Murder! (1930)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Clemence Dane (novel) and
Helen Simpson (novel) ...

Release Date:

24 November 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A juror in a murder trial, after voting to convict, has second thoughts and begins to investigate on his own before the execution.

Plot Keywords:

Jury | Actress | Murder | Police | Murder Trial

Cast

Herbert Marshall	...	Sir John Menier
Norah Baring	...	Diana Baring
Phyllis Konstam	...	Doucie Markham
Edward Chapman	...	Ted Markham
Miles Mander	...	Gordon Druce
Esme Percy	...	Handel Fane
Donald Calthrop	...	Ion Stewart
Esme V. Chaplin	...	Prosecuting Counsel
Amy Brandon Thomas	...	Defending Counsel (as Amy Brandon-Thomas)
Joynson Powell	...	Judge
S.J. Warmington	...	Bennett
Marie Wright	...	Miss Mitcham
Hannah Jones	...	Mrs. Didsome
Una O'Connor	...	Mrs. Grogram
R.E. Jeffrey	...	Foreman of the Jury

Runtime:

104 min | USA:92 min | Argentina:102 min | USA:100 min (TCM print: British version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Trivia:

The scene where Sir John thinks out loud in front of a mirror had to be filmed with a recording of the lines and an orchestra hidden behind the set as it was not possible to dub the soundtrack later.

Goofs:

Continuity: A mid-shot of Sir John shaving shows him shaving off all the shave cream. A closer shot a moment later shows a dab of shave cream still on his chin.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Old Woman: People ought to be ashamed of themselves, kicking up all that racket at this time of night.

Movie Connections:

Version of Mary (1931)

Soundtrack:

Prelude

Slow-Moving, But Stick Around for the Ending

Alfred Hitchcock's Murder! is not a great film, but I give it *** out of ****, so it must be good, and it is. The acting is good, the premise is intriguing, but the film being extremely slow-moving, makes the film boring at times, but it is still at times a quite mesmerizing film that is worth is just for the extraordinary ending. The plot deals with a woman( Norah Baring) being accused of murder, and a juror( a great Herbert Marshall) being almost sure that she is not the killer, and attempting to find this killer. I will not reveal any more of the plot to you, as I think that this film deserved to be seen, not just read. It is not one of Hitchcock's more popular films, and not one of his best. It is an early talkie, so be prepared for a poor print. But past that and it's slow-moving flaws, it's a well-acted film that deserves to be seen.