"The Secret Adversary" was just the second mystery that Agatha Christie wrote. It was first serialized in 1922, and introduces the young couple who become detectives - Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley. This 1983 movie was the first film adapted from Christie's story of the same title. While many of the Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries had films made before 1983, both for the cinema and television, it had taken some time for others of her stories to be adapted.. These others have all been very good mysteries crafted by the mind and hands of the great English writer, but the main characters aren't quite up to Poirot and Marple in appeal and interest. Still, this is Agatha Christie, so it's sure to be intriguing and interesting to most audiences.
Some of the Tommy and Tuppence mysteries were adapted from Christie novels and made into TV films for a BBC mini-series called Partners in Crime. As with many TV mini-series, the first film is a full length feature film that introduces the series, while the following films fit the one-hour TV format of 50 to 54 minutes, allowing for commercials. Besides being the first film made about Tommy and Tuppence, this film is the opening feature film for the 1983-84 mini-series that ran on the BBC. That run had 10 more episodes, each with a different story. Another Partners in Crime mini-series was made in 2015 for British TV. It had three episodes each of two of the Christie stories. "The Secret Adversary" was one of the two, and they were updated from Christie's 1922 and 1941 settings to post -WW II and the early Cold War years with Josef Stalin as head of the USSR. I have always preferred the adaptations of Christie to be in the original times and places, and have yet to find a more modern setting adaptation to be anywhere nearly as good as those set in the time and place as Christie wrote them.
This story is set in London shortly after the end of World War I. Tommy Beresford was a lieutenant in the British Army who was wounded twice in the war. Tuppence Cowley was a nurse. They met when he was in the hospital in France after being wounded the first time in 1915. They had not seen one another since then. He had been sent back to the front and was wounded a second time. After the war, each had returned home, but had no prospects for employment. Tommy had just been back home two months, and Tuppence five months.
After meeting in a park, they went to have tea together. And that's when Tuppence suggested they team up and advertise their availability for any type of work or adventure. She asks for a piece of paper and a pencil to write an ad for the newspaper.
Tommy starts to dictate to her, "Uh, now, how about, uh, 'Young officer, wounded in the war - twice wounded in the war' .." Tuppence chimes in with what she has just written, "Here we go! 'Two young adventurers for hire. Willing to do anything, go anywhere. Pay must be good. No reasonable offer refused." Tommy then says, "I should think any offer we'd get to that would be a pretty unreasonable one." And, Tuppence says, "Tommy, you're a genius. That's much more sure. 'No unreasonable offer refused.'"
And that launches their career as private investigators. This story, like some others of Christie, is tied to recent past history. In this case, it has to do with the war and a lost draft treaty when the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915. But now that the war is over, if that document were to surface it would lead to a nationwide strike and revolution in England. How Tommy and Tuppence get involved in the search for the document is part of the intrigue. And, a number of people come into the picture, fueling the intrigue and providing even a slight touch of humor.
I am a big fan of Christie mysteries since I discovered her and began reading her books while I served in the U. S. Army in Europe in the early 1960s. I have not been able to pick the culprit in the vast majority of her stories, until near the end or when Poirot or Marple reveal the person. I have had a few good guesses prove out, but those have been near the end of the stories. This film, which I had not seen until shortly before this writing, has a number of bad guys. About halfway into the film my guess was half right. Anyone who watches the film will understand what I mean by that at the film's ending.
Here are some more favorite lines from this film.
Julius Hersheimmer, "And you can count on me, if needed, for $1 million, Sir James." Sir James Edgerton, "Mr. Hersheimmer, that is a very large sum." Julius, "Well, I don't think these are the kind of people we can offer six pence to, do you?" Tuppence Cowley, "He's not pulling your leg, Sir James. He is disgustingly rich."
Tuppence, "How do you know about that?" Tommy Beresford, "Oh, there's quite a lot I know that you don't know I know."
Tuppence, "Rather fun, wasn't it?" Tommy, "Rather."
Some of the Tommy and Tuppence mysteries were adapted from Christie novels and made into TV films for a BBC mini-series called Partners in Crime. As with many TV mini-series, the first film is a full length feature film that introduces the series, while the following films fit the one-hour TV format of 50 to 54 minutes, allowing for commercials. Besides being the first film made about Tommy and Tuppence, this film is the opening feature film for the 1983-84 mini-series that ran on the BBC. That run had 10 more episodes, each with a different story. Another Partners in Crime mini-series was made in 2015 for British TV. It had three episodes each of two of the Christie stories. "The Secret Adversary" was one of the two, and they were updated from Christie's 1922 and 1941 settings to post -WW II and the early Cold War years with Josef Stalin as head of the USSR. I have always preferred the adaptations of Christie to be in the original times and places, and have yet to find a more modern setting adaptation to be anywhere nearly as good as those set in the time and place as Christie wrote them.
This story is set in London shortly after the end of World War I. Tommy Beresford was a lieutenant in the British Army who was wounded twice in the war. Tuppence Cowley was a nurse. They met when he was in the hospital in France after being wounded the first time in 1915. They had not seen one another since then. He had been sent back to the front and was wounded a second time. After the war, each had returned home, but had no prospects for employment. Tommy had just been back home two months, and Tuppence five months.
After meeting in a park, they went to have tea together. And that's when Tuppence suggested they team up and advertise their availability for any type of work or adventure. She asks for a piece of paper and a pencil to write an ad for the newspaper.
Tommy starts to dictate to her, "Uh, now, how about, uh, 'Young officer, wounded in the war - twice wounded in the war' .." Tuppence chimes in with what she has just written, "Here we go! 'Two young adventurers for hire. Willing to do anything, go anywhere. Pay must be good. No reasonable offer refused." Tommy then says, "I should think any offer we'd get to that would be a pretty unreasonable one." And, Tuppence says, "Tommy, you're a genius. That's much more sure. 'No unreasonable offer refused.'"
And that launches their career as private investigators. This story, like some others of Christie, is tied to recent past history. In this case, it has to do with the war and a lost draft treaty when the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915. But now that the war is over, if that document were to surface it would lead to a nationwide strike and revolution in England. How Tommy and Tuppence get involved in the search for the document is part of the intrigue. And, a number of people come into the picture, fueling the intrigue and providing even a slight touch of humor.
I am a big fan of Christie mysteries since I discovered her and began reading her books while I served in the U. S. Army in Europe in the early 1960s. I have not been able to pick the culprit in the vast majority of her stories, until near the end or when Poirot or Marple reveal the person. I have had a few good guesses prove out, but those have been near the end of the stories. This film, which I had not seen until shortly before this writing, has a number of bad guys. About halfway into the film my guess was half right. Anyone who watches the film will understand what I mean by that at the film's ending.
Here are some more favorite lines from this film.
Julius Hersheimmer, "And you can count on me, if needed, for $1 million, Sir James." Sir James Edgerton, "Mr. Hersheimmer, that is a very large sum." Julius, "Well, I don't think these are the kind of people we can offer six pence to, do you?" Tuppence Cowley, "He's not pulling your leg, Sir James. He is disgustingly rich."
Tuppence, "How do you know about that?" Tommy Beresford, "Oh, there's quite a lot I know that you don't know I know."
Tuppence, "Rather fun, wasn't it?" Tommy, "Rather."
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