Murder! (1930)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Clemence Dane (novel) and
Helen Simpson (novel) ...

Release Date:

24 November 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A juror in a murder trial, after voting to convict, has second thoughts and begins to investigate on his own before the execution.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Theater | Jury | Actor | Actress

Cast

Herbert Marshall	...	Sir John Menier
Norah Baring	...	Diana Baring
Phyllis Konstam	...	Doucie Markham
Edward Chapman	...	Ted Markham
Miles Mander	...	Gordon Druce
Esme Percy	...	Handel Fane
Donald Calthrop	...	Ion Stewart
Esme V. Chaplin	...	Prosecuting Counsel
Amy Brandon Thomas	...	Defending Counsel (as Amy Brandon-Thomas)
Joynson Powell	...	Judge
S.J. Warmington	...	Bennett
Marie Wright	...	Miss Mitcham
Hannah Jones	...	Mrs. Didsome
Una O'Connor	...	Mrs. Grogram
R.E. Jeffrey	...	Foreman of the Jury

Also Known As:

A gyilkos (Hungary) [hu]
Asesinato (Spain) [es]
Assassínio (Portugal) [pt]
Assassinato (Brazil) [pt]
Dolofonia (Greece) (video title) [el]
Epäiltynä murhasta (Finland) [fi]
Meurtre (France) [fr]
Mord (Sweden) [sv]
Mord - Sir John greift ein! (West Germany) [de]
Murder (Argentina) [es]
Omicidio! (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

104 min | USA:92 min | Argentina:102 min | USA:100 min (TCM print: British version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British International Pictures (BIP)

Trivia:

This is the first movie where a person's thoughts are presented on the soundtrack of the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: During Handel Fane's interview with Sir John, Fane's cigarette reappears in his hand after he has put it out, and then disappears.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Old Woman: People ought to be ashamed of themselves, kicking up all that racket at this time of night.

Movie Connections:

Version of Mary (1931)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No.5 in C Minor, Op.67

Possibly the slowest Hitchcock!

Hitchcock himself liked this film, mainly because of certain innovations contained in it; the use of a stream-of-consciousness voice-over, for example. There are some scenes and shots that make MURDER worth seeing, but I must say that this film moves extremely slowly. One reason is the sometimes nearly unbearable amount of space between spoken lines. I understand that Hitchcock was experimenting with improvisation of dialogue, and the result was a movie that drags.