Rear Window, 1954

Director: ALFRED HITCHCOCK


Stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr






One of the best!

Photographer Jeff (Stewart) broke his leg on an assignment, and cannot leave his apartment.  So, he sits   in his wheelchair and watches all of his neighbors across the building's courtyard.  His fiancee Lisa (Kelly) joins him, and they witness something in Mr. Thorwald's apartment that strikes them as suspicious.  Together, they investigate, and stumble across the shocking truth!

It's wonderful!  Really!  It does go slowly, but I love it!  I am always on the edge of my seat.  Hitch truly is the Master of Suspense!

CAMEO: Hitch appears winding the clock in the songwriter's apartment, about 25 minutes in.

NOTE: I've watched the extras on the DVD, and it's really neat to hear about how it was filmed.  The set was 4 or 5 stories high and all constructed on a stage because they had to be able to control everything.  I love watching the extras on movies, and this one has plenty.

Dial 'M' for Murder, 1954

repost (original post: September 28, 2011)

Director: ALFRED HITCHCOCK

Stars: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings

When ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice (Milland) discovers that his wife Margot (Kelly) is having an affair with her old school friend Mark (Cummings), he begins to plan her murder.

His intricate plan involves hiring someone to kill his wife, preferably someone who can be blackmailed into it. After finding the perfect man for the job, Wendice explains the whole detailed plan to him, and the next night, while Wendice takes Mark to a party (using Mark as his alibi), the murderer is to get in using a key Wendice hid for him, and then strangle his wife when she goes to answer the telephone call from Wendice himself. Everything goes just fine.....until Margot fights back as she's being strangled, and ends up stabbing her assailant with a pair of scissors.

I LOVE this film. Wendice is chilling. Mark is desperate to protect Margot. And the detective in charge (John Williams) is absolutely brilliant in the way he solves the crime.

Her Alibi, 1989

Director: Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Double Jeopardy)

Stars: Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, William Daniels,

I adore Tom Selleck because of Three Men and a Little Lady, so when I found this movie for $3 on Black Friday, I thought I would take a chance. And it's all right. Definitely cute enough for me to recommend to watch at least once, for Tom Selleck fans.

Phil (Selleck) is a mystery writer with writer's block, whose agent (Daniels-- probably best-known as Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World, or to an earlier generation as the voice of K.I.T.T., the talking 1982 Pontiac Trans Am in Knight Rider) tries to get him to start writing again.

Phil goes to court, where he apparently sits in on cases to get ideas for writing (which is a great idea!), and that's where he see Nina (Poriskova), a Romanian beauty accused of murder. On a whim, he decides to be her alibi.

In this little constructed alibi, they are having an affair, so she must come to live with him for a while, which she does, though only because there are people trying to kill her. Phil, sort of a wimpy writer who lives vicariously through his recurring character Peter Swift, now writes about his experiences with Nina, adjusting things to make them more exciting for the book, which is a very cute touch- and all the while he wonders if she is really a killer.

It's definitely cute enough to watch at least once. I liked how Tom Selleck didn't play Magnum. He played a wimp, so afraid of the woman he was providing with an alibi that he had to move a dresser in front of his door at night so she wouldn't come in to kill him.

Gaslight, 1944

Director: George Cukor (My Fair Lady, The Philadelphia Story, Adam's Rib)

Stars: Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, Angela Lansbury

When her aunt is murdered in London in the apartment they share, young Paula (Bergman) moves to Italy, and lives there for many years before she meets Gregory (Boyer) who sweeps her off her feet. After the wedding, he wants to move to London, and she finally feels ready after all these years to face the apartment, which was left to her, and all the feelings that go with the unsolved murder that happened there. As long as her husband is with her, how can she not be safe?

But in that house, she starts to hear things when her husband is gone for the night at work. And the gaslight in her room always goes down a little as if someone has turned on the gas in another part of the house, but no one has. She finds a letter addressed to her aunt, but later her husband tells her she had only imagined finding it. Is she losing her mind?

