Trixie Belden Artwork

I am lucky enough to have just added a new painting to my Trixie Belden artwork collection.
The painting was done by Jack Wacker and was on the front cover of the 1970's Cameo Paperback edition of Trixie Belden and the Marshland Mystery.

To see lots of other original Trixie Belden artworks from the Cameo series an other Trixie Belden series visit my website:

http://www.amyaction.com/trixie_belden_cameo_artwork.html

POIROT: The Third Girl

Poirot's The Third Girl has been my favourite Poirot film to watch so far. Not for the storyline or the acting which are both good but because a number of the scenes are shot in Poirot's apartment.
When I use to watch the classic TV series Charlie's Angels I was always fascinated whenever the show showed a glimpse into their private life, in particular where they lived.
The Poirot series did well in its choices for Poirot's apartment. We heard in Mrs McGinty's Dead a comment about Poirot living in a modernist apartment and this apartment is highly fashionable on every account. The wood paneling on the lounge matches the wooden paneling on door. There are so many lovely small details in the room that one can look for ages to soak it all in. lucky there are a number of scenes throughout his apartment so that you get to see different rooms.

Of the actors in this film Jemima Roper is the one that I instantly recognised. Jemima Roper played George in one of The Famous Five TV adaptations. She also is the star of "Lost in Austen" the story of a girl who accidentally falls into the world of Pride and Prejudice and into the place for Mr Darcy's affections. In this Poirot film she pays "The Third Girl." She does a good job in this film as the girl who is confused and feels she is going crazy and confesses to a crime she didn't commit.

Would definitely watch this one again if only to view more of Poirot's apartment.

T31 The Three Investigators in the Secret of Skeleton Island Movie

The Three Investigators book series ran from 1964 to 1987 and comprised of 43 books.

The sleuths in the series are Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews. 

The original book series started with the boys aged 13 to 14 years. Although the movie version picked boys of similar age they come across in the movie as somewhat younger especially the actor playing Bob who is noticeably smaller and who brings along his teddy bear on the adventure. It wouldn't be realistic to believe that a 13yr old boy would sleep with a Teddy bear whilst sharing a room with 2 friends his age. So it seemed a bit silly to add this to the movie.

As the second movie was released 2 years later it will be interesting to see if the boys fit into the roles better at that age.

In the book series Bob also has a  leg brace he wore, due to multiple fractures inflicted when he rolled down a hill which wasn't done in the movie.

In the books the Three Investigators headquarters is a house trailer, hidden in a salvage yard owned by Uncle Titus Jones and Aunt Mathilda who Jupiter has lived with his the death of his parents in a car crash at the age of 4. It has many secret entrances, a telephone, small lab, a dark room and an office. The movie did the idea of secret entrances well in the movie and the headquarters was interesting to see.

Overall the movie enjoyable, was well acted for the age of the actors, filmed well and  easy to watch.

Trixie Belden The Sasquatch Mystery

This is probably the hardest Trixie Belden book I have found to get interested in. In fact for the first 10 chapters I didn't like it. I thought that Trixie's cousins, Cap, Knut and Hallie held too much of the story and Trixie almost came across as a loner, an outside looking on the events rather than being the focal point of them that she usually is. Jim I felt suffered even worse as I can't remember him doing anyhting of use for the first 10 chapters and seemed like a tag along friend of the Belden Boys.

As for Miss Trask tell me what kind a chaperon watches one of the kids in her care disappear after getting in a fight with a Sasquatch in front of her eyes and decides that its okay for the kids to stay there and also doesn't seem too bothered that the police aren't taking the disappearance seriously and just waiting for the kid to show up.

Okay one last vent then I will get up to the good bits I promise. And as for a Sasquatch Mystery anyway who came up with that as a lame theme? Someone who had spent their time watching 70s shows like the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman who eventually went the Big Foot root when running short of ideas right?

Now if you can hold out for the stupidity of the first 10 chapters to be over then you do get to a good story (funnily when they drop the Sasquatch scenario and concentrate on people villains.)

Though why does poor Di have to suffer so much? The author mustn't like her as poor Di seems to be cast as "dumb" in this book. Which is one better than poor Dan who despite the cast of thousands still can't get a spot on this camping trip even though he is suppose to have a thing for Hallie Belden. Damn the 70's series that doesn't allow for romance in their books.