Biography
Though his plays have been both popular and critically acclaimed, playwright Frederick Knott only wrote four of them: Dial "M" for Murder (1952), Mr Fox of Venice (1959), Write Me a Murder (1961), and Wait Until Dark (1966) ("Frederick Knott - Playwright.") This was because, according to his wife, he accomplished what he did only for the monetary rewards, though his profit for Dial "M" for Murder was less than he felt he deserved (Martin). Maybe this cynical attitude contributes to his skill in the dark genre in which he wrote.
He was born in China in 1916, to two Quaker missionaries who believed it best to educate him in England, where he attended Cambridge and then served in the Royal Artillery (Martin). As a child he took an interest in Gilbert and Sullivan shows, which he and his sister would act out, probably leading to his career in theatre (Higley).
He was born in China in 1916, to two Quaker missionaries who believed it best to educate him in England, where he attended Cambridge and then served in the Royal Artillery (Martin). As a child he took an interest in Gilbert and Sullivan shows, which he and his sister would act out, probably leading to his career in theatre (Higley).
I was always intrigued with the idea that somebody would plan a crime, and then you see that everything doesn't turn out right. You can plan a murder in great detail and then put the plan into action and invariably something goes wrong and then you have to improvise, and in the improvisation you trip up and make a very big mistake.
-Frederick Knott (Higley)
Other Works
The inspiration for Dial "M" for Murder was a simple inciting incident: a gunshot going off in a wood-paneled room that was slightly dilapidated (Martin). It eventually became a BBC television play, produced in 1952. Soon after, it was taken on by a theatre whose original production plans had fallen through, after only a few weeks of rehearsal. Critics and audiences both found it to their liking. It has been praised for being a very original style of murder mystery: instead of the climax of the play resulting from solving the who-dunnit, the murderer is revealed early-on and the conflict results from Scotland Yard trying to assure punishment for the killer.