DIAL M FOR MURDER

US, 1953, 105 minutes, Colour.
Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock,

Dial M For Murder is not one of Hitchcock's great films and he makes no claims for it. Rather, it is an entertainment which actually does illustrate many of Hitchcock's themes and interests. It was also the first in Hitchcock's major moves to films in colour. In line with the trends of the times, it was filmed in 3D, although never shown in that process.

Dial M For Murder was based on Frederick Knott's popular play and the film confines itself to the major set of a room, although the film does not come across as restricted. Knott was also the writer of the popular play and film Wait Until Dark. Hitchcock keeps the audience in suspense as regards the fate of the heroine, as they have been put in the guilty husband's confidence. This makes for rather intense audience involvement (apart from sympathy for Grace Kelly, which is also played on in the film) and the audience's waiting for the husband to slip in his plans. The final sequences with a key are very effective. The question of appearances and reality, guilt and innocence are illustrated in the film and are quite in line with Hitchcock's explorations of these themes.
Ray Milland is adept at this sort of film. This was the first of Grace Kelly's three Hitchcock films, the others being Rear Window and To Catch a Thief.

1. Was this an ordinary stage thriller? A routine thriller film? If not, why? What were its best suspense features?

2. Comment on the famous initial kiss scene: Margo kissing her husband, then her lover. How did this mean that audience sympathies veered during the film? Trace the line of audience sympathy from Tony to Margo to Mark? Why?

3. Initial impressions of Tony? shocked to discover his plans? Did he give a good account of his personality in his discussion with Swan? How callow and callous a person was he? His tennis career and marrying for money? His cold calculating plan? His pride in his masterminding of the crime? His power over Swan? What was the dramatic impact of the long discussion with Swan?

4. How clearly was the character of Swan communicated? His background? His reconstruction of his life and his weaknesses and his greed? The insight that Tony had into his character? How understanding of Swan via Tony? Why did Swan agree to do the murder?

5. How well were the details of the murder planned? Did you expect anything to go wrong? Did Hitchcock set up too artificially all the possibilities, e.g. the scissors, the phone call, the fact of Margo wanting to go out? The dramatic impact of the murder sequence - the delayed phone call. Swan's thinking of leaving, the audience wondering what would happen? Did the audience feel that they wanted Swan to murder Margo? The dramatic impact of the struggle and the death of Swan?

6. How well did Tony adapt to the situation? How calm and controlled was he? How cool? His framing Margo with the stockings etc.? What was audience sympathy at this stage?

7. Did the audience feel sympathy for Margo as victim? Her ordinariness as a woman? Her fears because of her deceit? Did her deceit and her love for Mark alienate the audience? Her being victimised by Tony? What was the effect of her being silhouetted against lurid colours during the court sequences and the condemnation?

8. How effective was the portrayal of the inspector? Was he interesting and engaging? Humorous?

9. Did the audience have sympathy with Mark? Why? How earnest was he in his desire to save Margo before her execution? Did the audience side with him, especially with their knowledge of Tony? How uncanny was the sequence when Mark speculated on the Story and had hit on the truth? How did this affect our attitude towards Tony?

10. Were you glad that the inspector had stumbled on the truth? What was your reaction to his ploys to trap Tony? How anxiously were you hoping that Tony would fall into the trap?

11. The dramatic impact of Margo's return home? The significance of her use of the keys? Her dazed appearance? Our sympathy? The fact that she would be vindicated?

12. The dramatic impact of Tony coming home and his gradual discovery about the keys? The using the wrong key? His falling into the trap? How glad were you that he was caught? Was the situation of the keys clear, or did you find it hard to follow? Why?

13. Did you enjoy the humorous ending? Why?

14. What themes did Hitchcock explore via the thriller medium? Guilt, responsibility, deceit, power over others, pride, madness, justice?