‘DIAL M FOR MURDER’ IS A TRADITIONAL MYSTERY WITH EXCITING RESULTS
Another of the famous Alfred Hitchcock films, Dial M for Murder is, much to my surprise, a favorite in the line of films I’ve been watching by Hitchcock.
Dial M For Murder (1954) Film Review
One year ago, Margot Wendice (Grace Kelly) ended something that shouldn’t have begun. Now, her ex-lover, Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings) returns to England where Margot lives with her ex-tennis pro husband, Tony (Ray Milland). The one man who knows nothing about what happened between Margot and their guest. Or so Margot and Mark believe.
As Margot attends a social even with Mark, after Tony makes an excuse as to why he cannot attend, he carefully plans a murder. A murder of his wife, Margot. This sets into motion a series of events that, no matter how carefully he plans it, Tony didn’t account for.
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‘DIAL M FOR MURDER’ IS A TRADITIONAL MYSTERY WITH EXCITING RESULTS. Review of the 1954 #AlfredHitchcock mystery with #GraceKelly. #Mystery #ClassicFilm #ClassicMovies Share on XThis is one of those more traditional mysteries with a “set up,” “execution” and “results” kind of line. Of course, Dial M for Murder also tells us immediately who the perpetrator and victim are. Nonetheless, film is entertaining. With exception to maybe two scenes, the characters and therefore us, are confined to the Wedice’s apartment which movie trivia says Hitchcock does purposefully to create a sense of closeness or claustrophobia. Either way, it’s an intriguing choice to keep things limited and probably not something moviegoers today would like.
The acting is good, and I find Milland’s nonchalant oh well reaction in the conclusion funny. It’s also nice to see Grace Kelly in something I quite enjoyed after not loving To Catch a Thief, and not seeing her in much else before this. Also, just for a bit of movie trivia, Hitchcock wanted his favorite Cary Grant to play Tony, but the studio didn’t think he could play the baddie.
The film is good and certainly something I did quite enjoy. I like the fact that the film is an old-fashioned kind of mystery and in some ways, because of the limiting scenes, it feels like a play too. This film did also inspire a popular 1980s film of the same name remade with Christopher Plummer. It’s just a solid film if you like this kind of genre. Maybe not considered one of Hitchcock’s best, I think it’s still quite good.
You can stream Dial M For Murder on Tubi, at publication, or purchase on places like Apple TV
Photos: Warner Brothers
Content: nothing terrible to note. Margot obviously had an affair so conversation and blackmail regarding them is present. There’s a murder scene but it’s not graphic unless you don’t like any type of scene. We see a struggle, and someone trying to get away from an attacker before someone is stabbed fatally. Dial M for Murder is PG.
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