Arthur Griffiths

The Rome Express Illustrated Arthur Griffiths

The film is centred almost entirely on the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits train the Rome Express, travelling between Paris and Rome. Just as the train is departing from a station in Paris, Zurta and his colleague Tony just manage to board the train. They have found out that someone they want to see is on board. Another passenger, McBain, a wealthy businessman travelling with his brow-beaten secretary/valet, Mills, learns that a painting by Van Dyck, which he had previously tried to buy and which had later been stolen, has not been recovered and says he would do anything to obtain it. Also on the train are an adulterous couple, an annoyingly sociable Englishman, a French police inspector, and an American film star who is tiring of her fame, accompanied by her manager/publicist. It transpires that the stolen painting is in the possession of a man, Poole, who conspicuously keeps his briefcase close to him at all times. When he agrees to join a poker game, he finds that one of the other players is Zurta, and Poole's reaction shows that they know each other. Poole is disconcerted and carelessly sets down his briefcase, which is later innocently taken by Mills, who has a similar briefcase.