The Affair at the Victory Ball is the tenth episode of series 3 of the ITV British television drama series Agatha Christie's Poirot featuring David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, first broadcast on 3 March 1991 in the UK. The episode is an adaptation of the Agatha Christie short story of the same name and was directed by Renny Rye with dramatisation by Andrew Marshall.
Synopsis[]
Poirot and Hastings attend the Victory Ball, a classical masquarade where every guest is dressed as someone famous. Poirot dresses up as himself. During the frolicking, one of the guests, Viscount Cronshaw, is found stabbed to death – and another death soon follows.
The TV adaptation is fairly faithful to original short story. The main difference is that Poirot actually attends the ball with Hastings, and the characters are given more backstory to add to the barebones short story narrative. The denouement is done over a live radio broadcast and is slightly different.
Comparison with Original Story[]
(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)
There are 2 main differences between the original and adaptation, which are the scenes in Victory Ball and BBC Radio Station.
Original Scenes
In the adaptation, the episode starts with showing Coco's job as Radio Drama actress, along with co-worker Chris Davidson. With this introduce Mr. Ackerley which is the producer.
The next scene shows Poirot in his office arranging his stamp album. Hastings came and informed him to join the Victory Ball as Mr. Ackerley invited them. At first, Poirot rejects the invitation but soon agrees as Hastings mentioned Mr. Ackerley consider meeting Poirot one of his highest honor.
The third scene shows Poirot's party at the Victory Ball and the things they saw there. Met with Lord Cronshaw's party, witness the quarrel between Lord Cronshaw and Coco, Hastings' dance with Ms. Mallaby, examine Lord Cronshaw's body.
Differences
In the original short story, Poirot and Hastings didn't been to the Victory Ball at all. They only know about the case once the papers already publish it. It is Japp who came to talk with them about the case only Poirot starts to help out.
In the originals, Scotland Yard already done most of the investigation and Japp just answers the questions throws out by Poirot.
Unlike the adaptation where they visit the morgue to perform another round of autopsy, then only they found the pompon, in the original Japp already retrieve the pompon from the body and shows it to Poirot.
In the adaptation, they dramatize on the drug issue. The box which contain the cocaine is engraved with the initial C instead of Coco as it does in the original. There's also mentioned of Cronshaw as the Chairman of the Anti-Drug Organization. This confused Hastings in the adaptation and made a comment of : 'It's Sarcastic' as he thought the C on the box stands for Cronshaw. His portrayal as a drug fighter which in truth is a drug addict himself.
In the original, Poirot didn't been to much places as compare to the adaptation. After the questions with Japp in his own apartment, he only visit Eustace and Mrs. Davidson.
Different from the original where Mrs. Davidson reluctant to show them the costume with a pompon less. In the adaptation, she tries to hide it from them and mentioned it had been sent for cleaning. It was Hastings' distraction which causes Poirot has the chance to check at their wardrobe and found the costume is in there.
In the original, during the final scene of the denouement. It is then only mentioned that Hastings met Mrs. Mallaby and Chris Davidson for the first time.
Unlike in the adaptation where the denouement done at the radio station and the actors in costume just walked right in, the original is done at Poirot's apartment and they let the actors shows up behind a screen
Unlike in the adaptation where Poirot first admit they can't do anything on Chris if he didn't admit, in the originals Chris went outrage and exposed himself easily during the denouement.
There's also a funny substory in the adaptation where the media make fun of Poirot as he let the murderer slipped away twice (on the first day's paper where Lord Cronshaw dead and second paper where Coco dead). This made Poirot tries to clear his name throughout the episode. As for original, since they never been to the ball, the papers mentioned both Cronshaw and Coco is dead where Hastings even made assumption on whether it's related.
Cast[]
- David Suchet as Hercule Poirot
- Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings
- Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp
- Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon
- Mark Crowdy as Viscount Cronshaw
- David Henry as Eustace Beltaine
- Haydn Gwynne as Coco Courtenay
- Nathaniel Parker as Chris Davidson
- Natalie Slater as Mrs Davidson
- Kate Harper as Mrs Mallaby
- Andrew Burt as James Ackerley
- Charles Collingwood as BBC Announcer
- Brian Mitchell as Second Actor
- Sarah Crowden as Receptionist
- Bryan Matheson as Butler
- Salo Gardner as Mortuary Attendant (uncredited)
- Harry Van Engel as Radio Engineer (uncredited)
Tropes and themes[]
Tropes and themes[]
- The Art Deco 1930s
- Highpoint - a fine example of Modernist architecture by Berthold Lubetkin. Also used in The Million Dollar Bond Robbery. See also Lubetkin in The Incredible Theft.[1]
Filming Locations[]
- Highpoint - flat of Coco Courtenay
- BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place
- Ladbroke Hall, Notting Hill - externals of the Colossus ball room
- Princes Gate Mews - residence of the Davidsons
- 30 Ennismore Gardens, Westminster - Cronshaw's residence