One of Hitchcock’s few whodunits, Murder! is a fascinating, multi-layered study of the role played by performance in public and private life, and features long, carefully choreographed takes, as well as an intriguing take on sexuality.  

An actress, Doucie Markham (Phyllis Konstam) is convicted of the murder of another actress (Diana Baring) in the same touring company, but she is unsure whether she’s guilty, having blacked out before being discovered with the weapon and a colleague’s corpse. The distinguished actor Sir John Menier (Herbert Marshall), who served on the jury at her trial, becomes convinced of her innocence and starts his own investigation.

Included as an extra is Mary the German language version of Murder!, made at the same time as the English original and boasting not only top actor Abel (Phantom, Metropolis, L’Argent) but mysterious silent-era star Tchekowa. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the film reflects the influence of German Expressionism on Hitchcock’s lighting – although he later expressed regret at having retained some of the jokes about English snobbery and class conflict.