Appointment with Death is a 1988 American mystery film and sequel produced and directed by Michael Winner. Made by Golan-Globus Productions, the film is an adaptation of the 1938 Agatha Christie novel Appointment with Death featuring the detective Hercule Poirot. The screenplay was written by Winner as well as Peter Buckman and Anthony Shaffer.
The film stars Peter Ustinov as Poirot, along with Lauren Bacall, Carrie Fisher, John Gielgud, Piper Laurie, Hayley Mills, Jenny Seagrove and David Soul. It is a follow-up to numerous other theatrical and made-for-television adaptions starring Ustinov, as well as 1974's Murder On The Orient-Express.
It marks Ustinov's final portrayal of Hercule Poirot.
Plot
Emily Boynton, stepmother to the three Boynton children – Lennox, Raymond, and Carol – and mother to Ginevra, blackmails the family lawyer, Jefferson Cope, into destroying her late husband's second will that left them $200,000 each, which would free them from Mrs. Boynton's domination.
She takes the stepchildren and Nadine, her daughter-in-law serving as a nurse, on holiday to Europe. In Trieste, the great detective Hercule Poirot runs into an old friend, Dr. Sarah King. Sarah soon falls in love with Raymond Boynton, to Emily's disapproval.
Lady Westholme is introduced. She was born American but has had British nationality for the last ten years due to her marriage, during which she became an MP. She, archaeologist Miss Quinton, and lawyer Jefferson Cope (the same) are also on their way to Jerusalem and Qumran.
The Boynton family are surprised to see Cope on board the ship. The adult step-children discover the existence of a second will since their father told Lennox before he died but no one can prove this. Emily continues to bully her step-children. Cope is flirting with Nadine who overtly accepts his courting. He also resists Emily's demand that he stay away from them. Emily poisons Cope's wine, but this is spilt when Nadine's husband thumps Cope, having found an engraved cigarette case given to Nadine by Cope. Poirot observes a fly drinking from the spill and dying, and keeps a close eye on the family when they disembark.
At the archaeological dig, Cope, Nadine, Lennox, Carol, Raymond and Dr King go for a walk, but Lennox turns back, upset by his wife's preference for Cope. Later the others return one by one. Dr King notices an Arab man hovering over Emily. When she goes over, she finds Emily dead. Dr King thinks Emily died of a heart attack but Poirot points out it is wise to be suspicious when there is a death of someone who is widely hated. He asks Dr King to check her medical bag and she finds it disordered, with an empty bottle of digitalis and there is a missing syringe.
Poirot deduces that Mrs. Boynton was injected with a lethal dose of digitalis, corresponding to a medicine she took that was usually administered by Nadine, in order that her death appear to be by natural causes. Since the family could have altered her medication without needing an additional syringe, he suspects an outsider.
There is an altercation in the street, a gun is fired and an Arab boy is killed. Dr King is accused, but Poirot has her released so she can travel with him to meet the others for a 'picnic' where he plans to reveal what happened. Having suggested that all the step-children lied about seeing their step-mother alive when she was dead (thinking one of them may have done it and wishing to delay or protect them against discovery), he reveals the truth: Lady Westholme is the murderer. She was once in prison and Emily had recognised her from her time as a prison warden. To keep her quiet and maintain her status, Lady Westholme had resorted to murder.
Cast
Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot
Lauren Bacall as Lady Westholme
Carrie Fisher as Nadine Boynton
John Gielgud as Colonel Carbury
Piper Laurie as Emily Boynton
Hayley Mills as Miss Quinton
Jenny Seagrove as Dr. Sarah King
David Soul as Jefferson Cope
Nicholas Guest as Lennox Boynton
Valerie Richards as Carol Boynton
John Terlesky as Raymond Boynton
Amber Bezer as Ginevra Boynton
Douglas Sheldon as Captain Rogers
Mike Sarne as Healey
Michael Craig as Lord Peel
Production
Filming took place in Israel. The denouement takes place at the Springs of Sataf.