Murder! (1930)

director	Alfred Hitchcock
producer	John Maxwell
writer	Walter C. Mycroft Alfred Hitchcock
story by	Clemence Dane Helen Simpson
starring	Herbert Marshall Norah Baring
cinematographer	Jack E. Cox
editor	Rene Marrison
running time	108 minutes (9,700 feet)
colour	black & white
sound mix	mono (RCA Photophone System)
aspect ratio	1.33:1
studio	British International Pictures
availability	DVD
film-1535 (add your rating)

Synopsis

An actress in a travelling theatre group is murdered and Diana Baring, another member of the group is found suffering from amnesia standing by the body. Diana is tried and convicted of the murder, but Sir John Menier a famous actor on the jury is convinced of her innocence. Sir John sets out to find the real murderer before Diana's death sentence is carried out.

Production

After completing Juno and the Paycock, Hitchcock directed the short An Elastic Affair and was involved with the musical comedy review Elstree Calling.

Enter Sir John was the first of three detective novels written by Helen Simpson and Winifred Ashton (under the pseudonym of Clemence Dane) and published in 1928. The two then collaborated on Author Unknown (1930) and a follow-up to the first book, Re-enter Sir John (1932).

For several years, British International Pictures had been partnering with European studios to create bilingual productions — using a different cast, the foreign language version of the film would be shot at the same time as the English version. Studio head John Maxwell selected Enter Sir John to be such a production and Hitchcock travelled to the Süd-Film studio in Berlin to discuss a German version of the film — eventually released in 1931 as Mary.

Pre-Production

Screenplay

The novel was adapted by Hitchcock and Walter C. Mycroft, with Alma Reville working on the scenario.

The German version was written by Georg C. Klaren and Herbert Juttke.

Principal Photography

Filming began on both versions of the film in March 1930.

The production started before the screenplay's dialogue had been fully completed and Hitchcock encouraged the cast to improvise their lines during the unfinished scenes:

I would explain the meaning of the scene to the actors and suggest that they make up their own dialogue. The result wasn't good; there was too much faltering. They would carefully think over what they were about to say and we didn't get the spontaneity I had hoped for. The timing was wrong and it had no rhythm.

Filming wrapped during May and the editing of both versions of the film was completed before the Hitchcocks took a short break in August.

Release & Reception

In a December article reviewing the progress of sound films, The Times commented that "Mr. Hitchcock shows great ingenuity in the grouping and isolation of his sounds and a visual adroitness which constantly evades the obstacle of dialogue though it cannot altogether escape it."

Speaking to Truffaut, Hitchcock summarised Murder! as "an interesting film and was quite successful in London. But it was too sophisticated for the provinces."

See Also...

For further relevant information about this film, see also...

• 1000 Frames of Murder! (1930)
• articles about Murder! (1930)
• trivia
• web links to information, articles, reviews, etc

DVD Releases

released in 2008

Meurtre (1930) - Studio Canal (France, 2008) R2 PAL 1.33:1

released in 2007

	Murder! (1930) - Lionsgate (USA, 2007) - part of a box set R1 NTSC 1.33:1
	Murder! (1930) - Optimum Releasing (UK, 2007) - part of a box set R2 PAL 1.33:1

...view older DVD releases

Image Gallery

Images from the Hitchcock Gallery (click to view larger versions or search for all relevant images)...

Film Frames

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Themes

• hero falsely accused - in this case it's the heroine Diana
• the Hitchcock cameo - walking past the scene of the crime
  

Cast and Crew

Directed by:

• Alfred Hitchcock
• Frank Mills - assistant director

Starring:

• 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
• 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
• Violet Farebrother - Jury Member
• Clare Greet - Jury Member

Produced by:

• John Maxwell

Written by:

• Clemence Dane - original novel ("Enter Sir John")
• Helen Simpson - original novel ("Enter Sir John")
• Alfred Hitchcock
• Walter C. Mycroft
• Alma Reville

Photographed by:

• Jack E. Cox

Edited by:

• Rene Marrison

Music by:

• John Reynders