Evil Under the Sun

Evil Under the Sun is a 1982 British mystery film based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie and directed by Guy Hamilton. Peter Ustinov stars as Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective whom he had previously played in Death on the Nile (1978). Plot A hiker finds a dead woman on the North York Moors in England. The victim had been strangled and is identified as Alice Ruber. Around the same time, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is asked by an insurance company to examine a diamond ring belonging to millionaire industrialist Sir Horace Blatt. Poirot agrees that it is a fake and assures the company that Sir Horace would have given a real diamond to his mistress Arlena Stuart Marshall; she had apparently returned a fake version after their split. Poirot agrees to meet Marshall at an exclusive Adriatic Sea island and confront her. The hotel is the former summer palace of the reigning King of Tyrania, now owned by Daphne Castle, who had received the palace "for services rendered". Sir Horace's former mistress Arlena is an actress and is on holiday with her husband Kenneth. Arlena is emotionally abusive to his daughter, Linda, and flirts with Patrick Redfern who is married to Christine. Patrick is on the island only because Arlena arranged and paid for it. Kenneth turns to his old friend, Daphne, who is horrified by the way the way that Arlena treats both him and Linda. Arlena has also caused financial trouble for theatrical producers Odell and Myra Gardener, who are also at the resort, by walking out of a major play and refusing a role in another. Writer Rex Brewster has already spent the royalties advanced to him for a tell-all biography of Arlena, but she refuses to give him a release for the biography, angering him. Early on the third morning, Arlena takes a paddle-boat to Ladder Bay. Patrick and Myra go for a boat trip around the island and see a body lying motionless on the beach. Patrick approaches the body and recognises Arlena, announcing that she has been strangled. Poirot must determine which of his seven fellow guests, or Sir Horace or Daphne, is the murderer. Daphne had heard Kenneth in his room typing at the time of the murder, and Christine was with Linda at Gull Cove and did not leave until 11:55 for a 12:30 tennis match. Sir Horace argued with Arlena about the diamond at Ladder Bay at 11:30, which was confirmed by his yacht crew and by Daphne.