Peter Ustinov on the Orient Express (1991)

Starring: Peter Ustinov Genres: Documentary, History, Lifestyle, Television, UK Premier Origin: United Kingdom Certificate: G Languages: English Running Time: 55 min

synopsis

The pinnacle of luxury train travel, the Orient Express is renowned for its history, exuberance, class, beauty and mystery. Crime writer Agatha Christie brought the mystique of the journey to millions across the globe with her thrilling novel Murder on the Orient Express, and Peter Ustinov himself played her famous detective Hercule Poirot in several film and television productions.

Sir Peter begins his journey from Victoria Station bound for Venice aboard the iconic train. But this is far more than just a travelogue. Along the way he will meet personalities from the past who undertook the same journey: the glamorous but treacherous spy Mata Hari; the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the notorious, shady financier Sir Basil Zaharoff and the larger-than-life adventurer/novelist Ernest Hemmingway.

But it’s not all story-telling as Sir Peter Ustinov provides his unique humour combined with intelligent observation, offering us a first class seat uncovering the history, delights and inner workings of the most famous luxury train in history.