It’s a commonplace of detective work, in fiction and in life: when a married person is murdered the authorities should look first, and hard, at the spouse. In Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder, the fact that the intended victim is played by the gorgeous Grace Kelly, while the hubby who sets up her (attempted) murder is the silky Ray Milland, reminds us that in Hitchcock’s universe — as in ours — “nice” people are just as capable of planning and succumbing to appalling crimes as far nastier folks. The critical scene, meanwhile, where Tony’s old classmate, Swann (the wonderful, cadaverous character actor, Anthony Dawson) tries to strangle Kelly’s Margot to death with a scarf — while Tony listens in on the phone — is especially powerful because we not only know it’s coming, but we watch it unfold in Hitchcock’s signature, torturous, suspenseful style. As the tousled, nightgown-clad Kelly fights for her life, the musty old conflation of sex and death feels vital and, shockingly, new.
