Jackson Booth-Millard This was only third talking picture from the Master of Suspense director Sir Alfred Hitchcock (Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, The Birds), the simple title made it obvious what it was about, it was rated average by critics, but I was always going to watch it. Basically Diana Baring (Norah Baring) is a young actress in a travelling troupe, she is found in a daze with blood on her clothes, standing by the murdered body of another young actress, Edna Druce (Aileen Despard). The fire poker used to commit the murder is at Diana's feet, but she has no memory of what happened during the time that the crime was committed. It is thought that the two young women were rivals, the police arrest Diana, she deliberately withholds important information, to protect something about the identity of a man that she will not name. At Diana's trial, most of the jury are certain she is guilty, one or two believe she has a mental illness, that would explain her lack of memory, but they are convinced that should face the death penalty, hanging, so as not to strike again. Celebrated actor-manager Sir John Menier (Herbert Marshall) is a juror, is convinced that Diana is innocent, he is almost bullied into voting "guilty" with the rest of the jury, Diana is imprisoned and will be hanged. Sir John feels responsible, as he recommended the beautiful Diana take the touring job, to gain more life experience, and it turns Diana has been a fan of his since childhood, he feels she is far too honest and straightforward to be any kind of criminal. Using skills he has learned in the theatre, Sir John investigates the murder, with the help of stage manager Ted Markham (Edward Chapman) and his wife Doucie (Phyllis Konstam). The narrow down the possible suspects who could have committed the murder to troupe male actor Handel Fane (Esme Percy), who often plays cross-dressing roles. Sir John cleverly tries to lure a confession out of Fane, auditioning him for a new play he written, about murder, Fane realises they know that he is the real murderer, as well how and why he did it. Fane leaves the audition without confessing, he returns to his old job as a trapeze artist in the circus, Sir John and the others go there to confront him again, Fane sees them from his high perch during his performance, in despair he knots the access rope into a noose, puts it around his head and hangs himself. Diana is freed, having been proven innocent, dressed in glamourous clothing she is greeted in a beautiful room by Sir John, they embrace as he loves her, but the camera pulls back, this is actually a stage play performance, Diana is starring opposite Sir John in what may be the new play he was planning. Also starring Miles Mander as Gordon Druce and Donald Calthrop as Ion Stewart, and Hitchcock's cameo is as the Man on Street passing the three standing outside the door. This is a fairly simple whodunnit style story, a member of the jury who found an innocent woman guilty going on a snoop of their own, the performances are all fine, and there are small memorable moments, but it is a little creaky, rather stagey, and not all that engaging compared other Hitchcock films, but not a bad mystery. Worth watching!

ma-cortes 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 .

Martin Bradley "Murder!" may be one of the least known of Hitchcock's films and is hardly seen today, yet this early talkie, which he made in 1930, has a lot more than historical interest to recommend it. Herbert Marshall, (very good), is the juror who, after bringing in a guilty verdict, (in a terrific sequence that makes great use of early sound techniques), has second thoughts and starts investigating the case himself.It's based on a play and is set in a theatrical milieu, (Marshall plays a famous actor), and Hitchcock films it accordingly but it is full of great Hitchcock touches that distinguishes it from other British films of the period; it certainly couldn't be mistaken for the work of anyone else. Indeed this is text-book film-making of a high order and is an essential part of the Hitchcock canon.

utgard14 A jury finds an actress guilty of murder. Afterward, one of the jurors (Herbert Marshall) has second thoughts about their verdict. So he decides to conduct his own investigation into the crime. Early talkie from Alfred Hitchcock is notable for featuring the first voice-over in film history. Obviously the film shows the limitations of the medium in 1930. Given those limitations, Hitch's direction is all the more impressive. You can see some of the master's burgeoning greatness in some of the techniques he uses and the little bits of humor sprinkled throughout. It's still a slow-moving and often creaky relic of early sound filmmaking, but it managed to keep my interest. Nice ending, too.