As with season 1, the season premiere ("Wet Saturday") was directed by Hitchcock, who also helmed "Mr. Blanchard's Secret," the season highlight thriller "One More Mile to Go," and "The Three Dreams of Mr. Findlater." It's no accident that these rank among the finest episodes (Hitchcock enjoyed the speed and economy of TV directing), but while there are a few misfires along the way, most of these episodes adhere to the smart, literate standard of the series. They're also an impressive showcase for new and established actors from the twilight of Hollywood's golden age: Seasoned veterans like Cedric Hardwicke, Mildred Dunnock, Henry Jones, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Edmund Gwenn, and Albert Salmi do fine work here, and the relative newcomers include Rip Torn, William Shatner, Dick York, and Robert Culp, among others. Of course, no crime could go unpunished in '50 TV-land, so Hitchcock (in closing each episode) assures us that all criminals were eventually brought to justice. All in a day's work for Alfred Hitchcock Presents! --Jeff Shannon
Running Time 1630 Min
Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
Masterpiece indeed. With 14 films, each supplemented with numerous documentaries, commentaries, and other bonus materials, Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection will be the cornerstone for any serious DVD library. Packaged in a beautiful, conversation-starting velvet box, the individual discs inside come four to a case, decorated with original poster art.
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No doubt opinionated fans will argue about what should fall under the rubric of "masterpiece" in Hitchcock's body of work, but with the bona fide classics Vertigo, Psycho, and The Man Who Knew Too Much, there's plenty of timeless movie magic here. Eye-popping transfers and gorgeous sound make this set one of the must-have releases of the year.
Should the Hitchcock fan have the energy for more after imbibing on the movies themselves, a bonus disc provides additional documentaries. These include a revealing interview in which the master of suspense discusses, among other things, how much he dislikes working with method actors, going so far as to name names (we're talking about you, Jimmy Stewart and Montgomery Clift). In an American Film Institute lifetime achievement ceremony, the master of suspense is praised by the likes of Stewart and Ingrid Bergman, and seems to be suffering from severe boredom as celebrities pile on the flattery. Then Hitchcock opens his mouth to accept the award, delivering an endlessly witty stream of perfect bon mots that prove once again that he was a master of high comedy as well. Revealing documentaries about the making of Psycho and The Birds round out the feast of extras. The 36-page booklet, filled mostly with stills and poster art, provides little new information about the films.--Ryan Boudinot
Films Included in Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection
Saboteur
Robert Cummings stars as Barry Kane, a patriotic munitions worker who is falsely accused of sabotage, in this wartime thriller from Alfred Hitchcock. Plastered across the front page of every newspaper and hated by the nation, Kane's only hope of clearing his name is to find the real villain. The script as a whole is a clever one--Algonquin wit Dorothy Parker shares a screenwriting credit, and her trademark zingers make for a terrific mix of humor and suspense. Saboteur is a pleasure whether you're a die-hard Hitchcock fan or just someone who likes a good nail-biter. --Ali Davis
Shadow of a Doubt
Alfred Hitchcock considered this 1943 thriller to be his personal favorite among his own films, and although it's not as popular as some of Hitchcock's later work, it's certainly worthy of the master's admiration. Scripted by playwright Thornton Wilder and inspired by the actual case of a 1920's serial killer known as "The Merry Widow Murderer," the movie sets a tone of menace and fear by introducing a psychotic killer into the small-town comforts of Santa Rosa, California. Through narrow escapes and a climactic scene aboard a speeding train, this witty thriller strips away the façade of small-town tranquility to reveal evil where it's least expected. And, of course, it's all done in pure Hitchcockian style. --Jeff Shannon
Rope
An experimental film masquerading as a standard Hollywood thriller, Rope is simple and based on a successful stage play: two young men (John Dall and Farley Granger) commit murder, more or less as an intellectual exercise. They hide the body in their large apartment, then throw a dinner party. Will the body be discovered? Director Alfred Hitchcock, fascinated by the possibilities of the long-take style, decided to shoot this story as though it were happening in one long, uninterrupted shot. Since the camera can only hold one 10-minute reel at a time, Hitchcock had to be creative when it came time to change reels, disguising the switches as the camera passed behind someone's back or moved behind a lamp. James Stewart, as a suspicious professor, marks his first starring role for Hitchcock, a collaboration that would lead to the masterpieces Rear Window and Vertigo. --Robert Horton
Rear Window
Like the Greenwich Village courtyard view from its titular portal, Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window is both confined and multileveled: both its story and visual perspective are dictated by its protagonist's imprisonment in his apartment, convalescing in a wheelchair, from which both he and the audience observe the lives of his neighbors. Cheerful voyeurism, as well as the behavior glimpsed among the various tenants, affords a droll comic atmosphere that gradually darkens when he sees clues to what may be a murder. At deeper levels, Rear Window plumbs issues of moral responsibility and emotional honesty, while offering further proof (were any needed) of the director's brilliance as a visual storyteller. --Sam Sutherland
The Trouble with Harry
A busman's holiday for Alfred Hitchcock, this 1955 black comedy concerns a pesky corpse that becomes a problem for a quiet, Vermont neighborhood. Shirley MacLaine makes her film debut as one of several characters who keep burying the body and finding it unburied again. Hitchcock clearly enjoys conjuring the autumnal look and feel of the story, and he establishes an important, first-time alliance with composer Bernard Herrmann, whose music proved vital to the director's next half-dozen or so films. But for now, The Trouble with Harry is a lark, the mischievous side of Hitchcock given free reign. --Tom Keogh
