DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS: Accounts of alternate crime, mystery & thriller adaptations.🕵️‍♂️

[WhovianHolmesianChap]

Hey, all!
I'm here to present to a new collaborative joint, that I promised to create last year. I didn't get around to it due to both occurrences in my personal life, and overall laziness. But hey, it's here now!
This is sort of a spiritual successor to my Sherlock Holmes TL (you are welcome to cover Holmes here as well if you wish). Here you and I, can envision alternate media (film, TV, radio, etc.) depicting the characters and stories from the mystery and suspense genres, as well as that of the mighty thriller. The criteria ranges from classic detectives (i.e. Wolfe, Marlowe, Poirot, Marple, Wimsey), rogues, fiends and antiheroes (Lupin, Templar, Salander, Ripley, Lecter, Moriarty), and the heroes of thrillers and action (Ryan, Reacher, Bourne, Bond, Langdon), as well as those strange outliers. (Dresden, Fletch etc.)

Dream up whatever what you like, and don't forget to have fun! (Or there will be severe consequences. HA HA AHA HA HA!!!!!)








Ah, who am I kidding? No-one will read this anyway.

 

[unclepatrick]

In my Step by Step Universe , I have the Character of the Saint , played by Vincent Price in an American TV show in 1956.
It not as Alien Space Bat as it sounds .
Price played the Saint in a radio show in the 40's.

(And you said no one would read this anyway )

 

[WhovianHolmesianChap]

In my Step by Step Universe , I have the Character of the Saint , played by Vincent Price in an American TV show in 1956.
It not as Alien Space Bat as it sounds .
Price played the Saint in a radio show in the 40's.

(And you said no one would read this anyway )

Cool beans

 

[phx1138]

An easy one: George Raft in 1941's "Maltese Falcon".

Henry Hathaway, director of "Kiss of Death" (1947), wanted a nightclub act for the role Richard Widmark got; had Zanuck not gotten the memo, it might have gone to contract player Richard Conte.

Nicole Kidman costarring in 2005's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith".

Just about anybody instead of Angie Dickinson in 1964's "The Killing"--& an actual script. (This was assuredly not Gene Coon's best work.)

Somebody besides John Dall in "The Man Who Cheated Himself". (Richard Conte?)

Anybody but Ralph Meeker in "Kiss Me Deadly". (Mitchum would be excellent.)

Anybody but Robert Montgomery in "Lady in the Lake". (Mitchum would be excellent.)

 

[WhovianHolmesianChap]

An easy one: George Raft in 1941's "Maltese Falcon".

Henry Hathaway, director of "Kiss of Death" (1947), wanted a nightclub act for the role Richard Widmark got; had Zanuck not gotten the memo, it might have gone to contract player Richard Conte.

Nicole Kidman costarring in 2005's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith".

Just about anybody instead of Angie Dickinson in 1964's "The Killing"--& an actual script. (This was assuredly not Gene Coon's best work.)

Somebody besides John Dall in "The Man Who Cheated Himself". (Richard Conte?)

Anybody but Ralph Meeker in "Kiss Me Deadly". (Mitchum would be excellent.)

Anybody but Robert Montgomery in "Lady in the Lake". (Mitchum would be excellent.)

I'll be honest, I haven't seen half these films, but your enthusiasm is impressive.

 

[WhovianHolmesianChap]

And now, my inaugural post:
(Poster to be added at a later date.)

Murder on the Orient Express (1940)
A Warner Bros. Pictures Production
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Written by Seton I. Miller, Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein
Adapted from the novel by Agatha Christie
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Music by Max Steiner
Cinematography by Sol Polito

CAST:

• Greta Ohlsson (Greta Garbo)
• Hildegarde Schmidt (Marlene Dietrich)
• Ratchett (Edward G. Robinson)
• Hercule Poirot (Bela Lugosi)
• Mary Debenham (Olivia De Havilland)
• Countess Andreyni (Myrna Loy)
• Col. Artbuthnot (David Niven)
• Count Andreyni (Basil Rathbone)
• Foscarelli (Don Ameche)
• Cyrus Hardman (Warren William)
• Pierre Michel (Erich Von Stroheim)
• Masterman (C. Aubrey Smith)
• Princess Dragomiroff (Maria Ouspenkaya)
• McQueen (Dwight Frye)
• Dr. Constantine (Edward Van Sloan)
• Bouc (Harold Huber)