I thought it was excellent! I didn't know beforehand that Joseph Cotten was in it, and I am a fan, so that was a nice surprise. And then the rude chambermaid also surprised me: unmistakably Angela Lansbury! She's great!

The scene at the end that Paula shares with her husband is probably my favorite. Chilling!

Twelve Angry Men, 1957

Director: Sidney Lumet

Stars" Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman

The story is simple. It starts in a courtroom, where the trial has just ended, and the judge tells the jury to carefully consider the case, and that whatever they decide, it must be unanimous.

So the twelve jurors adjourn to a room where the rest of the movie takes place. The entire movie is just the 12 men discussing the case and arguing. In the beginning on Juror #8 (Fonda) believes that the young boy on trial could be innocent of his father's murder. He proceeds to convince the rest of the guys.

I really liked it! You would think it might be boring because of how little action there is, but I thought it was fantastic!

The Fugitive, 1993

Director: Andrew Davis

Stars: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Sela Ward

Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) comes home to find his wife (Ward) murdered, and fights off an intruder in his house. But no one believes him about the intruder and he gets sent to prison for her murder.

While being transferred to another prison, another prisoner tries to escape, causing the bus to go off the road and onto a train track, where it gets hit by a train. (What are the chances?) Anyway, the Federal Marshals arrive (including Jones) and the manhunt begins. They are to search every "warehouse, farmhouse, hen house, doghouse, and outhouse" until their fugitive is found!

But Kimble puzzles them all by heading right back into Chicago, rather than escaping, and investigating his wife's murder himself, since no one else believes him.

I am weird about this movie. It's not like I love it, I just can never look away from it. I think yesterday was the first time I had ever watched it from the beginning. Usually I come across accidentally on tv, and then I just have to watch it!

Castle, tv series, 2009-

Creator: Andrew W. Marlowe

Stars: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic

Famous mystery writer Richard Castle (Fillion) uses his friendship with the Mayor of New York to tag along with Detective Kate Beckett (Katic), investigating murders and catching killers. In his time with Kate, he observes her ways in order to create his next character, Nikki Heat.

That's how it began, anyway. Three seasons and many dead bodies later, the two are still solving crimes together, and I love watching them do so!

Midsomer Murders, tv series, 1997-

3. Midsomer Murders

I love this show. It has run since 1997, with Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles, right) as its main character. His Detective Sergeant has changed a few times, but the one in the picture is Gavin Troy (Daniel Casey), my favorite, and he stayed on til series 8. (Just so you know: the British call seasons "series".)

My dear friend Holly introduced me to Midsomer and all its murders years ago! And now Netflix has them all as "watch instantly", which perfectly suits me when I'm in the mood for a quiet, English countryside murder.

Holly and I usually have the worst luck when we pick one of these to watch together though. We usually pick ones where the kids are the killers, or there is a seriously messed up, dirty relationship, or something like that. A lot of the episodes involve sexual relationships and scandals though. This is not a kid's show! But I do like how it isn't too gruesome. When the bodies are too gross, they don't show it. Unlike in Bones, which I love but can't watch while I eat.

But otherwise, I like this show. Barnaby is a totally lovable Inspector, and the episodes are long enough (100 minutes) so that you are very confused and it keeps you guessing til the very end. Actually, the other day I watched one and was proud of myself that I knew who the killer was right off the bat! But I just didn't like the way she looked. I didn't really solve anything.

The Thin Man, 1934

Director: W.S. Van Dyke

Stars: William Powell, Myrna Loy

Oops, I lied before! It was an accident. I thought Nick and Nora Charles were a creation of Agatha Christie's, but actually they are characters Dashiell Hammett created! And The Thin Man is based on the novel by Hammett.

When a young girl tells Nick Charles her father, Nick's old friend, is missing, Nick and his wife Nora take the case. Well, they eventually find out the guy was murdered, and then Nick solves the mystery. I guess the summary sounds a bit weird, but it was very enjoyable! Nick and Nora have lots of great lines and witty dialogue! They are hilarious!

