A deluxe version of Agatha Christie’s favorite mystery story, published in 1937, and a thematic follow-up to her ‘Murder on the Orient Express.’ Set aboard a steamship cruising down the Nile, an extremely unpopular heiress is murdered and everyone on the ship is suspect. The passengers include the eminent detective Hercule Poirot (Ustinov), who cuts short his vacation in order to solve the mystery. The cast features the cream of ’70s Hollywood and even includes classic-era stars Davis and Niven.
Death on the Nile features one of the very last film scores written by legendary Italian film music composer Nino Rota, who is best remembered for his long collaboration with director Federico Fellini.
production details
USA | Paramount | 140 minutes | 1978
Director: John Guillermin
Producers: John Brabourne, Richard Goodwin
Original Story: Agatha Christie
Cinematography: Jack Cardiff
Editor: Malcolm Cooke
Music: Nino Rota
Script: Anthony Shaffer
Production Design: Peter Murton
Costume Designer: Anthony Powell
cast
Bette Davis as Marie Van Schuyler
Sam Wanamaker as Rockford
Jack Warden as Dr. Ludwig Bessner
George Kennedy as Andrew Pennington
Maggie Smith as Miss Bowers
David Niven as Colonel Race
Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot
Harry Andrews as Barnstaple
Simon MacCorkindale as Simon Doyle
Barbara Hicks as Schoolteacher (uncredited)
Mia Farrow as Jacqueline de Bellefort
Lois Chiles as Linnet Ridgeway Doyle
Jane Birkin as Louise Bourget
Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Salome Otterbourne
Jon Finch as James Ferguson
Olivia Hussey as Rosalie Otterbourne
I.S. Johar as Mr. Choudhury
Celia Imrie as Maid (uncredited)
Saeed Jaffrey as Servant on the ‘Karnak’ (uncredited)
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