Murder! (1930)

Pretty Good

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

This was only third talking picture from the Master of Suspense director Sir Alfred Hitchcock (Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds), the simple title made it obvious what it was about, it was rated average by critics, but I was always going to watch it. Basically Diana Baring (Norah Baring) is a young actress in a travelling troupe, she is found in a daze with blood on her clothes, standing by the murdered body of another young actress, Edna Druce (Aileen Despard). The fire poker used to commit the murder is at Diana's feet, but she has no memory of what happened during the time that the crime was committed. It is thought that the two young women were rivals, the police arrest Diana, she deliberately withholds important information, to protect something about the identity of a man that she will not name. At Diana's trial, most of the jury are certain she is guilty, one or two believe she has a mental illness, that would explain her lack of memory, but they are convinced that should face the death penalty, hanging, so as not to strike again. Celebrated actor-manager Sir John Menier (Herbert Marshall) is a juror, is convinced that Diana is innocent, he is almost bullied into voting "guilty" with the rest of the jury, Diana is imprisoned and will be hanged. Sir John feels responsible, as he recommended the beautiful Diana take the touring job, to gain more life experience, and it turns Diana has been a fan of his since childhood, he feels she is far too honest and straightforward to be any kind of criminal. Using skills he has learned in the theatre, Sir John investigates the murder, with the help of stage manager Ted Markham (Edward Chapman) and his wife Doucie (Phyllis Konstam). The narrow down the possible suspects who could have committed the murder to troupe male actor Handel Fane (Esme Percy), who often plays cross-dressing roles. Sir John cleverly tries to lure a confession out of Fane, auditioning him for a new play he written, about murder, Fane realises they know that he is the real murderer, as well how and why he did it. Fane leaves the audition without confessing, he returns to his old job as a trapeze artist in the circus, Sir John and the others go there to confront him again, Fane sees them from his high perch during his performance, in despair he knots the access rope into a noose, puts it around his head and hangs himself. Diana is freed, having been proven innocent, dressed in glamourous clothing she is greeted in a beautiful room by Sir John, they embrace as he loves her, but the camera pulls back, this is actually a stage play performance, Diana is starring opposite Sir John in what may be the new play he was planning. Also starring Miles Mander as Gordon Druce and Donald Calthrop as Ion Stewart, and Hitchcock's cameo is as the Man on Street passing the three standing outside the door. This is a fairly simple whodunnit style story, a member of the jury who found an innocent woman guilty going on a snoop of their own, the performances are all fine, and there are small memorable moments, but it is a little creaky, rather stagey, and not all that engaging compared other Hitchcock films, but not a bad mystery. Worth watching!

The print used by studio canal in their box set with a death mask of Hitchcock - has dropouts in which the screen goes BLACK. I mean come on its 2017. ...................political correctness ..... no killer can be gay...or has black blood.......... or whatever?.......... its an old movie LEAVE IT ALONE!!! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Right after Handell Fane departs for good a SCENE IS CUT. When the body is brought by on a stretcher a man says "Neck Broken" then a lot of people milling about ......... a man in charge gives an envelope to Sir John written by the dead man. Says: "I don't know if this means anything..." all this is CUT. all you see is Sir John reading the contents of the letter to Markham. ITS NOT THEIR JOB to reedit movies. Especially ones from box sets with the mans death mask. Its a tribute! Don't tribute the man by trashing his work. i bought the set for one movie. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Way back in time - go back .... back to the days when the vcr was first invented... in 1979 Alfred Hitchcock Died. On PBS across the United States was a showing of several of his films from Archival Prints in BFI. by special arrangement with PBS: Secret Agent 1936, Champagne 1928 and MURDER 1930. I recorded these and watched them dozens of times. They were in perfect condition NOT AT ALL like the bastardized version of MURDER put out by Studio-Canal. There is a scene where they go from Sir John's Office lunch to Markham's Room in which the film is "Burnt"! I assure you on that 1979 showing the film was not burnt. I still have SECRET AGENT on tape from 1979. It has Never been on TV since then. I lost Champagne & Murder unfortunately moving around. Studio-Canal needs to get the BFI Print which is complete and perfect. I DO NOT CARE what the reason is to show a burnt movie but by 2017 it should be replaced. The killer is queer or No he's not queer he just wears women's clothes - No he wears Police Costumes - No he's got black blood. - No he's just a normal killer who don't want to get caught and will wear any disguise. He could have 6 girlfriends - He's a killer So no reason to burn a film. Stop Now and try to buy a DVD of MURDER without the burnt scene. Go ahead! Now do it!

"Murder!" may be one of the least known of Hitchcock's films and is hardly seen today, yet this early talkie, which he made in 1930, has a lot more than historical interest to recommend it. Herbert Marshall, (very good), is the juror who, after bringing in a guilty verdict, (in a terrific sequence that makes great use of early sound techniques), has second thoughts and starts investigating the case himself.It's based on a play and is set in a theatrical milieu, (Marshall plays a famous actor), and Hitchcock films it accordingly but it is full of great Hitchcock touches that distinguishes it from other British films of the period; it certainly couldn't be mistaken for the work of anyone else. Indeed this is text-book film-making of a high order and is an essential part of the Hitchcock canon.

Interesting early Hitchcock is a bit less stiff and mechanical than other films of this era, as well as its German-language version in its telling of a juror 's attempt to prove the innocence of a girl he helped to convict, after she had been caught red-handed at the scene of the crime.Seems to have a bit more fluidity to the scenes and more developed characters than the German version. But it also at times feels like several short stories (murder mystery, trial, love story) which really only kicks into high gear in its initial scenes and again at the climax.