Dial M for Murder (1954)
November 24, 2023 12:32 AM - Subscribe
A former tennis star arranges the murder of his adulterous wife.
Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) wants to have his wealthy wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), murdered so he can get his hands on her inheritance. When he discovers her affair with Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings), he comes up with the perfect plan to kill her. He blackmails an old acquaintance into carrying out the murder, but the carefully-orchestrated set-up goes awry, and Margot stays alive. Now Wendice must frantically scheme to outwit the police and avoid having his plot detected.
Danielle Solzman: When it comes to framing this film, Hitchcock knows where to place the camera at each and every moment. Knott’s screenplay opens up the film a little bit when it comes to its theatricality. Otherwise, the film confines the actors to Tony and Margot’s flat. The other thing about the film is that it’s only Hitchcock’s earlier films in color. Moreover, the costume design even plays with her marriage and affair by having her initially dress in white and red.
Jennie Kermode: The risk with clever thrillers is always that they will focus on pleasing the intellect at the expense of developing more depth. Dial M For Murder is a different kind of animal, making social comments that are essential to full understanding of the events taking place within it. The tension between husband and wife is built in part upon shifting social roles which also inform her single bold action, pivotal to the story. In the past, she has had an affair, and although this is presented sympathetically, in a context of neglect, there's a constant awareness of how vulnerable public attitudes towards such behaviour make her. Meanwhile, the complex social dynamics around homosexuality in the period add tension to the mysterious connection between Tony and Swann, particularly when the former reveals how he has stalked the latter. Much of the film focuses on the relationships between men in a world where a shifting balance of power has somehow given women control over wealth.
Visually, this film was more in common with The Birds or Marnie than with Vertigo or Psycho. Although Kelly looks as elegant as always, it's not sleek and there is little in the way of striking camerawork. Hitchcock's genius instead reveals itself in the way he can work with actors and the way he can build a narrative. Dial M For murder also contains one of his most curious cameos - look out for him in Tony's old school photograph. Though it may feel at first as if he is standing back and simply letting the story unfold, the pace of the thing makes it seem unstoppable and it soon becomes apparent that he is in complete control. This may not be among his most famous films but for fans it is an absolute must.
Ashley Hajimirsadeghi: This was a solid film. It had a good screenplay, extremely good acting, and, with Hitchcock behind the camera, it’s a visual treat. It’s not as well known as some of Hitchcock’s other films, but I think this one is pretty up there too. Having seen both Rear Window and Dial M for Murder, I think that Hitchcock and Grace Kelly are a formidable pair when combined in a movie. It’s a shame that she quit acting to live the royalty life, but if it’s love it’s love at the end of the day. But not just Kelly was great in this movie; special shoutout to the male lead as well. You really get sucked into this movie and time just flies by.
Trailer
Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) wants to have his wealthy wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), murdered so he can get his hands on her inheritance. When he discovers her affair with Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings), he comes up with the perfect plan to kill her. He blackmails an old acquaintance into carrying out the murder, but the carefully-orchestrated set-up goes awry, and Margot stays alive. Now Wendice must frantically scheme to outwit the police and avoid having his plot detected.
Danielle Solzman: When it comes to framing this film, Hitchcock knows where to place the camera at each and every moment. Knott’s screenplay opens up the film a little bit when it comes to its theatricality. Otherwise, the film confines the actors to Tony and Margot’s flat. The other thing about the film is that it’s only Hitchcock’s earlier films in color. Moreover, the costume design even plays with her marriage and affair by having her initially dress in white and red.
Jennie Kermode: The risk with clever thrillers is always that they will focus on pleasing the intellect at the expense of developing more depth. Dial M For Murder is a different kind of animal, making social comments that are essential to full understanding of the events taking place within it. The tension between husband and wife is built in part upon shifting social roles which also inform her single bold action, pivotal to the story. In the past, she has had an affair, and although this is presented sympathetically, in a context of neglect, there's a constant awareness of how vulnerable public attitudes towards such behaviour make her. Meanwhile, the complex social dynamics around homosexuality in the period add tension to the mysterious connection between Tony and Swann, particularly when the former reveals how he has stalked the latter. Much of the film focuses on the relationships between men in a world where a shifting balance of power has somehow given women control over wealth.
Visually, this film was more in common with The Birds or Marnie than with Vertigo or Psycho. Although Kelly looks as elegant as always, it's not sleek and there is little in the way of striking camerawork. Hitchcock's genius instead reveals itself in the way he can work with actors and the way he can build a narrative. Dial M For murder also contains one of his most curious cameos - look out for him in Tony's old school photograph. Though it may feel at first as if he is standing back and simply letting the story unfold, the pace of the thing makes it seem unstoppable and it soon becomes apparent that he is in complete control. This may not be among his most famous films but for fans it is an absolute must.
Ashley Hajimirsadeghi: This was a solid film. It had a good screenplay, extremely good acting, and, with Hitchcock behind the camera, it’s a visual treat. It’s not as well known as some of Hitchcock’s other films, but I think this one is pretty up there too. Having seen both Rear Window and Dial M for Murder, I think that Hitchcock and Grace Kelly are a formidable pair when combined in a movie. It’s a shame that she quit acting to live the royalty life, but if it’s love it’s love at the end of the day. But not just Kelly was great in this movie; special shoutout to the male lead as well. You really get sucked into this movie and time just flies by.
Trailer
Definitely second-rate Hitchcock. Not dire, but not insanely memorable, either.
Three years earlier, Hitchcock made (in my opinion) a better movie about a different unhappily married, murderously entangled tennis player. Did he have it in for tennis players for some reason or were they just a convenient characterization shorthand for a certain type who was posh and athletic without otherwise personifying typical cinematic heroic virtues?
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:14 AM on November 24, 2023
Three years earlier, Hitchcock made (in my opinion) a better movie about a different unhappily married, murderously entangled tennis player. Did he have it in for tennis players for some reason or were they just a convenient characterization shorthand for a certain type who was posh and athletic without otherwise personifying typical cinematic heroic virtues?
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:14 AM on November 24, 2023
This is a small, comfortable little film. Very cozy. What’s fun is to watch it knowing it was shot as a 3D film, but re-released flattened after a very, very, very brief 3D release. Knowing that, it’s easy to pick-out shots intended to exploit the effect.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:52 AM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 8:52 AM on November 24, 2023 [2 favorites]
Wow, tough crowd. I've always thought that Dial M for Murder was the precursor to Ransom for a Dead Man, which introduced us to Columbo.
posted by SPrintF at 1:19 PM on November 24, 2023
posted by SPrintF at 1:19 PM on November 24, 2023
And a fine performance from the giant wooden finger they made to dial a giant telephone for the extreme closeup of Milland actually dialing M for Murder because the cumbersome 3D cameras couldn’t focus close in to get the shot Hitchcock wanted.
posted by Naberius at 7:50 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Naberius at 7:50 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by Carillon at 12:38 AM on November 24, 2023