Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot | Old Time Radio Detective Rare Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot (update) with additional episodes and special recordings: Hercule Poirot is the greatest detective ever? Certainly a gripping favorite from Agatha Christie! 13 old time radio show recordings available in the following formats: Play a sample episode from February 22, 1945: "The Careless Victim" About this Old Time Radio Show Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2017 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited. Detective Mystery and Drama (1945-1947) One of the greatest mystery writers of all time was Agatha Christie , and one of her most popular characters was an uppity little Belgian by the name of Hercule Poirot. Poirot appeared in 33 of Christie's novels and 51 short stories between 1920 and 1975. The character has appeared in a number of radio programs, movies, and TV shows. Christie created Hercule Poirot for her first book (written in 1916, but unpublished until 1920).

The little Belgian detective had been a police detective in his native country, but expanded internationally after the German occupation during WWI. He is well known for his fastidiousness towards his appearance, especially the mustache he vainly cultivates. His stomach is known to be very sensitive, and he takes great pains to protect it from the trauma of air and sea travel. As popular as he was, Ms. Christie herself eventually grew tired of him, finding him "insufferable" by 1930, and thirty years later calling him a "detestable, bombastic, tiresome, egocentric little creep." She felt, however, that it was her duty as an author to give the public what they wanted, and they wanted Poirot. She did kill him off in the novel Curtain, written during WWII , but unpublished until the year before her own death. When the novel was published in 1975, the New York Times published an obituary for Poirot, one of the few fictional characters so honored. Poirot had several appearances on the radio and in Orson Welles ' Campbell's Playhouse adaptation of "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd ".

The 1945 Mutual series starred character actor Harold Huber in the title role. The series used none of Christie's own stories, although the author introduced the first broadcast from London via shortwave. Huber had been previously seen as a cop in several Charlie Chan films, and would also play Fu Manchu on the radio. This collection contains eleven Hercule Poirot broadcasts and episodes from Campbell's Playhouse (starring Orson Welles ) and Murder Clinic featuring Poirot. For more brainy detectives, see also: Softboiled Detectives . This collection is also included in the Agatha Christie Collection. Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2017 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited. These classic recordings are available in the following formats: MP3 CD Standard Audio Cd Instant Download MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.

13 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00 total playtime 6 hours, 10 min Click here to see disc contents 13 shows - total playtime 6 hours 10 minutes Campbell Playhouse 391112 36 Murder of Rodger Ackroyd.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450112 00 Case Of Roving Corpse.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450114 00 Case Of Roving Corpse.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450222 01 Case Of Careless Victim.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450503 11 Murder Wears A Mask.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450517 13 Death In Golden Gate.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450712 21 Rendezvous With Death.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450719 22 Deadest Man In World.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450913 30 Adventure Of Money Mad Ghoul.mp3 Hercule Poirot 45

1116 39 Trail Led To Death.mp3 Hercule Poirot 451123 40 Murder Is A Private Affair.mp3 Hercule Poirot 451130 41 Bride Wore Fright.mp3 Murder Clinic 421006 Tragedy Of Marsdon Manor.mp3 MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!

13 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00 total playtime 6 hours, 10 min Click here to see disc contents 13 shows - total playtime 6 hours 10 minutes Campbell Playhouse 391112 36 Murder of Rodger Ackroyd.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450112 00 Case Of Roving Corpse.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450114 00 Case Of Roving Corpse.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450222 01 Case Of Careless Victim.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450503 11 Murder Wears A Mask.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450517 13 Death In Golden Gate.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450712 21 Rendezvous With Death.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450719 22 Deadest Man In World.mp3 Hercule Poirot 450913 30 Adventure Of Money Mad Ghoul.mp3 Hercule Poirot 4

51116 39 Trail Led To Death.mp3 Hercule Poirot 451123 40 Murder Is A Private Affair.mp3 Hercule Poirot 451130 41 Bride Wore Fright.mp3 Murder Clinic 421006 Tragedy Of Marsdon Manor.mp3 Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players 13 recordings on 7 Audio CDs total playtime 6 hours, 10 min Or buy individual audio CDs below: Disc A001 Murder Clinic 421006 Tragedy Of Marsdon Manor Hercule Poirot 450112 00 Case Of Roving Corpse Hercule Poirot 450114 00 Case Of Roving Corpse Hercule Poirot 450222 01 Case Of Careless Victim Hercule Poirot 450503 11 Murder Wears A Mask Hercule Poirot 450517 13 Death In Golden Gate Hercule P

oirot 450712 21 Rendezvous With Death Hercule Poirot 450719 22 Deadest Man In World Hercule Poirot 450913 30 Adventure Of Money Mad Ghoul Hercule Poirot 451116 39 Trail Led To Death Hercule Poirot 451123 40 Murder Is A Private Affair Agatha Christie's Poirot (TV Series 1989–2013) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.

Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error on Amazon Video ON DISC From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions. Stars: An ailing Poirot returns to Styles with Hastings nearly three decades after solving their first mystery there in order to prevent a serial killer from claiming more victims. 8.7 Poirot receives taunting letters from a serial killer who appears to choose his victims and crime scenes alphabetically. 8.5 Lucy Crale enlists Poirot to investigate the 14-year-old murder in which her mother was hanged for poisoning her artist father. 8.4 Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

a list of 43 titles created 18 Sep 2012 a list of 23 titles created 17 Apr 2014 a list of 38 titles created 13 Apr 2015 a list of 48 titles created 6 months ago a list of 35 images created 3 months ago Title: Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989–2013) 8.6/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 6 wins & 16 nominations. See more awards » Videos Agatha Christie's Marple (TV Series 2004) Crime | Drama | Mystery An elderly spinster living in the village of St Mary Mead helps her friends and relatives solve mysterious murders. Stars: Geraldine McEwan, Julia McKenzie, Stephen Churchett Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of copper beeches, a Greek interpreter, the Norwood builder, a resident patient, the red-headed league, and one final problem.

Stars: Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Rosalie Williams Midsomer Murders (TV Series 1997) Crime | Drama | Mystery A veteran DCI and his young sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer County. Stars: John Nettles, Jane Wymark, Barry Jackson 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.4/10 X As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war. Stars: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of the devil's foot, Silver Blaze, Wisteria Lodge and the Bruce-Partington Plans. Stars: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Rosalie Williams Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.

Stars: Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan Set in the 1960s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford. Stars: Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, James Bradshaw Inspector Morse has an ear for music, a taste for beer and a nose for crime. He sets out with Sergeant Lewis to solve each intriguing case. Stars: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, James Grout After 25 years of playing Hercule Poirot, British actor David Suchet explores the enduring appeal of his most legendary character. Director: Chris Malone Set amongst the stunning gardens of Europe, Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, two professional gardeners, find themselves drawn into solving mysterious crimes. Stars: Felicity Kendal, Pam Ferris, Ryan Philpott Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of the disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, Thor Bridge, Shoscombe Old Place, the Boscombe Valley, an illustrious client and a creeping man.

Stars: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Rosalie Williams An unusual announcement in the newspaper leads the curious villagers to Miss Blacklock's home, where they become witnesses to a murder. Stars: Joan Hickson, Ursula Howells, Samantha Bond Edit Storyline This whodunit series based on Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories, is named after its star sleuth, Hercule Poirot, a famous former Belgian policeman, who settled for good in London after the war, soon so famous as an infallible private detective that he becomes a society figure in his own right. In each episode Poirot gets to solve a crime mystery -mostly murder(s)- for a paying client or otherwise catching his attention, generally along with his faithful English sidekick Captain Hastings and/or his Scotland yard 'friendly rival' Detective Chief Inspector Japp. Written by KGF Vissers 18 January 1990 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Did You Know?

Trivia David Suchet would initially trim the top of his hair to appear more balding (in later years his hair had thinned naturally), except in Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1990), which chronicles Poirot's first case in England where he's supposed to be considerably younger. See more » Quotes Crazy Credits The opening credits has Poirot disembark at a train station and bow to the viewer. See more » Connections (United States) – See all my reviews What can be said about Mr Hercule. Is it his perfectly groom mustaches? His great and always neat suits? I will tell you...His use of the little gray cells(to poirot saying "use the gray cells" is saying use your brain and look at things from a different perspective. I have been, not only an Agatha Christie fan, but i just simply adore Poirot. He is brilliant and its fascinating the way he solves the crimes! Reading the books is good, but watching Mr. David suchet play the role in any poirot film is brilliant casting and he brings the character to life!

If any of you have read the books and have not seen any of them brought to life, i suggest watching any poirot film starring suchet, you will not be disappointed! Enjoy! 35 of 38 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Poirot's Allies Poirot's Allies Poirot's Allies Poirot's Allies Before being reunited in 2013's The Big Four, Poirot's recurring friends (the "group of three") were last seen in Evil Under the Sun (2001). Hercule Poirot, the Belgian private detective from Agatha Christie's creative mind, couldn't have had an illustrious career without the help of his allies. His associates include Captain Arthur Hastings (his first friend in his new country of England), Ariadne Oliver (a successful mystery writer), Chief Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard, Mr. Goby the informant, Dr. Stillingfleet, and many others. These "others" include policemen and theatrical agents. The pictures that accompany these entries come from the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989-2013) that starred actor David Suchet.

