Philomel Cottage
Author: Agatha Christie
An heiress marries in haste, and comes to wonder how well she really knows her husband. Is he plotting? First published in The Grand Magazine in 1924. It was later included in The Listerdale Mystery story collection in 1934 (UK) and The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories in 1948 (US).
This is one of Agatha Christie's most adapted stories. It was adapted for radio 3 times for the OTR show Suspense (1924. 1943 and 1946), and once by BBC4 Radio in 2002 (modernized version). It has also been adapted for the stage (1936, titled Love from a Stranger), television (Fireside Theatre, 1950) and film (1947 in the US, titled A Stranger Walked In). The stage play (titled Love from a Stranger) was adapted for film and television four times (1938, 1947 and 1958 and once for West German television in 1957).
A story re-told that many times, in nearly every format, must be a great tale! And it is!
The 1937 movie, titled Love From a Stranger, is available on Youtube. It starred Basil Rathbone, Ann Harding and Binnie Hale. The film is based on the 1936 stage play. In the United States the movie was titled A Night of Terror. The movie fleshes out the story and makes a few changes, but it's still very good.
This story is very clever. I can see why it was adapted so many times. It is definitely classic Christie.
I listened to this story in audio format from The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories, narrated by Hugh Fraser. Loved it!
On to the next!
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