Dial M for Murder (1954)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Frederick Knott (screenplay)
Frederick Knott (adapted from his play)

Release Date:

29 May 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Kiss By Kiss...Supreme Suspense Unfurls!

Plot:

An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to murder his wife. When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Blackmail | Evidence | Writer | Letter

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Ray Milland	...	Tony Wendice
Grace Kelly	...	Margot Mary Wendice
Robert Cummings	...	Mark Halliday
John Williams	...	Chief Inspector Hubbard
Anthony Dawson	...	Captain Lesgate (Swann)
Leo Britt	...	The Storyteller
Patrick Allen	...	Detective Pearson
George Leigh	...	Detective Williams
George Alderson	...	First Detective
Robin Hughes	...	Police Sergeant O'Brien
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Bender	...	Banquet Member (uncredited)
Sanders Clark	...	Detective (uncredited)
Jack Cunningham	...	Bobby (uncredited)
Robert Dobson	...	Police Photographer (uncredited)
Guy Doleman	...	Detective (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Woman Departing Ship (uncredited)
Robert Garvin	...	Banquet Member (uncredited)
Michael Hadlow	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Man in Phone Booth (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man at Tony's Table at the Dinner in Photograph (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Men's Club Party Member (uncredited)
Martin Milner	...	Policeman Outside Wendice Flat (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Judge at Margot's Trial (uncredited)
Ben Pollock	...	Banquet Member (uncredited)
Thayer Roberts	...	Detective (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Frederick Knott		(screenplay)
Frederick Knott		(adapted from his play)

Produced by
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Robert Burks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Rudi Fehr

Art Direction by
Edward Carrere

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist
Otis Malcolm	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Gertrude Wheeler	....	hairdresser (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mel Dellar	....	assistant director
C. Carter Gibson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Herbert Plews	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound
Stanley Martin	....	sound (uncredited)
Robert G. Wayne	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Leon Albert	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Wesley Anderson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Pat Clark	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Vic Johnson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Dudie Maschmeyer	....	grip (uncredited)
William John Ranaldi	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	camera technician (uncredited)
Claude Swanner	....	best boy (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Moss Mabry	....	wardrobe
Jack Delaney	....	wardrobe: men's (uncredited)
Lillian House	....	wardrobe: ladies' (uncredited)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor

Other crew
Rita Michaels	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (presents) (A Warner Bros.- First National Picture)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• Victor Company of Japan (JVC) (1985) (Japan) (video) (VHD)
• Warner Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Germany) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• AFEX (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1954) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1984) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1985) (1996) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (Portugal)
• TV3 (1988) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD) (6-disc Alfred Hitchcock Prestige Collection)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1967) (1999) (2006) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)

Runtime:

105 min | Portugal:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #16708) | USA:PG (1982 re-release) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2008) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Spain:T | West Germany:12 (video) (re-rated) | West Germany:16 (nf) (original rating) | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) (2004) | Brazil:16 | Canada:PG (video rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:PG (video rating: 100m) (1987) | UK:PG (video rating) (2003) (2004) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Stage 20, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

John Williams won the 1953 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actor in a Drama for "Dial M for Murder" as Inspector Hubbard and recreated the role in the movie version.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Margot shows Mark the second blackmail letter, she starts to say her next line before her cue.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Margot Mary Wendice:let me get you another drink. Mark, before Tony comes I ought to explain something.
Mark Halliday:Yes, I've been waiting for that.
Margot Mary Wendice:I haven't told him anything about us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXII (#23.3)" (2011)

Excellent Hitchcock thriller

Surprisingly this is a lesser-known Hitchcock film but still stands up today as an exciting thriller full of twists and turns.

Ray Milland is excellent as ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice who decides to commit the perfect murder of his wife (Grace Kelly) when he learns of her affair with Robert Cummings (who isn't given much to do). In fact, Milland's subtle performance has you wanting the murder plot to work! Though it has to be said, Kelly's helpless female turn does not help in this regard either.

Hitchcock's skill here is to totally involve the viewer in the labyrinthine plot involving keys, telephone calls and stockings so that at the end of the film you haven't even noticed that virtually all the scenes are in one room.

If you like clever, wordy films with a touch of humour then I recommend `Dial M For Murder'. 8/10