Dial M for Murder Reviews

• Superior Hitchcock with an enchanting Grace Kelly

  
  By ABN5K7K1TM1QA on 2002-07-21
  This is a fine example of the kind of mystery that little old ladies from Pasadena (or Russell Square) adore. Perhaps Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) starring Cary Grant might be comparable in its genteel and bloodless ability to glue us to the screen.

  This is certainly one of Hitchcock's best, but most of the credit must go to a devilishly clever play written by Frederick Knott from which he adapted the screenplay. (He also wrote the play upon which Wait Until Dark (1967) starring Audrey Hepburn was based.) Hitchcock does a good job in not tinkering unnecessarily with the material. He also has the exquisitely beautiful Grace Kelly to play the part of Margot Wendice.

  Ray Milland plays, with a kind of high-toned Brit panache, her diabolical husband, Tony Wendice, a one-time tennis star who married mostly for security. John Williams is the prim and proper Chief Inspector Hubbard. He lends to the part a bit of Sherlock Holmesian flair. One especially liked his taking a moment to comb his mustache after the case is solved. Robert Cummings, unfortunately plays Margot's American boyfriend as inventively as a sawhorse. For those of you who might have blinked, Hitchcock makes his traditional appearance in the photo on the wall from Tony Wendice's undergraduate days.

  The fulcrum of the plot is the latchkey. It is the clue that (literally) unlocks the mystery. There is a modernized redoing of this movie called A Perfect Murder (1998) starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow in which a similar business with latchkeys is employed. I am not very good with clues so it was only after seeing that movie and Dial M for Murder for the second time that I finally understood what happened. Follow the latchkey!

  Of course I was too distracted by Grace Kelly to fully appreciate such intricacies. I found myself struck with the ironic notion that anyone, even a cuckolded husband, might want to kill Grace Kelly or that a jury might find her guilty of anything! She remains in my psyche America's fairytale princess who quit Hollywood at the height of her popularity after only five years and eleven movies to become a real princess by marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco. Something was lost there, and something was gained. She was in essence the original Jackie Kennedy Onassis. I think, however, that the old saw about the man who marries for money, earning it, might apply to American princesses as well.

  At any rate, Grace Kelly's cool and sublime bearing was on fine display here. Hitchcock cloths her in discreet nightgowns and fitted (but certainly not clinging) dresses that show off her delicate figure and her exquisite arms and hint coyly at her subtle sexuality. She was 25-years-old, stunningly beautiful, and in full confidence of her ability as an actress. She had just finished starring opposite James Stewart in another splendid Hitchcock one-room mystery, Rear Window (1954), and was about to make The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby for which she would win an Oscar for Best Actress.

  So see this for Grace Kelly who makes Gwyneth Paltrow (whom I adore) look downright gawky, and for Ray Milland whose urbane scheming seems a layer or two of hell removed from Michael Douglas's evil manipulations.

  By the way, the "original theatrical trailer" preceding these Warner Brothers Classic videos is what we used to call the "Coming Attractions"--that is, clips directly from the movie and a promo. You might want to fast forward to the movie itself.
  
  

• A suspenseful masterpiece

  
  By A14CC5FIPR5YVF on 2004-10-25
  Former tennis pro Tony Wendice found out many months ago that his wife Margot was in love with another man, Mark Halliday, an American author of crime novels. After many weeks of planning, Tony sets in motion the perfect plan to kill his wife. The only problem is, as Halliday unknowningly remarks, there's no such thing as a perfect murder, and when something goes wrong, Tony has to quickly formulate another plan to do away with his wife.
  
  This is a classic of suspense from director Alfred Hitchcock, based upon a very successful stage play. All the actors - Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings and John Williams - all give fine performances, but Milland's as Tony Wendice is a standout. You're instantly won over by his conniving charm, and I admit to following his plan with a tiny bit of satisfaction. He's never over-the-top, remaining perfectly cool and collected even when things go awry. Hitchcock's directorial style also keeps the viewer confined to the apartment, only venturing outside very infrequently. As with the play, much of the action takes place in that small space, and Hitchcock uses it to his advantage with intricate staging and camera angles.
  
  The DVD is wonderfully clear with sharp sound as well. The two featurettes are equally worth watching, especially the one on 3D. I never knew that the film was originally shot as a 3D feature, and this goes into some detail about how Hitchcock set up many of the shots without relying too much on the effects. Even as a flat screen movie, the film works perfectly. This movie is a genuine pleasure to watch and should be part of any movie buff's collection.
  
  

• Murderously charming...

  
  By A3UA40JOD3BE1M on 2005-10-21
  I've always thought Ray Milland was a fine actor, even though his choice of roles could, generously, be called eclectic; which is probably why we can enjoy him in this production, as well as such diverse offerings as the Noir Classic "The Big clock," "Lost Weekend," for which he deservedly won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a raging alcoholic, as well as "The Man With X-Ray Eyes," and... "The Thing With Two Heads!" But for me, the part of "Tony Wendice" in Hitchcock's "Dial M For Murder" is the quintessential Milland role, suave, debonair, urbane, and utterly, ruthlessly, murderously, charming!
  
  Frederick Knott, adapting his own stage production, wrote the screenplay, and Hitchcock wisely chose to film the material "straight," without opening it up too much, but with one startling exception, which I'll come to later. As befits a stage production, the vast majority of "Dial M" takes place in just one location, Tony and Margot Wendice's living room, located in a genteel suburb of 1950's London.
  
  The plot is deceptively simple; Tony is a retired Tennis Pro, being more-or-less supported by his wife Margot, played by a luminous Grace Kelly in an early film role. Tony's career meant that he was away for extended periods of time, playing in various tournaments, and during one of his absences Margot fell head-over-heals in love with an American writer visiting London. That was a year ago, and since then Tony has cold-bloodedly plotted to kill his wife, all the while playing the part of the devoted husband. But after a chance encounter he decides to blackmail an old acquaintance, a vaguely seedy con-man and womanizer, into committing the crime for him by following Tony's plan to the letter, a plan he claims is the "Perfect Murder."
  
