Alfred Hitchcock had already begun work on Rear Window when he took on the project to direct Dial M for Murder, based on the successful play by Frederick Knott. For the film, Hitchcock chose to cast his favorite leading lady of the time, Grace Kelly, as the embattled Margot Wendice. Kelly would also star in Rear Window and Hitchcock's subsequent To Catch a Thief. It wasn't Hitchcock's preference to shoot Dial M for Murder in Warnercolor 3D (the cameras were large), and the film is seldom screened in 3D, but Hitchcock's use of the technique is notable for its service to the story rather than just being a gimmick. In the film Margot Wendice is a wealthy heiress whose playboy husband, Tony (Ray Milland), recognizes his dependence on his wife's fortune. When Tony begins to suspect he is losing Margot's affection to writer Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings), he also begins to fear he will lose her wealth. This leads the callous husband to craft a plan for his wife's death. However, when the plan goes awry, Tony is quick to turn circumstance into a second opportunity to destroy his wife.

Hitchcock's immaculate rendering of the stage thriller is one of that rare breed: the underrated classic. Without significantly altering the action by "opening it up", Hitchcock still creates something thrillingly cinematic. This has to be one of the finest stage adaptations ever. It may be one of the best mysteries ever made as well. Indeed, it's amazing how the play's text is riveting even when it's art-less carrying on about latch-keys and the specifics of the planned murder. (This contradicts Chandler's otherwise strong thesis in his essay The Simple Art of Murder. These details aren't supposed to hold our interest once we know the story's outcome, but they do.)

Much of how this is achieved is through the stellar cast particularly Ray Milland who turns in one of the great Hitchcock performances. As we watch him cover-up his crimes and avoid detection, he's like a dapper Norman Bates. He's really a psychopath, but completely charming and we're thankfully spared any insights into his character or motivation. His scene with Anthony Dawson is mesmerizing and one of the best in all Hitchcock. (Right up there with Janet Leigh in Anthony Perkins's parlor which it resembles.) Dawson is also superb.

Grace Kelly is terrific in the first half if a little wan in the later scenes. (This could have allowed Hitchcock a chance to examine a distaff take on his wronged man theme, but by that point we need to wrap things up.) The much-maligned Bob Cummings has some effective bits at the start, even if he does seem like he's playing Harold Hill towards the end. John Williams is marvelous, but seems a bit stagy compared to Milland's effortless command of the screen. Very good score runs throughout.

There are good insights in the accompanying documentary from Peter Bogdonovich and M. Night Shyamalan who comes across as an eager Hitch fanboy. (Richard Schickel trying to invoke a class-conscious reading of the hero is silly and clearly something he's making up on the spot.)

I so totally disagree with all the glowing reviews. There was no suspense for me whatsoever! First off, the characters were types and were never fully developed, never even slightly developed actually. Ray Milland who is a great actor put on a smirkly fake I love you face at the start and left it at that. There was no way to hate him or love him, all you could do was try not to fall asleep. Grace Kelly was ok, but mostly just good looking. That guy who played her boyfriend reminded me of someone from a beach movie.

The plot was all wooden figures doing things.and then all of a sudden THE KEY, the key here the key there everywhere a key key, look the key oh no a key. I kid you not, that was the whole movie! This could have been a great movie if the characters had been fleshed out. If you could love/hate the villain, but still root for the poor victim! Bad bad movie!

Also it's really hard to feel sorry for Grace Kelly in the least when she's with that guy. Again if it was written better, the affair would have given her depth instead of just making her unsympathetic. bad MOVIE!

One of Alfred Hitchcock's classic films. Ray Milland is exceptionally good. Dimitry Tiomkin was one of the finest Hollywood film composers; however, in my humble opinion, there are some scenes in the movie, which could've used more suspenseful music.

Suspense and mystery - this Alfred Hitchcock movie has it all! Unlike some of Hitchcock's other films were he builds it up for all the action at the end of the movie, Dial M For Murder's action all takes place at the beginning of the movie. Grace Kelly was Hitchcock's favorite actress and he had already starred her in "Rear Window" earlier that year before casting her as Margot Wendice in "Dial M For Murder." He also used Robert Cummings (who he had previously worked with in 1942's "Saboteur") as Mark Halliday, the American bookwriter and Margot's boyfriend.
When the story starts, you witness Tony (Ray Milland), Margot's husband, going through every intricate detail in the cruel plans for his wife's murder, with the man he has hired to kill her. Tony's plot: the evening of the day he has planned to murder her, he will go out. It will be getting late so Margot will be going to bed. He will call their house, Margot will get out of bed, walk throught the living room to the desk at the far end of the wall near the windows. The hired killer will be standing behind the curtains, and when she steps behind the desk to pick up the phone, he will come behind her and throw a piece of rope around her neck and strangle her.
As Tony is going through the plans, he gives the killer directions of exactly how he is going to get in the house and exactly how he is going to leave. Pay careful attention to everything he says about the latchkey - it's the main clue to solving the whole thing.
The evening of the murder arrives. Tony goes out and Margot goes to bed - everything is going as planned so far. At the appointed time, Tony calls the house...you hear the phone ring...you see the light go on at the bottom of Margot's door (this is were the suspense starts to mount)...you hear the door click...then you see Margot walking towards the desk (and her doom?)...She picks up the phone, "Hello"...no answer..."Hello?"...Suddenly you see a rope get thrown around her neck. There's silence as he tries to strangle her. Then she's lying on the desk, trying to breath. She's reaching, reaching...and suddenly she grasps them - a pair of gleaming scissors - and plunges them into her assailants back.
But what will happen? Will the merciless Tony get away with her would-be murder? What will happen to Margot? Will she be blamed for defending herself?