The film received critical acclaim for its pacing, direction and faithfulness to the text, with the performances of the multinational ensemble cast receiving particular praise. The casting of Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi as the iconic Belgian sleuth (in a then rare heroic role, no less) was met with many a raised eyebrow. Nevertheless the actor proved himself up to the task, delivering a gleeful energetic performance, soaked with poise and command. Whilst the film alone was not enough to break Lugosi free from the shackles of his typecasting as one of "the faces of horror", it did showcase to audiences his versatility, and capability to be the hero. His career would soon change for the better.

Christie herself was pleased with the final result. Although taking umbrage with the quality of Poirot’s moustaches in the film, she found Lugosi’s performance to be “pleasantly adequate”. It satisfied her enough to ensure that the door remained open, regarding future screen version of her work.

The film is widely considered to be the best adaptation of the book, (rivalled only by Sidney Lumet's also excellent 1974 effort), and among the best overall dramatisations of Christie's work.

 

[WhovianHolmesianChap]

Bela Lugosi as Hercule Poirot

 

[unclepatrick]

Anybody but Ralph Meeker in "Kiss Me Deadly". (Mitchum would be excellent.)

I like Meeker in "Kiss Me Deadly". I do not think that the film would work with Mitchum or Widmark .

Bela Lugosi as Hercule Poirot

Not sure about Lugosi as Poirot .
He was not a great actor and had problem memorizing large amounts of dialogs.
So he going to have major problems doing Poirot .
And by 1940's he started to have a drinking problem .
If you want a Horror actor as Poirot , why not Peter Lorie or Boris Karloff ?

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Curtiz had zero tolerance for actors who did not know their lines.
He got in trouble a couple of times for throwing the Studio Bosses Mistresses off the set for not knowing their lines and giving their line to minor actresses on the set.
He not going to get along with Lugosi.

 

[unclepatrick]

My Raymond Chandler alternate movies
Starting in 69, Hollywood would adapt four of the Phillip Marlow books into movies .
And rather then setting them in the 30 and 40's when they were written ,they moved them forward to the 70's and tried to update them .
That did not work.
Only One "Farewell My Lovely " was set in the original time period.
And it had my favorite Marlow, Robert Mitchum .
The movies Marlow had James Garner and the movie The Long Goodbye had Elliot Gould as Marlow. Neither works .
Mitchum also did a remake of the Big Sleep in 78 but they set it in Modern day and changed most of the story , and it does not work.

So what my alternate take on the 70's Phillip Marlow?
Well have Robert Mitchum as Marlow in all four films and do all of them as period pieces set in the 30's and 40's.
Stick close to the original stories .

 

[Guajolote]

Partners In Crime (dir. Roy Ward Baker 1966)

After the surprise success of Frank Tashlin's The Alphabet Murders, MGM decided to adapt more Christie characters in the same droll, mod style as Margaret Rutherford's Miss Marple and Tony Randall's Hercule Poirot. Despite the title, the film was actually a (rather loose) adaptation of The Secret Adversary with a distinct flavour of The Avengers. The film has gone on to enjoy cult status and Gerald Harper & Amanda Barrie would reprise their roles in a 26 episode series for Lew Grade's ITC.

 

[phx1138]

I like Meeker in "Kiss Me Deadly". I do not think that the film would work with Mitchum or Widmark .

I feel he's too much of a lightweight (too nice) for Mike Hammer. (That said, apparently the director was trying to send up Hammer, so that may have been deliberate. {Driving a Jag? Really?})

I'll be honest, I haven't seen half these films, but your enthusiasm is impressive.

Big fan of Eddie Muller's "Noir Alley" on TCM.

