MovieChat Forums > Dial M for Murder (1954) Discussion > Still my favourite film πŸ’–

Still my favourite film πŸ’–


Saw this for the first time about 30 years ago. I can watch Ray Milland in this for hours. He was the perfect choice as the scheming husband.

Seen it well over a hundred times and I never get bored of it.

Only downside for me is Robert Cummings. Found him far too hammy but I can overlook it for the story as a whole.

I'd love to see the stage play.

reply

I've never seen "Dial M for Murder". I believe though, it was remade in 1998. If I'm correct, the name of the remake was "A Perfect Murder". Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow star. Really good flick.

reply

Yes I've seen that. I also found a version on YouTube which was made exactly scene for scene. It was awful. I had to turn it off.

It's amazing how an actor & a set can have such an Impact on a good film!

reply

I'm not sure what you mean - ru saying "A Perfect Murder" was awful?

reply

No not at all, I quite liked A Perfect Murder.

The exact remake i found on YouTube was awful.

Christopher Plumber version
https://youtu.be/sTQ97QMrLLM

reply

Ok, I gotcha now. Yeah, I've never seen the 1981 version you are talking about. Ill take your word and not bother, hahahaa. Thanks and best wishes.

reply

She was cheating though. People forget that. But I agree, still a good movie, nearly 70 years on.

reply

I've been running through all of the Hitchcocks recently for the first time and this one is my favourite as well, i think it's the main character was so well played and written.

My favourite part is when he persuades the guy to kill his wife, the whole sequence from the first call was fantastic and so engaging. I actually wanted the main guy to get away with it, and how even after the game is up he just pours everyone a drink. class act

reply

Yeah it’s great. Not quite top-three Hitchcock for me but definitely top tier.

The villain casually explaining his plan to Swann is amazingly acted, very matter of fact while utterly twisted, a true sociopath at work. Pouring everyone a drink at the end was hilarious.

The film falls down a bit in the second half, it gets quite mechanical. The detective is fine but when he said β€˜just one more thing’ it reminded me of Columbo, and got me thinking that a really offbeat, charismatic choice for the detective would have been stronger.

reply