  Oh but it were; the plan may well have been perfect, but its execution - sorry! - is anything but. In a superbly staged scene the murder is bungled, and Tony arrives home to his shocked and near hysterical wife, very much alive, and the dead body of her assailant stretched out on the living room floor. Now you can see the wheels turning as a desperate Tony has to come up with a "Plan B" on the fly, and with the police on their way. As I said earlier, this is the quintessential Milland, and he plays the part of Tony with such relish and aplomb, that before you know it, you find yourself rooting for the cad; he's still trying to kill-off his wife, and you can't help hoping he gets away with it... an amazing performance!!!
  
  "Dial M" has always been one of my favorite Hitchcock films; he seems to excel when working under almost impossible, self-imposed, restrictions. For other examples see the superlative "Rope" with James Stewart, and what is probably the most extreme example, the magnificent "Lifeboat" with Tallulah Bankhead. Here, as in the other two examples, we have a nail-biting thriller set in just one location, although there are a couple of external shots and a very brief, heavily stylized, "courtroom" scene.
  
  But what sets this film apart from every other Hitchcock production is that it was made in 3D, a decision that was, apparently, forced on the director by the studio to cash in on the briefly popular craze. I'm lucky enough to have seen "Dial M" in the theatre in 3D, and while the main use of the process was usually to generate a cheap scare or giggle for the audience, Hitch made it his own by employing it with subtly and care.
  
  Unlike almost all other 3D films from that time there're no monsters shambling towards us, no spears, chairs, or flaming meteors bursting from the screen. As you watch the film "flat" you'll notice that the camera often moves around the room looking "up" at the cast, and there's invariably a piece of furniture, a dresser or a table with a vase on it for instance, between the actor and the audience. Watching the film in 3D is really quite amazing, by taking this subtle approach Hitch is able to put us right into the room with the cast, and I often found myself trying to look "around" the furniture at the characters!
  
  The one scene where Hitch really lets rip with the technique is the famous murder scene, where Margot is reaching behind her for the pair of scissors - there's a representation of the scene on the DVD cover artwork - and her hand appears to be coming out of the screen at you! (It's a shame that a 3D version of this film hasn't been issued on DVD, I'm sure that it would fit on a dual layer disc.)
  
  Grace Kelly does sterling work as the betrayed Margot, Anthony Dawson is effective as "Swann" the murderer, although Robert Cummings is unfortunately bland as Margot's boyfriend "Mark." The only other actor who really shines is John Williams as "Chief Inspector Hubbard," who pays a visit to clear up a few details the following day. Williams' Hubbard is terribly "British," does not suffer fools gladly, and instinctively knows that the initial story of a killer coming in through the garden windows is a lie. Just as in Milland's portrayal, you can see the gears turning as he reasons events through; rather like Sherlock Holmes he discards what cannot be, and then by a process of deduction and elimination, whatever is left, no matter how improbable it seems, has to be the truth!
  
  As I've indicated already, the film belongs to Milland, and the final scene where Tony discovers that the game is most certainly up will leave you smiling and shaking your head at the sheer nerve of the character, as that "murderous charm" shines like a thousand suns!!! This is a perfect gem of a film, "classic" Hitchcock, and I would recommend it highly.
  
  
  

• A Perfect Murder?....NOT!

  
  By A2ZSC81MXLBELX on 2006-10-11
  This review refers to "Dial M For Murder",DVD,Warner Bros...
  
  Aren't we lucky that cell phones weren't around in the 50's. Then Grace Kelly would never have had to leave her bed, to answer that potentialy fatal phone call in the living room.No matter how often you view this very suspense filled, thriller from Hitch, you still want to shout out to Grace Kelly."Look Out Grace...there's a murderer behind you!" That's one of the things I love about Hitch films. The connection to the characters, the need to help them. You practically want to get up and put those scissors in her hand, so she can protect herself from evil. Dial M has many of those moments, and is a superb classic that stands up to many repeat viewings.
  
  Ray Milland has discovered his wife (Kelly) is having a love affair with Robert Cummings. Also she is the rich one in the family and he decides her time is up. He ropes in and hires a guy whose lifestyle makes for an easy blackmail mark. He's going to pay him 1000 pounds(well, after all it's only a few minutes work), and has it all worked out. Right down to the smallest detail. But uh-oh, the perfect plan starts unraveling almost the minute the plan is set in motion.The details start to go amiss, and don't stop until the end. Small things at first, a slow watch, phone troubles, the wrong person gets killed, you know little stuff like that! It is a joy to watch Ray Milland in action as he must explain away all of it to his wife and the police.
  
  The film is a thing of beauty. Hitchcock made this film from a hit play, and filmed it in the same fashion. Most of the scenes are set in the confines of a small apartment. Hitch moves his actors around like the master he was. As mentioned Milland is a genius, Grace Kelly is wonderful as the good girl except for the little matter of the extra-marital affair. And of course we forgive her for this, because we too, like the Robert Cummings character better then the husband. Cummings also makes the most of his part. As a mystery writer, who knows the perfect murder can only happen in a book, he tries his hand at solving this mystery as well. John Williams, another favorite of Hitch's, is the Detective heading up the murder investigation. He's perfect as that Columbo type, who you know, that he knows what might have taken place, but needs to prove it. And it is fabulous to watch him put the pieces together.
  
  Where's Hitch?....Where could he be in this film mostly made in one room. Ahhh..about 12 minutes in..the 'Picture' of innocence as he mugs for the camera at a class reunion.
  
  The DVD is a good buy. Nice clear picture, and good colors. The colors are sometimes muted and sometimes striking. When Grace is being bad with her lover, she is in a red dress. I thought the sound was recorded a little low, I had to turn up the volume a little more then usual. It is presented in a Standard version format which preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. Some really good features on this disc. A 20 minute documentary on how Hitch made this film, with other filmmakers admiring his work. A Brief History of 3D films, focusing on Dial M, mostly and showing the parts that were originally in 3D. Also a great trailer for the film.
  
  A great addition to your Hitch collection...and always look behind you when answering the phone!..Enjoy...Laurie
  
  
  

• A Hitchcock thriller with first rate cast and good plot

  
  By ANIHXYXKPZL2H on 2001-06-03
  "Dial M For Murder" is one of Hitchcock's lesser known movies from the fifties. It was taken from Frederick Knott's successful stage play and he also wrote the screenplay. The film had a strong cast which included Ray Milland, Robert Cummings, and, in her first film for Hitchcock, Grace Kelly. The supporting cast included John Williams and Anthony Dawson. The film was made in 3-D but never released in this form here in the U.K.

  Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) is aware that his wife Margot (Grace Kelly) is having an affair with Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). Margot is hoping for a divorce but her husband has other plans - Tony is alarmed about the thought of having to live without his wife's money so he decides to have her murdered. By chance he runs into an old college acquaintance called C. A. Swann (Anthony Dawson) who is known to have a criminal past and has in fact been in prison. Tony decides that Swann would be the ideal man to do the murder as he has no connection with Margot and offers him £1,000 to do the deed. Swann is reluctant at first so Tony has to resort to blackmail threatening Swann with exposure of some of his past criminal activities to persuade him to become involved. On the night of the planned murder Tony is dining out at a restaurant with Mark and some others (which is to be his alibi). He has left a key under the stair carpet for Swann to enter the apartment and at 11.0 p.m. Tony will phone Margot from the restaurant - Swann will be hiding behind the curtains and when Margot answers the phone he will strangle her from behind. The perfect crime - or is it? Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances things don't quite work out as planned and there are many twists and turns before the police inspector (John Williams) has got it all figured out.

  Some favourite lines from the film:

  Robert Cummings (to Grace Kelly): "I can see this is going to be a rough evening. All of us saying nice things to each other".

  Ray Milland (to Anthony Dawson): "I thought of three different ways of killing him. I even thought of killing her - and that seemed a far more sensible idea".

  Kelly (to Cummings): "Do you really believe in the perfect murder?".

  John Williams (to Cummings): "They talk about flat footed policemen. May the saints preserve us from the gifted amateur".

  Hitchcock's cameo appearance in this film is a little different as he doesn't actually appear "in person". He is seen in the school reunion dinner photograph that Ray Milland shows to Anthony Dawson early in the film. Robert Cummings had starred in a previous Hitchcock film called "Saboteur" (1942). Grace Kelly went on to make two more films for Hitchcock - "Rear Window" and "To Catch a Thief" (both in 1954). Talented character actor John Williams was also in Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief". "Dial M For Murder" was remade in 1998 as "A Perfect Murder" with Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen (the last named was also in the remake of "Psycho"). Another of Frederick Knott's plays made into a film was the excellent thriller "Wait Until Dark" starring Audrey Hepburn.
  
  

• Keeping Scissors At Arm's Reach Seems Very Sensible Indeed!
  By A1FDW1SPYKB354 on 2004-09-17
  Two Grade-A Alfred Hitchcock motion pictures were released in the year 1954: the spectacular "Rear Window" and this other delicious little number called "Dial M For Murder".
  
  Scissors, latch keys, stockings, telephones, and blackmail notes are all important set-pieces that help drive this movie along.
  
  "Dial M" is heavily dialogue-driven, although the attempted murder scene is very well done -- and quite suspenseful indeed. I'm guessing that when viewers watched this film in movie theaters in '54, there was probably a huge cheer after Grace did what she had to do to stay among the living. Great scene.
  
  But, for me, the very best part of this stylish thriller/drama comes near the beginning of the film. The scene I refer to is a very lengthy one (22 minutes long to be precise). It's the scene in Ray Milland's apartment (flat) where he coaxes Mr. C.A. Swan into taking the grisly job which Milland has to offer.
  
  I love the way this "set up" scene is written and plays out. It has a very realistic (and kind of eerie) feel to it. Tony Wendice (Milland) has certainly done his homework, and that fact is conveyed to us with little doubt. Tony's got everything figured out right down to the exact minute he needs to call the flat to "entice" his wife to the telephone the next evening. And he's very nearly thought of everything. Very nearly....everything except those pesky scissors that Grace left on the desk.
  
  Tony's murder weapon in this fiendish plot is C.A. Swan, played to absolute perfection by Anthony Dawson. Dawson emanates a kind of creepiness and shadiness that fits his character to a tee (similar to an eerie role Dawson played six years later in the Doris Day film, "Midnight Lace", which has Dawson exuding a heightened level of "creepiness" in various scenes in that 1960 thriller).
  
  The moment Swan (Dawson) enters Wendice's dwelling, a subtle feeling of tension and slight uneasiness comes across the screen. You know something is afoot. Hitchcock seems to have had an unparalleled ability to convey this sense of dread, disquiet, and trepidation without having to beat us over the head with it. It's just THERE, slightly beneath the surface. You can feel it somehow.
  
  Veteran character actor John Williams plays Chief Inspector Hubbard, who is working overtime to crack this tricky case. And he does a fine job of it too, as it turns out. Williams, it seems, made a living out of portraying this kind of law-enforcement character. He played the exact same type of role in the aforementioned movie, "Midnight Lace", in addition to a similar recurring role as an "Inspector" in Mr. Hitchcock's very own self-titled TV series.
  
  "Dial M For Murder" plays out kind of like a Sherlock Holmes mystery, Alfred Hitchcock style, with Williams in the part of Sherlock here, as he pieces together the clues to resolve the case. It's a low-key drama that is set in virtually one single location -- an apartment. Very few scenes take place outside Milland's home setting, which is very reminiscent of Hitchcock's other 1954 endeavor, "Rear Window", which also takes place practically in just a single room.
  
  Video quality is excellent on this disc, IMO. The film looks clear, detailed, and rich in color. Some grain and "noise" are evident in some scenes, but it's never distracting in the least. Overall, a darn good-looking digital video transfer. The aspect ratio is Full-Frame (1.33:1), which was the original framing as shown in theaters in 1954. Audio is supplied by a highly-adequate Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono soundtrack.
  
  Menus are simple (and static) in nature. A "scissors" icon guides our way around the menu screens (which seems most appropriate here). :)
  
  Packaging is attractive and colorful, and appears to come from original 1954 artwork for the film. No paper (chapter) insert is included with this DVD release. "Scene Selections" are included on the disc itself (as is the norm, of course, for nearly all movies on DVD). There are 5 separate "Scene" screens on this disc, providing instant access to any of the film's 28 different chapters.
  
  
  DVD Bonus Features:
  
  Two short featurettes are included on the disc --- "Hitchcock And Dial M" (with a run time of 21:33) and "3D: A Brief History" (7:06). ...............
  
  "Hitchcock And Dial M" is an enjoyable and informative bonus, produced by "DVD Supplemental Materials King" Laurent Bouzereau. Several talking heads, including Peter Bogdanovich, chat about "Dial M" and about Hitchcock's filmmaking techniques. Clips from the film are shown throughout this bonus feature, as are many behind-the-scenes still photographs.
  
