A great film from that great era of murder mysteries when men wore coats and ties to dinner and thoughtfully planned out their wife's murder. The American Film Institute listed Dial M among the top ten greatest mystery films of all time. Not surprising as this is a Hitchcock film, the master of suspense himself, but it surprised me to learn Dial M was adapted from a stage play by Frederick Knott. Staged like a play the majority of the film is set in the apartment of Tony and Margot where the plot, crime and coverup are all played out.
*SPOILERS* Dial M is a thinking mans murder mystery. Besides being narrated almost entirely from the murderous husbands POV the story went beyond the typical genre film of the time. Calm & calculating Tony, having discovered some time ago of his wife's short lived affair with an American writer, decides he's too accustomed to his fortune & status to allow divorce to take it away. He spends months planning the perfect murder of his rich wife Margot, even entangling an old school mate with a shady moral compass to perform the deed, but when the perfect plan goes wrong he must quickly improvise a plan B.
I was in awe at the dialogue and plotting of this script. It contains, in my opinion, a perfect scene. Penultimate within the film and perfectly performed by the actors. There's something almost admirable about the brilliance with which Tony, played by Ray Milland, goes about orchestrating the crime with a charming smile and relaxed manner. Having lured his unsuspecting university friend Charles Swann to his home he speaks candidly about discovering the affair, anonymously blackmailing his wife, then about stalking Mr. Swann and learning so many interesting things about him. It's too late for Swann now. He's left fingerprints on numerous things inside the apartment during the visit, which makes Tony's story of Swann's black mail of and Margot and now Tony all the more plausible. They strike a deal and Tony walks Swann through each masterful step of the murder. He even pauses to answer a call from his wife as Swann thinks it over.
And Dial M is just that clever from beginning to end. Watching Tony's mind work over the problem at hand is absolutely mesmerizing.
Dial M for Murder also marks Hitchcocks first film with Grace Kelly, his most beloved star.
Watch the trailer by clicking the link.
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