by Linda Rasmussen
synopsis
This early, somewhat atypical Alfred Hitchcock film, relies on surprise rather than the director's usual building of suspense. Diana (Norah Baring), a young actress, is accused of killing a man and is tried and sentenced to death. Actor-manager Sir John Menier (Herbert Marshall) remains unconvinced of her guilt and searches for the real murderer. Visually striking, Murder makes ground-breaking use of sound by recording a character's spoken thoughts on the soundtrack. While the innocent person accused became a fundamental theme in many of Hitchcock's later films, the director would expand on Murder's basic storyline in his mystery Stage Fright. Hitchcock also directed a German version of Murder, starring Alfred Abel.
characteristics
- Miscarriage Of Justice
- Amateur Sleuths
- Kill
- Jury
- Murder
- Name-clearing
- Trial [courtroom]
- One-against-odds
- Juror
- Investigator
- Actress
- Actor
- Evidence
- False-accusation
- Innocent