Am Stram Gram[1] is the 2nd episode of series 1 of the French TV series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie produced by Escazal Films and France Télévisions. It was adapted by Sylie Simon, directed by Kappes Stéphane and first aired on France 2 on 16 Jan 2009. It is an adaptation of the novel Ordeal by Innocence.
"Am Stram Gram" is a nursery rhyme which is the equivalent of "eeny, miny, mini, mo". At one point, when the main characters are gathered at dinner and realise that the killer is someone among them or could be any one of them, one of them actually recites this rhyme.
Synopsis[]
When an wealthy woman with a reputation as a geinerous benefactor was found murdered, commissaire Larosière arrested Jacko, one of her adopted children. Jacko was subsequently convicted. Two years later, Jacko is killed in prison and a stranger turns up to give Jacko an alibi for the night of the murder. Larosière and Lampion reopen the case with the realisation that the killer must be among the other members of the family.
Plot summary and comparison with the original story[]
The action is set in a large house in the north of France with Larosière and Lampion as the investigators. But other than this, the episode is perhaps one of the more faithful adaptations of the orginal. Most of the plot elements in the original are reproduced.
(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)
- The episode opens with the death of Jacko in prison. Here he does not die of pneumonia but is killed by a fellow inmate because, apparently he has been swindling them.
- The murder of Marthe Vallabrègues and Jacko's argument with her is told with appropriate flashbacks. In this adaptation it is Léopold who discovers the body.
- There's also a scene of Jacko's funeral which serves to establish the relationships and rifts within the family members.
- The Arthur Calgary parallel is Aristide Pepin. He reads about it from a old newspaper being used as a food wrapper and reports to Larosière and Lampion who take him to the Vallabrègues house to announce Jacko's innocence.
- Larosière and Lampion begin questioning the members of the household. Just as it begins, there is an additional event not found in the book. Kristin is locked into a greenhouse which is set on fire. Gwendoline is just arriving to work and calls for help and gets her rescued. The incident casts suspicion on Gwendoline since she is the only one outside the house and Philippe says that he was by the door and no one lft the house. But Gwendoline did go to fetch help and was instrumental in Kristin's rescue. Larosière and Lampion also consider the possibility that someone could have climbed down a large ivy against the wall. Larosière tries to climb up and falls and spends much of the remaining episode in a wheelchair.
- Jacko's wife, Rose, has a role which is quite similar to the original. But in addition to telling the detectives about Jacko preying on older women, she also tries to blackmail somebody at the Vallabrègues house. Towards the end of the episode, she arranges a meeting with her victim in the greenhouse but ends up being killed.
- Philippe is also characterised in a manner faithful to the original. He takes an active interest in investigating and snooping, and also develops an interest in Esther (Hester). He ends up being killed because the killer feared he was getting too close.
- Like in the original, Tina came back to the house on the night of the murder to consult her mother about a job but then decided not to go in. She tells the Jean (Mickey) that she heard two people talking outside the house. In this case, one was telling the other: "Between 7.00 and 7.30. Not earlier and not later."
- The clue of "the cup was empty" is also present. In this adaptation, Tina meets Kristin at the door to Philippe's room. They go in an find him dead. As Larosière and Lampion arrive Tina mentions that there is a little detail she noticed but walks off without divulging it. Later she call the police staiton and leaves a message that "the cup was empty". There is then an attempt on Tina's life. In this case someone tries to shoot her with a shotgun while she is walking in the woods. She escapes unhurt. In the original, she is stabbed and only mentions "the cup was empty after regaining consciousness.
- Larosière and Lampion arrive around the time the gun shot is heard. By now Larosière has figured out what has happened. They gather the family for a denouement. Among the clues which Larosière uses is a key to the greenhouse which he found on Philippe's body. Philippe found it when snooping in the greenhouse but kept it to himself. It showed Larosière that the greenhouse incident was staged to implicate Gwendoline. The rest of the denouement follows the same lines as that of Calgary in the original. Kristin breaks down and confesses and Larosière and Lampion take her away.
Cast[]
- Antoine Duléry as Larosière
- Marius Colucci as Lampion
- Hélène Vincent as Kristin
- Robinson Stévenin as Jean Vallabrègues
- Pascal Elso as Léopold Vallabrègues
- Hélène de Saint-Père as Marthe Vallabrègues
- Charley Fouquet as Marie Lacour
- Emmanuel Patron as Philippe Lacour
- Julien Baumgartner as Jacko Vallabrègues
- Jenny Mutela as Tina Vallabrègues
- Lucie Lucas as Esther Vallabrègues
- Nathalie Blanc as Gwendoline
- Céline Vitcoq as Rose Vallabrègues
- Priscilla Attal-Sfez as Valentine (as Priscilla Attal)
- Frédéric Bodson as Aristide Pépin
- Denis Cacheux as Le médecin
- Serge Dubois as Ménard
- Margot Kappes as Marie enfant
- Zacharie Chasseriaud as Jacko enfant
- Yan Robelin as Jean enfant