These physical appearances do not necessarily match the characters' descriptions in the books. The entries below list the novels and short stories in which the characters appear, and do not reflect any televised stories (that either starred David Suchet as Poirot or any of his other predecessors). The supporting cast for the series of Poirot included Captain Hastings, Chief Inspector Japp, and Miss Lemon that spanned seasons 1-8 (1989-2002). This "group of three" returned in the final season in 2013. Again, it is important to note that their appearances on the show do not match those appearances in the books. That goes also for the character of George, Poirot's valet, who doesn't even appear on the show until season 10 (in 2006). Despite the "over and under-appearances" of these characters, they have added so much to the series of Poirot and are characters loved by fans around the world.

Withourt further ado, here are the various associates of Poirot's through the years and books: Captain Arthur Hastings Arthur Hastings was played by actor Hugh Fraser in all the stories the character appeared in (on the series Agatha Christie's Poirot). This is from the adaptation of Dumb Witness (1996). Captain Arthur Hastings was Poirot's long-time friend and narrator of a few of Poirot's cases. He appears in 26 short stories, but in only eight novels. He first appeared in 1916, recovering from wounds in WWI. There, he again met Poirot (they were known to each other before) at Styles Court and helped Poirot solve a murder. They also rented an apartment together while solving crimes. Hastings serves as narrator in all of the cases in which he appears. Hastings married a sweet young woman named Dulcie Duveen and they both moved to Argentina. Through the years, however, Hastings returned to London to visit his friend Poirot. Hastings also had 4 children, one of which is Judith, a research scientist living in England.

It is not known how many years younger he was than Poirot, but he was old enough to be losing hair during his exploits during the 1930's. Appears in: "The Double Clue" Chief Inspector James Japp Philip Jackson portrayed Japp on the Poirot series. He is shown here in the 1992 version of One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. Japp was a member of Scotland Yard. His association with Poirot dates back to 1904, when Poirot was with the Belgian police. They worked together on two unrecorded cases, the Abercrombie forgery case and on the Baron Altara case. They met again in 1916 during the Styles Court investigation (The Mysterious Affair at Styles, published in 1920). During the course of the stories in which he appears, Japp is promoted from Detective Inspector to Chief Inspector. In his final appearance on the Poirot television series, Japp tells Poirot that he was promoted to Assistant Commissioner.

Captain Hastings described Japp as a "little, sharp, dark, ferret-faced man", not quite the appearance of Japp on the Poirot series. Japp was an ardent (amateur) botanist who also enjoyed English cooking. He had dreamed of living in the countryside after his retirement from police work. Appears in: "The Affair at the Victory Ball" "The Market Basing Mystery" Felicity Lemon On Poirot, the secretary Miss Lemon was played by Pauline Moran. She introduces her sister to Poirot, as seen here, in the adaptation of the novel Hickory Dickory Dock (1995). Felicity Lemon was Hercule Poirot's secretary, and before that, was employed as Mr. Parker Pyne's. She was described as "unbelievably ugly and incredibly efficient" and looked as though "a lot of bones [were] flung together at random". She was extremely useful to Poirot as being the perfect secretary with hopes of creating the perfect filing system. Her passion for order matched that of Poirot himself. Miss Lemon had a sister who managed a youth hostel in Hickory Dickory Dock.

Appears in: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960) "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" Ariadne Oliver Mrs. Oliver first appeared for Agatha Christie's Poirot in the adaptation of the novel Cards on the Table (2006). She was portrayed by Zoe Wanamaker, whom appeared in all adaptations of the Poirot novels that featured the character. Ariadne Oliver is a successful detective novelist that has worked side by side with Hercule Poirot. The middle-aged writer of detective stories is broad-shouldered and has "rebellious" gray hair. Ariadne Oliver is known for her love of apples and her strong belief in woman's intuition. She is also the creator of the Finnish detective Sven Hjerson, of whom she has a great dislike. Most of the books she appears in have been with Poirot. For more on Mrs. Oliver at HPC, simply go here .

Appears in: Parker Pyne Investigates (1934), non-Poirot "The Case of the Discontented Soldier" "The Case of the Rich Woman" George Poirot's valet, George, first appears in the TV adaptation of Taken at the Flood (2006). He is shown here in 2008's Third Girl. George appears in seven episodes of Agatha Christie's Poirot. George (sometimes referred to as Georges) is Poirot's valet, or gentleman's gentleman. He came into the employ of Poirot sometime after Captain Hastings had left for Argentina (after Murder on the Links). Prior to being Poirot's valet, he served for Lord Edward Frampton. George remained the Belgian's valet until the last novel, Curtain. Poirot utilized George as a source of knowledge of the English aristocracy and was described as a "delicate social recorder". George was also an expert at being a "social snob". Poirot always appreciated the thorough accuracy of George's descriptions he used on people. George was described as having a deferential manner and it was said that communication was sometimes involved with difficulties between him and his employer.

