I can see no point in going over yet again why this film delights me and as for those who despise it - a shrug of the shoulders. The whole tone of the film is set in the titles with the delicious combination of Bernard Hermann's crisp score and a quirky very 'New Yorker' cyclorama of Saul Steinberg cartoons. The credits are astonishingly chic and ahead of their time. Steinberg was one of the top New Yorker cartoonist and Hitchcock was a lifetime fan of the New Yorker humorists and wit. Shirley Maclaine, fresh from Broadway reveals her natural, quirky quality in this first film - one can already glimpse the consummate actress of The Apartment. I have always treasured the 'two Mildreds' (Natwick & Dunnock) in almost any film that gies them screen time. Mildred Dunnock was a true 'Actors Studio' founder and she brings her skills to the role though Hitchcock purported to dislike the Actor's Studio methods, watch her throughout this film as she brings an extra layer of emotion to virtually every scene she is in.

I'm going to keep my review short. I enjoyed this film, and found enough humor mixed with a fairly good plot line. I think the film is worth watching, and a must for any Hitchcock fan. However a significant theme of the movie in the beginning that I enjoyed was how nonchalant everyone acted about Harry's death/dead body. And it does continue throughout the movie, with characters shrugging off the troubles, and acting as if it's a slight inconvenience. However in the beginning everyone that stumbles up to Harry's' body hilariously doesn't care, but later it's discovered that's they already knew, and were pretending. This ruined the earlier jokes for me, and made the film less funny to me from then on. 7/10

it is a film with shining actors. and, off course, shining performances. and this is the basic virtue. it is a brilliant example of wise humor. and a beautiful eulogy of love. and seductive story who reminds old fashion crime story. it is Mildred Dunnock and Edmund Gwenn and Mildred Natwick and the first and , maybe, the best , for Shirley MacLaine. a body. good intentions. and the chain of holes. love. suspicions. and great dialogues. short, a nice film who, scene by scene, becomes a little gem. because all is in perfect order, the dark story is a lovely one, the script is a box with surprises and, sure, the humor seems be fresh again and again. this is all. so, see it !

Hitchcock's only previous attempt at a Hollywood comedy was the unexceptional "Mr and Mrs Smith" in the early 40's and even that came from a studio assignment rather than an original motivation. Here, with the engagement of Hitchcock at the height of his powers, you might guess this one plays a bit differently. Chock-full of (no pun intended) earthy, sometimes racy humour, this is a black comedy set, paradoxically in the beautiful autumnal hues of New England, with a non-starring cast of noticeable variety, from fresh newcomer Shirley MacLaine to the avuncular veteran Edmund Gwenn, not the first names you'd think of to appear in an eccentric piece like this.Also on hand are a pre-"Dynasty" John Forsythe as the reasoning artist Sam and Mildred Natwick as the school-marmy spinster to complete the principal foursome who themselves get into an Abba-type arrangement as they pair off together, thwarted only it would appear by the inconsiderate corpse of MacLaine's unloved, estranged husband which keeps making unwanted appearances to spoil their mutual billing and cooing.I can see how the movie might split Hitchcock's fan-base as there's little of his trademark excitement or tension on show, but that's not to say other of his traits aren't present, from the stunning cinematography of Robert Burks, a playful soundtrack by Bernard Herrman in his first collaboration with The Master and some typically imaginative shots to admire, probably none more so than the first shot of Harry's prostrate body, from the shoes up.The ensemble acting is crisply played and I personally don't get the critics of Miss MacLaine harping on about her gaucheness, as she seems perfectly natural to me in what must have been a rather unusual introduction to movie-making in Hollywood. I admire Hitchcock for taking the risk he did with this off-beat feature and strongly consider he pulled it off with aplomb. A change, after all, is as good as a cardiac arrest as I always say.