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 remake of his own 1934 spy thriller is an exciting event in its own right, with several justifiably famous sequences. James Stewart and Doris Day play American tourists who discover more than they wanted to know about an assassination plot. When their son is kidnapped to keep them quiet, they are caught between concern for him and the terrible secret they hold. When asked about the difference between this version of the story and the one he made 22 years earlier, Hitchcock always said the first was the work of a talented amateur while the second was the act of a seasoned professional. Indeed, several extraordinary moments in this update represent consummate filmmaking, particularly a relentlessly exciting Albert Hall scene, with a blaring symphony, an assassin's gun, and Doris Day's scream. The Man Who Knew Too Muchis the work of a master in his prime. --Tom Keogh
Vertigo
Although it wasn't a box-office success when originally released in 1958, Vertigo has since taken its deserved place as Alfred Hitchcock's greatest, most spellbinding, most deeply personal achievement. James Stewart plays a retired police detective who is hired by an old friend to follow his wife (a superb Kim Novak, in what becomes a double role), whom he suspects of being possessed by the spirit of a dead madwoman. Shot around San Francisco (the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of the Legion of Honor are significant locations) and elsewhere in Northern California (the redwoods, Mission San Juan Batista) in rapturous Technicolor, Vertigo is as lovely as it is haunting. --Jim Emerson
Psycho
For all the slasher pictures that have ripped off Psycho (and particularly its classic set piece, the "shower scene"), nothing has ever matched the impact of the real thing. More than just a first-rate shocker full of thrills and suspense, Psycho is also an engrossing character study in which director Alfred Hitchcock skillfully seduces you into identifying with the main characters--then pulls the rug (or the bathmat) out from under you. Anthony Perkins is unforgettable as Norman Bates, the mama's boy proprietor of the Bates Motel; and so is Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, who makes an impulsive decision and becomes a fugitive from the law, hiding out at Norman's roadside inn for one fateful night. --Jim Emerson
The Birds
Vacationing in northern California, Alfred Hitchcock was struck by a story in a Santa Cruz newspaper: "Seabird Invasion Hits Coastal Homes." From this peculiar incident, and his memory of a short story by Daphne du Maurier, the master of suspense created one of his strangest and most terrifying films. The Birds follows a chic blonde, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), as she travels to the coastal town of Bodega Bay to hook up with a rugged fellow (Rod Taylor) she's only just met. Before long the town is attacked by marauding birds, and Hitchcock's skill at staging action is brought to the fore. Beyond the superb effects, however, The Birds is also one of Hitchcock's most psychologically complicated scenarios, a tense study of violence, loneliness, and complacency. What really gets under your skin are not the bird skirmishes but the anxiety and the eerie quiet between attacks. Treated with scant attention by serious critics in 1963, The Birds has grown into a classic and--despite the sci-fi trappings--one of Hitchcock's most serious films. --Robert Horton
Marnie
Sean Connery, fresh from the second Bond picture, From Russia with Love, is a Philadelphia playboy who begins to fall for Tippi Hedren's blonde ice goddess only when he realizes that she's a professional thief; she's come to work in his upper-crust insurance office in order to embezzle mass quantities. His patient program of investigation and surveillance has a creepy, voyeuristic quality that's pure Hitchcock, but all's lost when it emerges that the root of Marnie's problem is phobic sexual frigidity, induced by a childhood trauma. Luckily, Sean is up to the challenge. As it were. Not even D.H. Lawrence believed as fervently as Hitchcock in the curative properties of sexual release. --David Chute
Torn Curtain
Paul Newman and Julie Andrews star in what must unfortunately be called one of Alfred Hitchcock's lesser efforts. Still, sub-par Hitchcock is better than a lot of what's out there, and this one is well worth a look. Newman plays cold war physicist Michael Armstrong, while Andrews plays his lovely assistant-and-fiancée, Sarah Sherman. Armstrong has been working on a missile defense system that will "make nuclear defense obsolete," and naturally both sides are very interested. All Sarah cares about is the fact that Michael has been acting awfully fishy lately. The suspense of Torn Curtain is by nature not as thrilling as that in the average Hitchcock film--much of it involves sitting still and wondering if the bad guys are getting closer. Still, Hitchcock manages to amuse himself: there is some beautifully clever camera work and an excruciating sequence that illustrates the frequent Hitchcock point that death is not a tidy business. --Ali Davis
Topaz
Alfred Hitchcock hadn't made a spy thriller since the 1930s, so his 1969 adaptation of Leon Uris's bestseller seemed like a curious choice for the director. But Hitchcock makes Uris's story of the West's investigation into the Soviet Union's dealings with Cuba his own. Frederick Stafford plays a French intelligence agent who works with his American counterpart (John Forsythe) to break up a Soviet spy ring. The film is a bit flat dramatically and visually, and there are sequences that seem to occupy Hitchcock's attention more than others. A minor work all around, with at least two alternative endings shot by Hitchcock. --Tom Keogh
Frenzy
Alfred Hitchcock's penultimate film, written by Anthony Shaffer (who also wrote Sleuth), this delightfully grisly little tale features an all-British cast minus star wattage, which may have accounted for its relatively slim showing in the States. Jon Finch plays a down-on-his-luck Londoner who is offered some help by an old pal (Barry Foster). In fact, Foster is a serial killer the police have been chasing--and he's framing Finch. Which leads to a classic Hitchcock situation: a guiltless man is forced to prove his innocence while eluding Scotland Yard at the same time. Spiked with Hitchcock's trademark dark humor, Frenzy also features a very funny subplot about the Scotland Yard investigator (Alec McCowen) in charge of the case, who must endure meals by a wife (Vivien Merchant) who is taking a gourmet-cooking class. --Marshall Fine
Family Plot
Alfred Hitchcock's final film is understated comic fun that mixes suspense with deft humor, thanks to a solid cast. The plot centers on the kidnapping of an heir and a diamond theft by a pair of bad guys led by Karen Black and William Devane. The cops seem befuddled, but that doesn't stop a questionable psychic (Barbara Harris) and her not overly bright boyfriend (Bruce Dern, in a rare good-guy role) from picking up the trail and actually solving the crime. Did she do it with actual psychic powers? That's part of the fun of Harris's enjoyably ditsy performance. --Marshall Fine
Customer Reviews:
Necessarily flawed.......2007-09-14
The best this set rates is 3 stars, and not only for packaging issues previously mentioned.