Appears in: The Under Dog and Other Stories (1951) "The Under Dog" Superintendent Bert Spence Poirot's friend, formerly of Scotland Yard, served in the Kilchester Police. He was described as having a large red face and a man "keen on roses". He first appears in Mrs. McGinty's Dead, enlisting Poirot's help in clearing the murder charge of a James Bentley, Mrs. McGinty's lodger. By the time Hallowe'en Party is published, Spence is retired and lives with his sister Elspeth. Spence proves to be of help in this case, as well as Poirot's penultimate story of murder/suicide, Elephants Can Remember. He is not the same Spence who appears in the Poirot novel Taken at the Flood. Appears in: Elephants Can Remember (1972) Mr. Satterthwaite He was the small, snobbish, social butterfly who was an associate of the enigmatic Harley Quin and friend of Poirot's.

He was already known to readers of Agatha Christie's stories as an "agent and pawn" of Quin from the short stories that featured them. When Satterthwaite appeared in Three Act Tragedy, he was a weekend guest of Sir Charles Cartwright when the local reverend was poisoned. Satterthwaite assists Poirot in the investigation and learns more (as does the reader) about Poirot's personality. In the short story, "Dead Man's Mirror", Satterthwaite is reacquainted with the Belgian sleuth once again. Appears in: Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories (1991) "The Harlequin Tea Set", non-Poirot Superintendent Battle Battle was a member of Scotland Yard who had a expressionless face and powerful physique. His cases tended to be that of crimes related to politics or international diplomacy. In the five novels that feature him, only one is a Poirot story. Battle does not appear in the television adaptation of Cards on the Table starring David Suchet. Instead, the character is replaced by a Superintendent Jim Wheeler. For more information on Superintendent Battle, visit this article on HPC.

Appears in: The Secret of Chimneys (1925), non-Poirot The Seven Dials Mystery (1929), non-Poirot Cards on the Table (1936) Murder is Easy (1939), non-Poirot Towards Zero (1944), non-Poirot Colonel Race Colonel Race joins Poirot on a case in the TV adaptation of Death on the Nile, with David Suchet as Poirot. Race is played by James Fox. Race was a member of the British Secret Service, "usually to be found in one of the outposts of the Empire where trouble was brewing". This tall man with a bronzed face appeared in only four stories, two of the them featuring Hercule Poirot. His character appeared in the Poirot series' adaptation of Death on the Nile (2004). Unfortunately, Race does not appear in 2006's adaptation of Cards on the Table; a Secret Service character named Colonel Hughes (created for the episode) takes his place. To read more on Colonel Race, click on this article .

Appears in: The Man in the Brown Suit (1924), non-Poirot Cards on the Table (1936) Death on the Nile (1937) Sparkling Cyanide (1945), non-Poirot Joseph Aarons Aarons was an expert in the theatre. He was a vital resource to Poirot in the Belgian detective's early years in England. The theatrical agent Aarons boasted once to Poirot and Hastings, "There's not much about the profession I don't know." Not only did Aarons know theatre, but the people in that world and the rumors surrounding them. Appears in: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) Mr. Goby A long-time friend of Poirot's, Goby himself was a private investigator who specialized in information--and obtaining it quickly. Few employed him because he was very expensive for his services. He was described in After the Funeral as "small and spare and shrunken. He had always been refreshingly nondescript in appearance and he was now so nondescript as practically not to be there at all." When he speaks to someone, he doesn't look at the person.

Goby became more talkative as the years went by, rambling on instead of being focused on the subject of his investigations. He assisted Poirot later after having been hired by the American millionaire Rufus Van Aldin in The Mystery of the Blue Train. The character of Mr. Goby does not appear on screen in any adaptation of the works listed below. Appears in: Elephants Can Remember (1972) Edward Catchpool Edward Catchpool is a policeman for Scotland Yard, having been created by author Sophie Hannah in two authorized Poirot novels. He had been with the Yard for two years and a policeman for five. He is an umarried young man of thirty-two who enjoys crossword puzzles and, in fact, fills his free time by creating one himself. He resides in a London lodging house owned by a Mrs. Blanche Unsworth. It is there that he meets Hercule Poirot as Poirot takes a room for himself to rest from his labors. Catchpool narrates their investigation of three murders at London's Bloxham Hotel. A short time later he is reunited with Poirot in the town of Clonakilty in the Irish Free State, as a guest of a wealthy writer.

