Flashback Friday: Dial M for Murder (Hitchcock, 1954)

Is it possible to commit the perfect murder? If anyone can do it, it's the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. He experiments with this concept in one of his most underrated films. Unlike many of Hitchcock's classics, this 1954 drama plays almost like a stage production, with only one real setting and very few actors. Still, it contains all the elements of a Hitchcock classic: a blonde beauty, a perilous mystery, heart-wrenching suspense, and, of course, a plot revolving around murder. Set your phones, because today on Flashback Friday, we're going to Dial M for Murder.

The biggest threat to cinema in the early 1950's was television. With more and more people buying small screens, the theaters began to see a dip in attendance. Studio owners needed a way to get people to return to the multiplexes, so they drafted directors for a way to differentiate themselves against the television market. A solution was found: three-dimensional (3-D) movies.

A relatively new concept at the time among film technology, 3-D films brought the magic of the movies right into the audience's faces. Basically, the technique involves mounting two cameras so that their lenses are approximatley as far apart as human eyes. Using stereoscopic cameras splits the image among the left camera (the left eye) and the right camera (the right eye). If viewers just look at the screen, the image will appeared blurred. However, when they wear special "3-D glasses", the red left eye and the blue right eye creates the illusion that the image on the screen is clear- and three-dimensional. Because many studios wanted to increase their theater attendance, they made dozens of 3-D motion pictures to compete with the rising TV market. As such, the early 1950's were dubbed "The Golden Age of 3-D".

Alfred Hitchcock was interested in 3-D technology, but had no desire to film with it. His movies, as many put it, were so good that they did not require 3-D. However, Warner Brothers demanded that he use the effect on his next movie, so that audiences would be more encouraged to attend. Hitchcock reluctantly agreed, but sought to make better use of the technology. He wanted to make sure that his next film, Dial M for Murder, was not filled with cheap 3-D effects; rather, he designed a plan to make audiences feel like they were part of the story.

Dial M for Murder asks a very simple question: Is it possible to commit the perfect murder? Tony (Ray Milland) certainly believes so, and comes up with a plan to murder his adulterous wife Margot (Grace Kelly). Margot's lover, Mark (Robert Cummings), is visiting England to attend a conference and see Margot. Tony, knowing of their relationship, sends Margot and Mark out to dinner without him, playing a fool as part of his deception.

Later that evening, Tony secretly meets Swann (Anthony Dawson), a former classmate who Tony blackmails to commit the murder. The plan is complex but efficient: after a series of elaborate lies, Swann will come into Tony and Margot's apartment in the middle of the night. At the sound of Tony's phone call, Swann will strangle and kill Margot. Everything seems to be in order, every variable has been accounted for.

But of course, in typical Hitchcockian fashion, something goes horribly wrong. Tony's adaptation to this change of plans is brilliant, but can he get away clean?

Dial M for Murder hooks viewers in from the beginning; at first, we follow the perspective of Tony, so we understand his point of view and almost sympathize with him. In some ways, we want the murder to be successful. However, as the film progresses, Tony turns from a charming antagonist to a conniving villain. With the appearance of Chief Inspector Hubbard (John Williams), viewers again cling to the law, and hope that justice sees the light of day. Tony is one of Hitchcock's more likable villains, but by the end, his elegant demeanor just comes across as creepy.

The movie takes place within the span of two days, and for the most part only uses Tony and Margot's apartment as a setting. In one of Hitchcock's more intelligent moves, he explains the whole background of the movie within thirty seconds; with simply a facial reaction, a newspaper clipping, and a man exiting a ship, the audience completely understands the story. Where most directors would need precious minutes to do this, the Master of Suspense does it in a few seconds with brilliant style.

The actors are Hitchcock favorites, including Hitchcock blonde Grace Kelly. She was able to capture the director's need for a beautiful, yet capable, ice-cold woman. She also appeared in Rear Window (also 1954, the same year she won an Oscar for The Country Girl) and To Catch a Thief. As many readers know, Alfred Hitchcock makes a cameo in every one of his films. His Dial M for Murder appearance is harder to spot than most; hint: look at the picture closely.

3-D plays a large, yet invisible role in Dial M for Murder. Instead of resorting to cheap, "pop out" gimmicks, Hitchcock uses 3-D the way it should be- as depth enhancement. In other words, he increases the size of the apartment space so that the images come out towards the audience. The depth is increased so that the images in the back of the frame actually seem farther back. Hitchcock designed this style by carefully positioning his camera around objects in the frame. Furniture and stand-still objects, like lamps, are placed in the foreground of the shot so that the characters and actions take place farther back. With the aid of 3-D, the characters seem farther away, like the viewers themselves are actually sitting there with them as part of the action.

Of course, these placements are not the only way that Hitchcock employs the use of 3-D. The famous poster shot of Margot's arm reaching out while being strangled comes to life in 3-D, and viewers can almost touch her hand. Plus, the use of the key coming towards the camera looks even better in 3-D. Other production values that Hitchcock adds include the infamous phone dialing sequence, created by moving a gigantic thumb against a larger-than-life telephone dialer.

While most 3-D movies are annoying to watch, Dial M for Murder does not compromise it's story or characters in favor of special effects. It is suspenseful, addictive, and fun to figure out. Filled with an assortment of nuances and classic movie moments, Dial M for Murder may not be regarded as one of Hitchcock's best works, but it certainly remains a cinematic gem worthy of the Master's name.

Aspiring murderers should definitely check this one out.