Dial M for Murder (1954)

And I thought telemarketers were bad.

Intro.

As I've mentioned before, I love Hitchcock.  The more I watch his films, the greater I can appreciate his great camerawork and attention to detail.  So when I noticed Dial M for Murder in the television listings recently, I had to catch up on one of his films I hadn't seen before.  And this time I actually saw Hitchcock hidden in the film!

Overview 

At the beginning, Tony (Ray Milland) and Margot (Grace Kelly) appear to be a perfectly happy married couple.  That is, until we realize that Margot's returning friend Mark (Robert Cummings) was more than just her friend.  Margot tells Mark that although their affair ended a year ago, Tony's been acting strangely.  What's worse is that the only letter she kept from Mark was stolen awhile ago, and although she paid the mysterious blackmailer, she never received the letter back.  She and Mark go out for the evening, as Tony says he has to stay home and get work done.  His "work" consists of meeting an old college acquaintance, Captain Lesgate (Anthony Dawson).  More like blackmailing, that is.  Mark's been plotting the perfect murder ever since he discovered Margot's affair.  It wasn't so much jealousy as it was a way to get her money.  He's spent weeks tailing Lesgate, discovering many petty crimes and name changes along the way.  What's more he offers $1,000 - money which Lesgate desperately needs.  He describes the murder, complete with alibis - Tony and Mark will be away at a stag dinner, Tony will call at 11:00 pm, Margot will come out of her room and answer the phone at the desk.  Lesgate will have retrieved a key from outside and let himself in to hide behind the curtains.  After she answers the phone, Lesgate simply strangles her, then the murder is over and no one needs to know.  The phone call is the key.  Well, nothing seems to go exactly to plan - Margot wants to go out instead of staying home, then Tony's watch stops and finally while she's being strangled, Margot fights back and -whoops!- kills Lesgate!!  Tony has to think fast as to how to frame Margot and plants the missing love letter on Lesgate.  Although Margot is arrested and tried for murder, the police chief Hubbard (John Williams) and Mark (who conveniently is an American mystery writer) aren't convinced.  Can they prove Margot's innocence before she is executed?      

Highlights

I'm often told that I'm too detail oriented.  I'm not so sure this is always a bad thing.  Hitchcock's stories come alive because of the attention to detail.  Both in the plot itself and the characters, he has a keen eye for what matters and every line, every motion adds something vital to the story.  It's almost like watching a Hemingway story come to life - there is no room for extraneous dialogue or scene setting.  Instantly we become engaged and engrossed in this film.  What's more, Tony goes to the trouble of explaining exactly what's going to happen and how.  Then later in the film, Mark figures out what really happened and suggests that Tony "make up" the same story in order to get Margot a stay of execution.  It all comes down to the smallest of clues (which I won't reveal, don't worry).

The acting is also very well done in this film.  Grace Kelly is always a delight and she is wonderful in this role.  I was so happy when she killed Lesgate - a true victory for women!  It reminded me a lot of her stand in High Noon but I don't think I should really give that ending away either.  Anyway, she is wonderful.  I also really enjoyed watching Ray Milland as the evil mastermind - I don't recall if I've seen many of his films before, but if he's in any more thrillers, I'm going to add them to my list!  Cummings and Williams both made strong supporting actors, and I loved how the Inspector refused to give up even after the trial.  He steals the show in the final scene.

Finally, a brief mention of the amazing cinematography.  As always, the camera angles and frames comment on the film itself.  I particularly enjoyed the lower camera position as it looked up at Tony while he discussed his twisted plan with Lesgate.  The near-strangulation is also very well done with all the suspense and horror we expect from Hitchcock.  I also like how he snuck into the photo of Tony's college reunion, since most shots in this film are only inside the apartment, leaving little time for him to make his famous appearance elsewhere.  I always get excited when I find him - there are still quite a few films where I haven't seen him.  All the more reason to keep watching!

Review and Recommendation

One of Hitchcock's best films, Dial M for Murder has a tight, fascinating plot, and a story with more twists and turns than an intestine.  Okay, bad analogy, but you get the idea.  I recommend it as the standout type of murder mystery where we're let in on the who/what/why beforehand and the fun comes in following the capture of the criminal.  Great for Hitchcock fans, thriller fans, Grace Kelly fans and really, anyone with any movie taste.