Malice Domestic story
When Carl Borden gets severe indigestion twice due to the home cooking prepared by his wife Annette, their friend Ralph has the food tested and finds a large dose of arsenic in it. Carl is angered at Ralph for insinuating that Annette tried to poisoned him, but Annette later dies from arsenic-laced coffee. Carl's friends deduce that Annette gave Carl the wrong cup of coffee, and help keep the circumstances of her death quiet. The entire scheme was a ruse by Carl to kill Annette, so that he could be with his lover. Directed by: John Meredyth Lucas. Story by: Philip MacDonald, Victor Wolfson.
10 total · 1 choice · 5 major · 4 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| how to murder someone and get away with it | choice | Carl took out his with arsenic-laced coffee in such a manner that led everyone to conclude that it was her who'd tried to poison him. |
| coping with being ill and indisposed | major | Carl suffered from crippling stomach pain. |
| extramarital affair | major | Carl was motivated to knock off his wife out of a desire to be with his lover. |
| husband and wife | major | Annette tried to poison her loving husband, Carl, with arsenic-laced home cooking, or so it seemed. |
| master and pet | major | Carl and Anette were taking care of their friend's bloodhound. The canine took a shine to Carl, but was wary of Anette. We suppose that it was somehow wise to the ongoing poisoning. Alfred Hitchcock stated that the dog (a detective in disguise) somehow turned in its master in the end. |
| poison murder | major | Carl hatched an ingenious plot to take out his wife with arsenic-laced coffee so that he could be together with his lover. |
| coping with the death of a spouse | minor | Carl feigned being bereaved upon being informed that his wife had died. |
| creative writing | minor | Annette was pressuring Carl to finish writing his book, presumably a novel. |
| medical occupation | minor | Carl's called a doctor over to the house after he experienced the sudden onset of a stomach pain. |
| sculpture | minor | Annette was sculpting a vase out of clay. |