The Mystery of the Spanish Chest (Agatha Christie's Poirot episode)

The Mystery of the Spanish Chest is the eighth episode of series 3 of the ITV British television drama series Agatha Christie's Poirot featuring David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, first broadcast on 17 February 1991 in the UK. The episode is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie short story of the same name and was directed by Andrew Grieve with dramatisation by Anthony Horowitz.

Synopsis
The charming Mrs Clayton begs Poirot for protection from her jealous husband. When the couple later throw a party, Mr Clayton is found murdered in a Spanish chest.

The TV adaptation is fairly faithful to original short story, closer to the shorter version The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest than the expanded version The Mystery of the Spanish Chest. Hastings and Japp appear but Miss Lemon is on leave.

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

Cast

 * David Suchet as Hercule Poirot
 * Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings
 * Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp
 * John McEnery as Colonel Curtiss
 * Caroline Langrishe as Marguerite Clayton
 * Pip Torrens as Major Rich
 * Malcolm Sinclair as Edward Clayton
 * Antonia Pemberton as Lady Chatterton
 * Peter Copley as Burgoyne
 * Sam Smart as Smithy
 * Edward Clayton as Rouse
 * Metin Yenal as Umpire
 * Richard Cawte as Young Officer
 * Victoria Scarborough as Party Dancer
 * Christopher Lamb as Party Dancer
 * Melissa Wilson as Maid
 * Andy Mulligan as Reporter
 * Clem Davies as Reporter (as Clem Davis)
 * Roger Kemp as Doctor
 * John Noble as Rigoletto
 * Catherine Bott as Gilda
 * Reg Thomason as Military Club Member (uncredited)

Tropes and themes

 * Poirot's quirks
 * tisane – there must not be more than 3 spoons of sugar in his tisane.

Filming Locations

 * Walpole House, Chiswick Mall, London - Lady Chatterton's residence.
 * New Square, Lincoln's Inn, London - Clayton walks out of a building and down New Square towards the passage to Carey Street.
 * Old Palace Terrace, Richmond - taxi turns the corner from King Street and drops Clayton here.
 * Oak House, King Street, Richmond - Clayton's residence. Poirot tells the taxi driver it is "Romaine Gardens".
 * 29 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London - known in the episode as "Breuer Court" Major Rich's residence.
 * Royal College of Surgeons of England, 38-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London - the Military Club.
 * 1 King's Blvd, London - Hastings talks to Smithy here.
 * Florin Court, Charterhouse Square, London (as Whitehaven Mansions)