''Alibi'' is a 1931 British mystery detective film directed by

Leslie S. Hiscott Leslie Stephenson Hiscott (25 July 18943 May 1968) was an English film director and screenwriter who made over sixty films between 1925 and 1956. He was born in London in 1894. He directed ''Alibi'' (1931), the first ever depiction of Hercule ...

and starring Austin Trevor, Franklin Dyall, and

Elizabeth Allan Elizabeth Allan (9 April 1910 – 27 July 1990) was an English stage and film actress who worked in both Britain and Hollywood, where she appeared in 50 films. Life and career Allan was born in Skegness, Lincolnshire in 1910 and educated in ...

. The film was adapted from the 1928 play '' Alibi'' by Michael Morton which was in turn based on the 1926

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

novel ''

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd ''The Murder of Roger Ackroyd'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in June 1926 in the United Kingdom by William Collins, Sons and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company. It is the third no ...

'' featuring her famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Austin Trevor once claimed he was cast as Poirot because he could speak with a French accent. It was the first of three Poirot adaptations made by Twickenham Film Studios in the 1930s, followed by '' Black Coffee'' the same year, and ''

Lord Edgware Dies ''Lord Edgware Dies'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in September 1933 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year under the title of ''Thirt ...

'' in 1934, all starring Trevor as Poirot. He later appeared in ''

The Alphabet Murders ''The Alphabet Murders'' is a 1965 British detective film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Tony Randall as Hercule Poirot. It is based on the 1936 novel ''The A.B.C. Murders'' by Agatha Christie. Plot Albert Aachen, a clown with a unique ...

'', a 1965 Christie film, playing a minor role. It is now considered to be a lost film.Aldridge p.20

Plot summary

Cast

* Austin Trevor as Hercule Poirot * Franklin Dyall as Sir Roger Ackroyd *

as Ursula Browne * J.H. Roberts as Dr. Sheppard *

John Deverell John Deverell (30 May 1880 in London, England – 2 March 1965 in Haywards Heath, Sussex, England) was a British actor. Selected filmography * ''John Forrest Finds Himself'' (1920) – The Hon. Vere Blair * '' Children of Chance'' (1930) – Ha ...

as Lord Halliford * Ronald Ward as Ralph Ackroyd * Mary Jerrold as Mrs. Ackroyd * Mercia Swinburne as Caryll Sheppard *

Harvey Braban Harvey Braban (19 May 1883, in Brighton, Sussex, UK – 1943) was a British stage actor. He also appeared in films between 1920–1938. Braban performed regularly in West End plays, and also occasionally on Broadway. From 1920 he began appe ...

as Inspector Davis *

Clare Greet Clare Greet (14 June 1871 – 14 February 1939) was an English stage and film actress. She began on stage in Shakespeare with the Ben Greet Company. She appeared in 26 films between 1921 and 1939, including seven films directed by (and one ...

Diana Beaumont Diana Beaumont (8 May 1909 – 21 June 1964) was a British actress. In 1932 she starred in the West End run of the hit comedy ''While Parents Sleep'' by Anthony Kimmins, while in 1934 she appeared in Ian Hay's '' Admirals All''. Selected fil ...

as Flora Ackroyd * Earl Grey

References

Bibliography

* Aldridge, Mark. ''Agatha Christie on Screen''. Springer, 2016.

External links

''Alibi'' (1931) at IMDB
* 1931 films 1930s English-language films British detective films British mystery drama films 1930s mystery drama films Films directed by Leslie S. Hiscott Films based on Hercule Poirot books Lost British films British black-and-white films British films based on plays Films based on adaptations 1931 lost films Lost drama films 1931 drama films 1930s British films {{mystery-film-stub