Dial M for Murder (1954) | Presenting Hitchcock Podcast

Gooooood evening. In this months episode of Presenting Hitchcock, Cory and Aaron have big plans and sharp minds as they discuss “Dial M for Murder.”

The Picture:

Picture Title: Dial M for Murder

Written by: Frederick Knott (and adapted from his play)

Starring: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams and Anthony Dawson

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Year Released: 1954

The Trailer:

Our Favourite Trivia:

DIRECTOR CAMEO: On the left side of the reunion photograph

Hitchcock wanted Cary Grant to star, but Warner Brothers felt that he would be miscast as a villain.

Warner Brothers insisted on shooting the movie in 3-D, although the craze was fading and Alfred Hitchcock was sure the movie would be released flat. It was re-released in 3D at the York Theater in San Francisco, and did so well it had a limited national re-release in1982. It was remastered into digital 3D for theatrical release, and on 3D Blu-ray on October 9, 2012.

Hitchcock wanted the first shot to be that of a close-up of a finger dialing the letter M on a rotary dial telephone, but the 3-D camera would not be able to focus such a close-up correctly. Hitchcock ordered a giant finger made from wood with a proportionally large dial built in order to achieve the effect. 

Alfred Hitchcock had chosen a very expensive robe for Grace Kelly to wear when she answered the phone. Kelly balked and said that no woman would put on such a robe just to answer the ringing telephone while she was asleep alone; she would answer it in her nightgown. Hitchcock agreed to do it her way and liked the way the rushes turned out. Hitchcock agreed to allow Kelly to make all costume decisions for her in their subsequent movies together.

Homosexuality was not decriminalised in the United Kingdom until 1967. This explains why the inspector tells the police officer not to carry the purse on his shoulder, for fear of being arrested.

After several unsuccessful attempts to film the scene where Margot stabs Swan with the scissors, Sir Alfred Hitchcock said, “This is nicely done, but there wasn’t enough gleam to the scissors, and a murder without gleaming scissors is like asparagus without the hollandaise sauce, tasteless.”

The Random Draw for Next Picture:

Next up, we’ll be discussing “The Trouble with Harry”

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