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A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 5m
Frederick Knott
Frederick Knott's midcentury melodrama had a highly successful run on Broadway and later gained popularity as a major motion picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This psychological thriller unravels an elegant mystery about an ex-tennis star who plots to kill his wealthy wife.
Tony Wendice married his wife Margot for her money; he now plans to murder her for the same reason. Tony arranges the perfect murder – he hires a scoundrel he once knew to strangle Margot, and arranges a brilliant alibi for himself. The night of the planned attack, in a thrilling surprise twist, the plan goes awry and Margot manages to kill her attacker. Momentarily ruffled, Tony soon sees the hitman's death as an opportunity to have his wife convicted of murder. Working with an inspector from Scotland Yard, Tony plants the idea that Margot had planned the murder. Fortunately, the inspector and a friend of Margot's eventually discover the truth. In a scene of almost unbearable suspense, they trick Tony into revealing his guilt, freeing Margot.
Dial 'M' for Murder premiered at the Westminster Theatre, London on 19 June 1952. On 29 October 1952, the play premiered on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre. A 1954 film adaptation, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starred Ray Milland and Grace Kelly.
The living room of the Wendice’s flat in London. 1952.
“Quiet in style but tingling with excitment underneath.” – The New York Times
“It's a holiday for the whodunit fans, and, as such, it couldn't be more welcome.” – New York Herald-Tribune
“Original and remarkably good theatre – quiet in style but tingling with excitement underneath… The author lets us in on all of Wendice's plans, but the events are given enough slight twists and sudden hitches to keep the chills and thrills running.” – The New York Times
Frederick Knott was born on August 28, 1916 in China to an English missionary family. Knott earned a law degree from Cambridge University after attending Oundle School and served in the British Army from 1939 to 1946, achieving the rank of major. Knott only wrote three plays ...