Keswick to meet her.
 * In the story, Poirot solves and explains everything soon after interviewing Eliza Dunn. This would obviously be too soon and too fast for the TV dramatization so several scenes and details were added.
 * While waiting for Eliza's reply, Poirot calls on Mr Cameron, a bank manager, for background information on Simpson and Davis.
 * Soon after interviewing Eliza Dunn, Poirot hastily phones Japp and leaves a message to say he should be pursuing Simpson and not Davis as the bank thief.
 * Hastings is still puzzled. On the train to London, Poirot explains that Eliza Dunn had been persuaded to go to Keswick by a bearded Australian lawyer named Crotchet. When interviewing Simpson earlier on, Poirot had noticed gum arabic on Simpson's face, indicating that he had been wearing a false beard for some reason.
 * Poirot and Hastings arrive at Clapham to find police there. Japp says Poirot has sent them on a wild goose chase. Simpson is perfectly respectable and said to be visiting a relative in Shropshire.
 * Mrs Todd is furious at the embarrassment of police in her house and refuses to speak to Poirot. Poirot sneaks to the back of the house and elicit from Annie that Eliza's trunk had been packed and then transported to Twickenham Station.
 * At Twickenham, there is a humourous scene of Poirot and Hastings with the station porter. He tells them a bearded man had collected Eliza's trunk and sent it on to Glasgow.
 * The porter also adds that he thinks the bearded man is going to Bolivia--he saw bank notes with "Bolivia" in his wallet.
 * Poirot persuades Japp to contact the Glasgow police and they locate the trunk and find Davis' body in it.
 * Poirot, Hastings and Japp dash to Southampton to intercept Simpson, but strangely, the ship sailing for Buenos Aires (for Bolivia) has been cancelled. Then Poirot has an epiphany: the porter saw not "Bolivia" but "Bolivar", the currency of Venezuela. They rush to another pier where the ship for Venezuela is departing. Simpson is caught trying to board. In the original, Simpson had already departed on the Olympia for America but by means of radio, he was discovered on the ship enroute.
 * Like in the original, Poirot frames up the cheque for 1 guinea as a reminder never to ignore the trivial.

Cast

 * David Suchet as Hercule Poirot
 * Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings
 * Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp
 * Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon
 * Brigit Forsyth	 as Mrs Todd
 * Dermot Crowley as Arthur Simpson
 * Freda Dowie as Eliza Dunn
 * Antony Carrick as Mr Todd
 * Katy Murphy as Annie
 * Danny Webb as Porter (as Daniel Webb)
 * Richard Bebb as Mr Cameron
 * Brian Poyser as Salvation Army Speaker
 * Frank Vincent as Purser
 * Phillip Manikum as Police Sergeant (as Philip Manikum) (see Sergeant Henry)
 * Jona Jones as Police Constable
 * Nicholas Coppin as Police Constable
 * Uncredited actor as Mr Davis (only seen as a dead body)

Tropes and themes

 * The Art Deco 1930s
 * Surbiton Railway Station - considered the Art Deco masterpiece of Scottish architect James Robb Scott
 * Lavish scenery
 * High angle shot of train as Poirot and Hastings travel to the Lake District
 * Albert Bridge and Battersea Park
 * The chase - at Southampton docks

Filming Locations

 * Florin Court, Charterhouse Square - Whithaven Mansions
 * Twickenham Studios, London, England, UK
 * Albert Bridge - Poirot and Hastings cross this on the way to Clapham
 * 38 St Stephen's Gardens, Twickenham, London - the Todd residence, 88 Prince Albert Road
 * Royal Masonic Hospital - interior of Belgravia and Overseas Bank
 * Surbiton station - used as Twickenham Station. Poirot and Hastings go there to inquire about the trunk
 * Battersea Park - for scenes of Clapham Common
 * Blue Beck Cottage, Egton Bridge, Yorkshire - Eliza Dunn's cottage
 * Dover Western Docks station - Carlisle station