Yes, the master of suspense actually made a movie in 3D.
Many of you probably watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M For Murder in regular flatscreen, but it was indeed made in 3D, and I saw it as a kid in the theaters when the early 80’s 3D revival happened.
There was a lot of crapola that hit the theaters then such as Jaws 3D, but also re-releases of the old classics like Murder as well.
As Patrick McGilligan wrote in his biography of Hitchcock, Warner Brothers was nuts about 3D when it became the hot new technology back in the early fifties, and House of Wax was a big hit for the studio. Warners wanted Hitchcock to do a movie in 3D, and unlike most directors at the time, he used the format to give the film more depth instead of having things fly out of the screen every ten seconds.
Murder only played in 3D in the major cities, and now it’s coming back in the format for its Blu-ray debut. As Fear.net tells us, all of Hitchcock’s films are coming to Blu-Ray, and as a press release states: “Dial M For Murder was among the first films that helped Warner Bros introduce 3D in US theaters in the early ‘50s. Now, thanks to advanced Blu-Ray technology and the tireless efforts of Warner Bros Motion Picture Imaging division, Warner Home Video has meticulously and painstakingly restored the original 3D presentation.”
While Dial M For Murder is a terrific thriller in either format, it would definitely be cool to see it again in 3D, especially as the format is being used to give more depth to films. It will also be nice to see the shot he specifically set up for 3D from the get-go, the murder weapon, in this case a pair of scissors, which in the crucial moment is literally in your face.
Dial M For Murder on Blu-ray ships October 9.
