Steineded How sad is this?

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Isbel A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

zardoz-13 About a year after actor Raymond Burr played silver-tongued Craig Carlson, Attorney-At-Law, in director Peter Godfrey's intriguing murder-mystery "Please Murder Me," he landed the role of a life-time as Erle Stanley Gardner's immortal defense attorney Perry Mason in CBS-TV's courtroom drama that lasted nine years. Later, Burr would renew his acquaintance with the role in a series of made-for-television movies. Mind you, Craig Carlson wasn't the only attorney that he played, Burr portrayed the prosecuting attorney in George Stevens "A Place in the Sun" (1951) with Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, and Shelley Winters. Anyway, Carlson and his best friend Joe Leeds (Dick Foran of "Donovan's Reef") survived the life and death combat on Iwo Jima and became close friends. Eventually, a woman came between the two. Leeds married Myra (Angela Lansbury), but he spent too much time at work and left her alone to her own devices. The restless wife grew unhappy in her loneliness and sought a divorcee. She came to Carlson, and he fell in love with her through no fault of his own. Naturally, Leeds is considerably upset with this revelation of events. A couple of days after Carlson told him about Myra's decision to divorce him, Leeds said that he would think about it. During the thunderstorm, Leeds walked in on Myra and gunshots rang out. When the police arrive, Myra explains that she had to kill her husband in self-defense. Predictably, Carlson represents Myra as her attorney. No matter how iron-clad the prosecution plays the case, Carlson gets her off a murder charge. Not long afterward, Carlson discovers to his chagrin that Myra did in fact shoot her husband in cold blood. Cast as the treacherous wife, actress Angela Lansbury found herself on the wrong side of the law. Ironically, she would attain a fame equivalent to Burr's Mason during her 12-year run on the television series "Murder, She Wrote," where, she displayed her sleuthing skills each week as Jessica Fletcher. "Please Murder Me" is a contrived but clever courtroom melodrama, and Burr's Craig Carlson finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. Riddled by feelings of guilt about getting Myra off the hook, Carlson sets out to build a file of incriminating evidence against her. Since she cannot be tried for the same crime twice, Carlson decides that the only way he can expose her as a murderess is to get her to kill him. The straightforward attorney hopes that Myra will pull the trigger on him, and he can leave the Prosecuting Attorney Ray Willis (John Dehner of "The Left-Handed Gun") with a tape recording of the event. Nobody gives a bad performance in this tightly directed, swiftly paced, 78-minute law & order yarn. This is one of those film noir films that lives up to its noir. Indeed, Craig Carlson dies, just as Edmond O'Brien died from an exotic form of poisoning in "D.O.A." (1949), another film noir thriller. The surprise ending is the only way that "Please Murder Me" could have concluded. This was British-born director Godfrey's last theatrical film, after having spent several years at Warner Brothers, helming such films as "The Woman In White," "Escape Me Never," "The Two Mrs. Carrolls," "Hotel Berlin," and "Christmas in Connecticut."

Charles Herold (cherold) This isn't a terribly original movie, but even though the pacing feels off and the dialogue is weak I still found it pretty watchable. The film starts well, offering a 50s b-movie noir sensibility that is intriguing, but it soon lapsed into a somewhat lackluster courtroom drama. The courtroom scenes feel like Perry Mason taken down a notch, though the movie certainly could have looked like a proof of concept for Raymond Burr's eventual casting in that role.Angela Lansbury fails to exhibit the high drama I expect from her, which was a disappointment. She has star billing in the movie but it's not really a star role and there's no real character development. There are some good ideas in the movie, but the director just didn't know how to use those ideas to their potential.I might have enjoyed this movie a bit more if the print had been better - the picture is scratchy and some of the dialogue is almost inaudible - but even in a better print, this movie lacks that special something that makes the best noirs so compelling.

Paris55 I bought this movie in a DVD collection called "Dangerous Dames" (6 movies on two DVDs). I agree with most of the previous comments provided re Please Murder Me. What I want to share is that Raymond Burr played this part as a possible audition for him to play Perry Mason the following year. I must admit that Burr and Angela Lansbury were great in this forgotten film noir. Interesting 2012 trivia - in early 2012, the Hallmark Channel HD has brought back Perry Mason in its chronological episode order. After two hours of the Perry Mason episodes, his Please Murder Me co-star, Angela Lanbury stars in two episodes of Murder She Wrote. I was not born when Mason was originally on the air and watched it in re-runs much later as a young teen when we only had 5-6 channels. Now I am thankful that they brought the Mason series back. Great channel programming and I wonder if Hallmark knows of this movie connection between the Burr and Lansbury.

sflynn22 The movie starts with Attorney Craig Carlson dictating the circumstances of his own upcoming murder into a tape recorder. Through a series of flashbacks we find out that he has a problem - his best friend's wife (Lansbury) comes to him for help in a divorce. Then another problem - he falls in love with her. Then another problem - she shoots her husband in self-defense. Now he has to defend her from a murder rap.He gets her acquitted and they get engaged. All is well!! Of course not - why would the movie be over in twenty minutes? Let's just say that his tidy little circumstances rapidly grow complicated. His awareness of his changing situation, and his reaction to it, make for an interesting psychological development.Burr was a good actor and the camera focuses in on his brooding face. It takes a while to find out that Lansbury's performance is more subtle than you might think.The movie is economically directed - witness how the attorney picks up his gun in the opening shots. No dialog, just a brief sequence of visuals, and the plot advances. Well written, with good supporting performances, including a youngish and slim Denver Pyle. Nice unknown movie.