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

Driftless

Donor
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.
Same here.

I also like Peter Ustinov's Poirot, though his portrayal seems to be more of a lightning rod - you love him or hate him as Poirot.
 
I also like Peter Ustinov's Poirot, though his portrayal seems to be more of a lightning rod - you love him or hate him as Poirot.
I liked him, too, & before Suchet, he'd have been my go-to. Except he seemed to give the character more humor (or take him less seriously). I have a sense Christie meant Poirot as a dig at the brilliant detective trope (vague, & no evidence... ;) ), so that may have worked for what she wanted; I felt it was undermining him.

Edit:
In ref Assante & Keach, I felt Assante gave Hammer a cool he'd never had from anybody else. Keach had a "go to hell" quality I really liked, very like Mitchum, who IMO would have been perfect for it in the classic noir era (right through about '75).
 
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marktaha

Banned
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.
Niven too young and probably unavailable.
 
This one is not mine but I love the idea.
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Over on the thread "Phil won't leave his Room" by @Guajolote , a Doctor Who timeline ,
Roger Delgado who played the Master, does not die in a car crash and he play Poirot in Death on the Nile in place of Ustinov .
 
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Some TV mysteries shows that should have run longer.
Burke Law: Season Three they changed the format of the show to a Spy series . If they left the show format alone , it could have run for 6 or 7 seasons easily .

Banacek : a impossible mystery show from the 70's that ended after two seasons . Not because the ratings were bad but George Peppard was undergoing a divorce.
Peppard quit the show to prevent his wife from getting a bigger piece of his earnings .
Could have run at least 3 or 4 seasons if not more.

Some other good ones that did not get the attention they deserved .
City of Angels , a show set in the 30's in LA.
the Eddie Capra Mysteries : A lawyer hates going to trial so he proves his clients innocent to avoid going to court.
Black Magic : A magician and his Con man father investigates impossible crimes . Did a adaption of the classic Mystery novel "The Moving Toyshop "
The Duke : a series about a ex boxer who turns Private detective . Played by Robert Conrad . Show was canceled so Conrad could star in the show "A man called Sloan "
 

Driftless

Donor
One series that I vaguely remember from my distant youth that I wish had more "legs" or ran when I was older was "Checkmate". It had a good regular cast and A-List guest stars. The premise was unusual for the time, where in most episodes, the idea was to prevent a crime before it happened.

The Regulars (all were familiar character actors ):
Anthony George
Sebastian Cabot
Doug McClure
Ken Lynch
Jack Betts

Guests:
Dana Andrews
Eve Arden
Jack Benny
James Coburn
Cyd Charise
Angie Dickinson
etc, etc.
 

Driftless

Donor
^^^ Another series that should have had a longer run from the 1960's, is "The Rogues". The premise there was that a group/extended family? of con men would fleece the corrupt in need of fleecing. A Robin Hood premise. One of the draws was using A-list main characters in rotating roles: David Niven, Charles Boyer, Gig Young, ably backed by Gladys Cooper and Robert Coote.
 
One series that I vaguely remember from my distant youth that I wish had more "legs" or ran when I was older was "Checkmate". It had a good regular cast and A-List guest stars. The premise was unusual for the time, where in most episodes, the idea was to prevent a crime before it happened.

The Regulars (all were familiar character actors ):
Anthony George
Sebastian Cabot
Doug McClure
Ken Lynch
Jack Betts

Guests:
Dana Andrews
Eve Arden
Jack Benny
James Coburn
Cyd Charise
Angie Dickinson
etc, etc.
A good series.
 
Some TV mysteries shows that should have run longer.

Banacek

City of Angels
the Eddie Capra Mysteries
Those were all terrific. (My mom was a big fan of "Eddie Capra"; at the time, I was more a fan of the MG. ;) ) Wayne Rogers was good as Axeminster; I especially liked the period feel. And Banacek's '42 Darrin was just too cool.:cool: (Less now...)
Black Magic : A magician and his Con man father investigates impossible crimes . Did a adaption of the classic Mystery novel "The Moving Toyshop "
The Duke : a series about a ex boxer who turns Private detective . Played by Robert Conrad . Show was canceled so Conrad could star in the show "A man called Sloan "
Those I've never seen. They both sound really interesting.
 
