Dial M for Murder: An Alfred Hitchcock favorite

Dial M for Murder: A review of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense movie

They say that there are many fine products that improve with age and that is certainly the case with some of the classic films. This is a great example. Last night, when we were choosing what to watch from our DVD collection, Dial M for Murder was the winner - it was so good to see it again.

The Hitchcock touch

Alfred Hitchcock had a way of invoking terror in even the most ordinary locations - he was the master of turning an ordinary place into one of fear and suspense. In Dial M for Murder, almost all the action takes place in a London apartment.

The Hitchcock twist on a not-so-unusual plot

Some of his plots have been incredibly complex and in a way, this is no exception. But the basic premise is a very familiar one. A rich woman,played by Grace Kelly (Margot), is married to a former athlete (Tony) but - she also has a lover (Mark). Her husband decides that her death would make him a free - and rich - man. Yes, a very simple plot.

But the master director is at work

The moment you know that this is a Hitchcock film, you know that it's going to be full of suspense. You are guaranteed twists and turns in the plot. You know that the acting is going to be superb and that you're going to have a fabulous experience.

Whodunnit?

In the days this film was made (1954) the 'whodunnit' was very popular - in film, on stage and in novels. In almost every case, the villain is revealed in the last scene or chapter.

In this film, we know whodunit - or at least, who's going to do it - almost from the beginning. This truly adds to the suspense.

A beautiful corpse

Will Grace Kelly become a gorgeous corpse?

Or will she, along with her lover, turn the tables? Wait - this is Hitchcock so you know it's going to more complicated than that.

The perfect murder with the unshakable alibi?

You'll see....

Watch the trailer of this wonderful film in the video below.

I've often thought that if you had a foolproof way to commit a great crime, you'd be better making it into a book or film than actually doing it.

In this movie, had Tony planned the perfect murder? It seemed foolproof and his preparation and planning were meticulous. He prepared well in advance.

Of course, he decided that he wouldn't actually perform the act but would get someone else to do it. Unwittingly, his wife provided the financial means to do that.

But how to ensure that the hired help won't squeal? Oh, he had prepared for that too. He also knew that a murder victim's spouse is often the first suspect in these cases so he had to provide a motive for the murder. Yep, that box was checked too.

How can he be sure that his wife would be in the right place at the right time? No problem

Then of course, there's the all important matter of an alibi. Who better to provide this than his wife's lover? That way, both men would be in the clear and even with the most thorough investigations it would be unlikely that a woman's husband and her lover would provide alibis for each other.

So far, so good.

When things didn't go exactly as he'd planned, he still had a plan B.

Would he get away with the perfect murder?