History Film / Murder

* ExcitedShowTitle

* InnerMonologue: Menier starts thinking about the case while he's shaving. In 1930, early sound recording technology did not allow for overdubbing--Herbert Marshall's dialogue could not be dubbed over the shot of him staring into the mirror. So Alfred Hitchcock had Marshall record the dialogue elsewhere, and the recording was played on the set as the camera rolled. This is believed to be the first-ever use of voiceover to convey a character's Inner Monologue. This might be the TropeMaker, as stage plays had the characters [[AsideComment talk to the audience]] to reveal their thoughts.

* SpeakInUnison: "Any answer to that, Sir John?", say all the other jurors in unison, as they cite the evidence and browbeat Sir John into changing his vote to Guilty.
* SpotOfTea: A woman is sitting on her couch in near-catatonia, with the corpse of a murder victim lying on her rug. What to do? Get her a cup of tea, of course.

* AmbiguouslyGay / DepravedHomosexual: According to the script, Fane's motive was a desire to conceal his MixedAncestry. However, as played on the screen, it looks a lot more like Fane was trying to conceal his sexuality. Fane as an actor specializes in female impersonation, and is called a "100% he-woman" by another actor. Actor Esme Percy plays Fane as an effeminate, nearly CampGay stereotype. The scene where Fane is questioned by Menier as he's putting on woman's makeup has an effect not unlike TheReveal with Anthony Perkins in ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' thirty years later.

* HalfBreedDiscrimination / MixedAncestry: Fane's motive for murder, as Edna was going to reveal to Diana that Fane was a half-caste. However, this seems like code for a DepravedHomosexual motive (see above).

* SpotOfTea: A woman is sitting on her couch in near-catatonia, with the corpse of a murder victim lying on her rug. What to do? Get her a cup of tea, of course.
* YourCheatingHeart: Edna Druce was cheating on her husband with another actor in the company.

''Murder!'' is a 1930 film starring Herbert Marshall and Norah Baring, and directed by Creator/AlfredHitchcock.

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''Murder!'' is a 1930 film starring Herbert Marshall and Norah Baring, and directed by Creator/AlfredHitchcock. Diana [[TheDanza Baring]] is a stage actress who is convicted of the murder of Edna Druce, another actress in her theater troupe. Sir John Menier, another actor (who has apparently been successful enough to be knighted), is a juror at her trial. Menier is the last holdout against her conviction, and remains doubtful about the verdict. He decides to launch his own investigation, which reveals the truth behind the crime.

This was Hitchcock's first whodunnit. At the same time Hitchcock directed this film, he also directed a German-language version, called ''Mary'', using the same sets. That version starred Alfred Abel, who played Joh Fredersen in ''Film/{{Metropolis}}.

* InnerMonologue: Menier starts thinking about the case while he's shaving. In 1930, early sound recording technology did not allow for overdubbing--Herbert Marshall's dialogue could not be dubbed over the shot of him staring into the mirror. So Alfred Hitchcock had Marshall record the dialogue elsewhere, and the recording was played on the set as the camera rolled. This is believed to be the first-ever use of voiceover to convey a character's Inner Monologue.

* TheCocoanutEffect: In universe and literally, as one of the actors claps the halves of a cocoanut together to simulate a horse's hooves.
* ConvenientBroadcast: Sir John turns the radio in his bathroom on. Seconds later, the announcer delivers a news report about Diana's impending execution.

* DialogueInUnison: "Any answer to that, Sir John?", say all the other jurors in unison, as they cite the evidence and browbeat Sir John into changing his vote to Guilty.