Portraying Poirot Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Austin Trevor portrayed Hercule Poirot in three movies - "Alibi" in 1931, "Black Coffee" (based on an Agatha Christie play rather than a novel), also in 1931, and "Lord Edgware Dies" in 1934. The novel "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" was controversial because of Christie's choice of murderer.

The other answer options were all Miss Marple movies that were made in the 1960s, featuring Dame Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple.

Answer: the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, as portrayed by Peter Sellers

"The Alphabet Murders" was a spoof movie based on Agatha Christie's "The ABC Murders". The name was changed in order to avoid potential issues with ABC Cinemas, a British chain of cinemas.

Tony Randall's portrayal of Poirot was based on the inept Inspector Clouseau from the popular "Pink Panther" movies, "The Pink Panther" (1963) and "A Shot in the Dark" (1964). The producers also cashed in on the popularity of the Miss Marple movies by having Margaret Rutherford make a cameo appearance as Miss Marple.

Robert Morley played the role of Poirot's sidekick, Hastings, and Austin Trevor (who previously portrayed Poirot on screen in the 1930s) also appeared in this movie as the butler, Judson.

Agatha Christie is said to have hated this movie. She objected to the initial casting of Zero Mostel as Poirot and the role eventually went to Tony Randall. She also objected to a proposed bedroom scene involving Poirot.

Answer: Albert Finney

All four actors appeared in the movie but it was Albert Finney who played Hercule Poirot. According to Charles Osborne, author of "The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie", Max Mallowan (Agatha Christie's husband) stated that his wife generally disliked film versions of her books but "gave rather grudging appreciation to this one".

She felt that Albert Finney's performance came closest to her ideal, although she wasn't impressed with his moustache.

Answer: Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh both directed this movie and starred in it as Hercule Poirot. There were criticisms that his enormous moustache was over the top. However, Branagh researched all of Agatha Christie's references to Poirot's moustache and defended his choice on the grounds that Agatha Christie described it as "immense". Branagh stated that it was "like Poirot's superpower, his calling card".

Answer: James Coco

The characters in "Murder by Death" comprised six famous fictional detectives -- Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Sam Spade, Charlie Chan, and Nick and Nora Charles. Their names are (mis)represented as Milo Perrier (played by James Coco), Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester), Sam Diamond (Peter Falk), Sydney Wang (Peter Sellers), and Dick and Dora Charleston (David Niven and Maggie Smith).

They are invited to "dinner and a murder" by their mysterious host, Lionel Twain (alluding to the famous toy company, Lionel Trains).

Answer: John Cleese

"The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation as We Know It" was co-written by and starred John Cleese as Arthur Sherlock Holmes, the inept grandson of the great detective. Briefly, the grandson of Professor Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes' nemesis) threatens that the world will come to an end in five days unless his demands are met. Arthur realises he needs help and calls on the world's best known detectives, such as Columbo, Steve McGarrett, Sam Spade, McCloud, and, of course, Hercule Poirot, for assistance. Poirot was played by British actor, Dudley Jones.

Answer: Death on the Nile

Following his 1974 performance as Poirot in "Murder on the Orient Express", Albert Finney was invited to portray Poirot again in this movie. However, Finney declined as he realised that the film was being made on location in Egypt and that the heat would be unbearable.

It was a wise move - filming had to stop for about two hours each day around noon because the temperatures typically reached around 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) at that time of the day.

Answer: Evil Under the Sun

In addition to Jane Birkin and Maggie Smith, this movie also starred James Mason, Roddy McDowell, Diana Rigg, Sylvia Miles and Colin Blakely. Unfortunately, despite a good cast, it was a box office flop. It cost $10 million to make but only grossed $6.1 million. According to the "Los Angeles Times" in 1982, Peter Ustinov considered "Evil Under the Sun" to be a better movie than "Death on the Nile".

He is quoted as saying, "I think it's a better script than the first one I did. And much more fun".

Answer: Piper Laurie

Piper Laurie plays the matriarch and murder victim, Mrs Boynton. Carrie Fisher plays Nadine Boynton, her daughter-in-law and the only member of the family who is not afraid of her. Hayley Mills plays fellow traveler and archaeologist, Miss Quinton. Lauren Bacall plays Lady Westholme, a loud American-born British MP. Some sources claim the character of Lady Westholme is partly based on Lady Astor, the first female British MP.

Peter Ustinov went on to play Poirot three more times in made-for-television movies -- "Thirteen at Dinner" (1985), "Dead Man's Folly" (1986) and "Murder in Three Acts" (1986). Interestingly, in "Thirteen at Dinner", David Suchet plays the role of Inspector Japp. David Suchet went on to become Poirot in the long-running television series, "Agatha Christie's Poirot", which ran for 70 episodes between 1989 and 2013.

Answer: Spice World

Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown (Mel B), Melanie Chisholm (Mel C), Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham are members of the group, the Spice Girls, and the movie was "Spice World". Hugh Laurie plays Hercule Poirot in a brief spoof scene with killer Emma Bunton (Baby Spice).

(P.S. Yes, there really is a movie called "Who Shot Simon Cowell?")