"Murder calling in 3D!" This is Dial M For Murder 3D. This crime mystery film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, adapted by Frederick Knott from his play of the same name. Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice wants to have his wealthy wife, Margot, murdered so he can get his hands on her inheritance. When he discovers her affair with Mark Halliday, he comes up with the perfect plan to kill her. He blackmails an old acquaintance into carrying out the murder, but the carefully-orchestrated set-up goes awry, and Margot stays alive. Now Wendice must frantically scheme to outwit the police and avoid having his plot detected.
In 1952, the play premiered at London's West End, and then at New York's Broadway. After 1953's I Confess, Hitchcock began production on The Bramble Bush, based on the 1948 novel by David Duncan. However, due to script and budget problems, the project was abandoned. Hitchcock then began production on Dial M for Murder at Warner Bros. Hitchcock was forced to make the movie to fulfil his contract with Warner Bros. Because of this, Hitchcock claimed that he "could have phoned in his direction, and that action wouldn't have been any less interesting if he'd staged it in a phone booth." Hitchcock wanted Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, and William Holden for the roles of Tony Wendice, Margot Wendice and Mark Halliday. Kerr and Holden were busy making other movies. Grant refused to play a villain, and Warner Bros. felt that he would be miscast as a villain. Ultimately, Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings were cast. Williams reprised his Broadway role as Inspector Hubbard. With a budget of $1.4 million, principal photography commenced in early August 1953, and wrapped in late September. Filming took place at Warner Bros. Studios, and the film was shot in 3-D, at the insistence of Warner Bros. This marked Hitchcock's first and only time he filmed in the format. The film was shot using Warner Bros.' own proprietary 3-D camera rig, the so-called All-Media Camera. Although the craze was fading and Hitchcock was sure the movie would be released flat. Hitchcock wanted the first shot to be that of a close-up of a finger dialing the letter M on a rotary dial telephone, but the 3-D camera would not be able to focus such a close-up correctly. Hitchcock ordered a giant finger made from wood with a proportionally large dial built in order to achieve the effect. This explains Hitchcock's prevalence of low-angle shots with lamps and other objects between the audience and the cast members. In addition, Hitchcock not only expressed a great deal of interest in selecting Grace Kelly's wardrobe, he selected nearly all of the props for the Wendice's apartment. Hitchcock made a special effort to shoot scenes indoors, almost exclusively. Only a few brief shots, usually involving Chief Inspector Hubbard, take place outside. Hitchcock believed the decision to shoot most scenes indoors would create a sense of claustrophobia.
Originally intended to be shown in the dual-strip polarized 3-D, as well as the roadshow, presentation, the film saw only a brief original release in 3-D. After one preview performance on May 18 and four showings on the 19th, the manager frantically contacted the studio and said that people were staying away in droves. He asked for permission to drop the 3-D and show it flat. On Sunday May 23, a Philadelphia Inquirer headline proclaimed: "Play's the Thing as Philadelphia Fans Spurn 3-D for 2-D Version of DIAL M." Mildred Martin wrote: "The first audiences proved to be a jury that could not only make up its mind, but could make it up in a hurry. In exhibitors' own terms, DIAL M literally died. And after just four performances on Wednesday, some long-distance telephoning to report complaints, the increasing skimpiness of customers--a good many of them making no bones of their dissatisfaction--permission was given to throw away the glasses and hastily switch to the 2-D version. Whereupon business at the Randolph took a turn for the better." Dial M for Murder marked the end of the brief flirtation with 3-D films of the early 1950s. Hitchcock said of 3-D, "It's a nine-day wonder, and I came in on the ninth day." It was then followed by a conventional "flat" 2-D release in most theatres due to the loss of interest in the 3-D process (the projection of which was difficult and error-prone). The New York Times review mentioned it opened with the "flat" release at the Paramount Theater in New York City. The film became a critical and commercial failure. At the end of its original theatrical run, the film only earned an estimated $2.7 million at the North American box office. In February 1980, the dual-strip system was revived for the 3-D presentation at the York Theater in San Francisco. This revival did so well that Warner Bros. did a limited national re-release of the film in February 1982, using Chris Condon's single-strip StereoVision 3-D system, including a sold out engagement at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Over time, the film slowly became another Hitchcock classic. In 2001, the film was listed #48 on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Thrills list, and #9 in its Top 10 Mysteries list.
The film stars Milland, Kelly, Cummings and Williams. The cast gave terrific Hitchcockian performances. Terrific performances were given by the cast and made a great addition to the Hitchcock gallery. Milland gave a performance better than his performance in The Lost Weekend (1945), and Ms. Kelly made herself, probably, the best Hitchcock blonde.
Its minimal yet fearless attempt to do something new makes Dial M For Murder 3D one of Hitchcock's most interesting movies, I can't pretend to regard it as anything but one of his best. This underrated masterpiece is a brilliant technical experiment, with the cast in the typically Hitchcockian form. Hitchcock liked to pretend that the film was an empty technical exercise, but it introduces the principal themes and motifs of the major period of his body of work.
Simon says Dial M For Murder 3D receives:
Also, see my reviews for North by Northwest and Prince Avalanche.
No comments:
Post a Comment