Murder!

1930

Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller

18
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 39% · 18 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 39% · 1K ratings
IMDb Rating 6.3/10 10 7709 7.7K

amnesia based on novel or book black and white murder investigation murder trial

Plot summary

When actress Diana Baring is found in a daze beside her colleague’s murdered body, all evidence points to her guilt. During the trial, juror Sir John Menier doubts the verdict, but yields to pressure. Haunted by remorse, he launches his own investigation.

Director

Alfred Hitchcock Photo
Alfred Hitchcock

Top cast

Norah Baring Photo
Norah Baring as Diana Baring
Una O'Connor Photo
Una O'Connor as Mrs. Grogram
Alfred Hitchcock Photo
Alfred Hitchcock as Man on Street
Clare Greet Photo
Clare Greet as Member of the Jury
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
876.34 MB
968*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 32 min
Seeds 1
1.57 GB
1440*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 32 min
Seeds 9

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ma-cortes 7 / 10

Early talkie whodunit well starred by Herbert Marshall and including Hitchcock's ordinary trademarks

A mystery movie adapted from the novel and play titled ¨Enter Sir John¨by Clemence Dane and Helen Simpson . It deals with a girl (Norah Baring) silently accepts her prosecution for killing , while the jury is deliberating , there is a lone juror (Herbert Marshall) who believes in her innocence begins an investigation his own and winds up discovering weird happenings .This fine early effort by Hitch has several novelties , as the movie transcends the limitation of its mystery plot by dealing with thought-provoking issues and focusing on the theatrical meditations of reality . An early talkie for Great Britain in which director Hitch features visualization of some typical Hitchcockian themes , being perhaps the most provocative of all early British films , adding the first gay stereotype in popular cinema and the first movie where a person's thoughts are presented by a voice-in-off . The story follows mysteriously the investigation of a murder and the protagonist attempts to keep the condemned girl from being executed to death penalty by hanging . One of the first and best Alfred film to explore the ideas and themes that would become his trademarks , including climatic and memorable scenes . Herbert Marshall gives a good interpretation as the jurist believing in a young woman's innocence and starts organizing the pieces of the crime in order to save her . Look closely for the Master in a rapid cameo about an hour into the film walking past the house where the murder was committed and Una O'Connor , John Ford's regular ; besides , brief acting by Miles Mander .The film belongs to Hitch's first British period when he directed silent films such as ¨The lodger¨ (1926) , ¨The ring¨(1927) , ¨Easy virtue¨ (1927) , ¨The Manxman¨(29) ; being ¨Blackmail¨(29) made as a silent , this was reworked to become a talkie . Following sound movies and early talkies as ¨June and the Paycock¨(30) , ¨Skin Game¨(31) , ¨Rich and strange¨(32) , ¨Number 17¨(32) , ¨The man who knew too much¨(34) , ¨The 39 steps¨ (35) , ¨The secret agent¨(36) , ¨Sabotage¨(36) , ¨The lady vanishes¨(38) , ¨Jamaica Inn¨ (39) until he is hired by David O'Selznick to shoot ¨Rebecca¨(40) in the US .
Reviewed by frankvisco-1 7 / 10

Murder

From my comments you will immediately recognize I am not an expert on Alfred Hitchcook or film in general. My positive reactions to this this movie are based on the fact that I felt it held my interest and that it is technically better than most talkies made in the period of 1929 to 1931, even though I think that Herbert Marshall was hampered by a script that was fine for the level of the other actors but inferior for Marshall's talent. I feel that he was out of place in this movie because of the supporting actors. It was still a good movie and you could see hints of Hitchcock future genius in the direction of the plot. I think it took courage to include some of the longer scenes in this movie, especially for a movie made in 1930. That being said I think these longer scenes were mostly effective. I think this film is watch-worthy for any film student and anyone who is a fan of Hitchcock or early talkies. In my opinion if this film were made only 4 years later with the same cast it would have been a superior film because of the massive evolution in film making in the period between 1930 and 1934.
Reviewed by blanche-2 6 / 10

slow but hey, it's Hitchcock

Two things make Murder! interesting before one even sees it - it's early Hitchcock and the film is 87 years old!It's not your typical Hitchcock story. A famous actor (Herbert Marshall) sits on a jury that convicts a young actress, Diana (Norah Baring) of murder, but he's haunted by the verdict. He had an encounter with this woman some time before and suggested she gain experience by "working in the provinces." He now feels slightly responsible, as she is accused of murdering a young female costar.Enlisting the help of a married couple in the company, he sets out to find out what really happened.Marshall is young and attractive, and Esme Percy as Handel Fane is very memorable. A distinguished stage actor, he actually studied with Sarah Bernhardt, and roles were written for him by Bernard Shaw. His style and look are unusual.This was filmed in a precise manner - the camera focusing on doorways, going along the floor where the murder took place and showing the bloody poker.The climax of the film is pure Hitchcock and astounding. Well worth sitting through this early movie. Hitchcock always is.
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