  "3D: A Brief History" is another Laurent Bouzereau short, which gives us a cursory overview into how "3-D" movies were made back in the 1950s. "Dial M For Murder" was indeed originally shot by Mr. Hitchcock in the 3-D process -- with the famous scissors literally "leaping" out of the screen at audience members who saw the film in theaters, provided each movie-goer was wearing a pair of those cardboard "3-D glasses". (I can see why 3-D films failed to catch on in a really big fashion. Having to sit through a two-hour film while constantly wearing those ill-fitting, uncomfortable makeshift eyeglasses would get tiresome very quickly, in my opinion. LOL.)
  
  Even though "Dial M" *was* filmed with "3-D" in mind, there is no way to view the movie in 3-D while playing this DVD-Video (even if you happen to have a pair of those colored glasses lying around the house). But that's really a minor point; because "Dial M" doesn't really need any "gimmick" (like 3-D) to be enjoyed. It's a winning Hitchcock effort no matter how it's viewed.
  
  One other bonus resides on this disc -- The Theatrical Trailer for "Dial M" (2:35). For some odd reason, this trailer is shown in Widescreen format here, even though the film itself was photographed in a Full-Frame ratio.
  
  Other disc info ....... Spoken Languages on this DVD are English and French (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono for both). There are Subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
  
  This movie is one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock flicks, being firmly anchored by two highly-rewatchable moments/scenes --- that very intriguing lengthy early act in the picture featuring Milland and Dawson .... and those very handy scissors!
  
  
• One of the best Hitch
  By A9DLZV7SYIN7O on 2000-06-21
  Although reviews tend to vary on this movie, I think it is one of Hitchcocks 10 best. Although the movie does not have as much mystery, suspense, or action as many of Hitch's other films, it does feature terrific acting, a good plot, and great direction, editing, and cinematography. Ray Milland and Grace Kelly put in terrific performances. Milland puts in such a good performance that you almost find yourself rooting for him to get away with his crime. I thought Robert Cummings was just average, but the role of the Inspector is one of the better supporting characters in any Hitch film. The ending, while not as famous as those in North by Northwest or Strangers on a Train, is so casual that I think it ranks as one of the best, if not the best, of all Hitch endings.
  
  
• Enjoyable But Mild
  By ACIBQ6BQ6AWEV on 2002-02-13
  Although Hitchcock's version of the popular play was considered a shocker in its day, repetition of the story in so many versions has made the story itself seem rather tame: a husband, angered by his wife's affair and in desperate need of money, blackmails an acquaintance to murder her--but his plans go awry when his wife kills her attacker in self-defense.

  Both Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings, as the faithless wife and her mild-mannered lover, give enjoyable performances, but the real success of the film is Ray Milland, who brings a slightly oily charm to his role of murderous husband. Hitchcock's approach to the material is somewhat hampered by the fact that the film was originally shot in 3-D, and although the scene in which star Grace Kelly confronts her attacker is justly famous, the film is essentially a meticulous recreation of the stage success rather than a Hitchcock original.

  Although familiarity with the material robs if of impact, most viewers will find Hitchcock's DIAL M FOR MURDER entertaining in an old-fashioned sort of way. For myself, I wish the film could be released to videotape or DVD in the original 3-D format, so we might see how effectively Hitchcock handled the requirements of the form. It might very well breathe new life into an old favorite.
  
  

• Superb and magnificent puzzle!
  By A16CZRQL23NOIW on 2004-07-29
  Alfred Hitchock never created emblematic characters . For instance , an adultery commited for the wife of the intellectual murderer is the starting point to the story .
  Through the film runs we tend to forget that initial premise and we defend the victim . The same mechanism is used in Psycho or Strangers in a train .
  The remarkable point is interesting since it demonstrates that nobody is innocent , but less guilty .
  Ray Milland is superb as the cheated husband , he will build a complex plan to convince and ancient schoolmate who actually is not a winner , showing him a picture from his school times (where we see once more to Hitchock in this , clear , funny and very often device from the suspense master)and persuades to him to murder his own wife .
  All in theory seems to work out in a perfect level , but as always the human factor appears struggling the neck to the anticipated destiny.
  Grace Kelly is extraordinary and to me , she never was best in any other Hitchcock film . The movie is loaded with ironical bits and the typical english clever humor .
  And once the camera working around the hall in almost the eighty per cent of the film is another remarkable aspèct to celebrate .
  The close up resource is perfect . Hitchock was always a master in this sense .
  One of my timeless favorites .
  
  
• 3-D correction
  By A1LPDK4OY0OCCJ on 2004-09-23
  The review by David R. Von Pein was very helpful, but a correction is in order. The 3-D projection at the time of the release never required the audience to wear cheesy cardboard anaglyph (red/green lensed) glasses. The glasses were sometimes cardboard and sometimes plastic but they had polarized lenses which produced no color distortion whatsoever.
  
  To my mind, it is a very great pity that this release does not include a field-sequential 3-D version. Field sequential 3-D glasses such as the ones used at IMAX theatres are readily available for home use for under $100. How nice it would've been to see the film in glorious 3-D as intended!
  
  
• Brilliant Thriller with Suspense and Surprise...
  By A6ADO7B6FUVN on 2004-10-10
  Hitchcock stirs up the dust in his classic thriller Dial M for Murder as the story surrounds the former tennis professional Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) who wishes to accomplish the perfect murder of his wife, Margot (Grace Kelly). Tony wants to commit the murder because his wife had an affair over a year ago, which he found out about through a letter. However, as expected something goes wrong and Tony must find a new solution to his plan. The secret of the film is not the killer, but rather if Tony will get away with murder.
  
  Hitchcock displayed brilliant directorial skills as the film keeps its claustrophobic atmosphere while the camera remains in the center of the Wendice living room throughout most of the film. The claustrophobic atmosphere enhances the suspense as you feel cornered and you know that there is no escape, and if the plan should work there can be no mistakes. The close proximity to everything and the predominant use of only one set creates a theatrical scene However, unlike in theater the audience will feel like they are one of the witnesses in middle of the room who is eavesdropping on Tony's hideous plan and crime. Through staying on the same location the audience gets much time to recognize details and understand the importance of them in the story.
  
