Dial M for Murder

Hitchcock builds a whole crime story and its suspense on one single element : the brand new latch keys that appeared after the second world war that, as an inspector says, all look alike. The suspense is not that of discovering who the criminal or murderer is. We know that from the very start. There is a big surprise about who is killed but that is only a detail on the road to perfection that cannot be reached by an amateur criminal. The suspense is how is he going to go through, what new invention and lie is he going to invent to cover up his tracks and to push the inspector's attacks away. He is a great talker and a very good liar, so we do discover how his mind works full time on inventing new stories and explanations that are all false but cannot be proved so. But this film is not one of the best by Hitchcock because the sentimental and dramatic content is rather shallow : a British gigolo husband and a British rich wife, plus an American lover for the wife : British nostalgia and American bravado for the American public, British naiveness and American rudeness for the British audience. Hitchcock was always bifacial and bifocal to satisfy his two main English speaking audiences. That menage-à-trois situationcan only provoke the husband into getting rid of the wife and grabbing her money. That is banal and trite. This situation is in no way thickened or deepened by further considerations or developments. That leads to a dead end, which is kind of normal for a crime story, in which everyone, including the police, knows the truth but cannot do anything, even if that knowledge is enough to save the wife's life who was programmed to be executed for the murder of the ancillary murderer of the tale. I guess we are before the banning of the death penalty in Great Britain. So the end is also particularly sick if not even sickening : a murderer can go through an investigation unharmed for lack of hard evidence, even if we can imagine he is going to lose the wife (who no longer is HIS wife in HER mind) and her money in a subsequent divorce. Rather entertaining, and be sure Alfred Hitchcock managed to set his mug in one or two frames : look for him having some side-kicks in his own film.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Université Paris Dauphine, Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne

DVD EXTRAS: None
Grace Kelly was Hitchcock's ideal woman. In this outing she plays a woman having an affair (Hitchcock favorite Robert Cummings). Her husband (Ray Milland) is a professional tennis player but not a top player (and in those days only the top players made more than an existence.) As she has all the money, her husband decides that his only option is to have her killed.

The murder attempt fails and the hired killer is killed. The remaining movie is the unraveling of the murder attempt. The Frederick Knott adapted the screenplay from his hit play. The atmosphere of the play is perfect for Hitchcock. You virtually never leave the apartment. Hitchcock is in his element at turning the claustrophobic feeling of a closed set into tension.

This was Grace's year with her Oscar winning performance in The Country Girl and another Hitchcock triumph in Rear Window. With her outstanding performance here, she definitely was the star of the year.

The film originally had sequences filmed in 3-D but the DVD is all 2-D. Therefore, sometimes the action might look a little off but this is usually for a 3-D effect.

DVD EXTRAS:

Hitchcock and Dial M for Murder - All the Goldwyn era DVD's have documentaries about the film with great insights into the film and the making of the film. This is no exception.

3D: A Brief History - This a documentary about the 3-D process and how it has been used (successfully and unsuccessfully) in movies. If you have any interest in 3-D, then you will enjoy this.

Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 color movie Dial M for Murder is one of those movies that you can watch again and again. After 51 years Dial M for Murder still shines with class and great British style that never grows old. The principals in the movie are Ray Milland (Tony Wendice) and Grace Kelly (Margot Wendice), Robert Cummings is Mark Halliday the outside love interest. John Williams is excellent as the dapper, low keyed Chief Inspector Hubbard. The casting for this movie is just perfect.

Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice is unhappy to find himself in the middle of a love triangle. He is not so concerned about his wife's extramarital affair, as much as he is concerned about loosing a wealthy wife and her money. By chance he sees and recognizes old class mate, Charles Swann from his college days. He realizes that Swann may be the answer to his money and philandering wife troubles. Ray Milland oozes charm and sometimes menace as his Tony Wendice character purposefully manipulates those around him to become part of his diabolical scheme for the perfect crime. Wendice's smile never reaches his eyes, it lets you know that he will allow nothing to stop his plans. However, it is Anthony Dawson as Charles Swann who holds your attention the whole time he is on the screen. Dawson has the perfect slightly swarmy look for this role as a seasoned petty con man who finds himself caught up in a game he never expected to play. His eyes dart about the room as if trying to find a way out, after he is blackmailed to commit murder. He soon understands that he must comply with Wendice's wishes. But the best laid plans often go bad, and although Wendice falters, he is not deterred. He simply moves on to an alternate plan. Watch Grace Kelly as she goes from being a cool, society housewife Margo Wendice to a hopeless woman who is surprised and confused to find herself falsely accused of murder. Her only hope for freedom is a latchkey.

This is the kind of movie that has you holding your breath. Most of the action takes place in one room and the camera works magic with its corner and overhead shots. There are close ups of inanimate objects that are integral to the plot.

This movie is definitely a must-have for your vintage movie collection.

Vannie(~.~)

A married woman had her purse stolen; in it was a letter from an old lover. Then she gets letters demanding money or else that letter would be turned over to her husband, Tony. Her lover, Mark Halliday, arrives to visit Margot and Tony in London. But Tony can't go out with them because of extra work. This work is to meet the seller of an automobile, but really to plan the murder of his wife. The long dialogue sets the background and the plan for murder. [This all seems very like a stage play.] Tony, a tennis star, met and married Margot, a wealthy heiress. But as Tony aged and found a new career, Margot seems to be thinking of leaving him and taking her money. Mark is a writer of mystery novels, and he says the "perfect murder" is impossible in real life. [Some may question this assumption.]

The suspense builds because Tony's watch has stopped. Finally the telephone rings, and "Fisher" tries to kill Margot. But Margot manages to stab "Fisher" and it is the attacker who is killed. Tony returns alone; his plan has failed because reality is not easily controlled. But clever Tony improvises another plan to accomplish his end! These clues are followed up by the police, who also noted the condition of the dead man's shoes. Suspicion falls on Margot. She is tried and convicted of murder. [Note how they economize on the trial. The voice and facial expressions are an old technique from the silent film days.]

Mark Halliday shows up with his explanation of how the murder occurred, and tries to convince Tony to confess to the very plan that we know happened! The police inspector shows up to question Tony about the extra money that Tony has been spending; there was a local robbery. [Note how closely they are watching him!] Mark finds the case with money, and calls the inspector. More conversation follows to carry the story forward. Finally the trick of the police traps Tony when he enters his apartment. Justice triumphs in the end. [Note the subtle criticism of sports stars and wealthy heiresses.]

Alfred Hitchcock always appears in his films. Did you see him in the college reunion photo?

Same deal,
Instead of an LA cop fumbling around hiding his astronomical IQ and his dectection acuity, Hitchcock uses a Brit.
The audience knows the guilty party and so does the Brit cop intuitively right from the moment he opens the 3-D door in your face.