If a woman answers… hang on for dear life!|May. 29, 1954|United States|105 Min.|PG
Genre: Crime;Thriller
Description: Tony Wendice, a former English tennis player, is married to Margot, a wealthy socialite. Margot has been involved in an affair with Mark Halliday, an American crime fiction writer. Unaware that Tony knows about their relationship, Tony devises a plan to murder Margot and inherit her fortune.
The story unfolds as Tony invites Charles Swann, a small-time criminal and an acquaintance from his Cambridge days, to his London apartment. Tony reveals that he has been aware of Margot’s affair and shares details about a blackmail scheme he orchestrated six months earlier, using a love letter from Mark found in Margot’s handbag. Tony admits to tracking Swann for the past year and knowing about his criminal activities, including the murder of his landlady.
Using this knowledge, Tony manipulates Swann into agreeing to kill Margot for £1,000. If Swann refuses, Tony threatens to expose him as Margot’s blackmailer. Tony outlines a carefully planned murder: while he attends a party with Mark, Swann would enter their home using a hidden key, wait for Tony’s phone call, and strangle Margot when she answers.
However, the plan goes awry when Swann attempts to kill Margot. She fights back and fatally stabs him with scissors. Alarmed, Margot pleads for help over the phone, but Tony instructs her not to contact the police. To frame Margot, Tony manipulates the crime scene by moving what he believes is her door key into Swann’s pocket, planting Mark’s love letter, and arranging Margot’s stocking to make it appear as if she murdered Swann in cold blood.
Cast director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast actor: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson, Leo Britt, Patrick Allen, George Leigh, George Alderson, Robin Hughes
Original name: Dial M for Murder