  Dial M for Murder offers a terrific cinematic experience as it offers both suspense and some issues to ponder. The details and depth of the film that truly enhance the cinematic experience are directly related to Hitchcock's input on what should be in the mise-en-scene. The mise-en-scene is absolutely marvelous as it offers detailed information about the characters and adds suspenseful intrigue and surprise.
  
  
  
• Best character portrayal by Ray Milland
  By A2GBVCQFKLA5L on 2001-06-10
  This classic will always be my favorite. For those who like a movie with superb dialogue and suspense, this is it. I don't usually laugh out loud watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie, but every time I hear Ray Milland say: "What shall we do, play cards?" I do. Don't leave this one out of your collection. It's just as entertaining the thirtieth time you watch it as it was the first.
  
  
• Plot, precision and no pretension whatsoever
  By A2O7MOWVMSKO5J on 2001-07-11
  Halfway between Rope and Rear Window, Dial M For Murder is a masterpiece of dialogue-driven thrills, filled with snappy lines, memorable characters and magnificent twists and intrigues. Blackmail, bribery, burglary, adultery, murder, manipulation and set-ups all slot together into one seamless, flowing crescendo of a roller coaster ride that takes you up and down and in and out of alternating suspense and excitement. Originally written as a play, the writing is so intelligent that this film surpasses the narrow constraints of its genre, avoiding any level of predictability – every time you think you know what’s going to happen, something comes dashing at you from a completely different angle and knocks you into another direction, until you just hold on and see where you end up. The acting, though not outstanding, serves its purpose admirably, and you feel for the characters and do actually care whether they live or die, which is always a bonus in a story revolving around murder. A number of long takes keep the film moving swiftly onwards, and despite its for the most part one-room setting, making it obviously lacking in spectacle, it never becomes stale.

  Dial M for Murder is seen as one of Hitchcock’s weaker films because of its complete lack of pretension – I guess it’s just what constitutes your taste in films. A lot of people dislike this film because it is plot-driven and not, dare I say it, arty and high-brow, but don’t think that means it is devoid of creativity. Though it is set almost entirely within one flat, Hitchcock far exceeds the limitations placed upon such a setting. The tension created by the camera circling Grace Kelly when she is on the phone is intense, the frequently astounding camera shots that swoop in from the other side of the room to extreme close-ups of, for example, keys, are ingenious instruments of plot-progression, and the top-down soon-to-die shot as the murder is planned is definitely worthy of note. If you want the camera to tell the story, then this isn’t the film for you, but if you’re okay with the idea of a film that contains – God forbid – dialogue, and intelligent, stirring, rip-roaring, rousing dialogue at that, then Dial M For Murder is the perfect movie.

  I would recommend this film to virtually everyone. If you like the theatre or reading books or listening to radio plays, you’ll like this. If you like plot-based movies, you’ll love this one – it could teach today’s films a thing or two about substance. If you like dialogue-based films like anything by Quentin Tarantino, Polanski’s Chinatown or The Usual Suspects, you’ll like Dial M For Murder. If you’ve ever watched more than one episode of Colombo, you will love it. If you like Grace Kelly, you’ll like this. But (and it’s a big but) if you prefer action and explosions to plot, Jean-Luc Goddard to Robert Zemeckis, avant-garde to Hollywood or the second half of Titanic to the first, then you’d probably be best giving this film a miss.
  
  

• Dial E for Excellence
  By A2ZTB8EDDR8RGW on 2002-05-02
  'Dial M for Murder' has many of the touches that one associates with Hitchcock, mainly, his masterly use of building up suspense and the way he makes you side with the villain, despite yourself. The acting is excellent. Ray Milland is convincing as the charming but devious husband who attempts to murder his wife, Grace Kelly, who makes a compelling and sympathetic victim. Only Robert Cummings grates as the insufferable 'hero', although this may have had to do more with the part than the actor himself.

  The flaws of the films are a slight stiffness. There are two reasons for this. 'Dial M for Murder' was originally a play and most of the action takes place in one room. Necessary on a static stage, but limiting and unnatural in a film. It was also shot in 3D at the insistence, and against Hitchcock's objections, of the studios. Since the cameras necessary for 3D were bulky and difficult to manoeuvre, there is a lack of fluidity that adds to the feeling that you are watching a play rather than a film, even if it is an excellent play. However, Hitchcock still manages to produce good cinema. His slow build-up to the attempted murder scene and its thrilling climax is to see the master at his best.

  A wonderful film that never bores and often startles. Not quite "up there" with Hitchcock's best, but an excellent film nevertheless.
  
  

• Not Quite As Good As REAR WINDOW
  By A37B3O457INKEA on 2004-03-17
  DIAL M FOR MURDER is an Alfred Hitchcock classic about a man who is trying to have his unfaithful wife murdered for her wealth. Ray Milland does a superb job in the role of the scheming husband. Grace Kelly plays the wife and Robert Cummings is her lover. John Williams, Anthony Dawson and Patrick Allen round out the strong cast. Unfortunately the details of the film's plot are too complicated and the movie lacks the usual high degree of suspense associated with the best Hitchcock thrillers.

  DIAL M FOR MURDER received no Oscar nominations in 1954 but Alfred Hitchcock did receive a nomination for his direction of REAR WINDOW in that same year.
  
  

• STOIC THRILLER NOT AS COMPELLING AS LACK OF 3D
  By A1M9DQDGE07Q0U on 2004-08-29
  It seems Hitch' had a yen for tennis players. In "Dial M for Murder" (1954) tennis pro, Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) plots the demise of his wealthy wife, Margot (Grace Kelly) after he discovers that she is having an affair with prominent writer, Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). But things backfire when Margot accidentally kills her attacker with a pair of scissors, thus opening up Tony's chances at improvisation. How clever will he be at keeping the truth at bay? Like Hitchcock's "Rope", this film pretty much sticks to one set - a claustrophobic apartment - slowly drawing all the plot elements more tightly around Tony's newly revised plan. He'll pin the attempted murder on Halliday instead. Shot during the briefly trendy period of 3-D, Hitch' chose to eschew the usual (let's throw things at the screen) gimmicky approach and instead shot "Dial M for Murder" with a distinct foreground, middle ground, background perspective that really places the audience in the center of the goings on. Only once, when Margot is being strangled by her attacker, does Hitch' succumb to the gimmick by having Margot reach behind her back (out into the audience) to grasp her lethal pair of shears; quite effective!
  