The writer's secretary is murdered and it is up to Poirot and Catchpool to identify the killer. Appears in: Dr. John Stillingfleet Dr. Stillingfleet, as he appears on the TV adaptation of the short story "The Dream". He was a doctor of "thirty-odd with red hair and a rather attractively ugly face." He called upon Poirot's help in the Benedict Farley suicide case in the short story "The Dream". In the novel Third Girl, the doctor saved Norma Restarick's life from oncoming traffic. Upon Poirot's request, he helped her recover from the illegal drugs in her system. The long-legged doctor later married Norma and moved to Australia to start a new practice there. He confessed once, "I'm just interested in people." Appears in: The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (1939) "The Dream" Colin Lamb Colin appears as "Colin Race", the son of Colonel Race, in the TV adaptation of The Clocks (aired in 2011). Colin Lamb was a marine biologist helping the Sercret Service when he meets a young woman who finds a dead body.

He narrates half the novel The Clocks, giving his own point-of-view of the police proceedings in the investigation of three murders while describing his own adventures into espionage. Apart from being friends with Poirot, he was also acquainted with the mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver. It is hinted in the novel that his father might've been Superintendent Battle, but it is up to the reader to decide. It was Poirot that Colin contacts to help assist him and Detective Inspector Hardcastle in investigating the murder of a Mr. Curry. What is inexplicable, however, is that in the television version of The Clocks, Colin's last name is Race and his father is Colonel Race, seen in the adaptation of Death on the Nile. Appears in: The Clocks (1963) Monsieur Bouc Bouc appeared in the TV adaptation of the famous novel Murder on the Orient Express, which aired in 2010. Belgian director of la Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits, he had a long-standing friendship with Hercule Poirot, dating from the time Poirot was the star of the Belgian police force.

He hired Poirot to investigate the murder of Samuel Edward Ratchett, one of the passengers aboard the Orient Express. He was with Poirot in the solving of the crime from beginning to end. Appears in: Murder on the Orient Express (1934) Dr. Burton Burton was a friend of Poirot's and a Fellow of All Soul's. He was a "plump, untidy" man who knew nothing of neatness--he had tobacco ash always covering him. The white-haired doctor wondered why Poirot's mother would choose such a first name as "Hercule". He laughed at the thought of Poirot retiring and growing vegetable marrows. "Yours aren't the Labors of Hercules," said the doctor. "Yours are labors of love." Appears in: The Labors of Hercules (1947) Lucien Bex Bex appeared in the TV adaptation of the novel Murder on the Links (1996). Bex was the police official in charge of the Renauld case. Hastings describes Bex as a "short stout man with a huge mustache".

He had worked with Poirot in Ostend (Belgium) when Poirot was a member of the police force there. It was Bex who introduced Poirot and Hastings to Giraud, the famous detective from the Paris Surete, Poirot's rival in the Renauld case. In the television adaptation, he is seemingly unknown to Hercule Poirot (unlike the novel). Appears in: Murder on the Links (1923) Achille Poirot An invention of Hercule Poirot's, Achille was Hercule's twin brother. Hercule describes his brother is "not nearly so handsome. And wears no mustaches." Achille's power of deduction and reasoning is equal to that of his brother. Achille "appears" at the climax of The Big Four to lend assistance to Hercule and Captain Hastings, only to disappear "to the land of myths." Curiously, although Achille was something of fiction (as if Hercule weren't real enough!), Achille is mentioned in the foreward of the short story collection The Labors of Hercules. Dr.

Burton, a friend of Hercule's, ponders about Madame Poirot's choice of names for her sons. Burton talks as if Achille actually existed. Some fans of Agatha Christie believe Achille did exist and Hercule was just bluffing. The existence of Achille Poirot is left to the reader to decide. Appears in: All original content © 2016, Hercule Poirot Central. This site is not endorsed by Agatha Christie Ltd. or the Acorn Media Group. About - Agatha Christie Facts About Hercule Poirot We've handpicked some of our favourite facts about Agatha Christie's famous fictional creation, Hercule Poirot. 1. Hercule Poirot first appeared in chapter two of Agatha Christie’s first published novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles , which was completed in 1916 but not published until 1920. 2. The first description of Poirot was by Hastings in The Mysterious Affair at Styles who said, ‘He was hardly more than five feet four inches but carried himself with great dignity.

His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side…The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound.” 3. He is a retired Belgian police officer turned world famous private detective. 4. Poirot is disgusted by disorder and once said that he finds it, “really unsupportable that every hen lays an egg of a different size! What symmetry can there be on the breakfast table?” He’s also known to have refused to eat an irregularly shaped loaf of bread. 5. He insists on precision and neatness and even his books are arranged in height order. 6. He takes great pride in his appearance from his immaculately groomed black moustache to his patent leather shoes. He uses a special preparation called “Revivit” to darken his grey hair. 7. Agatha Christie ‘saw’ the living embodiment of Hercule Poirot twice in her life – once having lunch in the Savoy and once on a boat trip in the Canary Islands. ­ 8. Christie dropped the Belgian detective from four of her Poirot novels when she adapted them for the stage.

