Rome Express

f this were to be a variant on the famous Agatha Christie train story, then "Hercule Poirot" may have ended up having an entire train's worth of murders to investigate. Rarely, can any one journey involve so many miscreants as this one from Paris to Rome. Geographically, it isn't that far - but when a man goes aboard intent on acquiring a recently stolen van Dyke painting - the folks who originally pinched it are also on the hunt - it takes on dangerously risky proportions. Conrad Veidt is particularly effective, as is Sir Cedric Hardwicke as the publicity-seeking magnate who would give "Scrooge" a run for his money in private, and Esther Ralston as the wannabe actress "Asta". Frank Vosper (who co-wrote some of this with Sidney Gilliat and Clifford Grey), Hugh Williams and Finlay Currie all contribute well to the quickly paced, frequently pithy dialogue with a gently increasing degree of suspense aided by some convincing looking sets and a genuinely good story. Some of the travelling effects are dated, now - but that doesn't impact too much on what is an enjoyable crime caper with plenty of twists.