Poirot (TV Series)

The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly (1989)

David Suchet: Hercule Poirot

Photos 

Quotes 

• Miss Lemon : It's nearly complete, you see. My system.

  Hercule Poirot : Ah.

  Miss Lemon : Every one of your cases classified and cross-referenced five different ways.

  Hercule Poirot : Five?

  Miss Lemon : Oh, yes. In this cabinet, names of witnesses; in this, name of perpetrator, if known. Victim's trade or profession. Type of case: abduction, addiction, adultery - see also under marriage, bigamy - see also under marriage, bombs.

  Hercule Poirot : See also under marriage?

• [getting into Hastings' car] 

  Hercule Poirot : Not too fast, mind.

  Captain Hastings : Don't worry, I won't go over 80.

  Hercule Poirot : Kilometers?

  Captain Hastings : Miles.

• Hercule Poirot : Miss Lemon, Captain Hastings and I will be away until tomorrow. Hold the castle.

• Marcus Waverly : That policeman is a fool.

  Hercule Poirot : Oh no. Japp is a good policeman. Prevention of crime is not what policemen are best at. They would need to have one constable for every citizen and go everywhere with him. But, fortunately for the human race, most of us have our own little policeman, up here.

  [He touches his head] 

• [last lines] 

  Hercule Poirot : I shall see you in London.

  Captain Hastings : Why won't you let me drive you?

  Hercule Poirot : Hastings, the train has one advantage over the car. It does not often run out of coal.

• Marcus Waverly : [seeing Poirot is leaving]  But you haven't found my son yet!

  Hercule Poirot : I will give you the address of where he is being held.

  [hands Mr Waverly a piece of paper] 

  Marcus Waverly : [looks at the paper]  It's blank!

  [Poirot turns and looks at Mr Waverly] 

  Hercule Poirot : That is because I am waiting for you to write the address on it. You will take Captain Hastings and me to the boy, now. If you do not, Madame Waverly will be informed of the series of events that made up this dastardly crime.

• [Hastings' car has broke down in the middle of the countryside; Hastings is on his hands and knees, trying to fix the car and figure out what was going on; all the while, Poirot is getting impatient and frustrated] 

  Hercule Poirot : This is not what I want to hear, Hastings.

  Captain Hastings : Eh?

  Hercule Poirot : [curtly]  I want to hear *WHAT is WAS*, NOT what is was NOT!

  [pause; Poirot glares at Hastings] 

  Hercule Poirot : [indignant]  And Better Still, I Want To Hear The MOTOR!

• Hercule Poirot : Ah, you are too kind, Chief Inspector Japp. Your great heart will be your downfall.

  Chief Inspector Japp : True. True.

• Hercule Poirot : Tell me, what do you make of this case?

  Captain Hastings : You don't expect me to think in the dark, do you?

  Hercule Poirot : Ah, Hastings. The little grey cells - sometimes they work even better in the dark.

• [Hastings is teaching Poirot a song while driving back to the Waverly Estate] 

  Captain Hastings : [singing]  Two men went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

  Hercule Poirot : [following along; singing]  Two men went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

  Captain Hastings : Two men, one man and his dog went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

  Hercule Poirot : Two men, one man and his dog went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

• [Hastings is teaching Poirot a song while driving back to the Waverly Estate] 

  Captain Hastings : [singing]  Two men went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

  Hercule Poirot : [following along; singing]  Two men went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

  Captain Hastings : Two men, one man and his dog went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

  Hercule Poirot : Two men, one man and his dog went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

  Captain Hastings : [speaking; laughing]  Good!

  Captain Hastings , Hercule Poirot : [singing together]  Three men, two men, one man and his dog went to mow/ went to mow a meadow!

• Chief Inspector Japp : We see a hundred of these every day, Mr. Waverly. If we was to go chasing about after every one...

  Hercule Poirot : A hundred, Chief inspector?

  Chief Inspector Japp : Well, perhaps not a hundred. Mustn't be too literal, Mr. Poirot.

  Hercule Poirot : Every day?

  Chief Inspector Japp : Every week, anyway.

• Hercule Poirot : Prevention of crime is not what policemen are best at. They will need to have one constable for every citizen and go everywhere with him. But fortunately for the human race, most of us have our own little policeman up here.

  [taps his head] 

• Hercule Poirot : Monsieur Waverly has received letters threatening to kidnap his son.

  Captain Hastings : Really? In England? Could be some band of foreigners, you know. Some gang.

  Hercule Poirot : [Clearly agitated]  The letters give no indication that the writer is a foreigner.

• Hercule Poirot : Come, Captain Hastings, We embark on a voyage into darkness.

  [They head into a tunnel with flashlights, aka "torches" in the U.K] 

• Captain Hastings : Why won't you let me drive you?

  Hercule Poirot : Hastings, the train has one advantage over the car. It does not often run out of coal.

• Hercule Poirot : I am sure you will find a way to explain this whole affair. Otherwise, I would not be so willing to give you a second chance.

  Marcus Waverly : Yes. I'll do anything to avoid a scandal.

  Hercule Poirot : Precisely. Honor is everything, eh?

• Hercule Poirot : Some cases are simple and some are trés compliqué but all are of interest because all, you understand, rest solely on the character of the participant.