Critic Reviews

Dial M for Murder (1954) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Dial M for Murder (1954) a score of 3.0775 out of 4

based on (36) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(7)

Very Good

(29)

Good

(0)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

filmcritic.com

M stands for murder and also for mindfuck in this, one of Hitchcock's best films. Based on a stage play by Frederick Knott (whose credits also include another great thriller, Wait Until Dark), Dial M For Murder includes one of the most intricate plots of ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at filmcritic.com

The Fresh Films Review (Fredrik Fevang)

In the year of 1954, Alfred Hitchcock was at his perhaps most prolific, making two of the finest thrillers you'll find anywhere in the unparalleled Rear Window and this smart, little thriller. Nowadays, you'd rarely find a filmmaker doing two ambitious ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at The Fresh Films Review (Fredrik Fevang)

The Tech (MIT) (Carolyn L. Phillips)

In Dial M for Murder, Alfred HItchcock, the ultimate master of plot twists, explores the question of how to create a perfect crime. In this case, of course, the crime is murder. Ray Milland plays the husband who plots how to murder his wife. A former ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at The Tech (MIT) (Carolyn L. Phillips)

filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Dial M for Murder was the first of three consecutive Hitchcock films that had Grace Kelly as the leading lady. By far the best of the three was the second, Rear Window. Hitchcock was working on that movie as Dial M for Murder was filmed, and it is clear ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

HorrorTalk

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Writing credits Frederick Knott (play & screenplay) Credited cast: Ray Milland .... Tony Wendice Grace Kelly .... Margot Wendice Robert Cummings .... Mark Halliday John Williams .... Chief Insp. Hubbard Anthony ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at HorrorTalk

digitallyOBSESSED.com (Rich Rosell)

In what was a kind of departure for Alfred Hitchcock, 1954's Dial M for Murder had the director taking Frederick Knott's successful play-essentially all occurring in one location-and turning it all into a rapt piece of drawingroom suspense. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at digitallyOBSESSED.com (Rich Rosell)

New York Times (Bosley Crowther)

[Hitchcock] tried once before, in Rope , to build up a whole continuous drama in one set. He wasn't as successful in that venture. Dial M has all the space it needs. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at New York Times (Bosley Crowther)

DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")

Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) was once a professional tennis player, but those days have been passed for a while. He has never been much on normal work, though he never had to be concerned with such things, since he made a comfortable income in the tennis ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")

DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

To the dedicated movie buff, Alfred Hitchcock will always mean "The 39 Steps," "Rebecca," "Strangers on a Train," "Suspicion," "Rear Window," "Vertigo," things like that. But to the average moviegoer, several decades after the master director's death, ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

DVD Movie Central

What does a prolific film director do when he finds himself running low on ideas? Alfred Hitchcock's solution was to find a terrific play and film it; simply and directly. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at DVD Movie Central

Time Out (--)

Shot in 3-D - which resulted in some rather strained and awkward compositions - this nevertheless remains one of Hitchcock's very stagiest films. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Time Out (--)

Images Journal

In general, the films of Alfred Hitchcock have been fairly well represented on home video. At one time or another, all of his sound-era movies have been available on VHS; however, as the studios and distributors have made their movies available on DVD, ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Images Journal

The Village Voice (B. Kite)

Alfred Hitchcock's only excursion into 3-D, Dial M for Murder stars Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and a bilge green ceramic lamp. Since the film has only rarely been shown "in depth" since its 1954 release (Hitchcock called the process "a nine-day wonder, ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at The Village Voice (B. Kite)

Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)

DIAL M FOR MURDER is a fabulous murder mystery that makes you think twice about cheating on your spouse. It takes place in one location - the apartment of a married couple pretending to still be in love. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)

Entertainment Insiders (Stephen Wong)

Englishman Ray Milland plays a slick-talking former tennis star plotting the perfect murder of his wealthy wife (Grace Kelly), who he's caught having an affair with a New York writer (Robert Cummings). ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Entertainment Insiders (Stephen Wong)

DVD MovieGuide

What would you do if you found out your significant other had been unfaithful? Contact your lawyer? Match their infidelity as revenge? Nothing? When former tennis star Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) found out his wife Margot (Grace Kelly) had had an ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at DVD MovieGuide

KQEK DVD Review (Mark R. Hasan)

Peter Bogdanovich begins the featurette, "Hitchcock and Dial M," by saying "I asked Hitchcock once why he had made 'Dial M For Murder,' and he said, 'When the batteries are running dry, take a hit play and shoot it." While Hitchcock's wit - wry and ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at KQEK DVD Review (Mark R. Hasan)

Classic Film Guide

Filmed in 3-D, though released after the craze had died down, this thriller from Alfred Hitchcock is the first of three consecutive films in which the director used Grace Kelly as his female lead. Ray Milland brilliantly portrays a man jealous of his ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Classic Film Guide

DVD Savant (Glenn Erickson)

Hitchcock always said he filmed Dial M for Murder straight because he admired the incredibly tight construction of Frederick Knott's play and didn't want to crudely open it up - see The Caine Mutiny for and example of that. Hitchcock's respect for the ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at DVD Savant (Glenn Erickson)

eFilmCritic Reviews

In "Dial M for Murder", Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) is a former tennis player, although his plan for ridding himself of his wife Margot (Grace Kelly) suggests his true talents lie in a different sort of game. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at eFilmCritic Reviews

Dial H for Hitchcock

3-D photography was in vogue in the early 50's when Dial M for Murder was produced but, by the time of its release, the experiment had waned and the film was released in the standard 2-D. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Dial H for Hitchcock

culturevulture.net, Choices for the Cognoscenti

Hitchcock's second attempt at adapting a stage play set entirely in one room (the first being 1948â��s Rope) deals with some incredibly ugly themes, but it does so in such a genteel way that you hardly notice. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at culturevulture.net, Choices for the Cognoscenti

www.that-movie-site.com

Of the three films Grace Kelly made with Alfred Hitchcock, Dial M for Murder is undoubtedly the most bizarre. Ray Milland stars as Tony Wendice, a former tennis player married to wealthy Margot (Kelly), who only has eyes for American mystery novelist ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at www.that-movie-site.com

Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

"Mildly enjoyable." Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz This is Alfred Hitchcock's only attempt at shooting in 3-D and garners mixed results, as it provided many surprises but also made for some awkward compositions--that green ceramic lamp thrust forth in ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

DVD Verdict (Dan Mancini)

Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa believed the script was the most important element of any film. Give a great director a mediocre script and you'll end up with a mediocre movie, he once asserted, but give a mediocre director a great script and you'll ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at DVD Verdict (Dan Mancini)

Movie Martyr (Jeremy Heilman)

I've actually seen Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder twice before (not counting 1998's Gwenyth Paltrow / Michael Douglas starrer, A Perfect Murder, which was a remake of the film). ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Movie Martyr (Jeremy Heilman)

DVDBeaver.com (Gary W. Tooze)

Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) makes a decision to murder his wife Margot (Grace Kelly) for her money and because she had indiscretions with Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). First he blackmails an old college associate to strangle her, but when ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at DVDBeaver.com (Gary W. Tooze)

Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)

Only Alfred Hitchcock could make a mystery film that is highly entertaining, and in which the most fascinating moment is an interior telephone shot. It's all very cerebral, to the extent that watching people standing around talking in a nondescript ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)

Austin Chronicle (--)

Originally filmed in 3-D, this Hitchcock thriller centers on a man's plot to kill his wife and the police investigation that ensues. ...read the complete Dial M for Murder movie review at Austin Chronicle (--)

from $11.78