Agatha Christie's "DEATH ON THE NILE" is a wonderfully crafted suspenseful drama set aboard a river barge floating on the Nile against a beautiful backdrop of Egypt and its famous landmarks. Director John Guillermin adapts the novel for the big screen, successfully transferring most of the prime aspects contained in the book including both characters and scenery resulting in a breath-taking and highly entertaining film, and most definitely a highly-recommended follow-up to 1974's "MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS".<br /><br />Guillermin handles the huge cast with such ease, you can easily see the likeness in his earlier film "THE TOWERING INFERNO" in which he gracefully directed more than 15 major stars and their roles and made the audience care about each and every one of them. Here, Guillermin directs 13 stars of which include Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith, Peter Ustinov, David Niven, Mia Farrow, George Kennedy and Jon Finch.<br /><br />Surprisingly, "DEATH ON THE NILE" was only nominated for one Academy Award (ie. 'Best Costume Design') of which it won. I thought Angela Lansbury, Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith all played wonderful roles. Ustinov is Hercule Poirot, the infamous Belgian detective whose 'vacation' is ruined by senseless murders and it is up to him to figure out 'who done it'. Here, he is assisted by David Niven who plays a Private Eye hired by the lawyers of the initial murder victim, a wretched and wealthy American woman (played by Jane Birkin) who has stolen the fiancé of Mia Farrow and has brought herself a death wish by upsetting just about everyone she comes into contact with. On board this barge are a group of characters who all have it in for her, including - Angela Lansbury, a famous erotic novelist who is currently battling a defamation suit with her - Bette Davis, a con-artist on the prowl for her next scam, the victim's set of priceless pearls - Maggie Smith, Davis' ill-mannered servant whose father's career was ruined by the victim thus leading her to a life of servantry.<br /><br />When the victim's body is found with a bullet in her head, Poirot must step in to solve the mystery. Everyone is a suspect and all with good reason, but who really killed her and why? The outcome is fiendishly delicious and extremely gruesome, but you will revel in the delights of your favorite actors doing what they do best - entertaining you. Lansbury nails down her role as a batty old drunk who writes steamy novels. Davis turns in a highly camp performance as a miserable old wretch who has eyes only for the victim's jewels. Ustinov easily nailed down the performance of Poirot, taking the reins from Albert Finney as he fills his shoes to portray the detective audiences and readers across the world have come to love.<br /><br />Some funny scenes to look out for would include Angela Lansbury riding a donkey, Bette Davis scrambling behind an entourage holding a parasol and the countless clues that may help you solve the mystery if you don't already know who did it. <br /><br />Between the actors featured in "DEATH ON THE NILE" are 4 Academy Award winners and countless nominations. The most surprising thing that I found while watching the movie are the multiple death scenes featured in this 'supposed' PG-rated film. Three women get their heads blown off by a hand gun and another woman has her throat slashed with a scalpel. This film is probably not suitable for children, but most adults will enjoy this classic feature. In a year where movies such as "DAWN OF THE DEAD" and "THE SWARM" filled theater screens and drive-ins, "DEATH ON THE NILE" was the lone gem that outshone them all.<br /><br />My Rating - 9 out of 10.