It's unfortunate that a deal couldn't have been worked out with MGM/UA so that NORTH BY NORTHWEST might have been included here rather than the boring TOPAZ. Even better would be the inclusion of such great WARNER BROS. titles like DIAL M FOR MURDER instead of MARNIE, THE WRONG MAN rather than ROPE and STRANGERS ON A TRAIN as replacement for TORN CURTAIN.
Let's tell it plainly here. This is not so much a "masterpiece collection" as it is the best Hitchcock titles that UNIVERSAL/MCA has in their vaults (along with some less-than-great filler). With such a substantial project as this, perhaps the various studios owed it to Hitchcock to cooperate. And if they had, wouldn't the four substitutions suggested above TRULY make this DVD set Hitchcock's masterpiece collection?
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS - SEASON THREE features some of the best TV episodes from the Master of Suspense.
A GREAT SET FOR THE PRICE! MISSING SOME GREAT FILMS!.......2007-09-08
I didn't have any of these films on DVD so,..... When I saw it on sale for around $65.00 I thought it was a great deal for 14 films with some extra material. I would have liked to see a few different films in this set,but they ended up putting most of those in another DVD set with the exception of "LifeBoat" and "Notorious". I think all "Hitches" missing films should be put into similar sets. This is a nice set, but wait to see it at the right price. These will be dropping way down before you know it. The transfers look very good!
Pick this along with the Signature Collection and you're done!.......2007-08-23
First things first - This collection is brilliant and the packaging is also good. Its a velvet box containing 4 DVD boxes, each box containing 4 or 3 discs/films and a booklet with a short writeup on each film.
When it arrived, one of the 4 sets was missing, and one was duplicated.
That is: I had 2 sets of the same films, and one set was missing.
I wrote back to the Amazon Customer Support and got an immediate reply saying they will replace it.
This set does not include certain must-have classics like
Strangers On A Train
North By North West
Dial M For Murder
Foreign Correspondent etc.
All this is available in the Signature Series which I picked up from here.
So if you buy these 2 box sets, you're done!!!
5 Stars for the movies, 1 Star for the packaging.......2007-08-13
I would love to have most of the DVDs in this collection, but I won't get it because of the poorly-designed packaging. I don't want 4 DVDs crammed into one case with the artwork reproduced one-quarter size and overlapping. I want each DVD in its own case with full-sized artwork on the cover. If the idea was to make it more compact, the space saved is insignificant. I think the real reason is corner-cutting to save a few bucks. The other Hitchcock set did it the right way- 1 DVD per case. This is very disappointing. For a lot of us, aesthetics count for a lot. Actually, my ideal preference would for all box sets to be packaged chronologically, in the order each film was released.
Poor packaging........2007-06-01
This is a great set minus the annoying packaging. As someone mentioned earlier the DVD cases are fitted to go in a certain order and if they don't go in in that order then they get stuck and the edges of the DVD cases get frayed. The corners of the cases get frayed anyway because the cases are a paper and cardboard-based binding with the plastic DVD holders glued on to them. So I put them in spine first now. Open and close them enough times and you get those white, worn edges on the spine. Another problem with the cases is that the plastic glued on part that hold the DVDs in place are notorious for getting de-glued. Yet another thing. . .one disc is now not holding in the case properly. How could I remedy this problem? Buy an entire new set??? The door on the velvet box doesn't snap shut in anyway so if you hold the wrong side down. . .the DVDs will fall out. So watch out. The velvet box looks and feels nice but it collects dust very easily and is not easily cleanable. I tried to brush off some of the dust and the silvery logos and such began to flake off.
