Dial M for Murder
| Dial M for Murder | |
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Theatrical release poster by Bill Gold
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| Directed by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Produced by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Screenplay by | Frederick Knott |
| Based on |
Play: (1952) Frederick Knott |
| Starring |
Ray Milland Grace Kelly Robert Cummings John Williams |
| Music by | Dimitri Tiomkin |
| Cinematography | Robert Burks |
| Edited by | Rudi Fehr |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.4 million |
| Box office | $6 million |
Dial M for Murder is a 1954 American crime mystery film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings and John Williams. It was filmed in 3-D with the technology that was available at the time, and is often considered one of the greatest 3D films ever made. The screenplay and the successful stage play on which it was based were written by English playwright Frederick Knott. The play premiered in 1952 on BBC Television, before being performed on stage in the same year in London's West End in June, and then New York's Broadway in October. The movie was released by Warner Bros., though due to the then waning popularity of 3D films, it was converted to 2D, and only showed in its native 3D format in a small handful of cinemas.
Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), a former English professional tennis player, is married to wealthy socialite Margot (Grace Kelly), who has had an affair with American crime-fiction writer Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). When Tony retires in response to her complaints about his busy schedule, he secretly discovers the affair and decides to murder her, both for revenge and to ensure that her money will continue to finance his comfortable lifestyle.
Tony meets an acquaintance from the University of Cambridge, Charles Alexander "C. A." Swann (Anthony Dawson), who has become a small-time criminal. Tony has secretly been following Swann so he can blackmail him into murdering Margot. Tony tells Swann about Margot's affair. Six months before, Tony stole her handbag, which contained a love letter from Mark, and anonymously blackmailed her. After tricking Swann into leaving his fingerprints on the letter, Tony offers to pay him £1,000 to kill Margot; if Swann refuses, Tony will turn him in to the police as Margot's blackmailer.
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Wikipedia