Warning: This article discusses topics of racism, violence, and death.
The 1960s is a great era formurder mystery movies. The decade is remembered for severalclassic movies everyone must watch in their lifetime, and while the earliest murder mysteryfilmsare typically from the ‘40s and ‘50s, the subgenre truly blooms in the ‘60s. Plenty ofclassic 1960s movies were ahead of their time, and to this day, audiences are still enthralled by these old titles.
No murder mystery is the same. Although audiences nowadays are treated to the complex narratives ofmovies likeKnives Out, for example,these ‘60s titles prove that an old-fashioned murder investigation is a timeless concept. From secret villainous protagonists to strained and exhausted detectives, murder mystery movies from the ‘60s are like no other, and they play a significant part in how the titles we see today are formed.
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Cast
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte is a thriller directed by Robert Aldrich starring Bette Davis. Released in 1964, the film follows an aging Southern belle, played by Davis, who becomes increasingly unstable with the arrival of a long-lost relative, unraveling a haunting family secret.
Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotteis often considered one ofthe best “psycho-biddy” movies. The film featuresBette Davis as the titular character, who is suspected of murdering her married lover. Decades later, this mystery rises to the surface again. For years, it’s assumed that Charlotte killed John, especially considering her appearing in a blood-soaked dress after his demise. After Charlotte’s cousin, Miriam, arrives to help with a feud with the Highway Commission, her mental state rapidly declines.
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Her haunting memories of John and their time together raises suspicions, although something feels off, andit’s hard to believe Charlotte is the true murderer.Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotteisn’t a typical murder mystery story, rather a psychological evaluation of how guilt and pain impacts the main character, but the enigma of who John’s killer is always at the forefront of the narrative.
Blow-Up
Blow-Up, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, follows a fashion photographer in 1960s London who discovers an apparent murder while examining his photographs. The film explores themes of perception, reality, and the dissonance between image and truth within the context of the city’s vibrant cultural scene.
Blow-Upis a brilliant but frustrating murder mystery movie, mainly becauseit’s unclear whether a murder has taken place or not. The film follows arrogant photographer Thomas, who, after snapping pictures of two lovers in a park, later discovers some horrifying background details that suggest a murder has occurred.
Thomas returns to the park and appears to find the body, but he is startled by the sound of a broken twig and runs off before he can do anything of significance, which implies it was never there to begin with. There are arguments for both sides, however. Thomas’ studio is ransacked, and his photographs stolen, after he searches for the body.
The film is incredibly disorienting and purposely ambiguous, and scenes like the mime troupe playing tennis with an invisible ball force audiences to dwell on what is real and what isn’t.
It’s hard to say whether the events ofBlow-Upare in Thomas’ head or not,especially as his focuses are rather selfish. The film is incredibly disorienting and purposely ambiguous, and scenes like the mime troupe playing tennis with an invisible ball force audiences to dwell on what is real and what isn’t. Regardless of this,Blow-Upis still a fascinating murder mystery story, even if the identity of the killer isn’t the main part of the narrative.
In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night is a 1967 film where African-American detective Virgil Tibbs, played by Sidney Poitier, is wrongfully arrested for murder by racist police chief Bill Gillespie in Sparta, Mississippi. Upon proving his innocence, Tibbs collaborates with Gillespie to find the real killer, navigating racial tensions.
In the Heat of the Night is an astoundinglypowerful movie about race relations, which focuses onblack detective Virgil Tibbs, who helps investigate the murder of a rich man after he is wrongly arrestedfor the crime. Despite Tibbs’ new partner, Gillespie, being racist, much like the rest of the residents, he pushes through in the name of justice.
Tibbs faces a lot of hatred throughout his investigation, and while this may imply that the death is somehow connected to Sparta’s racist views, the truth ends up being relatively simple. Although the events of the murder of wealthy industrialist Phillip Colbert aren’t revealed until later in the film, the journey to get there is worth it.
Understanding the complex politics of Sparta’s locals adds more to the narrative, and it also makes audiences question exactly why these things happen even more so. What’s also interesting, though, is how the story links up all the suspects and explains how their ordeals are connected to the murder in different ways.
