DEAR MURDERER
UK, 1947, 94 minutes, Black and white.
Eric Portman, Greta Gynt, Dennis Price, Maxwell Reed, Jack Warner, Hazel Court, Andrew Crawford, Jane Hylton
Directed by Arthur Crabtree
Dear Murderer is what is called a vintage English murder mystery. Produced by Gainsborough Studios soon after the end of the war, it is an adaptation of a stage play (which is evident in the setting of the scenes and the interactions between characters).
Eric Portman gives an assured performance as a calm but insanely jealous murderer. The rest of the cast give very stiff-upper-lip performances - crime in the '40s seems to have been a very reserved affair. Portman plans the perfect murder - then, in vanity, tries to explain it away but is eventually defeated by his wife, Greta Gynt. Jack Warner plays the police inspector - a role he was to play in many films.
1. Interesting and entertaining murder melodrama? British tone of the '40s?
2. Black and white photography, the cast, the adaptation of a play, staged sequences and interactions? Musical score?
3. The title, the focus on Lee Warren, Vivien's letter to him? The irony?
4. The focus on Lee Warren, age, job? Personality? The confrontation with Richard Fenton? Making him write the letter, promise to leave? The two letters? The plan of the murder, his giving Fenton the opportunity to find a flaw? Murdering him? Vivien and Jimmy arriving? Change of plan, planting the material in Jimmy's car? The return home, his alibi? The flashback and his going to America, relationship with his wife, her infidelities and smoothing them over? Promising to write every day? Suspicions, edginess in New York? Seeing The Tattler with Richard's and Vivien's photo? His drinking? The plan? Overhearing Vivien and Jimmy? His pretences? His confrontation of Jimmy with the flowers? Smooth talking with the police inspector? Telling Vivien the truth? His hold over her? Jimmy as innocent? His response to her protests, her love for him? His explaining away the situation to the inspector, his presence in the house? The irony of his believing Vivien, taking the pills, writing the letter? His death?
5. Vivien, her relationship with Lee, protestations, letters? Her relationship with men, with Richard, the photo? Breaking off? With Jimmy, taking him away from Richard's sister? Her getting a divorce? Her cover-up with Lee? Her protests, pretence? Freeing Jimmy? Her poisoning her husband, making him write the letter? Jimmy's refusal to see her? The police arresting her?
6. Richard Fenton, his relationship with Vivien, the question of a divorce? His career? Frightened by Warren, writing the letter? Unable to find a flaw in the plan, his death? His sister and her grief? Relationship with Jimmy, talking to him against Vivien? Going to the police, their listening in to his innocence? His staying with her? Refusal to see Vivien?
7. The inspector, the perfect plan, the investigations, the clues? His assistant? The interrogations?
8. The London background, affluent middle-class people, Rita the maid and her boyfriend? The lifestyle in post-war London?