NOTE: Wow! According to Wikipedia, The Thin Man was shot in 12 days! I doubt that would even be possible in this century!!

Dial 'M' for Murder, 1954

Director: Alfred Hitchcock (The 39 Steps, Torn Curtain, The Birds, Vertigo, Saboteur, Topaz, Rear Window, etc....)

Stars: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings

When ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice (Milland) discovers that his wife Margot (Kelly) is having an affair with her old school friend Mark (Cummings), he begins to plan her murder.

His intricate plan involves hiring someone to kill his wife, preferably someone who can be blackmailed into it. After finding the perfect man for the job, Wendice explains the whole detailed plan to him, and the next night, while Wendice takes Mark to a party (using Mark as his alibi), the murderer is to get in using a key Wendice hid for him, and then strangle his wife when she goes to answer the telephone call from Wendice himself. Everything goes just fine.....until Margot fights back as she's being strangled, and ends up stabbing her assailant with a pair of scissors.

I LOVE this film. Wendice is chilling. Mark is desperate to protect Margot. And the detective in charge (John Williams) is absolutely brilliant in the way he solves the crime.

To Catch a Thief, 1955

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Stars: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams

Retired jewel thief John Robie (Grant) is compelled to prove his innocence in a new string of robberies which bears a striking resemblance to his old M.O. He decides to anticipate the moves of his "copy-cat burglar" hoping to catch him in the act and hand him over to the police. Tipped off by an insurance agent (John Williams), he befriends the people he himself would target, the wealthy Mrs. Stevens (Landis) and her daughter Francie (Kelly).

This was filmed in Monaco and the French Riviera, and it's such a beautiful movie! To me, it is just perfect for summer.

Grace Kelly's wardrobe makes me want to go back in time!

This isn't like other Hitchcock films. This is more romance than suspense, so don't worry, those of you who don't like Hitch's style. Try this out- you're in for a treat!

Witness to Murder, 1954

Director: Roy Rowland

Stars: Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, Gary Merrill

I recorded this one on TCM (my favorite channel- no surprise there!) and didn't know what to expect, but I enjoyed it!

The excitement starts off right away in the first minute! Cheryl (Stanwyck) wakes up in the middle of the night to close her bedroom window. When she gets to the window, she witness the strangling of a woman across the street in a lighted apartment. Horrified, she calls the police, who come at once to her building. The murderer, Albert Richter (Sanders), sees them arrive and quickly hides the body. When they arrive, he is perfectly bewildered! Why would anyone think he had murdered a young woman!? How ridiculous.

Police Lieutenant Larry Matthews (Merrill) takes an interest in Cheryl, puzzled that she seems so obsessed with the fact that she witnessed a murder, when no evidence of any murder could be found. But when a woman's body is found in a park, Cheryl is sure that she was the victim of the crime. Richter insists that Cheryl is insane, however, and everyone is more inclined to believe him than Cheryl....

I like Barbara Stanwyck in the few movies I've seen her in. The first film I saw her in was Christmas in Connecticut. Love that one! I can't wait until Christmas time!

Laura, 1944

Director: Otto Preminger

Stars: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb

Sometimes I take Netflix's advice and watch what they suggest, hoping that their "best guess" rating is right. They guess what you will think of a movie by your reviews of other movies. This one they guessed at 5 stars for me.

And they weren't wrong! I absolutely adore mysteries- can't get enough of them. And if there's a little romance, and plenty of suspense, I will be happy!

(Note: names can be confusing. Just so we're clear Dana Andrews is the man and Gene Tierney is the woman!)

(SPOILER!) Detective MacPherson (Andrews) investigates the murder of Laura (Tierney), questioning her fiance, her employees, and special friend, reporter Lydecker (Webb), as he tries to get at the truth of what happened on Friday night. Well, turns out everyone was in love with this lovely woman, and MacPherson finds himself falling for her, as well. But things aren't as they seem! (Which means, of course, that Laura shocks everyone by turning up alive and well on Monday morning!) But there's still a body, and a murder to solve!