The Nanny
The Nanny is a psychological thriller directed by Seth Holt and starring Bette Davis. Released in 1965, the film centers around a young boy who returns home from a psychiatric institution and suspects his nanny of being responsible for the death of his younger sister. As tensions escalate, the true nature of the nanny’s intentions comes under scrutiny. Wendy Craig and Jill Bennett co-star in this suspense-filled drama.
The Nannydoesn’t initially seem like a murder mystery, as it is established from the beginning that Joey kills his younger sister. However, this later turns out to be far from the truth. For most of the film, audiences fear for Bette Davis as the titular character, and worry that the young boy will strike again.
His refusal to let his childminder anywhere near him is strange, although it’s easy to blame his guilt for drowning Susy on this. Despite this, it’s hard to ignore the unusual aura that radiates from Nanny throughout.Davis provides a stellar performanceinThe Nanny. It’s brilliant to see theclassic Hollywood actresscreate such tension opposite her child co-star, and it makes the dramatic revelation at the end of the movie even more shocking.
The twist ending is so much more than just who Susy’s real killer is.It also reveals Nanny’s impact on their mother and aunt’s childhood, too. AlthoughThe Nannyisn’t one ofBette Davis’ career defining movies, or the first time she portrays a character like this, she amazingly demonstrates her ability to play unhinged personalities in this film.
Murder, She Said
Murder, She Said (1961) is a British mystery film directed by George Pollock. It stars Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple, who investigates a murder she claims to have witnessed on a passing train. The film marks the first of four adaptations featuring Rutherford as Agatha Christie’s iconic amateur sleuth. With supporting roles from Arthur Kennedy and Muriel Pavlow, the movie blends suspense with humor while staying true to the spirit of Christie’s work.
1961’sMurder, She Said, not to be confused with the TV showMurder, She Wrote, is a comicalmovie adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel,4.50 from Paddington. Despite the lighthearted tone of the movie,the investigation into who kills a woman on a passing trainto the one Marple is travelling on is still gripping.
In fact, there are additional twists and red herrings that viewers wouldn’t expect from a film that is technically categorized as a comedy. While the identity of the murdered woman seems obvious once Marple uncovers more details, it later ends up being someone else, which throws audiences off.
Dame Margaret Rutherford’s interpretation of Miss Marple is different to the book’s description of the character, but this works in her favor, and she provides a hilarious yet endearing performance. Even though Agatha Christie wasn’t keen on this adaptation and its sequels (viaRadio Times), the film is now further appreciated for what it is, andthe general critic and audience reception is still strong, even decades afterMurder, She Said’s release.
Charade
Charade is a 1963 romantic comedy thriller directed by Stanley Donen, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. The story follows a young woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes entangled in a web of deceit and danger after her husband’s death. With the help of a mysterious stranger, she navigates a series of twists and turns in pursuit of the truth.
Charadeis one ofAudrey Hepburn’s best movies, and her BAFTA Award-winning performance as Reggie Lampert is layered and engaging. Reggie’s plans to divorce her husband, Charles, are brought to an abrupt halt when he is murdered in Paris, and her life is turned upside down by a group of criminals who are hell-bent on retrieving valuables her late spouse supposedly stole.
The mystery grows even deeper asReggie discovers her husband has been living a double life, but his death isn’t the only enigma. One of the criminals, Tex, is also later killed, leaving Reggie and Cary Grant’s Peter Joshua to find the truth.
While it quickly becomes obvious that one of the three stalkers kills Charles, the mystery becomes even more complicatedwhen Tex is murdered, leaving both Reggie and audiences wondering who the real threat is.Withplenty of secret identities, name changes, and complex government interference,Charadestill keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
Psycho
In this now-iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, a secretary embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel. The place is run by a young man under the domination of his mother – and he soon turns out to be far more threatening than he appeared at first.
Alfred Hitchcock’sPsychois easily considered one of the very best murder mystery stories of all time.Hitchcock’s directorial choices are fascinating, and the early death is a brilliant plot twist.Psycho’s shower sceneis one of the best moments in cinematic history, and even though Norman Bates arrives quickly after, his odd hobbies and general demeanor creates a huge amount of suspicion.
Psycho is by far the best of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, and while the murder mystery side of things is fantastic, the psychological analysis of Norman Bates is even more enthralling.
