History Trivia / MurderOnTheOrientExpress1974

* CreatorPreferredAdaptation: 84-year-old Creator/AgathaChristie attended the movie premiere in November 1974. It was the only film adaptation in her lifetime, that she was completely satisfied with. In particular, she felt that Creator/AlbertFinney's performance came closest to her idea of Poirot (though was reportedly unimpressed with her sleuth's moustache). The premiere would be her final public appearance: she died fourteen months later, on January 12, 1976.

* AllStarCast: The film stars Creator/AlbertFinney, Creator/LaurenBacall, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/IngridBergman, Creator/MichaelYork, Creator/VanessaRedgrave, Creator/JacquelineBisset, Creator/AnthonyPerkins, Martin Balsam, Richard Widmark, Creator/JeanPierreCassel, Sir Creator/JohnGielgud, and Dame Creator/WendyHiller, among others. Bonus point since they are not only international stars, but also all famous in their respective countries.

* ProductionPosse: Lumet previously directed Creator/SeanConnery in ''The Hill'', ''Film/TheAndersonTapes'', ''The Offence''; and they'd work together again in ''Film/FamilyBusiness''. In fact, Connery was the first actor Lumet called, in part because the two got on famously but also because the director felt that if he could secure the biggest star first, the rest of the cast would fall into place.

* FakeNationality: The Belgian Poirot, the Russian Princess Dragomiroff, the Hungarian Count & Countess Andrenyi, the German Hildegarde Schmidt, the Greek Dr. Constantine, and the Italian-American Foscarelli are all played by British actors; and the Italian Bianchi is played by an American.

* AllStarCast: The film stars Creator/AlbertFinney, Creator/LaurenBacall, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/IngridBergman, Creator/MichaelYork, Creator/VanessaRedgrave, Creator/JacquelineBisset, Creator/AnthonyPerkins, Richard Widmark, Creator/JeanPierreCassel, Sir Creator/JohnGielgud, and Dame Creator/WendyHiller, among others. Bonus point since they are not only international stars, but also all famous in their respective countries.

* FakeNationality: The Russian Princess Dragomiroff, the Hungarian Count Andrenyi, the German Hildegarde Schmidt, the Greek Dr. Constantine, the Italian-American Foscarelli and the Belgian Poirot are all played by British actors; and the Italian Bianchi is played by an American.

* FakeNationality: The Russian Princess Dragomiroff, the Hungarian Count Andrenyi, the German Hildegarde Schmidt, the Greek Dr. Constantine, the Italian-American Foscarelli and the Belgian Poirot are all played by British actors. On the other side, Swedish Greta Ohlsson and French Pierre Paul Michel are played by a Swede and a Frenchman respectively (a rare time Creator/IngridBergman could play a character of her nationality,) and most of the American and British characters are played by American and British actors.

* FakeNationality: The Russian Princess Dragomiroff, the Hungarian Count Andrenyi, the German Hildegarde Schmidt, the Greek Dr. Constantine the Italian-American Antonio Foscarelli and the Belgian Poirot are all played by British actors. On the other side, Swedish Greta Ohlsson and French Pierre Paul Michel are played by a Swede and a Frenchman respectively (a rare time Creator/IngridBergman could play a character of her nationality,) and most of the American and British characters are played by American and British actors.

* AllStarCast: The film stars Creator/AlbertFinney, Creator/LaurenBacall, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/IngridBergman, Creator/MichaelYork, Creator/VanessaRedgrave, Creator/JacquelineBisset, Creator/AnthonyPerkins, Creator/RichardWidmark, Creator/JeanPierreCassel, Sir Creator/JohnGielgud, and Dame Creator/WendyHiller, among others. Bonus point since they are not only international stars, but also all famous in their respective countries.

* ActorAllusion: Creator/AnthonyPerkins' character [[Film/{{Psycho}} is very emotionally attached to his mother]]. A mother who is long dead.

* ActorAllusion: Creator/AnthonyPerkins' character [[Film/{{Psycho}} is very emotionally attached to his mother]].

* FakeNationality: The Russian Princess Dragomiroff, the Hungarian Count Andrenyi, the German Hildegarde Schmidt, the Greek Dr. Constantine the Italian-American Antonio Foscarelli and the Belgian Poirot are all played by British actors.

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/IngridBergman was originally offered the role of Princess Draomiroff, though Creator/SidneyLumet told her she could play any role of her choosing. After reading the script, Bergman bypassed Dragomiroff in favor of Greta Ohlsson, the Swedish nurse. Lumet advised against it, reminding her that the nurse had fewer scenes than the Princess. But Bergman felt an affinity for the role, and her instincts paid off when she won an Oscar for it.

** Creator/AlecGuinness was originally offered the role of Hercule Poirot, but was unavailable. Creator/PaulScfield was also considered.

** Creator/AlecGuinness was originally offered the role of Hercule Poirot, but was unavailable.

* AwesomeDearBoy: Deliberately invoked. Creator/SidneyLumet thought the best way to assemble an AllStarCast was to hire the biggest star first; at the time, that was Creator/SeanConnery. It worked; Richard Widmark signed on to play [[spoiler:the victim]] for no other reason than to meet the other stars, who by then included Hollywood and West End royalty such as Creator/LaurenBacall, Creator/IngridBergman, Sir John Gielgud, and Creator/AnthonyPerkins.

* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/RichardWidmark agreed to do the movie just to have the chance to meet the other stars.

* ActorAllusion:
** Creator/AnthonyPerkins plays [[Film/{{Psycho}} a guy with severe mommy-issues]]. Since his character [[AdaptationExpansion lacks this trait in the book]], it seems especially likely that this was done intentionally.
** [[Film/FromRussiaWithLove This isn't the first time Sean Connery's had trouble on the Orient Express]].

** Anthony Perkins plays [[Film/{{Psycho}} a guy with severe mommy-issues]]. Since his character [[AdaptationExpansion lacks this trait in the book]], it seems especially likely that this was done intentionally.

* AllStarCast: The film stars Creator/AlbertFinney, Creator/LaurenBacall, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/IngridBergman, Creator/MichaelYork, Creator/VanessaRedgrave, Creator/JacquelineBisset, Creator/AnthonyPerkins, Creator/RichardWidmark, Creator/JeanPierreCassel and Sir Creator/JohnGielgud, among others. Bonus point since they are not only international stars, but also all famous in their respective countries.

* ActorAllusion: Anthony Perkins plays [[Film/{{Psycho}} a guy with severe mommy-issues]]. Since his character [[AdaptationExpansion lacks this trait in the book]], it seems especially likely that this was done intentionally.

* Creator/IngridBergman won her third AcademyAward (for Best supporting actress) and her only BAFTA for her role in this movie.

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* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/SidneyLumet is best known for directing serious, gritty crime dramas based in New York.

* ActorAllusion : Anthony Perkins plays [[Film/{{Psycho}} a guy with severe mommy-issues]]. Since his character [[AdaptationExpansion lacks this trait in the book]], it seems especially likely that this was done intentionally.
* AllStarCast: The film stars Creator/AlbertFinney, Creator/LaurenBacall, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/IngridBergman, Creator/MichaelYork, Creator/VanessaRedgrave, Creator/JacquelineBisset, Creator/AnthonyPerkins, Creator/RichardWidmark, Creator/JeanPierreCassel and Creator/SirJohnGielgud, among others. Bonus point since they are not only international stars, but also all famous in their respective countries.