These were Murder on the Nile (Death on the Nile), Appointment with Death , The Hollow and Go Back for Murder (Five Little Pigs). 9. He is the only fictional character to have received an obituary on the front of The New York Times in 1975, following the publication of Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case . 10. Christie had originally planned to have Miss Marple as the detective in Death on the Nile instead of Poirot. 11. In an article written for The Daily Mail in 1938, Agatha Christie counted The Murder of Roger Ackroyd as one of Poirot’s favourite cases, explaining that in the book ‘he was at his best, investigating a crime in a quiet country village and using his knowledge of human nature to get at the truth.’ 12. In 2014, HarperCollins published the first authorised Poirot continuation novel, The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah, which reached the bestseller charts in 16 territories including the UK and US. 13.

Poirot stars in 33 novels and 59 short stories and 1 original play by Agatha Christie, and 2 continuation novels by Sophie Hannah. 14. Charles Laughton was the first actor to play Hercule Poirot on the stage in 1928’s production of Alibi (based on The Murder of Roger Ackroyd ), and he has since been played by Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov and David Suchet to name a few. 15. Poirot narrates most of his own adventures in The Lost Mine and The Chocolate Box . Hastings is the most frequent narrator of Poirot stories, but other narrators include Dr. Sheppard ( The Murder of Roger Ackroyd ), Nurse Leatheran ( Murder in Mesopotamia ), and Colin Lamb ( The Clocks ). 16. Poirot doesn't just investigate murders in England. He has investigated crimes in France, Belgium, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Switzerland, and the Balkans. 17. Poirot is very particular about the beverages he drinks. His preferred hot beverage is cocoa, though he often takes herbal tisanes for health reasons.

He does not care for many forms of alcohol, like beer and most hard liquors, but he does like good wines. His preferred aperitifs are non-alcoholic sirops, in flavours like blackcurrant and other fruits. 18. The great love of Poirot's life is Countess Vera Rossakoff, a flamboyant Russian expatriate who may or may not be a true aristocrat. The Countess is a jewel thief and henchwoman for The Big Four before she reforms and eventually manages a nightclub. What made Hercule Poirot perfect - Telegraph What made Hercule Poirot perfect Agatha Christie's Belgian detective was a brilliant creation, brought to life by David Suchet's sublime acting Though classically trained, David Suchet has never adapted a de haut en bas attitude towards playing a television detective Photo: REX By Laura Thompson Comments It is almost 25 years since the detective Hercule Poirot, created by Agatha Christie and played by David Suchet, made his debut on ITV. The first of 70 episodes of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, a minor short story called The Adventure of the Clapham Cook, was broadcast in January 1989.

Tonight, Curtain – Poirot’s Last Case brings this long televisual life to an end. Even those who view the Christie oeuvre as irredeemably lightweight may feel a sense of momentousness, a tug of poignancy, at the death of a character who has been part of our national life for a generation. For Suchet, who at the age of 67 has moved through his middle years hand-in-hand with the bumptious Belgian, the wrench is tremendous. A highly distinguished stage actor, an interpreter of Shakespeare, O’Neill and Miller, Suchet has never adapted a de haut en bas attitude towards playing a television detective. Sensibly and graciously, he has only ever expressed extreme gratitude to the part. He also has great fondness for Poirot, rather as for an annoying but essentially lovable relation; he asked to film another episode after Curtain was completed, in order to leave Poirot suspended forever, in his mind, in a state of buoyant health. Agatha Christie was more robust in her attitude. Having created the character, she was also willing to kill him off.

There is a tantalising possibility that the television version will differ in this respect, but the plot of Curtain, the novel, demanded that Poirot should die. It is that kind of book: melancholic, comfortless, suffused with an irresolute despair about the evil that floats so easily to the surface of people. Almost everybody in the novel judges another person to be supremely dispensable, and believes that the world would be better without them. That is strong stuff, realistic to the point of cynicism. It is a very long way from the received opinion of Christie, that she wrote only “animated algebra” and had scant grasp of human nature. So it is fortunate that Curtain has been adapted for television by the best of the Poirot screenwriters, Kevin Elyot, who divines the twisting roots that underpin Christie’s precise, translucent structures. Related Articles Belgian justice official demands universal police DNA database 17 Nov 2013 Curtain was completed 35 years before its publication in September 1975, when it generated the famous Poirot “obituary” in the New York Times.

The idea had been to publish posthumously but, as the frail Christie had no book for her public that year, and was anyway just four months from her own death, Curtain made its premature and sensational appearance. Christie had written the book in 1940, aged nearly 50, when she was working as a dispenser at University College Hospital, dodging the bombs that had flattened her Kensington house and, as she thought, liable to die at any minute. This precarious existence infected Curtain with a powerful sense of uncertainty. It also made Christie compulsively active. She wrote like a fiend, producing some of her finest books. Living alone in London – Max Mallowan, her husband, had been posted to North Africa – she attended a great deal of theatre and wrote excitable, perceptive letters to her husband about Shakespeare. The character of Iago, in particular, obsessed her. She analysed his motivation as if he were a real person, imagining his joy at “seeing Othello suffer as he has suffered”. Motive, with Christie, was always what mattered. The idea for the plot of Curtain came, I strongly suspect, from these musings on Iago.

