The Veiled Lady

Hercule Poirot is approached by a woman in a veil, seeking his help. She is Lady Millicent and she is being blackmailed by a Mr Lavington over a love letter she wrote as a 16-year-old. After confronting Mr Lavington and achieving nothing, Poirot resolves to break into Mr Lavington's house and steal the letter. He and Hastings break in, but Poirot is caught (and Hastings escapes). When Japp finds Poirot in jail, he mentions that Lavington was murdered several days earlier. In a seemingly unrelated case, the police are on the lookout for jewels that were stolen from a high street jeweller.

Quite intriguing and engaging. Some aspects of the plot are quite obvious (eg that there is a link between the Lady Millicent- Lavington case and the jewel theft - no information in Poirot episodes is extraneous). Still, the overall plot is not that obvious and thus a good puzzle.

Some nice sub-plots and banter too.

This was quite different to most Poirot stories as he resorts to burglary to help the damsel in distress and his little grey cells don't really whir into action until late in the episode.

I found it quite funny with Poirot and Hastings running down the street in camouflage to get to the house, reminded me of an episode of Only Fools and Horses when Del and Rodney run along the road dressed up as Batman and Robin, both had tall and thin and short slightly dumpy characters.

Lots of other comedic situations and Poirot for once being mistaken as a foreigner from a country other than France.

I think Suchet must have had fun making this as well.

So much more fun than the later series, which became quite sombre. Maybe a little too frivolous for some.

The closing credits of this episode (The veiled lady S2 E2) are those of The kidnapped Prime Minister (S2 E8). The supporting actors' names aren't there 🙃

"The Veiled Lady" is a very intriguing Hercule Poirot mystery from 1990.

A beautiful young woman asks Poirot to retrieve letters for which she is being blackmailed. The blackmailer comes to Poirot's office by invitation. Poirot attempts to negotiate with him, but the man only comes down a few thousand pounds. It's futile. He mentions that he will contact Poirot when he returns from Paris. Poirot decides to burgle his house and find the letters.

Wearing a cap, he presents himself to the housekeeper as an electrician and proceeds to begin searching. The housekeeper is very uppity and talks his ear off, stating that she is not live-in. Poirot leaves, informing her he will be back tomorrow.

That night, he and Hastings break into the house. Poirot finds the letters in a Chinese box inserted in a log. Turns out, the housekeeper was lying -- she says she knew he was casing the joint -- Hastings panics and takes off, throwing himself out a closed window. It was hilarious. Poirot spends the night in the slammer, Japp pointing out to a junior office that this particular prisoner is especially dangerous and called "Mad Dog."

It unfolds from there. It has a neat twist and it's filled with humor. Loved the ending. One of the livelier episodes. Poirot is finally released

Hercule Poirot is surrounded by his usual coterie in this second season mystery film of the British series of Agatha Christie's Belgian detective that stars David Suchet. Jewelry theft and blackmail are the subjects of this film that is set in and around London.

"The Veiled Lady" has a couple of unique aspects which are not secret in the promotion of the film. The first is that Poirot considers how much more exciting it might be had he been the world's greatest criminal instead of the world's greatest detective. So, to handle the next case he gets, he uses a disguise as a locksmith to gain entry to a home. And, for another, he spends a night in jail after being caught breaking into that home later that night - as a burglar.

True to Christie form and cleverness, this film has some excellent twists that one doesn't recognize for what they are until the end when Poirot makes everything clear. I did note though, some points toward the end that referred back to early clues that immediately came to mind. But not that they were clues at all for this case. And that may be one of the very clever techniques that Christie uses. Some critics have said that she doesn't divulge all the clues in her stories to the readers and viewers - that Poirot springs them on audiences after he has solved the case.

This film has a couple of very clear examples that disprove that criticism and also alert one to the Christie technique. So, from now on, I will watch more assiduously for clues in anything and everything that takes place and is shown even before there is a case and that just seems to be filler in the story without anything to do with the case.

Those who haven't yet watched this film may want to watch for early things that have nothing to do with a case that Poirot has not yet taken on. And, those who have seen this film already, may want to pay special attention on the next viewing for the same things. They really do jump out when one knows the final conclusion.

This film is a fascinating one with some very good and different characters. And it is peppered with some short shots of humor, including some of Poirot's tongue-in-cheek with Hastings that had me laughing heartily.

My favorite line in the film comes from Captain Hastings. When he and Poirot were caught as burglars, Hastings got away by jumping through a glass door. The next morning, after his release from jail, a haggard looking Poirot comes into his flat where Hastings is reading a newspaper. Poirot is irate and says "Good morning" to Hastings, who is unflappable at Poirot's scorn for his getting away. Hastings says, "If I hadn't managed to escape and got Japp to bail you out, you would've been up before the Wimbledon beat this morning - house-breaking at the very least"

Here are some more favorite lines.

Hercule Poirot, "Hastings, what a cracksman was lost when Hercule Poirot decided to become the world's greatest detective."

Captain Hastings, "Dirty swine! I beg your pardon."

Captain Hastings, "What a stunning girl, though." Hercule Poirot, "I sometimes think, mon ami, that you are too easily stunned."

Hercule Poirot, "They fear me, Hastings. The criminals - they fear Hercule Poirot so much that they have repented of their naughty ways and have become citizens of the most upright." Captain Hastings, 'Oh, rubbish, Poirot."

Hercule Poirot, "You know, Hastings, sometimes I wish that I was not of such a moral disposition." Captain Hastings, "Really?" Poirot, "Would not Hercule Poirot do better than any criminal? Hercule Poirot would use his grey cells, huh. Hercule Poirot would change his modus operandi for every crime. Scotland Yard would never be able to pin me down. Ah, Hastings, Hastings. To work against the law for a change. I think it would be quite pleasing. Imagine it -- every morning a new crime, huh. Every morning, Inspector Japp tearing his hair. And on every street corner, the cries of the newspaper sellers, 'Read all about it - Monsieur Big reveals everything.'"

Captain Hastings, "You swine!" Hercule Poirot, "Hastings, please." Lavington, "I say, what an excitable office boy you have."

Hercule Poirot, "Why did you wish to know where Monsieur Lavington lived, Hastings?" Captain Hastings, 'I don't know. He was so beastly, the way he talked about Lady Millicent. I wanted to kick him down the stairs." Poirot," You wanted to do it in the comfort of his own home, yes?"