Amazon.com
When it premiered on CBS on October 2, 1955, Alfred Hitchcock Presents was an instant hit destined for long-term popularity. The series' original half-hour anthology format provided a perfect showcase for stories of mystery, suspense, and the macabre that reflected Hitchcock's established persona. Every Sunday at 9:30 p.m., the series began with the familiar theme of Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" (which would thereafter be inextricably linked with Hitchcock), and as Hitchcock's trademark profile sketch was overshadowed by the familiar silhouette of Hitchcock himself, the weekly "play" opened and closed with the series' most popular feature: As a good-natured host whose inimitable presence made him a global celebrity, Hitchcock delivered droll, dryly sardonic introductions and epilogues to each week's episode, flawlessly written by James Allardyce and frequently taking polite pot-shots at CBS sponsors, or skirting around broadcast standards (which demanded that no crime could go unpunished) by humorously explaining how the show's killers and criminals were always brought to justice... though always with a nod and a wink to the viewer.
This knowing complicity was Hitchcock's pact with his audience, and the secret to his (and the series') long-term success. It's also what attracted a stable of talented writers whose teleplays, both original and adapted, maintained a high standard of excellence. Hitchcock directed four of the first season's 39 episodes, including the premiere episode "Revenge" (a fan favorite, with future Psycho costar Vera Miles) and the season highlight "Breakdown," with Joseph Cotten as a car-accident victim, paralyzed and motionless, who's nearly left for dead; it's a perfect example of visual and narrative economy, executed with a master's touch. (The fourth episode, "Don't Come Back Alive," is also a popular favorite, with the kind of sinister twist that became a series trademark.) Robert Stevenson directed the majority of the remaining episodes with similar skill, serving tightly plotted tales (selected by associate producers Joan Harrison and Norman Lloyd) by such literary greats as Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Cornell Woolrich, Dorothy L. Sayers, and John Collier. Adding to the series' prestige was a weekly roster of new and seasoned stars, with first-season appearances by Cloris Leachman, Darren McGavin, Everett Sloane, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Barry Fitzgerald, John Cassavetes, Joanne Woodward, Thelma Ritter, and a host of Hollywood's best-known character players. With such stellar talent on weekly display, Alfred Hitchcock Presents paved the way for Thriller, The Twilight Zone, and other series that maximized the anthology format's storytelling potential.
Packed onto three double-sided DVDs, these 39 episodes hold up remarkably well, and while some prints show the wear and tear of syndication, they look and sound surprisingly good (although audio compression will cause many viewers to turn up the volume). The 15-minute bonus featurette, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Look Back" is perfunctory at best, but it's nice to see new anecdotal interviews with Norman Lloyd, assistant director Hilton Green, and Hitchcock's daughter Pat (a frequent performer on these episodes), who survived to see their popular series benefit from the archival convenience of DVD. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Do NOT read the plot summaries!.......2007-09-08
The shows are fine and fun. Sure, they can be uneven, but so are most anthology shows. However, do NOT read the summary that comes up before each episode. Close your eyes, look away, do something, but many of them GIVE AWAY THE FINAL TWIST. You can do something to remind people which episode it is without doing that. Almost as bad as the Planet of the Apes dvd cover with the Statue of Liberty on the cover. Don't assume everyone's seen your movie or show because it's old or classic. Everyone has to see if for the fist time, some time.
Peter's review.......2007-08-26
The DVDs I ordered came within specified time frame, there weren't any issues with payment. I am very satisfied with the service I received from Amazon.
Thanks
PN
Great content, miserable packaging.......2007-08-21
I can only add my voice to those blasting Universal for such a shoddy job presenting some wonderful work by Hitchcock and the brilliant writers that were responsible for some of the best television that's ever come over the airwaves.
The transfers - both video and audio - are lame to begin with, especially in this age where the technology exists that makes it possible to do wonders with old footage. Getting past that, while aggravating, is nothing compared to finding the episodes past the first four on each side of each disc. Hey Universal, a simple "menu" is something anyone even remotely familiar with a DVD-creation program learns on day one! This is amateur-hour work of the first magnitude, unworthy of the many first-class artists involved in creating a splendid collection of productions.
The double-sided disks scream "Cheap." Why not charge a couple of extra bucks and do it right? Special features would be nice - perhaps some information on the writers or actors or on the original productions - but better sound and video would be even better.
Having said all of that how does one "rate" this? OK, 5 Stars for the content, Zero Stars for the (physical) production. That averages out to 2 ½. So I'm feeling good today; make it 3.
Some chapters excellent, some bad.......2007-07-23
Many chapters are very good but some are kind of "so?" Alfred HItchcock was great at producing but really bad at acting and sort of too protagonist in every chapters presentation
The show is great,, but the product is junk.......2007-06-10
I'm not going to slam one of the best shows that's ever been on TV, so look to another review if you want to read what an amateur critic has to say. But I have a serious problem with any company that sells me a product that does not work. I actually bought 2 of this product, thinking I somehow got a freak defective set and just ordered another one and paid for them both. But neither of them play without an occasional freeze up during playing, and one of them just flat will not play all the way through. I'm not a penny pincher and I don't have time to go running to the post office every time somebody rips me off, so they can have my money that they stole from me. But if I were you, I'd buy another product. I got season 2, and it seems to be ok.