Jack Reacher: One Shot (2012)
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Jack Reacher: One Shot (2012)
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Written by Christopher McQuarrie
Adapted from the novel by Lee Child
Produced by Don Granger, Paula Wagner, Gary Levinsohn and Dwayne Johnson
Music by Joe Kraemer
Cinematography by Caleb Deschanel

CAST:

  • Jack Reacher (Dwayne Johnson)
  • Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike)
  • DA Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins)
  • Zek Chelovek (Werner Herzog)
  • Det. Calvin Emerson (David Oyelowo)
  • Charlie (Jai Courtney)
  • James Mark Barr (Joseph Sikora)
  • Martin Cash (Robert Duvall)
  • Linsky (Michael Raymond-James)
  • Jeb Oliver (Josh Helman)
  • Sandy (Alexia Fast)
  • Rob Farrior (James Martin Kelly)
  • Nancy Holt (Nicole Forester)
The first in a series of films based on the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child.
 
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Jack Reacher: One Shot (2012)
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Written by Christopher McQuarrie
Adapted from the novel by Lee Child
Produced by Don Granger, Paula Wagner, Gary Levinsohn and Dwayne Johnson
Music by Joe Kraemer
Cinematography by Caleb Deschanel

CAST:

  • Jack Reacher (Dwayne Johnson)
  • Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike)
  • DA Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins)
  • Zek Chelovek (Werner Herzog)
  • Det. Calvin Emerson (David Oyelowo)
  • Charlie (Jai Courtney)
  • James Mark Barr (Joseph Sikora)
  • Martin Cash (Robert Duvall)
  • Linsky (Michael Raymond-James)
  • Jeb Oliver (Josh Helman)
  • Sandy (Alexia Fast)
  • Rob Farrior (James Martin Kelly)
  • Nancy Holt (Nicole Forester)
The first in a series of films based on the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child.
I know that he not tall enough for Reacher in the books but I always thought of William Defoe as a good choice for the Character of Reacher .
 
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The Bone Collector (1999)
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The Bone Collector (1999)
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Written by Jeremy Iacone
Adapted from the novel by Jeffery Deaver
Produced by Martin Bregman, Michael Bregman, and Louis A. Stroller
Music by Craig Armstrong
Cinematography by Dean Semler

CAST:

  • Lincoln Rhyme (Christopher Reeve)
  • Officer Amelia Sachs (Angelina Jolie)
  • Thelma Reston (Queen Latifah)
  • Det. Howard Cheney (Michael Rooker)
  • Det. Kenny Solomon (Mike McGlone)
  • Det. Eddie Ortiz (Luis Guzmán)
  • Peter Taylor (Leland Orser)
  • Dr Barry Lehman (John Benjamin Hickey)
  • Steve (Bobby Cannavale)
  • Det. Lon Sellitto (Ed O'Neill)
  • Lindsay Rubin (Olivia Birkelund)
  • Alan Rubin (Gary Swanson)
 
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I can't quite see it myself, but I can think of another part he would be amazing for!
I know Defoe is not the image of Reacher , but neither is Tom Cruise .
Defoe is however a good enough actor to balance Reacher toughness with the likeability of the Character.\
Cruise has that Likability but he lacks that natural toughness that Reacher has in the books.
 
The Bone Collector (1999)
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Written by Jeremy Iacone
Adapted from the novel by Jeffery Deaver
Produced by Martin Bregman, Michael Bregman, and Louis A. Stroller
Music by Craig Armstrong
Cinematography by Dean Semler

CAST:

  • Lincoln Rhyme (Christopher Reeve)
  • Officer Amelia Sachs (Angelina Jolie)
  • Thelma Reston (Queen Latifah)
  • Det. Howard Cheney (Michael Rooker)
  • Det. Kenny Solomon (Mike McGlone)
  • Det. Eddie Ortiz (Luis Guzmán)
  • Peter Taylor (Leland Orser)
  • Dr Barry Lehman (John Benjamin Hickey)
  • Steve (Bobby Cannavale)
  • Det. Lon Sellitto (Ed O'Neill)
  • Lindsay Rubin (Olivia Birkelund)
  • Alan Rubin (Gary Swanson)
IIRC, the Bone Collector movie came out the same year as the first adaptation of one of James Patterson's "Alex Cross " novels .
Morgan Freeman played Cross and Denzel Washington played Rhymes.
I wish that they had done the other role.
Denzel as Cross and Freeman as Rhymes .
 
The series of Books that I really want to see a adaption of the Max Allen Collins 'Nate Heller " series of books
.In the first book of the series , Heller leave the Chicago Police force to become a private detective .
His first client is Al Capone .
The series go on to have Heller investigate cases like the Kidnaping of the Lindberg Baby , the assassination of Huey Long and the disappearance of Amelia Earhart .
Latter books do Roswell , The Death of Marylin Monroe and of course a Two volume series around the Death of JFK.
They are some of the best Historical mysteries ever written and would make great movies .
I not sure should be casted in the role as Heller.

What Detective books series do you guys think should have film or tv adaptions ?
 
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