Dial M for Murder (1954)

A suave tennis player (Ray Milland) plots the perfect murder, the dispatching of his wealthy wife (Grace Kelly), who is having an affair with a writer (Robert Cummings). Amazingly, the wife manages to stave off her attacker, a twist of fate that challenges the hubby's talent for improvisation. Alfred Hitchcock wisely stuck to the stage origins of Dial M for Murder, ignoring the temptation to "open up" the material from the home of the unhappy couple. The result may not be one of Hitchcock's deepest films, but it's a thoroughly engaging chamber movie. It also features Grace Kelly at her loveliest, the same year she made Rear Window with Hitchcock. Dial M for Murder was filmed in the briefly trendy 3-D process, and Hitchcock shot some scenes to bring out the depth of the 3-D field; it's especially good for the nail-biting attempted murder of Kelly, and her desperate reach for a pair of scissors that seems to be just outside her grasp. However, the film was rarely shown with the proper 3-D projection, going out "flat" instead (a 1980 reissue restored the process for a limited theatrical release). Dial M was remade in 1998 as A Perfect Murder, a film that changed and expanded the material, with no improvement on the clean, witty original. --Robert Horton Amazon.com

What planet am I on?

I so totally disagree with all the glowing reviews. There was no suspense for me whatsoever! First off, the characters were types and were never fully developed, never even slightly developed actually. Ray Milland who is a great actor put on a smirkly fake I love you face at the start and left it at that. There was no way to hate him or love him, all you could do was try not to fall asleep. Grace Kelly was ok, but mostly just good looking. That guy who played her boyfriend reminded me of someone from a beach movie.

The plot was all wooden figures doing things.and then all of a sudden THE KEY, the key here the key there everywhere a key key, look the key oh no a key. I kid you not, that was the whole movie! This could have been a great movie if the characters had been fleshed out. If you could love/hate the villain, but still root for the poor victim! Bad bad movie!

Also it's really hard to feel sorry for Grace Kelly in the least when she's with that guy. Again if it was written better, the affair would have given her depth instead of just making her unsympathetic. bad MOVIE! November 14, 2008

Dial M for Murder Review

One of Alfred Hitchcock's classic films. Ray Milland is exceptionally good. Dimitry Tiomkin was one of the finest Hollywood film composers; however, in my humble opinion, there are some scenes in the movie, which could've used more suspenseful music. April 8, 2008

A perfect murder...gone wrong!

Suspense and mystery - this Alfred Hitchcock movie has it all! Unlike some of Hitchcock's other films were he builds it up for all the action at the end of the movie, Dial M For Murder's action all takes place at the beginning of the movie. Grace Kelly was Hitchcock's favorite actress and he had already starred her in "Rear Window" earlier that year before casting her as Margot Wendice in "Dial M For Murder." He also used Robert Cummings (who he had previously worked with in 1942's "Saboteur") as Mark Halliday, the American bookwriter and Margot's boyfriend.
When the story starts, you witness Tony (Ray Milland), Margot's husband, going through every intricate detail in the cruel plans for his wife's murder, with the man he has hired to kill her. Tony's plot: the evening of the day he has planned to murder her, he will go out. It will be getting late so Margot will be going to bed. He will call their house, Margot will get out of bed, walk throught the living room to the desk at the far end of the wall near the windows. The hired killer will be standing behind the curtains, and when she steps behind the desk to pick up the phone, he will come behind her and throw a piece of rope around her neck and strangle her.
As Tony is going through the plans, he gives the killer directions of exactly how he is going to get in the house and exactly how he is going to leave. Pay careful attention to everything he says about the latchkey - it's the main clue to solving the whole thing.
The evening of the murder arrives. Tony goes out and Margot goes to bed - everything is going as planned so far. At the appointed time, Tony calls the house...you hear the phone ring...you see the light go on at the bottom of Margot's door (this is were the suspense starts to mount)...you hear the door click...then you see Margot walking towards the desk (and her doom?)...She picks up the phone, "Hello"...no answer..."Hello?"...Suddenly you see a rope get thrown around her neck. There's silence as he tries to strangle her. Then she's lying on the desk, trying to breath. She's reaching, reaching...and suddenly she grasps them - a pair of gleaming scissors - and plunges them into her assailants back.
But what will happen? Will the merciless Tony get away with her would-be murder? What will happen to Margot? Will she be blamed for defending herself? March 20, 2008

DIAL 'M' FOR MEDIOCRE

There's no question that I hold Alfred Hitchcock to a higher standard than any other director. That's why, after multiple viewings, I simply consider this film to be fair. We have Ray Milland wanting to dispose of his wife, Grace Kelly for infidelity and money. So far, so good.But, within 10 minutes of the opening, we have Milland "on a pulpit" with his annoying voice droning on and on to a sleazy college acquaintance of how the latter is to commit the crime. Later, we have the equally annoying voice of "Sherlock Holmes" filling the airwaves, following the botched murder. Cummings is acceptable and Kelly is first rate, per usual. But,to me it's nothing but gab,gab,gab, with all of the "action" confined to one room. Additionally , one has to be ever alert to the latch key problem, lest the viewer becomes totally confused. All directors make poor films at times, even my personal favorite. February 23, 2008

Great film -- too bad it's not really available for purchase on Unbox

This is classic Hitchcock, and is one of Grace Kelly's best roles. It's a shame that this movie isn't actually available for purchase by download, even though the Unbox site says that it is. As of today, anyway, the movie can be rented, but it can't be purchased for $8.99. False advertising? February 1, 2008

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