Average customer rating:
- Maybe It Would Work Better With the 3-D Glasses
- "Do you really believe in the perfect murder? "
- I Love this movie
- Do you really believe in the perfect murder?
- Another Great Classic
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Dial M for Murder
Starring:
Ray Milland ,
Grace Kelly ,
Robert Cummings ,
John Williams (II) , and
Anthony Dawson
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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Similar Items:
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Rear Window (Collector's Edition)
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To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
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North By Northwest
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Strangers on a Train
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Vertigo (Collector's Edition)
ASIN: B0002HOEQ2
Release Date: 2004-09-07 |
Product Description
When American writer Mark Halliday visits the very married Margot Wendice in London, he unknowingly sets off a chain of blackmail and murder. After sensing Margot's affections for Halliday, her husband, Tony Wendice, fears divorce and disinheritance, and plots her death.
Knowing former school chum Captain Lesgate is involved in illegal activities, Tony blackmails him into conspiring to kill Margot. When she kills Lesgate in self-defense, Tony implicates her as being guilty of premeditated murder. Halliday must out-stratagize Tony to save Margot's live.
Running Time: 105 min.
Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
A suave tennis player (Ray Milland) plots the perfect murder, the dispatching of his wealthy wife (Grace Kelly), who is having an affair with a writer (Robert Cummings). Amazingly, the wife manages to stave off her attacker, a twist of fate that challenges the hubby's talent for improvisation. Alfred Hitchcock wisely stuck to the stage origins of Dial M for Murder, ignoring the temptation to "open up" the material from the home of the unhappy couple. The result may not be one of Hitchcock's deepest films, but it's a thoroughly engaging chamber movie. It also features Grace Kelly at her loveliest, the same year she made Rear Window with Hitchcock. Dial M for Murder was filmed in the briefly trendy 3-D process, and Hitchcock shot some scenes to bring out the depth of the 3-D field; it's especially good for the nail-biting attempted murder of Kelly, and her desperate reach for a pair of scissors that seems to be just outside her grasp. However, the film was rarely shown with the proper 3-D projection, going out "flat" instead (a 1980 reissue restored the process for a limited theatrical release). Dial M was remade in 1998 as A Perfect Murder, a film that changed and expanded the material, with no improvement on the clean, witty original. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews:
Maybe It Would Work Better With the 3-D Glasses.......2007-07-21
This is certainly a watchable film but a disappointment when you consider that it was directed by the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. The mystery here is pretty good with enough clever twists. Ray Milland is at the top of his game as the nefarious husband plotting his wife's murder. Grace Kelly effortlessly shines as Milland's intended victim. Alas, I have to say that the fault lies in the direction. It seems that Hitchcock instead of directing the film is a slave to the "groundbreaking" 3-D technology and lets it direct him. The film stops at certain points to a resounding thud so that we can marvel at the sight of a tray of teacups coming at us. If Hitchcock trusted his instincts instead of being trapped by this gimmick technology maybe "Dial M for Murder" would have been a better film. The only films that I can think of made in 3-D that transcended the technology are "Hondo" and "House of Wax". Tolerable Hitchcock but we, and he, deserve better.
"Do you really believe in the perfect murder? ".......2007-07-05
The hit Broadway play by Frederick Knott "Dial M for Murder" has been adapted to the screen several times, including the films made in West Germany and Sweden, as well as a TV movie in 1981 (TV) by Boris Seagal and the film "A Perfect Murder" (1998) directed by Andrew Davis with Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen. Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 adaptation was the first and certainly the best one even if the master himself considered it one of his lesser efforts. "Dial M for Murder" will be remembered as Hitchcock's first color film and the first of three thrillers he had made with Grace Kelly, the future Princess of Monaco, in the prime of her beauty and her talent. Using color proved to be very effective in the film. The first two scenes featuring Kelly wearing a white morning dress in the idyllic scene with her husband Tony and right after that kissing passionately her American lover, writer (Robert Cummings) in the red dress, immediately, without many words tell the viewer that the story of passion, deception, betrayal, and ultimately, murder will follow.
Ray Milland (Tony Wendice) is a surprisingly sympathetic villain (which is perhaps not surprising from the actor with talent, charm, and charisma that equal and remind a lot of both Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart) who knows about his wife cheating and decides to teach her a lesson by plotting a very clever murder which will make him a sole heir to her money (she is a wealthy one in the family). His plan is perfect and almost works but Margot managed to not only escape the murderer but to turn the table on him while stunned Wendice is on the phone and listens how his well thought of plan collapses. Wendice is very resourceful and he proved to be a master of improvisation because it took him a few minutes in a cab to switch to a plan B that turned a terrified victim Margot into a cold-blooded murderess. Now it is up to seasoned and shrewd inspector Hubbard (John Williams) to find the crucial piece of evidence and to solve the case.
As always with Hitchcock, his directing is impeccable, the camera rarely leaves Wendice's apartment but the film is never claustrophobic which is the case for many plays' adaptation. It breathes and moves freely and we almost forget that we are in the same room for close to two hours. I would not call "Dial M for Murder" my favorite Hitchcock's film but it is enjoyable, clever, and witty thriller with the interesting twists, outstanding performances, and more than one truly memorable scenes.