However,Psychotries to convince audiences otherwise, which makes the dramatic reveal at the end that much more shocking.It feels so obvious that Norman is the killer, to the point that the blatant answer seems incorrect. But this makes the further twist, in which it’s revealed that Norman has killed and mummified his supposedly absent mother, even more unexpected.
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What’s even more messed up, though, is that Norman takes on an alternate personality, “Mother,” when he murders.Psychois by farthe best of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, and while the murder mystery side of things is fantastic, the psychological analysis of Norman Bates is even more enthralling.
Mirage
Mirage is a suspenseful thriller set in New York City, centered around David Stillwell’s urgent quest to regain his lost memory. As he navigates a web of danger, he must uncover his identity while evading those intent on killing him, unraveling the mystery behind the surrounding violence.
Mirageis written by Peter Stone following his success withCharade, and while there is a crossover with two members of the cast, the movies’ stories aren’t connected.Miragefocuses on Gregory Peck’s David Stillwell,a man who loses two years of memories following an electrical outage.
While that’s enough mystery by itself, the death of activist Charles Calvin shortly results in Stillwell being hunted by some shady people, with no context as to why.Mirageis extremely trippy. Rooms disappear, Stillwell’s possessions go missing from his home, and items appear out of thin air. Stillwell’s paranoia is absolutely warranted, to the point that viewers also are unsure what is real and what isn’t.
Miragehas a 100% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
It’s clear that Stillwell has something to do with Calvin’s death, but the film throws in several twists and turns, so it’s hard to decipher whether he’s the killer, which raises the stakes massively.The term gaslighting doesn’t even begin to describeMirage,and by the time the credits roll, audiences are still unsure if they now know the complete truth.
Shock Corridor
Shock Corridor is a psychological drama directed by Samuel Fuller. The film follows journalist Johnny Barrett, who feigns mental illness to get committed to a psychiatric hospital in order to investigate a murder. As he delves deeper into the institution’s secrets, Barrett’s own sanity begins to unravel. The film critically examines themes of mental illness and the effects of institutionalization.
Shock Corridorfollows investigative journalist Johnny Barret as he checks himself into a psychiatric hospital in order to find out more about the unsolved murder of patient Sloan.The characters inShock Corridorare fascinating. The three witnesses to Sloan’s killing all have intriguing backstories, but because of their dwindling sanities, it’s hard to determine how much of what they say is correct.
Johnny quickly realizes the reality of what he has done, and that tricking medical professionals into believing he is mentally unwell comes back to bite him when he is assaulted by several female patients. Although the killer turns out to not be a patient, rather a member of the hospital staff, the journey to get to this point is enthralling.
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Anyone could be responsible for Sloan’s death, andthe unhinged behavior of those who surround Johnny makes the list of suspects endless.Plus, as time goes on, Johnny’s own sanity starts to fall apart, which means it’s hard to even trustShock Corridor’s main character. Johnny solves the murder, but at a price, an ending many fail to predict.
Murder At The Gallop
Murder At The Gallop (1963) stars Margaret Rutherford as the indomitable Miss Marple who investigates the suspicious death of a wealthy old man. Directed by George Pollock, the film unfolds in a quaint English village where Marple’s sharp instincts lead her through a tangle of clues and eccentric suspects. The movie is based on Agatha Christie’s novel “After the Funeral,” showcasing Christie’s intricate plotting and Rutherford’s iconic performance.
Murder at the Gallopis the second of MGM’s Miss Marple movies, and is based on Christie’s novelAfter the Funeral. In this installment,Rutherford’s Marple witnesses Mr. Enderby topple down the stairs to his death, but she grows suspicious when she notices a cat in his home, who the rich man is terrified of.
As usual, Marple’s deductions are brushed off by local law enforcement, but her determination to discover the truth is even more prominent than it is in the first film. As Enderby’s fortune is shared out among his family, more people die, which raises the stakes and forces Marple to race against the clock. In fact, even Marple herself is almost killed multiple times.
Murder At The Gallophas aRotten Tomatoescritics' score of 100%.
Even when money is involved, Marple isn’t deterred from her purpose. The backdrop of Enderby’s beautiful estate and his suspicious family members are staples ofmurder mystery movies, and althoughMurder at the Gallopisn’t as comically driven asMurder, She Said, it still contains the humorous undertones that make the first film such a success.
