Murder! Totally Explained

Everything about Murder totally explained

Murder! is a 1930 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on a novel and play called Enter Sir John by Clemence Dane and Helen Simpson. The film stars Herbert Marshall and Norah Baring. It was Hitchcock's second all-talkie film, after Juno and the Paycock.
After being thought in the public domain for decades, the film's rights were obtained by French media company Canal+ in 2005. A restored and remastered print of the film was released on DVD by Lionsgate Home Entertainment in 2007.

Plot synopsis

An actress is found standing over the body of a murdered colleague from her troupe, and has no memory of what happens. The ladies were known to have been enemies. At her trial the jury decides that she's either guilty or has schizophrenia and should be hanged lest she strike again. One juror, Sir John Menier, isn't convinced and, using skills he's learned from the theatre, investigates the circumstances of the case.
Sir John discovers who the real murderer is, and tries to lure a confession from him. The action comes to a thrilling climax at the circus.

Cast

Herbert Marshall as Sir John Menier
Norah Baring as Diana Baring
Phyllis Konstam as Dulcie Markam
Edward Chapman as Ted Markham
Miles Mander as Gordon Druce
Esme Percy as Handel Fane
Donald Calthrop as Ion Stewart
Esme V. Chaplin as Prosecuting Counsel
Amy Brandon Thomas as Defending Counsel (as Amy Brandon-Thomas)
Joynson Powell as Judge
S.J. Warmington as Bennett
Marie Wright as Miss Mitcham
Hannah Jones as Mrs. Didsome
Una O'Connor as Mrs. Grogman
R.E. Jeffrey as Foreman of the Jury
Alan Stainer as Jury Member
Kenneth Kove as Mr. Matthews - Jury Member
Guy Pelham Boulton as Jury Member
Violet Farebrother as Mrs. Ward - Jury Member
Clare Greet as Jury Member
Drusilla Wills as Jury Member
Robert Easton as Jury Member
William Fazan as Jury Member
George Smythson as Jury Member
Ross Jefferson as Jury Member
Picton Roxborough as Jury Member
Alfred Hitchcock as Man on Street (uncredited)
Gus McNaughton as Tom Trewitt (uncredited)

Trivia

The character of Sir John Menier was based on George du Maurier.

Murder! was the first ever film to have a character's thoughts on the soundtrack. The scene where this takes place appears early on in the film. Sir John is shaving in his bathroom and he asks his valet to bring in the radio so that he can hear about the accused Diana Baring's progress in the news. After the news, the overture from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde is broadcast. Sir John thinks to himself that he must solve the crime as he listens to the music, his thoughts becoming more passionate as the music does. Due to the limited technology of the day, a phonograph record of the monologue was played while a small orchestra played Wagner's music behind the set.

Hitchcock directed a German version, titled Mary, which was filmed simultaneously on the same sets. Alfred Abel played Sir John. Two actors from Murder!, Esme V. Chaplin and Miles Mander, acted in it. It is 78 minutes long, or 28 minutes shorter than Murder!

It has been erroneously stated that the character of Handel Fane, a male actor who plays the parts of women, was played by an actress. Handel Fane was played by Esme Percy, but some think that he was a woman because of his first name. There is in fact, an actress called Esme V. Chaplin in this film (she plays the prosecuting counsel).

Hitchcock has a cameo role near the midpoint of the film, as a passerby in front of the house where the murder took place.

In the film, there's a character who is ostracised because he's of mixed race (a "half-caste", in the language of 1930). However, in the source novel, he was ostracised because he was homosexual.Further Information

Get more info on 'Murder'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://murder.totallyexplained.com">Murder! Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.