I Love this movie.......2007-05-29
This is a great murder mystery. Ray Milland is terrific as the cunning and manipulative husband out for the ultimate revenge. Robert Cummings seems a bit dim at first but then you realize he's just been taking it all in. Grace Kelly is just, well, she's Grace Kelly; elegant, beautiful, perfect. This movie introduced me to the talent of ay Milland. I watch this and "The Uninvited" together.
Do you really believe in the perfect murder?.......2007-03-15
Do you really believe in the perfect murder? Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), a former tennis player, does. That is the reason why he decides that asking someone to kill his beautiful and very rich wife is a good idea.
But why kill someone just for the sake of doing so? Truth to be told, Tony is afraid that Margot (Grace Kelly) will ask him for divorce in order to marry Mark (Robert Cummings), an American writer she had a brief affair with after marrying Tony. Margot decided to stay with her husband, and is not aware of the fact that he knows about her past relationship with Mark, who happens to visit them when Tony decides he has to kill his wife. But how will he do it? And will he succeed?
If you really want to know the answers to those questions, and enjoy a well-paced thriller, watch "Dial M for Murder (1954). Enjoy it...
Belen Alcat
PS: "Dial M for Murder" was the inspiration for "A perfect murder" (1998), a film starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Another Great Classic.......2007-02-23
If you are familiar with any of the Hitchcock masterpiece edition DVDs. This is about the same quality, good picture and sound. This is something you would find in a store, not a nock-off. No problems at at.
Description
The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection contains the DVD debut of 8 Hitchcock classics including "Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Special Edition," and the following 7 new single-disc DVDs: "Dial M For Murder," "Foreign Correspondent" "Suspicion," "The Wrong Man," "Stage Fright," "I Confess" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." The previously released "North by Northwest" is also included in the 10-disc Signature Collection. Each of the 9 films in the collection shows why Hitchcock is regarded as one of Hollywood's most esteemed and important directors, and also brings legendary stars to the digital front including Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Montgomery Clift and many others.
Strangers on a Train - En route from Washington, D.C., champion tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets pushy playboy Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). What begins as a chance encounter turns into a series of morbid confrontations, as Bruno manipulates his way into Guy's life. Bruno is eager to kill his father and knows Guy wants to marry a senator's daughter (Ruth Roman) but can't get a divorce from his wife. So Bruno suggests the men swap murders, which would leave no traceable clues or possible motives. Though Guy refuses, it won't be easy to rid himself of the psychopathic Bruno. Hitchcock's daughter Patricia appears in this film. The extra features included on the DVD are: Alternate 'preview' version of the film; Commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich, Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stephano, Strangers on a Train author Patricia Highsmith and biographer Andrew Wilson; New making-of documentary Strangers on a Train: A Hitchcock Classic, with Farley Granger, film historian Richard Schickel, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and other Hitchcock family members and colleagues recalling the making of this suspense landmark; Three intriguing featurettes: The Hitchcocks on Hitch, Strangers on a Train: The Victim's P.O.V., Strangers on a Train by M. Night Shyamalan; Alfred Hitchcock's Historical Meeting, a vintage newsreel.
Each DVD will be presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition and will include the original theatrical trailer, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Customer Reviews:
Pick this along with Masterpiece Collection and you're done!.......2007-08-23
This collection is brilliant and the packaging is insignificant, It is just 9 standard DVD boxes put in one outer box.
This set does not include certain must-have classics like
Psycho
Vertigo
Rear Window
The Rope,
The Man Who Knew Too Much etc
All this is available in the brilliant Masterpiece Collection which I picked up from here.
So if you buy these 2 box sets, you're done!!!
Alfred Hitchcock Signature Movie Collection DVD set.......2007-04-12
A Must have for all hard-core Alfred Hitchcock movie fans
Wonderful Collection.......2007-04-06
This collection is absolutely fabulous. All the movies are remastered and are excellent quality especially on a big screen. Just as I remembered them. Too cool...
a must for a fan.......2007-03-08
As a long time fan of Hitchcock, I am always looking for more. I have approx. 20 of his films on DVD. This collection has some that I had never seen before. In addition, the "making of" special features are great for someone who wants to know what made Hitch so unique as a film director. I have (and will) spend many hours viewing these discs.
Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection.......2007-01-29
If you an Alfred Hitchock movie fan, you need to get this box set. There are some movies, I haven't seen before, but I did enjoy them.
Average customer rating:
- Grace Kelly seals the show in this star vehicle for an Aging Cary Grant
- To Catch a Thief Did Not Catch My Fancy
- Smart and classy
- Very good transfer
- EXCELLENT DVD!!