What is usually said is that she wrote the book because she was heartily sick of Poirot and had found a plausible way to get rid of him; only the horrified wails of her publisher persuaded her that the moustachioed cash-cow must live. This is nonsense, of course. The novel was by way of being an insurance policy. She stashed it away for her daughter Rosalind, as a means to generate some income if she, Christie, succumbed to a German bomb. Furthermore, as Christie’s biographer, I read hundreds of her letters and notes, and I found not one reference to her fabled dislike for Poirot. On the contrary, she treated him with intense protectiveness. She brought him to life almost 100 years ago, in 1916, when she was inspired to write her first crime novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. She was unable to account for the creation of this extraordinary little being, with his fanatical love of order, his delicious conceit, his sexless cosmopolitan charm.

In her autobiography she referred, almost cursorily, to how Poirot was inspired by the wartime Belgian refugees who had lived in her home town of Torquay: “I settled on a Belgian detective… Hercule – Hercule Poirot. That was all right – settled, thank goodness.” But this was no explanation of the mystery of creativity, the instinct that had guided her so surely. In a sense, Poirot is merely a fabulous line drawing, an accumulation of idiosyncrasies: the moustaches, the meticulousness, the little grey cells. Yet from the moment of his irruption on to the page (“Mon ami Hastings!”), he is vividly alive, possessing that indefinable literary quality of connection with the reader. What he is, too, is pure detective, in a way that comparable creations are not. Dorothy L Sayers gave us Lord Peter Wimsey, an intellectual giant and too attractive for words; P D James gave us Adam Dalgleish, a poet to rival Auden: these men are too good to be detectives, too good for the genre that they inhabit. Not so Poirot.

He has no inner life as such, only a supreme clarity of mind, a worldly grasp of sin and a utilitarian, bourgeois morality. “I do not approve of murder,” is his mantra. He is content to remain within the world of geometry and omniscience. Thus he has become a kind of template: infinitely consoling, oddly mythical. Partly because of this rootless, ageless, almost bodiless quality of Poirot, Christie was always intensely reluctant to have him played by an actor. Onstage, in her 1930 play Black Coffee (the only Poirot property not to have been performed by David Suchet), he was portrayed by Charles Laughton, which was high-end but terrible casting. Later the part was taken by Christie’s friend Francis Sullivan, who would pester her atrociously about playing Poirot on screen. She hated the idea, but not as much as she hated the 1964 film The Alphabet Murders, starring an insanely miscast Tony Randall.

“I don’t suppose,” she wrote to her agent, “there could be any misery greater for an author than to see their characters completely distorted.” After this Christie pulled up the drawbridge, despite huge financial inducements, allowing Poirot only to appear on American radio. Not until 1974 did she permit another screen adaptation, the superb Murder on the Orient Express, in which Poirot was played by Albert Finney. Although rather wonderful, Finney was wildly wrong. So, too, was Peter Ustinov in the 1978 film Death on the Nile; yet to my mind he caught something of the spirit of the character, infusing Poirot lightly with his own droll intelligence. Nevertheless, it is Suchet, of course, who has come to define Hercule Poirot. His conception, which is faithful to Christie’s novels yet very much an actor’s creation, has developed astonishingly, although his English grammar has never quite made the grade.

It has taken Poirot from a semi-comical dandy, with a shiny Art Deco apartment and a bombastic pleasure in his own brains, to a dark, heavy-eyed figure tormented by the moral implications of a life spent dealing in guilt and innocence. Over the past decade or so, as the Poirot adaptations began to plumb Christie’s hidden depths, so Suchet has gathered together the formidable power of his classical training and turned it squarely on to Poirot. It is a fabulous performance, no question: an achievement unlike any other. Whether the works of Agatha Christie can quite bear the Wagnerian weight of this final series, I am not sure, but in a sense this has ceased to matter. The last days of Hercule Poirot have taken on their own importance, as if he had a life outside his creator. As, indeed, he now does. And it is an eternal life. Those unduly distressed by tonight’s events can always turn to ITV3 tomorrow evening, when a 1993 adaptation is being screened of a short story called The Underdog, and where the black moustaches will merrily twitch once more.