  Unfortunately, "Dial M for Murder" is presented in its usual flat format on DVD. Though colors can be rich and vibrant, there is a decidedly pasty look to the overall palette that is rather unbecoming and very unnatural looking. Blacks are deep but not very solid. Fine detail is generally lost in a picture that is generally softly focused. All of these shortcomings are the product of 3-D's cumbersome process. Edge enhancement is present but does not terribly distract. Some pixelization and shimmering of fine details is detected also. The audio is mono but nicely cleaned up.
  
  
  
• Dial M for Masterful (film and DVD both)
  By A3GRN6J64F2C3X on 2004-09-13
  A bright, sparkling print resonating with deep, lush colors, this new DVD print of 1954's "Dial M For Murder" looks leagues better than many so-called DVD "restorations" of films released twenty or even thirty years later. Absorbing, funny, and wonderfully acted, "Dial M" is one of Hitch's best, and it's great to finally have it on DVD. A great little retrospective documentary (21 minutes); a featurette about 3-D technology (7 minutes); and a wonderfully preserved "Dial M" trailer are terrific bonuses here. Listening to director M. Night Shyamalan's detailed and extensive appreciation of the film was a particular treat during the documentary. Warner Brothers is to be commended for not trotting out the same old "talking heads" on this and the other retrospective documentaries that accompany this latest batch of Hitchcock DVD releases. Fresh faces and fresh perspectives elevate these extra features from pleasant additions to must-see status.
  
  
• Classic Hitchcock Thriller With Tension Filled Scenario
  By A2TOU0N8XE68W4 on 2005-09-05
  Alfred Hitchcock wasn't called the "Master of Suspense", for nothing and while 1954's "Dial M For Murder", is probably not his best remembered work, the film contains so many wonderful elements that work together to make a great thriller that it deserves to be included in the pantheon of Hitchcock greats along with the likes of "Rebecca", "Rear Window", North by NorthWest", and "Psycho". Hitchcock has taken a story very much betraying it's stage origins and managed without opening it out greatly for the screen to create an intriguing story that would hold movie audiences attention. That is achieved despite the fact that apart from one or two brief scenes all the action takes place in a cramped apartment belonging to the characters played by Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. The way he manages to make the apartment and its outside stairwell an integral part of the action, with it almost taking on a life of it's own is pure Hitchcock genius that in the hands of a lesser director would have seemed purely claustrophobic. Working with his favourite actress in Grace Kelly, here all cool elegance but with a strong inner sensuality as was her trademark, Hitchcock is also totally at home with his favourite theme of well thought out murder and has a field day with the story and visual potential of "Dial M For Murder".
  
  Based on the highly successful and often revived stage play by Frederick Knott "Dial M for Murder", could be described as an "elegant thriller", and is the type which sadly dont seem to be made anymore. We are first introduced to suave Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) a retired tennis pro used to living the high life with his elegant wife Margot (Grace Kelly). Tony discovers that Margo has been having an affair with American writer Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings), and fearing that a divorce might remove his source of income he plots to murder Margot, making it look like an accident. He cleverly black mails an old college acquaintance Charles Swann (Anthony Dawson), who is gulity of stealing money from the College, into committing the murder which Tony sets up so as to give himself a perfect alibi. However on the evening when the murder is due to take place when Tony manages to arrange for Margot to be home on her own while he and the unsuspecting Mark are at a function, everything goes wrong when Margot actually kills Swann with a pair of scissors while defending herself from his attack when she goes to answer the telephone. The unexpected result turns all of Tony's carefully laid plans upside down but he then immediately attempts to make things work his way by making it look like Swann was actually blackmailing Margot over an incriminating letter from Mark and that Margot killed him trying to retrieve it. Tony's master plan however starts to unravel when Chief Inspector Hubbard (John Williams), comes on the case and even after Margot is found guilty of murder and is to be hanged the tireless chief inspector teams up with Mark to prove at the eleventh hour that Margot only killed Swann in self defense. Through a brilliant web designed to trap Tony and prove he was the one trying to kill his wife the chief inspector closes in on his "prey", and it is through a simple latchkey and its duplicate that Chief Inspector Hubbard finally manages to trap Tony into incriminating himself and in revealing the whole horrid plan engineered by Tony to do away with Margot for her money.
  
  Ray Milland had I feel one of his very best roles as Tony Wendice, the very charming villian who plans the perfect murder only to see it go rather messingly wrong. Milland began his Hollywood career playing goodlooking but rather bland leading men however in roles such as this he superbly displays his fine maturing talents for playing very likeable rogues. In "Dial M for Murder', I find myself almost rooting for him as the criminial investigation begins to close in on him, somehow hoping that he wont get caught out. Despite planning his own wife's cold blooded murder his character comes off the most interesting and multi dimensional of all the leads. His superb scene where he sets up the scenerio by black mailing Charles Swann really reveals Ray Milland's finely tuned ability to play a very likeable and suave villian even when he is plotting the murder of his wife. Grace Kelly had one of her most famous roles in this movie and once again the magic between herself and favourite director Alfred Hitchcok sparked with Kelly's cool patrician looks and demeanour combining perfectly with Hitchcock's style of directing. Her adulterous wife character first seems rather predictable and colourless however as she is dragged further into her husband's cold blooded plan that sees her almost sent to the hangman for the self defense murder of her husband's paid killer her Margot is given more dimension and inner strength. Grace Kelly always revealed more of herself than just the cool beauty under Hitchcock's direction and for her efforts here she was awarded the New York Film Critics Award. Robert Cummings as Mark Halliday has come in for the main flak for his rather uninteresting character which certainly is not entirely the actors fault although the viewer I'm sure has a hard time wonderign why Grace Kelly would forsake the devilishly elegant Milland for the character played by Cummings. Supporting performances in this small cast are few and th eonly one of note is the always excellent John Williams in his all important role of Chief Insp. Hubbard. A Hitchcock regular over many years, Williams brings the correct level of urbane charm and underlying determination to make a memorable and at times highly amusing Chief Inspector. Hitchcock was wise to not greatly alter the acclaimed stage play and he has preserved the most suspenseful elements in the play such as the ongoing saga of the latchkey and who is in possession of it's duplicates. Appropriate importance is placed throughout the film's running time by Hitchcock on this one key and it's importance as a clue that unravels the whole case finally for the Chief Inspector. Certainly among his other genius Hitchcock was always expert in displaying his cast and in particular his leading ladies to the best effect on screen and Grace Kelly really came into her own in this elegant colour production superbly made up and gowned so that she did look like a real life princess a few years before she actually became one. Dimitri Tiomkin's evocative score is also highly suitable for this very wordy thriller and reaches its emotional peak during the still disturbing and justly famous murder sequence in the apartment. Stunningly choreographed by Hitchcock it achieves what it sets out to do surprising the audience with the outcome they did not first expect backed up by tension filled music that heightens the drama.
  
