| Please Murder Me | |
|---|---|
Angela Lansbury and Raymond Burr |
|
| Directed by | Peter Godfrey |
| Produced by | Jack J. Gross (co-executive producer) Donald Hyde (producer) Philip N. Krasne (co-executive producer) |
| Written by | David T. Chantler (story) Ewald André Dupont (story) Donald Hyde (writer) Al C. Ward (writer) |
| Starring | See below |
| Music by | Albert Glasser |
| Cinematography | Alan Stensvold |
| Editing by | Kenneth G. Crane |
| Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Please Murder Me is a 1956 American film directed by Peter Godfrey.
Contents |
Defense lawyer Craig Carlson (Raymond Burr) buys a pistol at a pawn shop and travels to his office, where he deposits the gun in a desk drawer with a file folder, then begins to dictate into a tape recorder. Directing his message to District Attorney Ray Willis (John Dehner), he reveals that he anticipates being murdered within an hour, and begins to tell his story in extended flashbacks. The memories begin with him explaining to his war buddy and best friend Joe Leeds (Dick Foran) that he is having an affair with Leeds's wife Myra (Angela Lansbury), who wants a divorce. His reaction concerned rather than angry, Joe asks Craig to give him a little time to think the matter over. Days later at his own office, Joe finishes writing a letter as his business partner Lou Kazarian arrives fresh from his daughter's wedding. Distraught over his own marriage, Joe gives the letter to Lou to mail and makes a phone call to Myra telling her he will be home soon to discuss something. Joe goes home to confront Myra in their bedroom, where a door is closed, and the audience only hears a gunshot soon after.
The next morning, police are at the home investigating Joe's death. When she is questioned, Myra explains that Joe became irate and threatened her physically, forcing her to shoot him in self-defense. Craig is also on the scene, having arrived before the police and acting as Myra's lawyer. In the ensuing trial, DA Willis allows the police to present their evidence that a physical struggle did not occur as she'd said, and notes that Myra was not employed when she first met Joe, a successful businessman with a good amount of life insurance. In her defense, Craig attributes Myra's inconsistencies regarding the night in question as post-traumatic hysteria, and in his closing argument, says that the money motive in Willis' case is not valid because Myra was in love with another man - a revelation that could inspire Joe to cause Myra pre-meditated harm. Craig then reveals that he himself is Myra's lover.
The jury finds Myra not guilty, and soon after, she and Craig throw a party to celebrate with friends as a couple. When Lou arrives in the same tuxedo he wore when he last talked to Joe, he reveals privately to Craig that he had forgotten about Joe's letter until finding it in the tux that night, and that the letter was addressed to him. Craig reads the letter, in which Joe states that Myra did indeed marry him for his money, that she was actually in love with an artist, and that Joe was going that night to ask her to stay married, in part to save her from Craig, who then remembers Myra mentioning an "old friend", an artist named Carl Holt, had visited her in jail during the trial. Craig visits Holt, who explains his long relationship with Myra, interrupted by her marriage to Joe, and states his gratitude and admiration for Craig in his defense work in Myra's trial, especially his posing as Myra's lover as a tactic. Later, Craig confronts Myra with Joe's letter and his talk with Holt, and she admits that she does intend to go on with Holt now she is free. Insulted as a man and as a lawyer, Craig tells Myra she will pay for her crime regardless, because he will force her to murder him. Myra is incredulous, but Craig soon puts a plan in motion, developing a friendship with Holt, even employing him to paint a portrait to delay Myra and Holt's departure to Europe to marry. All the while, Craig tells Myra he will reveal all the evidence to Holt and let him decide if he wants to marry a murderess. As well, Craig meets socially with DA Willis, discussing Myra's case, and lets Myra see them together.
Craig concludes his story being dictated into the tape recorder by saying he has arranged to meet Myra at the office at 12:30am, which soon arrives. Hearing a knock at the office door, Craig leaves the recorder running and hides the microphone behind a desk photo of himself and Joe, then lets in Myra. He shows her the file he says is full of evidence he's compiled against her, and then sets down the pistol on the desk. As he starts to make a phone call to Holt, Myra, successfully driven to desperation, takes the gun and shoots Craig, who falls to the floor. Using a handkerchief, she hangs up the phone and wipes her fingerprints from the gun, which he puts in Craig's hand. She finds the file is full of nothing but blank sheets of paper. When DA Willis arrives, she explains that Craig has shot himself. After checking that Craig is in fact dead, Willis learns that Myra had an appointment with Craig for 12:30, then tells her Craig had invited him to come at 12:40. He finds the microphone and recorder, then stops and rewinds the tape. As he begins to play Craig's recording, Myra starts crying, defeated.