“Dear Murderer”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Dear Murderer is a 1947 British film noir crime, drama, thriller, directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures, and starring Eric Portman and Greta Gynt.

The film has come to be regarded as one of the best movies made under the supervision of Sydney Box at Gainsborough.^[2]

Plot

Lee and Vivien Warren (Portman and Gynt) are trapped in a nightmare marriage. Vivien is despising, devious and habitually unfaithful while Lee is pathologically jealous. On his return from a lengthy business trip to New York, Lee finds several cards addressed to Vivien signed "Love Always" and determines to kill her latest lover, Richard Fenton (Dennis Price). He confronts Fenton, who admits to his affair with Vivien, and persuades him to end the relationship by writing her a farewell letter. He then kills Fenton, and stages the scene to look like a suicide, believing he has committed the perfect crime as the letter which Fenton had just written at his dictation has all the appearance of a suicide note.

His scheme goes awry when he discovers immediately after the fact that Vivien and Fenton had in fact broken up some time before, and Fenton had been humouring him by writing the note. He is guilt-stricken at having killed Fenton needlessly, and realises that any suggestion of suicide on Fenton's part in despair over Vivien will now seem absurd to the police. When he discovers that Vivien now has a new beau, Jimmy Martin (Maxwell Reed), he takes the opportunity to frame Martin for the crime, reasoning that this will serve the dual purpose of shifting suspicion away from himself while at the same time getting Vivien's current lover out of the way. While he arranges matters so that all the evidence points to Martin, the policeman in charge of the case has his doubts about the case but is unable to catch Lee out. Vivien begs her husband to intercede on Martin's behalf, promising to remain faithful in the future if he can devise a way to save Martin from the gallows without incriminating himself. Lee comes up with what he thinks will be the perfect solution to save Martin and thus keep Vivien, but then discovers he may have underestimated her cunning.

Cast

Original play

The film was based on a play. It debuted in a small theatre in London that had specialised in Grand Guignol plays and was so popular it was transferred to the West End in 1946, where it was a hit.^[3]^[4] Director Sam Woods wanted to buy the film rights.^[5] Film rights were purchased by Sydney Box.^[6]

There were plans to produce the play on Broadway starring Francis Lederer but this did not happen.^[7]

Production

It was one of the first films made at Gainsborough Pictures after Sydney Box took over as head of production. The adaptation was very faithful to the script.^[8]

Filming took place in late 1946.^[9] It was produced by Sydney's sister Betty.^[10]

The cast included two young actors who Box was trying to build into stars, Maxwell Reed and Hazel Court.^[12] Both were from his acting company, The Company of Youth.^[13]

Reception

The film was well-received for its tautness and ingenuity, with one reviewer noting: "Dear Murderer is a shrewd, semi-psychological thriller with Eric Portman, a well-known menace...being sinister to the height of his bent. The plot is good and chilling."^[14] It also received positive notices on its release in the U.S.: "Another masterful picture from overseas, a carefully plotted dramatic thriller which revolves very neatly about the commission of the perfect crime."^[15]

The movie was given a Royal Command Performance in Oslo, Norway.^[16] (Star Greta Gynt was Norwegian.)

Attempted murder trial

The movie featured in a trial. Arthur Colyer was arrested for attempted murder of his wife. His wife was accused of passing off the plot for Dear Murderer as evidence, although she denied it.^[17]

Other versions of the play

The play was adapted for British TV in 1949 and 1957, and for German TV in 1972.

References

1. ^{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195082404 |title=Woman Film Producer 'Bloodthirsty'. |newspaper=Tweed Daily |location=Murwillumbah, NSW |date=23 January 1947 |accessdate=17 December 2015 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}
2. ^¹[https://books.google.com/books?id=sY1LGFNtCOEC&pg=PA232&lpg=PA232&dq=sydney+box+film+producer&source=bl&ots=F02E_WOkLo&sig=bTwtFh0NIsHllgPcTGLkovJObNU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmkt78sr_MAhXltIMKHcEYCX0Q6AEILjAD#v=onepage&q=sydney%20box%20film%20producer&f=false Andrew Spicer, Sydney Box Manchester Uni Press 2006 p 210]
3. ^NEWS AND GOSSIP GATHERED ALONG THE RIALTOBy LEWIS B. FUNKE. New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]17 Feb 1946: 47.
4. ^THEATRE AND LIFETrewin, J C. The Observer (1901- 2003); London (UK) [London (UK)]04 Aug 1946: 2.
5. ^Wyatt 'Boomerang' Deal Hovers at Signing StageSchallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File); Los Angeles, California [Los Angeles, Calif]06 Sep 1946: A7.
6. ^MESSRS. BOX & BOX WRITE A FILM DIARYThe Tatler and Bystander; London Vol. 181, Iss. 2361, (Sep 25, 1946): 400-401
7. ^SIMONOV COMEDY DUE AT BILTMORE: ' Whole World Over' to Bow on Thursday--'Bathsheba' Will Arrive Preceding Night By LOUIS CALTA. New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]20 Mar 1947: 39.
8. ^DEAR MURDERERAnonymous. Film History; Sydney Vol. 15, Iss. 3, (2003): 295.
9. ^{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18013916 |title=Record Year Predicted For British Films |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=34,010 |date=24 December 1946 |accessdate=27 October 2017 |page=10 (The Sydney Morning Herald Magazine.) |via=National Library of Australia}}
10. ^{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51389240 |title=Producers run in Box family |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly |volume=14 |issue=42 |date=29 March 1947 |accessdate=27 October 2017 |page=32 |via=National Library of Australia}}
11. ^{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78211103 |title=London Newsreel |newspaper=The Daily News |volume=LXV |issue=22,460 |location=Western Australia |date=5 April 1947 |accessdate=27 October 2017 |page=12|edition=LATE SPORTS |via=National Library of Australia}}
12. ^{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26387982 |title=BRITAIN'S STARS OF THE FUTURE |newspaper=The Mercury |volume=CLXV |issue=23,820 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=12 April 1947 |accessdate=27 October 2017 |page=3 (The Mercury Magazine) |via=National Library of Australia}}
13. ^{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51192816 |title=Hard work and no glamor for starlets |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly |volume=15 |issue=11 |date=23 August 1947 |accessdate=27 October 2017 |page=40 |via=National Library of Australia}}
14. ^[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OhM1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=x6ULAAAAIBAJ&pg=3861,4000136&dq=dear-murderer&hl=en "Films in Glasgow"] The Glasgow Herald, 07-07-1947. Retrieved 11-08-2010
15. ^[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UdImAAAAIBAJ&sjid=igIGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1059,4061195&dq=dear-murderer&hl=en "Dizzy Screen Fare Now at Harlem"] Baltimore Afro-American, 18-06-1949. Retrieved 11-08-2010
16. ^{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article169369141 |title=FILM FLASHES |newspaper=Truth |issue=2992 |location=Sydney |date=25 May 1947 |accessdate=27 October 2017 |page=58 |via=National Library of Australia}}
17. ^{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203229362 |title=CLAIMS EVIDENCE FOLLOWED THEME OF "DEAR MURDERER" |newspaper=Truth |issue=2548 |location=Brisbane |date=23 January 1949 |accessdate=27 October 2017 |page=32 |via=National Library of Australia}}
18. ^Big Moments of Suspense Enliven 'Dear Murderer'Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File); Los Angeles, California [Los Angeles, Calif]21 Sep 1955: 20.