DIAL M FOR MURDER
US, 1981, 98 minutes, Colour.
Angie Dickenson, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Quayle, Michael Parks, Ron Moody.
Directed by Boris Sagal.
Dial M For Murder is an entertaining remake of the Hitchcock classic of the '50s starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings with support from John Williams as the Inspector and Anthony Dawson as the murderer.
Frederick Knott's play has become something of a classic also over the decades (he was also responsible for the entertaining Wait Until Dark). Christopher Plummer is expectedly suave in the Ray Milland role. Michael Parks is suitable as the Robert Cummings character, Angie Dickinson has quite a different presence and style from Grace Kelly and therefore makes this performance her own. Ron Moody is a suitably seedy murderer. Anthony Quayle is more straightforwardly serious than John Williams. Direction is by Boris Sagal, a director of many television movies. It is an enjoyable version.
1. A popular thriller? The perfect murder? The success of the original? The need for a remake?
2. The telemovie style of the film? An adaptation of a play - television as the appropriate medium for the adaptation? Strong cast? The verbal plan, the execution, the investigation?
3. Title and tone? Thriller? The focus on the writers and devices for murder and detection?
4. The conventional triangle situation? Sax and his television background, Margo and the breaking off of the affair? Tony and his benign attitudes? His knowledge of the past (and Margo and Sax wondering)? his reaction to the affair, to Margo's letters, to the break? The set-up for the perfect murder?
5. Tony and his suave style, arranging for Sax to be the occasion for Margo coming to the phone? The visit to Swann, the discussions about the car? Suave blackmail techniques, the set-up, the phone and people knowing that he was going to the phone, his being on the phone and hearing the struggle, his plan to cover his tracks, his having to change his plans, the arrival of the police, the handling of the investigation, the interactions with the police, leads, his ability to mislead and cover his tracks? The part of the injured husband? Margo's condemnation? The gallows? Max's theory? the Inspector's visit, his lies, his being caught with the money, the trick of the key? His guilt and being caught?
6. Angie Dickinson's style as Margo: the affair, breaking off, the letter, her meeting Sax, her decision to stay at home after pressure from Tony, working on the cuttings - and the irony of the scissors being there? The murder attempt, her struggle, killing the assailant? Her reaction? The phone and Tony's being on the phone? her story, the investigation? The letter saying it was stolen, the lies, the truth of the affair? Her being accused, condemned, her returning home, the Inspector arguing, the vindication of her innocence?
7. Sax as the other man, television background, the letter, the affair, his hypothesis - of the truth?, The threat of the change of will on Tony? His being present at Tony's betraying himself?
8. Swann as a seedy character, his past, his being led on by Tony, Tony's shrewdness about him, the blackmail? His being caught? The plan, his presence, the details and the execution of the plan, the irony about his use of the key and its being evidence against Tony?
9. The inspector and his investigation, shrewdness, skill in detection techniques, the twist for Margo - and his hitting on the truth? His visit and the charade about the coat, the key?
10. Popular presentation of murder thriller? Audience fascination with the plans for the perfect murder, the plan going awry, the underestimation of detection? A satisfy insight?
