Agatha Christie's Poirot Episode Guide - inaf iasf bologna

Agatha Christie’s Poirot Episode Guide
The Adventure of the Western Star
Season 2
Episode Number: 20
Season Episode: 10
Originally aired: Sunday March 4, 1990
Writer:
Clive Exton, Agatha Christie
Director: Richard Spence
Show Stars: Hugh Fraser (Captain Arthur Hastings), Philip Jackson (Chief Inspector
James Japp), Pauline Moran (Miss Felicity Lemon), David Suchet
(Hercule Poirot)
Guest Stars: Rosalind Bennett (Marie Marvel), Alister Cameron (Lord Yardly), Ian
Collier (Sergeant), Oliver Cotton (Gregorie Rolf), Julian Gartside (hotel
receptionist), Bruce Montague (Hoffberg), Struan Rodger (Henrik
van Braks), Bill Thomas (Steward), Barry Woolgar (Inspector Dosgell),
Stephen Hancock (Mullings), Caroline Goodall (Lady Maud Yardly)
Summary: Marie Marvelle, a Belgian film star, receives threatening letters from
a chinaman which demand her famous diamond, the Western Star.
Marie visits her old friend Hercule Poirot in London, seeking his help,
and Poirot tackles the case with relish.
Poirot receives a visit from Miss Mary Marvell, the
famous American film star on her visit to London. She
has received three letters, handed to her by a Chinaman,
which warn her to return her fabulous diamond
jewel, the ”Western Star”, to where it came from — the
left eye of an idol — before the next full moon. Her husband,
Gregory Rolf, who bought it from a Chinaman in
San Francisco, gave Mary the jewel three years ago. The
pair are going to stay at Yardly Chase, the home of Lord
and Lady Yardly when the moon is next full to discuss
the making of a film there and Mary is determined to go
with her diamond. Both Poirot and Hastings remember
society gossip from three years back that linked Rolf and
Lady Yardly. The Yardlys also own an identical diamond
that came from the right eye of the idol — the Star of
the East. After Mary has gone Poirot goes out and Hastings
receives a visit from Lady Yardly (she was advised to
visit Poirot by her friend Mary Cavendish, who appears
in The Mysterious Affair at Styles). Hastings ”deduces”
that she too has received warning letters. Her husband
plans to sell their jewel as he is in debt. When Poirot
finds this out he arranges to visit Yardly Chase and is
there when the lights go out and Lady Yardly is attacked
by a Chinaman and her jewel stolen. The next day, Mary’s jewel is stolen from her London hotel.
Poirot makes his investigations and returns the Yardly’s jewel to them. He reveals to Hastings
that there never were two jewels or any Chinaman — it was all an invention of Rolf’s. Three
years back in the USA he had an affair with Lady Yardly and blackmailed her into giving him
the diamond which he then gave to his wife as a wedding present. Lady Yardly’s was a paste
copy that would have been discovered when her husband sold it. She was starting to fight back
against her blackmailer and Rolf arranged the deception against his wife that Lady Yardly copied
when Hastings told her of the threats. Poirot’s threats manage to persuade Rolf to give the real
diamond back and leave the Yardlys in peace.
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