Murder on the Orient Express was arguably the first Christie production to be filmed in a superstar-studded fashion, and it was a huge artistic and box-office success, and as a result, was imitated by later detective films.
Like many of Christie's other novels, Murder on the Orient Express is based on a real-life event, the famous Lindbergh kidnapping of the 1930s. Lindbergh, the famous American aviator, was the first to fly across the Atlantic, and on the night of March 1, 1932, kidnappers took his 20-month-old son from his New Jersey mansion and demanded a ransom of $50,000 for him. Despite the ransom payment, Charles Lindbergh Jr.'s body was found 11 days later in the bushes not far from his home. Nanny Betty Groh and her boyfriend were investigated but later proved innocent. Violet Sharp, a maid, was also suspected because of her vague testimony, and she chose to commit suicide rather than tell the truth, which was that she had been having affairs with several men and had been fooling around in an undercover bar on the night of the murder. Two years later, police finally found a suspect, New York carpenter Hauptmann. Hauptmann was an illegal immigrant with a criminal record, and there was several pieces of evidence against him, notably a partially numbered ransom note found in his garage. In court, the evidence was presented: seven handwriting experts concluded that Hauptmann's handwriting matched the handwriting on the ransom note; the wood used by the kidnappers to climb the ladder up to the window of the baby's nursery came from a pine tree near Hauptmann's house or from the floorboards of his house; he was also seen in the neighborhood of Lindbergh's house on the day of the kidnapping; and the intermediary who had delivered the ransom identified Hauptmann as the German-speaking man who had collected the ransom; and Hauptmann was the one who had collected the ransom, who was also the one with the German accent. The strongest evidence, of course, was the ransom money itself, the fact that Hauptmann had been discovered for using it, and the fact that, despite his lack of regular employment, he had lived a life of privilege during the Depression that was not commensurate with his income. Hauptmann denied the charges against him, arguing that the money had been left at his house by a leather goods dealer who had died in Germany; his wife testified that he was in the house on the night of the murder and had not been out; and his defense attorney accused the police of falsifying evidence. Some argued that the child had died accidentally after falling out of a window, but the judge told the jury that even that did not change the nature of the vicious murder. After 11 hours of deliberation, the jury came to a unanimous conclusion: guilty as charged. Hauptmann always refused to plead guilty, and after an appeal was denied, in April 1936 he was sent to the electric chair. After Hauptmann's execution, debate over the matter remained unsettled. Some believed he was innocent because he refused an offer to confess in exchange for a life sentence; others thought the leather merchant was the real culprit; still others even thought Lindbergh himself or his wife's sister killed the child; and Hauptmann's wife, Anna, called for her husband's innocence to the end of her life.
Obviously, the sensational kidnapping case inspired Christie's work, and the similarities between Murder on the Orient Express and the novel are clear: the novel begins with the kidnapping of Daisy, the young daughter of famous American pilot Armstrong, and the tearing up of the ticket; the kidnappers are apprehended a few months later, but the ringleader of the kidnappers, Kaiser Tee, escapes justice through the power of money. Daisy's pregnant mother dies of grief, her father commits suicide as a result, and one of the family's maids commits suicide on suspicion of innocence. A few years later, on the Orient Express from Istanbul to Calais, a man named Reichert is stabbed twelve times and killed. As a member of the travelers, Poirot begins to investigate, and the first thing he finds out is that this Reichert turns out to be the very same Keseti who escaped from the net of the law that year, and later he finds out that almost every passenger on the same train has a relationship with the Armstrong family, so which one of them is the murderer? Or is there someone else? ......
The movie, made in 1974, focuses on a large number of veteran stars or newcomers who were on the rise at the time, at least six of whom were Oscar winners.
Albert Finney, who played Poirot, was a veteran actor active in both the U.S. and the U.K. He won a BAFTA for Best Newcomer in 1961 for his performance in "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," was nominated for Best Actor in 1963 for his role in the Academy Award-winning blockbuster Tom Jones, and went on to star in such films as "Murder on the Orient Express," "The Ride of the Orient," and "The Ride of the Birds. Murder on the Orient Express. His most recent major work is "Washington Square".
Bianchi, Poirot's old friend and coach company director, is played by American actor Martin Balsam. He had major roles in such hits as Dockside, Twelve Angry Men, Psycho, Breakfast at Tiffany & Co, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, The President's Class, St. Elmo's Fire, etc. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1965 for A Thousand Clowns.
Dr. Constantine, the Greek doctor who performs the autopsy, is played by George Kourouroulis. He also started fairly early in film, having played major roles in "Citizen Kane," "War Bells" and "St. Joan of Arc.
The evil kidnapper Ratchett is played by Richard Widmark who was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and starred in the acclaimed movie "Judgment at Nuremberg".
Rachet's secretary, McQueen, was played by Anthony Perkins. The most famous movie he ever starred in is probably "Psycho," directed by Alfred Hitchcock, in which he portrayed a dual-personality psychopath in a silky, creepy way.In September 1992, Anthony Perkins died of AIDS.