Murder by Death, 1976

Director: Robert Moore

Stars: Peter Falk, Maggie Smith, Alec Guiness, Peter Sellers

The word "stupid" certainly comes to mind. But, as it is a spoof, I believe it is supposed to be stupid! (And I guess I am into murder mysteries lately! I was watching a bit too much of Quantum Leap for a while, so this is me getting back to my other favorite.)

The owner of a huge country mansion (scary-looking house) invites 5 famous detectives (and each with a guest) to his home for "dinner and a murder". Each of the guests is a spoof of a famous fictional detective. Agatha Christie's detectives Poirot ("Perrier") and Miss Marple ("Miss Marbles") are represented; Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade ("Sam Diamond") and Nick and Nora Charles ("Dick and Dora Charleston"); and Charlie Chan ("Inspector Wang"), created by Earl Derr Biggers.

The host declares there will be a murder at midnight and whoever solves it will have the distinction of being the greatest detective in the world and will receive $1 million. They all stumble through the evening trying to solve the murder, until the end when each detective comes up with his or her own insane theory of the crime and the murderer behind it.

It has some truly hilarious lines, and I think anyone who loves a good mystery would love this one, just for the fun of it. Watch out for Maggie Smith (I've never seen anything with her when she was so much younger!) --she has some wonderful lines! But, like I said, it IS kind of dumb. Looking for a better murder mystery which also takes place in a creepy house? Try one of my favorites- Clue!

The Mirror Crack'd, 1980

Director: Guy Hamilton

Stars: Angela Lansbury, Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Curtis

Agatha Christie is the best-selling writer of books of all time. (Shakespeare is the best-selling writer of any kind, not books in particular. I got this info from Wikipedia.) And that is one spectacular claim!

In this one, Christie's character Miss Marple (Lansbury) solves the murders taking place at a large manor house outside her little village of St. Mary Mead. Actress Marina (Taylor) is in town filming a movie, when suddenly one of her fans is poisoned at a party. It soon comes out that Marina was the intended victim. Or maybe the killer would just have us think so....

I guess I sort of did these out of order. I should have reviewed this one first and then Murder She Wrote. Lansbury's character in Murder She Wrote, Jessica Fletcher, was based on Miss Marple, and the name even comes from one of Christie's Miss Marple novels "Murder, She Said".

"The Mirror Crack'd" was really enjoyable as a murder mystery. It kept me guessing right up until the end! (And I thought I had this mystery thing down!) I would personally rather watch Angela as Jessica than as Miss Marple, but it was still brilliant.

Murder She Wrote, tv series 1984-1996

Creator: Peter S. Fischer
Stars: Angela Lansbury

Yes, I have seen each and every one of the 264 episodes, as a matter of fact. Best-selling mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (played by Angela Lansbury) travels around the world hanging out with friends, speakng at writer's conferences, attending concerts, vacationing in Hawaii or on a cruise, meeting spies, and visiting long-lost school-mates. And, naturally, encountering murder at every turn!

My sister would say "snooze fest", but I would have to disagree. I love how each episode is basically the same, but each one is different. With each murder, there are different people, different- sometimes exotic- places, and different circumstances. (Athough, in murder, it's either love or money, right?) My favorites are the episodes in Jessica's hometown of Cabot Cove, Maine. With a population of only 3,560, a surprisingly high amount of murders are committed there. I like the "small town murder" thing. Or the murders that take place on a cruise ship, in a remote snowed-in mountain lodge, an airplane crossing the Atlantic, or an isolated private island.

I have always liked murder mysteries, and one of the best things about this show is that it isn't frightening or gruesome at all. These days tv shows like Bones and NCIS are about the forensics, so they show the gross side of death and dead bodies. I really like those shows, but I like Murder She Wrote because it didn't go that route. It's about the moment when the killer gives himself away, the earring she left behind at the scene, the button from his jacket the victim ripped off in the struggle......

Or did the victim really rip it off? Is Jessica just bluffing?