Agatha Christie
Three Act Tragedy

Delicated to
My Friends, Geoffrey and Violet Shipston

First Published

UK

Collins, London, Jan. 1935

US

Dodd Mead, New York, 1934 as "Murder in Three Act"

Saturday Evening Post, Jun.9-Jul.14 1934 as 'Murder in Three Acts'

Plot

(from HarperCollins "The Agatha Christie Collection" cover)

Thirteen guests arrived for dinner at the actor's house. It was to be a particularly unlucky evening for the mild-mannered Reverend Stephen Babbington, who choked on his cocktail, went into convulsions and died.

But when his martini glass was sent for chemical analysis, there was no trace of poison - just as Poirot had predicted. Even more troubling for the great detective, there was absolutely no motive ...

Contents

First Act - Suspicion

1. Crow's Nest

2. Incident Before Dinner

3. Sir Charles Wonders

4. A Modern Elaine

5. Flight From A Lady

Second Act - Certainty

1. Sir Charles Receives A Letter

2. The Missing Butler

3. Which Of Them?

4. The Evidence Of The Servants

5. In The Butler's Room

6. Concerning An Ink-Stain

7. Plan Of Campaign

Third Act - Discovery

1. Mrs Babbington

2. Lady Mary

3. Re-Enter Hercule Poirot

4. A Watching Brief

5. Division of Labour

6. Cynthia Dacres

7. Captain Dacres

8. Angela Sutcliffe

9. Murial Wills

10. Oliver Manders

11. Poirot Gives A Sherry Party

12. Day At Gilling

13. Mrs De Rushbridger

14. Miss Milray

15. Curtain

Characters

Charles Cartwright, Mr Satterthwaite, Dr.Strange, Miss Milray, Rev.Babbington, Mrs.Babbington, Hercule Poirot

Movie & TV

Murder in Three Acts, 1986 (USA/TV)

director Gary Nelson

writer Scott Swanson

cast Peter Ustinov(Poirot), Jonathan Cecil(Hastings), Tony Curtis(Charles Cartwright), Dana Elcar(Dr. Strange), Lee McCain(Miss Milray), Diana Muldaur(Angela Stafford), Nicholas Pryor(Freddie Dayton), Lisa Eichhorn(Cynthia Dayton), Emma Samms(Egg), Philip Guilmant(Rev. Babbington), Jacqueline Evans(Mrs. Babbington)

Three Act Tragedy

Agahta Christie's POIROT XII

director Ashley Pearce

writer Nick Dear

cast David Suchet(Hercule Poirot), David Yelland(George), Jayne Ashbourne, Jane Asher, Kate Ashfield, Suzanne Bertish(Miss Milray), Anna Carteret(Mrs. Babbington), Prue Clarke(Hospital Matron), Anastasia Hille, Art Malik(Sir Bartholomew Strange), Tony Maudsley(Supt. Crossfield), Jodie McNee(Annie), Kimberley Nixon(Egg Lytton Gore), Nigel Pegram(Rev. Babbington), Martin Shaw(Sir Charles Cartwright), Kimberly Stewart(Doris), Ronan Vibert(Captain Dacres), Tom Wisdom(Oliver Manders)

Link

1. Official Site: Three Act Tragedy
2. Wikipedia: Three Act Tragedy
3. IMDb: Murder in Three Acts (1986)
4. IMDb: Poirot: Three Act Tragedy (2009)