  "Dial M for Murder", would probably be seen by alot of modern audiences as too slow, too talky with not enough action however I think it's a superb thriller unique in the respect that for once the written word rather than the action creates the suspense. Grace Kelly's attempted murder scene still however packs a real punch and is probably one of the most well known and most often repeated sequences from any Hitchcock effort. "Dial M for Murder", has so much to recommend it to lovers of suspense from a veteran director in top form, to at least two leading actors perfectly cast in roles tailor made for them. Thrillers and investigation stories dont come much better than they do here and every lover of Alfred Hitchcock and his directing genius should have this superb film in their collections. Enjoy.
  
  
  
• Hitch's first colour film and the beautiful Grace Kelly
  By ABH4G7TVI6G2T on 2006-04-06
  Although Hitchcock considered this film one of his lesser efforts, DIAL M FOR MURDER (based on the hit Broadway play by Frederick Knott) contains enough thrills and twists to keep fans happy, and Hitchcock's touch is evident in every scene.
  
  Margot Wendice (Grace Kelly) seems to have the perfect marriage with her tennis champion husband Tony (Ray Milland). But we soon learn that Margot has another man on the side, Mark Halliday (Bob Cummings). When Tony discovers the affair, he plots the death of Margot at the hands of a 'burglar'. But the plan goes awry when Margot manages to free herself and kills her assailant. Tony accuses his bewildered wife of murder and it's up to the resourceful Inspector Hubbard (John Williams) to solve the case and prove Margot's innocence.
  
  While the film doesn't have the same scope or impact as earlier films like "Shadow of a Doubt" or "Notorious", DIAL M FOR MURDER is the perfect film version of the Knott play. Hitchcock wisely did not open up the play too much, instead keeping the action almost exclusively in the Wendice apartment. Rather than creating a claustrophobic feeling, innovative camera angles and blocking create a "play-like" atmosphere without the cramped confines of the space becoming an issue. The performances are fine. Ray Milland delivers one of his finest portrayals, and gives the character of Tony a softness and vulnerability that other actors might not have tapped into. In her first Hitchcock film, Grace Kelly is amazing as the targeted wife, looking scrumptious in some lovely gowns. Bob Cummings tries to give the one-dimensional role of Mark some life but the viewer is always more taken with Milland and Kelly. The supporting players John Williams and Anthony Dawson (as the ill-fated victim) both deliver handsomely. Originally filmed and screened in 3-D (and having the distinction of being Hitch's first colour movie), DIAL M FOR MURDER was a sound critical and financial success and remains an enjoyable and entertaining tale from Hitchcock's gallery of films.
  
  
• A lesser known Hitchock that can surprise.......
  By A1R6HYC3R0IUF8 on 2000-05-26
  I love "Rear Window" and "To Catch A Thief," which are two of the three movies that Grace Kelly and Alfred Hitchock collaborated on. But I had always heard "Dial M For Murder," the first of the three Grace starred in for the director, was a dissapointing film, so it took a long time for me to get around to watch it. I finally rented it a few months ago, and WOW! I find it's a great film, and I loved it! Grace was beautiful as always, and Ray Milland did an excellent job as the "villain" of the film. The plot was engrossing, and did I mention Grace Kelly was beautiful? But be warned, "Murder" is a psychological mystery, and a dialogue movie. It has little action, other than the murder attempt itself. So if you are looking for a typical twisty, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat Hitchock suspense film, its probably best that you look for "Vertigo," "Rear Window" or "North by Northwest" instead. But give "Dial M For Murder" a chance, and be ready to enjoy a great film, definitely deserving of a five star rating!
  
  
• DVD in 3D please...
  By on 2000-08-13
  I finally found this at the video store last night. An excellent movie...very well paced, and keeps your interest right from the onset. Grace Kelly is amazing as always, as is the rest of the cast. Hopefully, when the DVD comes out, it will include the 3-D version of this classic! Comparing it to other Hitchcock films, it has to rank among the top ones...however, it is hard to find a bad Hitchcock film (except "the Trouble with Harry"!)
  
  
• Dial M for Murder
  By A7Y6AVS576M03 on 2000-08-13
  It seems that one never tires of this film. It is just so entertaining. The script, the dialog, the acting, the sets, the colors, the editing, Dimitri Tiomkin's score and Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful direction in the confined set all congeal into a now classic film (even though Hitchcock somewhat played down the importance of this film in his list of directorial achievements). This VHS copy looks much better than earlier releases of this title.
  
  
• Murder & Ultimate Suspicion
  By on 2000-12-30
  This film is one of Alfred Hitchcock's best. He did a wonderful job in the setting of the story and he created a mysterious and twisted plot full of never-ending suspicion. Even though you know what is going to happen and when it is going to happen in this film,it still makes you wonder what could go wrong in this flaw-less murder plan. Grace Kelley does an excellent job playing the beautiful (but not so innocent) unsuspecting wife of Ray Milland, who also does an excellent job of plotting the plan and revealing it to the killer. This is a 5-star must see classic!
  
  
• Not my favorite Hitchcock...
  By AKCCXEWXJ0VIW on 2001-01-29
  But good nonetheless. Grace Kelly is luminous here; as my husband says, "Why would anyone want to murder Grace Kelly?" Indeed! Overly complicated; the twists and turns are somewhat hard to follow--pay attention to the key. Kelly's character is a little too victimized here for my taste (but apparently not Hitchcock's); she tends to do whatever hubby (Ray Milland) dictates. He totally dominates and patronizes her. What in the world did she see in him in the first place?

  Robert Cummings is not the hunky mate we would wish for Kelly; would that Milland was not a murderous SOB so they could ignite some sparks. Better to enjoy "To Catch a Thief" for spark-igniting between Kelly and Cary Grant.