Laura Thompson is the author of 'Agatha Christie: An English Mystery’ Poirot unmasked: the Belgian refugee who inspired Agatha Christie character - Telegraph Books Poirot unmasked: the Belgian refugee who inspired Agatha Christie character A retired Belgian policeman who fled to England during the First World War may have been the inspiration for Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot Clockwise from left: David Suchet as Hercule Poirot; Alice Graham Clapp, who helped Belgian refugees in Britain; Agatha Christie 9:20PM BST 12 May 2014 The inspiration behind Hercule Poirot remains one of crime fiction’s great mysteries. But now a researcher is claiming he has uncovered the identity of a Belgian gendarme who may have inspired Agatha Christie’s famous sleuth. Little known policeman Jacques Hornais met the author after fleeing his native country for Britain in the face of advancing German troops in 1914, just like the fictional character. Christie introduced the legendary sleuth in her 1920 novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and he went on to "exercise his little grey cells" in 33 novels.

The author never revealed any particular person as her inspiration but researcher Michael Clapp believes the evidence points to Hornias as the real-life Poirot. Related Articles Paul Smith re-designs Richard Scarry classic 12 May 2014 He has unearthed new details of a meeting between Hornais and Christie, when she played the piano for him in her home town of Torquay. Hornais, 57, and his son Lucian, 17, had travelled to Exeter, Devon, to meet Michael’s grandmother, a local volunteer called Alice Graham Clapp, who logged their names in her diary. Mrs Clapp, a married mother-of-four, helped about 500 Belgians find accommodation in Britain during the Great War and was later honoured by the Belgian government. She was involved in wartime fundraising events, hosting one at the home of a friend, Mrs Potts-Chatto, who was putting up Hornais and his son at her house in Torquay. Newspaper records reveal that locals laid on entertainment at the soiree on January 6, 1915, with a 24-year-old Agatha Christie playing the piano for the Belgian guests.

The best-selling writer later claimed she "found" the characters for The Mysterious Affair at Styles while travelling around Torquay. Character Emily Inglethorp's poisoning is solved by the enigmatic Poirot, a famous Belgian detective displaced by the war to England who bears similar traits to Hornais. Mr Clapp was researching his relative's exploits with the help of the Torquay Museum when he discovered the chance meeting between Hornais and Christie. The retired Navy Captain said: "Alice kept a black notebook listing some 500 Belgian refugees of all classes who passed through Exeter. "The first lot included this retired gendarme, Jacques Hornais, and his son. The names of many of the families who received them are recorded. "He eventually went to stay with a Mrs Potts Chatto who lived in a house called the Daisons in Torquay. "It's been knocked down now and there's a housing estate in its place. "But the Torquay museum has confirmed however that the Potts Chattos held a meeting in their house to raise money and gather clothing for the refugees. "A young girl played the piano at the event.

This young lady later became the crime writer Agatha Christie, so there is a very strong circumstantial link to Poirot." Mrs Clapp, who was married to Cecil Robert Mainwaring Clapp, a solicitor and Sheriff of Exeter, died in the 1920s just as Christie's writing career was taking off. For her services to the refugees Mrs Clapp was awarded a Belgian medal, la Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth, which the family still have. The youngest of the refugees are said to have nicknamed her Moei, pronounced Moy, which is Flemish for Mother. Mr Clapp said his grandmother has personally gone to the train station to meet all 500, including Hornais and his son Lucian, in person. Hornais would have been a similar age to his fictional counterpart, although little else is known about him and there is no mention of whether he had a moustache like Poirot. Mr Clapp said: "All of us now think of Hercule Poirot as rather a fat chap waddling along with a distinct character but that doesn't mean to say he was like that in real life.

"All we know about Hornais is that he was gendarme and he had a son. He was married but he didn't bring along his wife his wife at the time. "It's seems quite plausible that Christie met him at the event and may have been intrigued by his stories. "We don't know any of this for sure, but then it seems quite fitting that the real life Poirot should remains as mysterious as the books themselves." According to her official website, Christie never revealed who inspired the character, but "during the First World War there were Belgian refugees in most parts of the English countryside, Torquay being no exception". "Agatha Christie's Poirot" (1989) from The Hague, The Netherlands Poirot is an excellent tv series, with great production values and an outstanding cast. The only bad thing I can say about it is that I've already seen every episode 5 times, and remember how they all end. David Suchet is excellent as the refined, French speaking (Walloon) Belgian detective of the title. On all his cases, he is ably assisted by his Watson, Captain Hastings, and his secretary Miss Lemon.

The series is set in the thirties, and the characters still carry the scars of the first world war with them, while at the same time omens of the next conflict are ever present. A fourth member of the cast is their modern Art Deco apartment building. The jazzy score gives an extra feeling for the period. Anyway, if you haven't seen this little gem already, don't miss it. It is as good as Agatha Christie's other detective series Miss Marple, with Joan Hickson. Was the above review useful to you?

Question: What is the native country of Agatha Chrisitie's detective Hercule Poirot?
Answer: Belgium