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To Catch a Thief
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Suspense
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Mystery
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Haunted by the Past
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Miscarriage of Justice
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Grant, Cary
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Kelly, Grace
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Norton, Barry
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Vanel, Charles
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Similar Items:
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North By Northwest
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Charade
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Rear Window (Collector's Edition)
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An Affair to Remember
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The Philadelphia Story
ASIN: B00005JJX8
Release Date: 2002-11-05 |
Amazon.com
One of the creamiest of all of Alfred Hitchcock's films, To Catch a Thief is something like pure pleasure. Begin ticking off the ingredients of this 1955 movie and you'll get the picture: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, the French Riviera, champagne, fireworks, cat burglary. Mmm, it already feels good. Grant plays a retired thief who becomes a suspect when valuable things begin disappearing along the Cote d'Azur. The diamonds hanging from the well-sculpted neck of Grace Kelly would appear to be the newest target, but it's just possible that actual romance might also be wafting through the Mediterranean air. The lightness of the story keeps To Catch a Thief from being one of the masterpieces of Hitchcock's great run in the 1950s, but it is very difficult to cavil about the sunny locations, Grant's elegant aplomb, and Kelly's shrewd withholding of her sexual interest beneath the ice-queen exterior. John Michael Hayes provided the amusing script (which stretches double entendres to their limit, especially in a romantic discussion of fried chicken), Edith Head the splendid costumes. If the movie has any weight at all, it's in proving that at this point in his career Hitchcock was consumed with charting the tricky terrain of male-female courtship; if issues of trust are treated here with a light touch, they nevertheless matter as much as the mechanical working-out of Mr. H's suspense stories. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews:
Grace Kelly seals the show in this star vehicle for an Aging Cary Grant.......2007-08-01
Grace Kelly's beauty is mesmerizing and her energy leaps off the screen. The movie is saved by her performance and the cineamatography. Apparently conceived as a starring vehicle for Cary Grant the May-September romance just flat does not work. Not Hitchcock's best work.
To Catch a Thief Did Not Catch My Fancy.......2007-07-22
I am a lifelong fan of suspense movies, especially those of Alfred Hitchcock. While Hitchcock is the absolute master of suspense, I did not find this film as entertaining as the other reviewers.
I give this film a very average 3-stars.
Sure, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly are lovely to look at, especially Grace Kelly(!), but for me the plot is somewhat confusing, especially initially, and the suspense is not as gripping as other (and better) Hitchcock films. For instance, I found "North By Northwest" a far superior work than this one.
There are some scenes that will remain in my memory forever, such as the road chase early on in the movie where Grace Kelly speeds along the French Riveria's winding roads at speeds that make your palms sweat. Only Hitchcock can film such a scene. Then there is the night scene with Grant and Kelly in the hotel room with the fireworks exploding in the background sky, while the sexual sparks are exploding just as loudly between Grant and Kelly. A classic Hitchcock scene. Today's director would have them both in bed wrestling naked in the throes of sexual love. I like Hitch's approach better. He tells you more with symbolic imagery than the visual act can ever portray.
I know everyone else calls this film a classic, and I suppose in many ways it is, but my take on it is that it is an average Hitchcock film. I will probably get reamed by other reviewers for my contrary opinion, but that is their right to say so, just as it is my right to say that this film is not one of Hitchcock's best.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig
Smart and classy .......2007-07-06
Hitchcock and Cary Grant bring their customary magic to this stylish and frothy thriller-cum-romance. While this film may certainly be more to the taste of the female half of the population than the male, Grant's debonair ease and the suspense involved in cat-and-mouse game between police, suspect, and real thief is enough to keep anyone interested, and the snappy dialogue between the main leads anchors this well-made film. There's neither deep passionate romance nor spine-tingling suspense, making the film lack that quality of being truly great, but it succeeds very well at what it attempts - to be a light and very fun theft/romance film with a touch of Hitchcockian darkness.
Very good transfer.......2007-07-05
I just watched it over the weekend and I felt like I've never seen it before (actually have seen it about ten times).
EXCELLENT DVD!!.......2007-06-28
EXCELLENT MOVIE WHERE PRINCESS GRACE KELLY SHOWED HER PROFESSIONALISM AS AN ACTRESS!! GRACE KELLY IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S FAVORITE ACTRESS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE! RATED BY: BRILI
Average customer rating:
- Too gimmicky
- bighting off more than you can chew
- "You're quite a good chicken strangler as I recall"
- one of hitchcock's finest.
- Hitchcock and Stewart at their best!
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Rope
Starring:
James Stewart
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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ASIN: B000ECX0O2
Release Date: 2006-06-20 |
Amazon.com
An experimental film masquerading as a standard Hollywood thriller. The plot of Rope is simple and based on a successful stage play: two young men (John Dall and Farley Granger) commit murder, more or less as an intellectual exercise. They hide the body in their large apartment, then throw a dinner party. Will the body be discovered? Director Alfred Hitchcock, fascinated by the possibilities of the long-take style, decided to shoot this story as though it were happening in one long, uninterrupted shot. Since the camera can only hold one 10-minute reel at a time, Hitchcock had to be creative when it came time to change reels, disguising the switches as the camera passed behind someone's back or moved behind a lamp. In later years Hitchcock wrote off the approach as misguided, and Rope may not be one of Hitchcock's top movies, but it's still a nail-biter. They don't call him the Master of Suspense for nothing. James Stewart, as a suspicious professor, marks his first starring role for Hitchcock, a collaboration that would lead to the masterpieces Rear Window and Vertigo. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews:
Too gimmicky.......2007-09-05
A very gimmicky film on a couple of levels. First it's shot all in one long shot, actually several shots spliced together more or less unobtrusively to look like one shot. Second, it all takes place in real time in one location. This, along with the plot, make it seem like an Agatha Christie play. Two young men (supposedly homosexual, but I didn't notice) murder a friend because they are "superior" creatures. Then they invite the murdered man's fiance and relatives over and serve dinner on a large chest where the murdered man is stashed. Gee, I wonder where David is tonight? He was supposed to be here. Stewart plays their old schoolmaster who taught them the Nietzschean doctrine, but who discovers the murder and is horrified. Hitchcock's first color film.
