Saturday Night Cinema: Murder! (1930)

Tonight’s saturday Night Cinema feature is Murder! from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, in what is considered the most provocative of all early British Hitchcocks. “The Master Hitchcock directs an early masterpiece.”

https://youtu.be/pTNYcOraMVU

Murder (1930): Hitchcock’s 10th Film, Starring Herbert Marshall in First Speaking Role

Story continues below advertisement

November 15, 2012 by Emanuel Levy

Alfred Hitchcock’s second sound-era thriller, “Murder,” stars Herbert Marshall in his first speaking role, thus launching a long fruitful screen career in the U.K. and in Hollywood.

Marshall plays an actor-manager named Sir John Menier, reportedly inspired by the pompous real-life actor, George DuMaurier. Summoned for jury duty, Sir John is one of 12 people who must decide the fate of Diana Baring (Norah Baring), a young actress on trial for murder.

Though the girl is found guilty, Sir John believes that she’s innocent and sets about to prove it on his own, exercising his actor’s prerogative of adopting clever disguises in the course of his investigation.
Along the way, he is assisted by a pair of lower-class clods, Ted and Dulcie Markham (Edward Chapman and Phyllis Konstam), who help him stage an elaborate re-enactment of the crime.

Based on Enter Sir John, a novel and play by Clemence Dane and Helen Simpson, “Murder” was simultaneously filmed in a German version, with Alfred Abel playing the Herbert Marshall part.

“Murder” features a villain, Handel Fane (played by Esme Percy) who is a transvestite-killer motivated by his racial status; he’s a half-caste. Confessing to the crime of which Diana is accused, he later commits suicide by hanging himself during a trapeze performance.

The happy ending shows Diana and Sir John together, but it turns out they are on stage, performing his new play.

As is known, for all of his career Hitchcock was fascinated with the theater as a setting, enabling him to comment on the issues of appearances versus reality and role-playing. In “Murder,” Hitchcock blurs the distinction between life on stage and off by using the last name of his leading lady, Nora Baring, as her character’s name, Diana Baring.

At one point, Sir John says: “This is not a play. This is life!” Later on, in his effort to acquit Diana, he aims to get at “Nothing but the truth,” which is also the name of a play in the theater’s repertory. In another play performed, the murderer is dressed as a woman and as a cop, which are also the disguises that the villain used to escape from the scene of the crime.

Theatrical settings also feature prominently in “The Thirty Nine Steps,” the two versions of “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1934 and 1956), “Stage Fright,” “I Confess,” and others. Movie houses also appear in “Sabotage,” “Rebecca,” and “Saboteur,”

End Note:

Hitchcock also directed a German version of “Murder,” starring Alfred Abel, and titled “Mary.”

Credits

Running time: 92 Minutes.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by Clarence Dane, Helen Simpson, Alfred Hitchcock, Walter Mycroft, Alma Reville

Cast

Herbert Marshall as Sir John Menier
Norah Baring as Diana Baring
Phyllis Konstam as Dulcie Markham
Edward Chapman as Ted Markham
R.E. Jeffrey as Foreman of the Jury
Miles Mander as Gordon Druce

The Truth Must be Told

Your contribution supports independent journalism

Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more.

Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible.

Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too.

Please contribute here.

or

Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best.

• $25.00 here
• $50.00 here
• $75.00 here
• $100.00 here
• $250.00 here

0 0 votes

Article Rating

4 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Dirt Doctor

5 years ago

Pamela – you are a doll of a Lady! xoxox

0

Ari

5 years ago

A Hitchcock masterpiece.

0

william couch

5 years ago

!! PARAMOUNT !!!

0

Pantalones

5 years ago

Ha ha his last name has Cock in it ????

0