Dial M for Murder in 3D!
Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Bob Cummings star in this Hitchcock popcorn picture, made to fulfill a contractual obligation with Warner Bros. The depth-enhancing novelty process, which had been around since the ‘20s, saw its greatest rise in popularity during the ‘50s, when studios dusted it off as a means to combat the onslaught of television. What better way to “open up” Frederic Knott’s play for the screen than through stereoscopy? Almost everybody just wanted to test the limits of those uncomfortable cardboard glasses — almost. With the exception of Hitchcock’s Murder, no other 3D film bothered to utilize depth as a means of storytelling. (It’s easily Hitchcock’s most claustrophobic work.) Even today, for every Hugo, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, or Jackass 3D, there are dozens of depth-defying cartoons and horror films that entertain audiences simply by throwing objects their way. Murder had a limited 3D run, and didn’t really find an audience until a 1980 reissue. Don’t miss it!