bighting off more than you can chew.......2007-06-18
Two idealistic young students commit a crime thinking they are following the ideas of their former teacher - only to see everything slowly fall apart... Hitchock's stage-like technicolor debut does not move the camera very far, but like 'rear window' and 'dial m for murder' - just enough because we do not need to move very far to face basic and suspensful plot elements, in fact, they are all the more poignant when we see them magnified in a particular setting..
Rope is not Hitchcock's best film.. but it is a great film nontheless, featuring great performances and witty dialogue.. James stewart is always fun to watch and his understated performance drives the show.. I would highly recommend 'rope' as one of hitchcock's more interesting film expeditions..
"You're quite a good chicken strangler as I recall".......2007-06-01
"Rope," Alfred Hitchcock's first color film, is an adaptation of the play by Patrick Hamilton, which was re-named "Rope's End" when it hit Broadway. It is also loosely based upon the real-life Leopold/Loeb case. Like Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder," "Rope" feels like it was created for the stage, using only one set and virtually no music. One of the most intriguing aspects of the film is that it was filmed in "real time," meaning that the 80 minutes which the film spans is intended to be a straight 80 minutes for the characters, though it has been discussed that the storyline actually occurs over about 100 minutes. Nevertheless, it's the continous takes which make the film so spectacular. The movie was edited from about seven 10-minute takes. At the end of each of these takes the camera focuses on some dark or black spot, originally intended to give theater operators a chance to change the reel and to mask the fact that there was any editing done at all. It works well.
The story is classic Hitchcock: two prep school pals decide to commit a murder just for the sake of doing so. They plan everything to perfection, and for the finishing touch, they invite a group of people to dinner, feasting upon the chest in which the corpse is contained. Among those invited are the parents of the deceased, his would-be fiance, his best friend, and the murderous duo's eccentric old professor, who they think would approve of their scheme. John Dall is the driving force behind this whole ghastly operation, and he overplays his role with a reckless pompousness. His best friend and reluctant partner-in-crime is Farley Granger, who is constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Unquestionably the highlight of the cast is James Stewart as their former professor, Rupert, who states that murder is not a crime, but a priveledge. This is one of my favorite performances from Mr. Stewart. He plays his part with a devilishly easygoing, intelligent suavete and far more reserve than you would usually see from Stewart.
Considering the movie was released in 1948, the fact that the script retains the implied homosexuality between the murderers from Hamilton's play is a bold move. The script does omit the knowledge that Stewart's character had an affair with one of his old students, a good move because if it had been kept the audience would feel considerably less sympathy for Stewart than they do at the film's end. Interestingly, Hitchcock chose to open the film with the murder, leaving no doubt that a murder was in fact committed, while in Hamilton's play we don't know whether the duo actually went through with the murder or not until its end. It seems uncharacteristic of Hitchcock that he should decide against so artful and suspenseful a technique as leaving his audience questioning whether the murder is real or not.
Don't begin your exploration of Hitchcock's works with this movie. Opt instead for something like "Vertigo" or even Hitchcock's previous masterpiece, "Notorious," which is cleverly referenced at one point in the film when Stewart's character names the one film he enjoyed, "that new thing with Ingrid Bergman." One of the 5 "lost Hitchcocks," "Rope" is not one of the Master's masterpieces, but it is one of his finer and most interesting works. The "real time" technique is fascinating, the story is unmistakably Hitchcockian, and Stewart's performance is among his best, and that alone is enough to make the film worth a watch.
one of hitchcock's finest........2007-05-14
Rope is a smart murder-mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I was pleasantly surprised with the acting, the plot, and the dialogue. This movie is not only suspenseful, but funny too! There are so many one-liners that I want to quote. Hitchcock is a master at his craft and so are the actors he chooses for his films. This film is a must-see!
Hitchcock and Stewart at their best!.......2007-05-14
I can't give any Hitchcock film less than 5 Stars. The man never took home an OSCAR, but always took home many fans. This film is one of the best that Stewart did with the great director and Farly Granger was excellent in it. The twists and turns and macabre manner in which it's written and directed is brilliant. Buy this film, watch it and you'll see why it's a classic!
Average customer rating:
- Worthless!
- Hitchcocks favourite movie
- Hitch said in his opinion this was his best film by far
- wonderful screen experience
- Shadow of a Doubt
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Shadow of a Doubt
Starring:
Irving Bacon ,
Charley Bates ,
Virginia Brissac ,
MacDonald Carey , and
Frances Carson
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Suspense
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Mystery
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
All Titles
| Alfred Hitchcock
| Mystery & Suspense Masters
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
1940s
| Alfred Hitchcock
| Mystery & Suspense Masters
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Classics
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
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Double Life
| By Theme
| Mystery & Suspense
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Serial Killers
| By Theme
| Mystery & Suspense
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General
| Mystery & Suspense
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