A BLUEPRINT FOR MURDER

US, 1953, 77 minutes, Black and white.
Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, Gary Merrill, Catherine McLeod?, Jack Kruschen, Mae Marsh.
Directed by Andrew Stone.

A Blueprint for Murder is a small murder mystery – the kind of story that would be in a television series in later decades. A woman is looking after her niece and nephew when one dies of poisoning. Their uncle investigates, uncertain whether the aunt is guilty or not.

The film is a brief star vehicle for Joseph Cotten and Jean Peters who appeared the same year in Niagara with Marilyn Monroe. Gary Merrill and Catherine Mc Leod are an older couple.

Nothing particularly startling but a small entertainment. It was written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. Stone was a writer-director, starting his career in the 20s but making small-budget films. During the 1950s he moved into making more action and suspense-oriented films including The Decks Ran Red, Cry Terror and The Last Voyage. His final two films were the chocolate box musical biographies, Song of Norway about Grieg and The Great Waltz about the Strausses.

1. Why do murder mysteries appeal to audiences? what particular aspects appeal to audiences? What particular aspects interest and appeal?

2. What are the main conventions of the murder mystery? The puzzle, the detection, the clues, police work. the characters and motivations? How well were these exemplified here?

3. The significance and tone of the title, black and white photography, the impact of the stars, the brevity and compactness of the film? How effective?

4. How good was the plot for a murder mystery? The film presenting itself in the tradition of poisoning mysteries?

5. How interesting was the blueprint for the murder? How well thought out, how well administered, how courageously undertaken by Lynn?

6. Where did audience sympathies lie? When did audiences begin to suspect Lynn? Were there any alternatives? Suspicion of Cameron?

7. How plausible was the plan and its execution? Lynn’s role and her personality? The death of her husband, the murder of the girl, the threat to the boy? (Audience sympathy for the children, fear for them)? The plausibility of the discovery of the plot, Cameron’s involvement, Fred and his wife urging investigations? The plausibility of the police investigation? The court case? Cameron's taking initiative?

8. Did the audience identify with Cameron? His not wanting to suspect Lynn, the evidence, the change of attitude, the suspicion and fear, protecting the children, tricking her into dying?

9. How attractive a character was Lynn? Was she a credible murderess? The importance of the taking of the tablet and her brazening out in innocence? When did audiences give in and admit she was the murderess?

10. The contribution of Fred and his wife? The credibility of her suspicions? Investigations, leading to the discovery of the murder?

11. How important were the details? Were the clues rarely given to the audience? Did they have enough to work on?

12. The drama of the climax with Lynn being poisoned? Why was this sequence tense? The build-up on the ship? Lynn as a humane person? The truth?

13. How effective a mystery was this? How effective in this kind of genre?