  An interesting watch, though, just to see the interplay between Kelly and Milland, who fell in love during filming. Alas, Milland would not leave his wife. Oh, well, some day her prince will come.
  
  

• This movie should be on DVD!!!
  By on 2001-12-24
  As an Alfred Hitchcock fan, I find it very odd that this movie has yet to be relased in DVD. It is superb and Grace Kelly is awesome as usual. It is one of Hich's best. When it does come out on DVD, I'll be the first to snatch it up!
  
  
• Dial M for Masterful!
  By A2BZWG2LTJZGBQ on 2004-01-29
  Dial M for Murder is not one of the all time greats of the Master, but it still has its merits. Based on a play by Friedrich Knott, it features the suave Ray Milland playing Tony Wendice, former tennis star. He's married to Margot (Grace Kelly) who is actually having an affair with Mark (Robert Cummings). Tony hatches a plan to blackmail a former school chum to come to their house and kill Margot when Tony is away. The main part of the plan involves Tony calling Margot to get her to stand by the phone and give the killer his chance. The plan, needless to say, does not go off as planned and some further decisions need to be made.

  It's obvious that this was originally a stage play, as the majority of the picture takes place in the Wendice's apartment. It also was released in 3-D when it came out in 1954, something that really didn't help its popularity. The play was perfect for Hitchcock, who showed over and over his ability to do masterful work even when contained in one space for a long period of time (see Lifeboat, and Rear Window, which came out the same year as Dial M). The performances are superb. Milland as the overconfident Brit, Cummings as the uptight American, and Kelly as the clueless beauty who just can't believe her husband could be so cruel. I also loved John Williams as the inspector from Scotland Yard. He also thinks highly of himself and it's great watching him go up against Milland. Watch also for Hitch's cameo in a picture and the neat close ups of the scissors and the telephone number dial. Hitchcock always had the camera telling the story and this film is no exception. Excellent all the way around.
  
  

• Nobody does it better!
  By A3TF5Q4KIM570R on 2004-08-04
  From a director's standpoint, this is by far one of the greatest thrillers ever made and I don't say that lightly (since Hitchcock practically invented the genre). If you've seen the film before, you know what I say is true. If you haven't seen the film yet, thank heavens it's finally coming to DVD.
  
  What makes this film such a marvelous gem is the fact that it holds one of Hitchcock's most notable trademarks: telling a story in a single location without it ever being a bore (see Rear Window and Rope).
  
  Another brilliant thing I love about the film is (if you haven't seen it skip this paragraph!) is that one of the characters tells us EXACTLY what will happen in the last 20 seconds or so, and you don't realize it until it's already happening. What makes Hitchcock films so involving is the control of information; when we see the key Ray Milland removes from Anthony Dawson's pocket, we of course assume that's Grace Kelly's latch key. As a filmgoer who frequently is able to predict the "twist" ending in most modern day films, I have to admit that when the secret of the key was revealed, I almost fell out of my chair; the thought just never occurred to me (and I also didn't realize Dawson plays both the assassin AND the inspector in the film).
  
  There isn't much more I can say about the film. I can't give it any higher praise. It's well made, well acted, well written, and especially well directed. This is the kind of film that, after you see it, you just want to watch it a few more times in a row (or see more of Hitch's films). It's the kind of film that, after you see it, you wonder why they don't make movies like this anymore.
  
  
• Some notes about the 3D aspect...
  By A2KPFS6JULQPU4 on 2006-10-03
  First of all about the movie itself: this is good, if not great, Hitchcock. It's very entertaining if a bit stage bound, and the performances are uniformly fine.
  
  That out of the way I thought I'd expand on the 3D aspect. I actually saw the 3D version about 25 years ago or so at a Hollywood theater on the Strip. It was part of a double feature with "Strangers on a Train" (there is a connection as it has been noted that the Ray Milland character in "Dial", a tennis pro, could have been the Farley Granger character in "Strangers").
  
  I recall reading that when one reason Hitch shot the film in 3D was to bring out the realism of the stage play. This is evident in many scenes in the way objects are juxtaposed with the actors, such as lamps and furniture, as well as distances (seeing into the bedroom beyond the living room). In other words, the 3D served the story rather than the other way around.
  
  But there were at least two showcase scenes where the 3D was key. The first was when the Grace Kelly character is being assaulted and is frantically waving her hand behind her (ostensibly to get the scissors). In 3D her hand was right in front of our faces, and we are basically helpless to assist. The second, while not as dynamic, is where the inspector presents the latch key, directly to the viewer.
  
  As for the glasses, they were polarized--they did not have the red/blue lenses that people associate with 3D. The film was photographed using a process where to view it you wore what were like lightly shaded sun glasses (I think I still have them in a box somewhere), and therefore, with the color intact, it didn't detract from the film.
  
  Though it lacked the sensational aspect of films like "House of Wax", the 3D was nevertheless effective in its subtlety, and I wish Warner could release a 3D version on DVD. I feel fortunate to have seen "Dial M for Murder" in 3D, and hope we all get the opportunity to see it in the future.
  
  
  
• DIAL 'M' FOR MEDIOCRE
  By A1MX6D3JK6IKDW on 2008-02-23
  There's no question that I hold Alfred Hitchcock to a higher standard than any other director. That's why, after multiple viewings, I simply consider this film to be fair. We have Ray Milland wanting to dispose of his wife, Grace Kelly for infidelity and money. So far, so good.But, within 10 minutes of the opening, we have Milland "on a pulpit" with his annoying voice droning on and on to a sleazy college acquaintance of how the latter is to commit the crime. Later, we have the equally annoying voice of "Sherlock Holmes" filling the airwaves, following the botched murder. Cummings is acceptable and Kelly is first rate, per usual. But,to me it's nothing but gab,gab,gab, with all of the "action" confined to one room. Additionally , one has to be ever alert to the latch key problem, lest the viewer becomes totally confused. All directors make poor films at times, even my personal favorite.
  
  
• ONE OF THE BEST ALFRED HITCHCOCK
  By AW7WPZ0UAS2LF on 2000-01-05
  Everyone should watch this movie It is a wonderful movie. One of the best in the alfred hitchcock collection. It has a little bit of everything. Blackmail, murder, etc., etc.
  
  

• Rear Window (Universal Legacy Series)
• To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
• North By Northwest
• Strangers on a Train
• Vertigo (Universal Legacy Series)