Agatha Christie's stories have been adapted countless times over the past century, from Kenneth Branagh's star-studded Poirot films to Netflix's recent Seven Dials series. But the very first movie based on her work has pulled a Houdini—it's vanished, and may be gone for good.
The Passing of Mr. Quin, a 1928 silent film, was Christie's debut on the silver screen. Based on the short story "The Coming of Mr. Quin" from her collection The Mysterious Mr. Quin, the film followed an enigmatic figure who helps solve a cold case at a grand house party. But according to IMDb, the movie's plot was drastically altered: a doctor proves his wife's first husband was killed by a neighbor posing as a tramp. That's a far cry from Christie's more elusive original, where Mr. Quin appears under the guise of car trouble and nudges a guest toward the truth.
This wasn't the last time a Christie adaptation would take liberties with the source material—the author herself grew skeptical of film versions, though she later praised the 1974 Murder on the Orient Express (except for Albert Finney's mustache). But The Passing of Mr. Quin has a bigger problem: no known copies exist. Many silent and early sound films were lost because studios recycled negatives, nitrate film decayed or caught fire, and there was no home video or streaming to preserve them. So, much like its mysterious title character, the movie remains a puzzle.
Christie's second English-language film, Alibi (based on The Murder of Roger Ackroyd), is also lost. Directed by Leslie S. Hiscott, who co-directed Mr. Quin, Alibi was praised by Time magazine for its fast pacing and pantomime. Another early adaptation, Black Coffee (based on Christie's play), has similarly disappeared. These lost films are a reminder of how fragile early cinema was—and how easily history can be erased.
For fans eager to explore Christie's legacy, there are plenty of surviving gems. The David Suchet-led Poirot series is a must-watch, as is the star-studded The Mirror Crack'd with Angela Lansbury, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson. Billy Wilder's Witness for the Prosecution remains a masterpiece. And if you're craving something new, Netflix's Seven Dials—starring Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman, and Mia McKenna Bruce—has earned a 73% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. All three episodes are streaming now.
The disappearance of The Passing of Mr. Quin adds a real-life twist to Christie's world, proving that even the Queen of Crime couldn't outwit the ravages of time. But her stories live on, inspiring new adaptations and keeping audiences guessing—just as she intended.
For more on the best mystery adaptations, check out our list of Forgotten Mystery Shows That Are Perfect From Start to Finish and 8 Classic Mystery Novels That Hook You From the First Page to the Last.
