PLEASE MURDER ME

US, 1956, 78 minutes, Black and white.
Angela Lansbury, Raymond Burr, Dick Foran, John Dehner, Lamont Johnson, Denver Pyle.
Directed by Peter Godfrey.

Please Murder Me is a brief supporting feature from the mid-50s, a later film noir, something which would be an episode of a television series in later years.

The film is a contrived murder mystery, opening, like Double Indemnity, with the central character putting his confession on a tape recorder. However, this lawyer, played by Raymond Burr (soon to be Perry Mason), is setting himself to be killed by a vengeful woman with whom he had been in love and who had betrayed him. He had defended her in court against the murder of her husband. She is a calculating woman, a femme fatale, played by Angela Lansbury at age thirty.

The supporting cast is interesting, Dick Foran as Angela Lansbury’s husband, John Dehner as the district attorney and Lamont Johnson, director of such films as Lipstick, The McKenzie? Break, in one of his early acting roles.

The film focuses on the setup of the murder, the court case and the acquittal, the betrayal by the wife, the setup of the lawyer to entrap her, giving his life for the sake of justice.

1. An interesting small melodrama? 1950s style? Film noir?

2. The black and white photography, light and shadow, night sequences? The courts? The artist’s room? Restaurants? Authentic feel – but surreal treatment? The musical score?

3. The title, unexpected? The focus on Craig, his getting the gun, going to his office, the darkness, the tape recorder, the speech to the district attorney? The insertion of the flashbacks? The explanation of the characters? His situation? The final confrontation with Myra, his death?

4. Craig as a person, his law practice, his friendship with Joe, Joe saving his life at Iwo Jima? His explaining this to the district attorney? His declaration of love for Myra, Joe’s reaction? Craig not wanting to hurt him? The murder, his going to Myra’s assistance? Defending her in the court, the discussions, the visits to prison? His declaration that he was the other man? Her acquittal? Her discarding him, his being hurt? The letter from Joe, delivered belatedly? The information about Carl and Myra’s relationship? His going to see Carl, the friendship, Carl and his portrait? Going to the meal, the payment, the setup? His threatening Myra, saying that he had collected evidence? Her coming to the office, her shooting him? Discovering that the pages were empty? Ray Willis and his final comments? A character giving his life for justice?

5. Myra, her relationship with Joe, love, her falling in love with Craig, discovering it was a pretence? The veteran, her shooting Joe? In the court, her testimony? Her lies? Discarding Craig after promising to be engaged? Her relationship with Carl? The restaurant, her hard attitude? Craig and his threats, her disregarding them? The restaurant sequence? Going to his office, the evidence, her shooting him? With his gun? The district attorney playing the tape?

6. Joe, his heroism in the Pacific, his marriage to Myra? Self-made man, investments? Discussion with Craig, Craig telling the truth, his phone calls, his friends hearing them? Going home, his being shot?

7. Carl, the artist, his relationship with Myra? Friendship with Craig, the portrait? Craig saving him from betrayal by Myra?

8. The district attorney, the prosecution of the case, his accusations against Myra? The detectives, the other testimony? Lou Kazarian and his friendship, the late delivery of the letter?

9. Popular ingredients for this kind of murder mystery – and the femme fatale in the film noir?