Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery (1981)

A lavish weekend party in a venerable old house promises to be frightfully jolly. Punting and pranks top the agenda until one morning a late sleeper doesn’t wake up at all. Another death, whispers of a secret society called the Seven Dials and stolen state secrets thicken the plot. Feisty Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent (Cheryl Campbell) runs her roadster right into the middle of the mystery and teams up with charming "man about town" Jimmy Thesiger (James Warwick) to find the fiends. Full of sly Christie wit, this ingenious mystery also features Sir John Gielgud in top form as Bundle’s distracted but indulgent father.

Agatha is always fun

Probably less well known than her other works, this story of murder and espionage will keep you guessing until the end. Strong acting, along with some Brit stereo types make this a fun film. John Gielgud is priceless. If you are a Tommy and Tuppence fan, James Warwick is here on the trail of the guilty party. I highly recommend this film January 3, 2007

A weak version of an old fashioned murder mystery

As devoted fans of Agatha Christie and owning many of the Hercules Poirot Series as well as all the Miss Marple mysteries, we wre sorry to see this treated as more farce than murder mystery and consequently found the actors and the acting fluffily light. July 5, 2006

What in the world were they thinking about?!?

They surely weren't thinking about making a quality movie of any sort! This has to be the absolute worst Christie movie of all time. I could have videotaped something better in my back yard -- and, by the way, be ready for that actuality because it looks like videotape and not film. "Badly acted" doesn't even come close in this flick. Folks, the only reason I'm giving this one 2 stars instead of one is because the genesis of this film came from Agatha Christie. I've read everything she's written and I don't think she'd be proud of this cobbled-up, aimless mess. Unless you absolutely must own everything of "Christie", I suggest that you skip this one and go for the old B&W Miss Marple Series (which was great!). This alleged film is a real dog! March 19, 2006

Nice, but a little too light-weight

It all starts with a jolly weekend in a country house for a group of friends. However, when one of them turns up dead, apparently by suicide, it begins to look like something is up. As Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent (played by Cheryl Campbell) and Jimmy Thesiger (James Warwick) begin to investigate the death, another chum turns up with a bullet hole in him. There's something dreadfully sinister going on, and a secret organization called "The Seven Dials" seems to be at the heart of it! But, there's even more going on here than meets the eye. The heroes of this adventure will have to keep their eyes and minds open if they intended to save the day! [Color, released in 1982 with a running time of 2:20.]

Overall, I found this to be a charming mystery. It's got several dead bodies in it (there always has to be a murder in a mystery to give it zest), and a complicated story that will leave you guessing as to the identity of the murderer, right up to the end. Now, admittedly, unlike the almost contemporaneous Joan Hickson-Miss Marple and David Suchet-Poirot movies, there is no actor in this movie who gives it the gravitas that it deserves. Instead, it seems a little too light-weight, with happy banter and too little seriousness.

But, that said, I did enjoy this movie. It's got a nice and complicated mystery, and I was as surprised as the characters when the murderer was unveiled. If you like a good mystery, then I highly recommend this DVD to you!
January 7, 2006

Why is Lady Eileen Brent called "Bundle"?

The era 1920's the plays a country house where diplomats are staying. Soon a mission to evaluate a new material that is vital to aviation.

Gerry Wade (Robert Longden) seems to be a late sleeper it makes one thing that he may be dead when the story starts. Well his friends with the help of an extraordinarily smart Rupert 'Pongo' Bateman (James Griffiths) bring in eight alarm clocks to help Gerry wake up. Looks like they may have been a tad late with their scheme.

People are starting to die. Marquis of Caterhan (John Gielgud) wants to know why his daughter Lady Eileen 'Bundle' Brent (Cheryl Campbell) ran over a man Ronny Devereux (John Vine) and shot him. As the man is dying he mentions "the seven Dials" and Jimmy Thesiger (James Warwick). She assumes that she is meant to tell Jimmy of the something or someone called the seven dials. From there the plot thickens.

The seven dials theme plays through the whole story. We see it in clocks and clock towers; it turns up on paper and dieing breath. Is it a location or a cabal and does it really have something to do with the mystery?

As with many of Agatha Christies stories there are so many characters that you need a score card. Also there seems to be plots inside plots. Everyone could have done it and yet it is always the last person you suspect; or should I say usually the last person you would suspect. The film was adapted from the Novel by Pat Sandys, has the added benefit of the feeling that it is a play.

The film is packed with well known British actors and sometimes it is hard not to think now where have I seen this person before. Noticeably absent is Francesca Annis, yet the main female character player Cheryl Campbell is well remembers for her role in The Murder at the Vicarage (1986). John Gielgud excelled in his part as Marquis of Caterhan.
November 10, 2005

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