Rachet's English manservant, Beddoes, was played by Sir John Gielgud, a famous British character actor. Known for his performances of Shakespeare in his early years, his portrayal of Hamlet on the Broadway stage was considered enough to make him a legend. Like Laurence Olivier, he was knighted by the Queen for his outstanding performances on stage and screen, and in 1981 he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Arthur. He has appeared in a number of films familiar to our audiences, such as The Prince's Revenge, where he played the ghost of Old Hamlet; Julius Caesar, as Cachetus; Richard III, as the Duke of Clarence; Chariots of Fire, as the Teachers' Trinity; Gandhi, as Lord Owen; The First Horseman, as Oswald; Portrait of a Noble Woman, as Mr. Touchett; and The Shining, as Lord Owen. Mr. Touchett; Professor Parkes in The Shining; and the Pope in Elizabeth. Although he is 95 years old this year, he is still active on the screen. The TV series "War and Memories" which was shown in our country also featured the role of Gielgud, who played the urbane, wise and somewhat naive Jewish scholar Jastrow, who would recognize him as the unsmiling manservant in "Murder on the Orient Express"? Gilgourd's skill as a character actor is evident.
Playing the fussing Mrs. Hubbard is Hollywood star Lauren Bacall. She starred in such notable films as How to Marry a Millionaire, The Gift of Love, Miserere, Readymade, and Both Sides of the Mirror (which won the 69th Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress). She is the wife of the famous hard-boiled movie star Humphrey Bogart.
Col. Arbuthnot is played by Sean Connery, the first James Bond. He has acted in a large number of thrillers and action films, including Dr. No (James Bond), From Russia with Love (James Bond), Goldfinger (James Bond), Thunderball (James Bond), You Only Live Twice (James Bond), Diamonds Are Forever (James Bond), The Name of the Rose, The Iron Mask (which won the 1987 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), Russia's Home, The Hunt for Red October, Robin Hood, and The First Knight. Other films in which he has acted include "The Longest Day" and "Robin Hood and Marianne".
The Colonel's girlfriend, Mary Debenham, was played by British actress Vanessa Redgrave. From a family of actors, Vanessa is considered not only one of Britain's finest theater actresses, but also an active left-wing social activist. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "Julia" with Jane Fonda and was nominated again for "Howards End," and has won numerous Best Actress awards at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals.
Wendy Hiller, who played Princess Dragomiroff, is a veteran British actress who appeared on the silver screen in the 1930s and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1958 for A Separate Table. She also had a role in the movie "The Rest of the Bitter End", which is familiar to our audiences.
Rachel Roberts, who plays Hildegarde, the Duchess's maid, is also a well-known British actress who has won several BAFTAs. She also starred in the Australian film Picnic on a Cliff. she committed suicide in 1980 in Los Angeles.
Count Andrenyi was played by Michael York. He will be no stranger to our audiences, having played Pip in the film "Tears of Blood of the Lone Star", and he was the leading man in the TV series "The Man Without Fear" and "When We Meet Again". Other notable films he starred in include Romeo and Juliet (as Tybalt) and the British version of The Three Musketeers (as D'Artagnan).
Jacqueline Bisset, who played Countess Andrenyi, was a model for a time, but became famous for her beauty and was named Newsweek's "Most Beautiful Actress" in 1977. She starred in movies and TV shows such as "Airport", "Napoleon and Josephine" and "Wild Orchid".
American detective Hardman was played by Colin Blakely.
Italian driver Foscarelli is played by Dennis Quiller.
The crewman Pierre is played by the famous French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel. His role was featured in the films "The Good Little Boy in the Flying Machine", "The Hidden Charm of the Bourgeoisie", "The Three Musketeers" and "Readymade Clothes".
The most famous actress in the movie is Ingrid Bergman, who played the Swedish schoolteacher Greta, and is no stranger to Chinese audiences. 1939 Bergman made her Hollywood debut with her fresh, naturalistic performance in Interlude. In 1939, Bergman made her Hollywood debut with a fresh, naturalistic performance in Interlude. She played a slutty waitress in Dr. Incarnate, Ilsa in Casablanca, and Maria in War Bells, and won her first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1944 for Under the Gaslight. She went on to play the lead roles in two famous Hitchcock suspense films, "Dr. Edward" and "The Beauty Race," and starred in such films as "The Bells of St. Mary's," "Joan of Arc," and "Arc de Triomphe. Impressed by the film Rome, the Undefended City, Bergman traveled to Italy after 1950 to work with director Robert Rossellini and became a partner. But neither her marriage nor her career in Italy was successful, and six years later Bergman returned to Hollywood to a warm welcome, winning her second Oscar for her performance in Anastasia. Murder on the Orient Express won her another award, but for Best Supporting Actress, and she went on to star in films such as Autumn Sonata.On her 67th birthday, August 29, 1982, Ingrid Bergman died of breast cancer.
"Murder on the Orient Express" has been praised for its strong characters, period flavor and successful atmosphere. Its director, Sidney Lumet, was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar for 12 Angry Men, and Murder on the Orient Express was again nominated for Best Picture.