I should add: anybody but Warren William in "Satan Met a Lady" (later remade as "The Maltese Falcon") and every Perry Mason film. (I just cannot stand William...)

 

[unclepatrick]

Big fan of Eddie Muller's "Noir Alley" on TCM.

Eddie is great and I have watch more film noir since he started on TCM , then every before.

 

[unclepatrick]

I feel he's too much of a lightweight (too nice) for Mike Hammer. (That said, apparently the director was trying to send up Hammer, so that may have been deliberate. {Driving a Jag? Really?})

I never read any of the Mike Hammer books so I can not speak to how accurate the movie is to the books or the Character .
Most of what I know of Hammer is the 50's TV show with Darren McGavin .
Still I like the movie ,

I should add: anybody but Warren William in "Satan Met a Lady" (later remade as "The Maltese Falcon") and every Perry Mason film. (I just cannot stand William...)

I found my self thinking of William Powell in "Satan Met A Lady" when TCM ran it a week ago.
Wonder what he would do with the role.

 

[WhovianHolmesianChap]

All interesting stuff so far.

Not sure about Lugosi as Poirot .
He was not a great actor and had problem memorizing large amounts of dialogs.
So he going to have major problems doing Poirot .
And by 1940's he started to have a drinking problem .
If you want a Horror actor as Poirot , why not Peter Lorie or Boris Karloff ?

Curtiz had zero tolerance for actors who did not know their lines.
He got in trouble a couple of times for throwing the Studio Bosses Mistresses off the set for not knowing their lines and giving their line to minor actresses on the set.
He not going to get along with Lugosi.

Curtiz had previously directed Lugosi in 1918's 99, so they had some experience together. Let's say that the prospect of playing the main hero in a major mainstream film, made Lugosi more disciplined and determined to sell the role. Perhaps it would have got him to stop the drinking, at least temporarily. The thought of escaping his typecasting, and moving on to more varied roles, certainly could have emboldened him.
Part of my desire for this TL was to select some unusual castings that I think might have worked. I'm thinking Lorre could potentially have been Poirot for a sequel or two.

 

[unclepatrick]

All interesting stuff so far.

Curtiz had previously directed Lugosi in 1918's 99, so they had some experience together. Let's say that the prospect of playing the main hero in a major mainstream film, made Lugosi more disciplined and determined to sell the role. Perhaps it would have got him to stop the drinking, at least temporarily. The thought of escaping his typecasting, and moving on to more varied roles, certainly could have emboldened him.
Part of my desire for this TL was to select some unusual castings that I think might have worked. I'm thinking Lorre could potentially have been Poirot for a sequel or two.

I read somewhere that Charles Laughton played Poirot in a couple of stage plays from the late 20's to the early 30's.
He be a good choice for Poirot in the movies in the 30's.

 

[unclepatrick]

The old time radio show Suspense did a adaption of Christie's "The ABC Murders" .
It interesting in that it loses Poirot and focuses on another character to solve the mystery .

 

[WhovianHolmesianChap]

I read somewhere that Charles Laughton played Poirot in a couple of stage plays from the late 20's to the early 30's.
He be a good choice for Poirot in the movies in the 30's.

Agreed, however I believe Christie disliked his performance.

 

[unclepatrick]

Agreed, however I believe Christie disliked his performance.

She did not like any of the actors that played her characters during her lifetime in the movies .

 

[phx1138]

I read somewhere that Charles Laughton played Poirot

My standard is David Suchet. He seemed to own Poirot. (That said, I never read any of the books, so how Christie describes him, I have no idea.)

Also, for the record, I haven't read but a couple of the Hammer books, either. My impression is very strongly influenced by Stacy Keach's performance on TV in the '80s; I measure everybody else (including Assante from "I, the Jury") by that.

 

[Driftless]

She did not like any of the actors that played her characters during her lifetime in the movies .

I believe she came around to Margaret Rutherford in the end, but was that from a good business sense, rather than personal feeling? Rutherford's popularity and the lighter-hearted approach brought Christie to a wider audience than before. (Christie was still a huge success, but enough market share is never enough....)