Appointment with Death

Synopsis: Emily Boynton, step-mother to the three Boynton children and mother to Ginevra, blackmails the family lawyer, Jefferson Cope, into destroying a second will of her late husband which would have freed the childern from her dominating influence. She takes herself and the children on holiday to Europe and the Holy Land. In Jerusalem, Hercule Poirot meets up with a woman friend, Dr. King who falls in love with Raymond Boynton to Emily's disapproval. Lady Westholme, her secretary and Cope are following them too. The children discover about the second will and Emily succeeds in rubbing the rest up the wrong way causing much hatred towards her. At a dig, everybody wonders about the camp and Emily is found dead... poisoned. Poirot investigates...
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Director(s): Michael Winner
Production: Golan-Globus Productions
 
IMDB:
6.2
PG
Year:
1988
102 min
488 Views


- Did you get soaked, Ginny?

- Begin, Mr. Cope.

- Of course I didn't.

- Very well.

Don't worry about me.

In this will your late husband left you

a life interest in his entire estate.

After your death it is to be

distributed equally among the children.

As you know, Elmer relied upon you

to look after them.

No more than my duty

when I became their stepmother.

However, Mrs. Boynton,

there is a second will.

Second will?

Signed two days before he died.

This is the last will and testament

of Elmer D. Boynton...

of Milk House, Spiddletown, New Jersey-

Just the meat and potatoes, Mr. Cope.

The estate is to be divided equally.

You and the children

receiving approximately...

$200,000 each.

I don't believe it.

Bring that here. I want to

see that for myself.

Elmer knew the children were not fit

to take control of their own affairs.

He must have changed his mind.

Elmer changed his mind

only under my direction.

It's perfectly valid, Mrs. Boynton.

Shall we read the will?

Have you ever done a discreditable act,

Mr. Cope?

Not professionally, I hope.

The affair of the Bolivian silver-mining

corporation slipped your memory?

I'm not sure what you're-

It used to be called

share pushing, Mr. Cope.

If it were to come to the attention

of the United States Law Society...

you'd be instantly disbarred

and probably go to prison as well.

How did you know about that?

I did not serve in the prison

service 14 years for nothing.

People trusted me with their little secrets.

Your partner, for example.

She went inside, didn't she?

She told me all about you,

and I can prove it.

Well, Mrs. Boynton, I was...

I was young, ambitious.

This room has gotten a little chilly.

Why not get a nice cheerful blaze going?

Go ahead.

A wise decision, Mr. Cope.

Now we'll call the others.

Bring in the children.

"My dearest children, Lennox...

"Carol...

"Raymond...

"and Ginevra...

"I leave in the good and loving hands

of Emily Boynton.

"And to my wife, Emily Boynton,

I leave a life interest in my estate.

"On her death I leave it shared equally...

"among my aforementioned

and beloved children. "

- No!

- Jesus Christ! What...

Impossible!

I don't believe it!

And now, children, I have a lovely surprise.

Another one, Stepmother?

My three stepchildren, whom I love

as I do my own daughter Ginevra...

and you, Nadine, my dear daughter-in-law...

I've arranged for us all to go

to Europe and the Holy Land.

It will clear the air of death.

- Does that include Mr. Cope?

- Certainly not.

Mr. Cope has work to do here.

Smile.

Attagirl!

Come on.

Like that.

That's pretty.

Oh, my.

Just as I thought.

That will look great.

Nadine, please, my medicine.

Quickly, please.

Yes, Mother.

Someone should be with Mother.

I'd like to push her over.

You really think there was another will?

I know there is. Father told me.

Daddy said

I was to have $200,000 all to myself.

You see?

What's the point of knowing about it

if we can't do anything about it?

Oh, my dear...

She's all right. Some girls

gone to help her.

So I see.

Can I help you? I am a doctor, well, just.

Just?

Nadine, over here quickly.

When I get back

I'm going to have it out with Cope.

You can do it now.

- Don't be silly, Ginny.

- Look, he's here over by the car.

Let me see.

She's right. He's there.

Cope's here, Mother. Did you ask him?

Of course he's not here.

Here, give a lira to that girl for her help.

- He's not really here, is he?

- Sure he is, by the terrace caf.

Nadine, where are you going?

Excuse me.

My mother asked me to give you this.

I can afford to buy my own cup of coffee,

thank you.

I helped your mother because I'm a doctor.

You are?

Yes, I've just graduated.

I'm sure you did.

Excuse me.

What is the point in authorizing a guide...

if, as you say, Miss Quinton,

he gets his facts wrong?

It's easy to make a mistake

about dates, Lady Westholme.

Confusing Romanesque and Gothic

is not a mistake. It is ignorance.

What's the matter, Miss Quinton?

I seem to have lost my cigarette case.

That man masquerading as a guide

probably stole it.

Where is he?

Officer.

I want that man arrested.

I am Lady Westholme,

a member of the British "Parliamentos".

That man there is a thief.

You must arrest him.

Officer, I told you. You must arrest him.

Oh, dear.

Hi.

- I told you not to come.

- I had to.

My husband tells me there's another will.

Is that so, Jefferson?

Nadine, darling, I'm your mother's attorney.

I can't divulge that.

You think if there's no money for him, I'll

be forced to leave Lennox and come with you.

I think you'll come anyway.

Well, now what if Lennox sees that?

When can I use it with that inscription?

Whenever you want.

You want him to find out, don't you?

Mademoiselle.

Poirot.

- Hercule Poirot.

- Yes.

Thank you.

What are you doing in Trieste?

I'm taking a well-earned vacation,

Miss King. Or is it already Doctor?

It's Doctor. I graduated with honors.

Probably passed it on to an accomplice

by now.

Oh, dear.

I have heard you enough

for the rest of my life.

Lady Westholme is always arguing

with somebody.

Lady Westholme?

But she sounds American.

Well, her name was Laura Vansittart.

She met Lord Westholme on a boat trip

back from America.

You know, within a month

they were married...

and 10 years later

she's a member of our Parliament.

Which shows the danger of ocean travel.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes

Anthony Shaffer

All Anthony Shaffer scripts | Anthony Shaffer Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Appointment with Death" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/appointment_with_death_3035>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    Browse Scripts.com

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.