| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Dial M for Murder (1954) |
| Director | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Writer | Frederick Knott (based on his stage play of the same name) |
| Lead Actor | Ray Milland |
| Cast | Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson, Leo Britt, Patrick Allen |
| Genre | Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
| Release Date | May 29, 1954 (USA) |
| Duration | 1h 45m (105 minutes) |
| Budget | $1.4 million USD |
| Box Office | $6 million USD (approx. worldwide) |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 8.2/10 |
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I didn’t know Hitchcock even made a film in 3D, and I certainly didn’t know that it was Dial M for Murder. Actually, I’m glad this is the last 3D movie on my schedule my eyes are about to implode. (Can you imagine if the entire world was in 3D?).
Good old Hitchy uses the technology sparingly, which is a good thing, because it never seems gimmicky (save for one close up of a massive, obviously artificial, cuticle perfect finger dialing the titular M). The use of 3D to emphasize the small room in which almost the entire movie takes place actually helps you forget this is a stage play although, honestly, if I saw one more low angle shot of a lamp on a table in the foreground.
I suppose it’s no real surprise that the subtle ways in which Hitchcock used 3D technology to emphasize spatial relationships between characters (and that pesky lamp) in an enclosed space far outshines the gimicky spectacular mess that was Jaws 3.
Of all the Hitchcock I’ve seen, I find I enjoy him most when he’s working with material that’s wry and witty, which this movie certainly is. It’s incredibly charming, and the cast is great, although Grace Kelly was a tad too spacey. John Williams as Chief Inspector Hubbard nearly steals the show from Ray Milland who himself is incredibly sly.
It’s not grand like Rear Window or Psycho, but that’s why it’s charming. Even in two dimensions, I would enjoy this far more than I did its 1998 remake.
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