Wonkette Movie Night: And Then There Were None (1945)

'We all build islands of imagination. Represents escape. Half of my patients are sick because they're trying to escape reality.'

And Then There Were None is based on what could be considered the best selling crime novel of all time with over 100 million copies sold. According to the Agatha Christie website she is “Outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare...”

The movie was adapted from her 1939 mystery novel, originally published in the UK as “Ten Little [Slur]” (not “Indians”), derived from an 1869 minstrel song, which itself was based on an early American children’s counting rhyme. That title stayed in use in the UK until 1985. In the US, the story was first published in serialized form in The Saturday Evening Post from May to July of 1939 as And Then There Were None. It referenced the final line from the rhyme, “Ten Little Indians” and the possible fate of the story’s characters. It was published in the US as a hardcover book in 1940 with the same title as its serialization.

As per Wikipedia there have been 12 film adaptations of Christie’s story and the one we are watching tonight, And Then There Were None, is the first, from 1945. Which was titled Ten Little Indians in the UK because the title issue wasn’t already complicated enough. Which seems fitting for a mystery full of twists and turns, with each new victim assumed to have been the killer. As the madman who is orchestrating the whole thing slays one by one the group of 10 strangers on a secluded island, he breaks off a representative figurine from a centerpiece as each is murdered.

The beginning of the film introduces us to the eight guests arriving on Indian Island for a weekend stay at a lovely mansion. Each is given a different reason for their invitation; along with two servants they slowly realize that their host, U.N. Owen (or unknown) is not what he seems. Suspicions arise when their host never appears but instead a recording is played explaining exactly why they are all there. The unknown speaker accuses each one of murder.

• General Sir John Mandrake — deliberately sent his wife's lover, a lieutenant, to his death.

• Emily Brent — caused the death of her young nephew.

• Dr. Edward G. Armstrong — through uncontrolled drunkenness killed a patient.

• Prince Nikita Starloff — guilty of the murder of a couple by reckless driving.

• Vera Claythorne — murdered her sister's fiancé.

• Judge Francis J. Quinncannon — was responsible for the death by hanging of an innocent man.

• Philip Lombard — guilty of the death of 21 men, members of an East African tribe.

• William H. Blore — by perjuring his testimony brought about the death of a man.

• Thomas and Ethel Rogers — brought about the death of their invalid employer.

After the first murder of a member of the group, they understand they need to find Mr. Owen; they reason that he must be the killer and he also must be one of them. As the group’s number dwindles so do the options for who the killer could be, or does it?

And Then There Were None stars Barry Fitzgerald, John Huston, June Duprez, Louis Hayward, Judith Anderson, Roland Young and C. Aubrey Smith. Directed by René Clair.

And Then There Were None is available with subscription on Prime. Free on YouTube. Free with ads on The Roku Channel, Plex, Crackle, Fandango at home and Xumo Play.

To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules go to WonkMovie.

Our cartoon is the original 1972 animated TV special The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. The story is very relevant to today. Produced by Friz Freleng and Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss).

Our next Movie Night selection is The Commitments. It is available for free on the Internet Archive. Free with a free account on Shout TV.