Mrs. Herman and Mrs. Fenimore story
Mrs. Herman has a plan to kill her wealthy but paranoid uncle Bill Finley, but needs a conspirator. She picks former actress Mrs. Fenimore who agrees to the plan for a fee. After the murder is done, Mrs. Fenimore reveals that she secretly married Finley before his death, and that she will inherit his fortune instead of Mrs. Herman. Directed by: Arthur Hiller. Story by: Donald Honig, Robert C. Dennis.
12 total · 5 major · 7 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| avunculicide | major | Mrs. Herman murdered her wealthy uncle Bill in what would turn out to be a failed bid to claim an inheritance. |
| coping with a grumpy old coot | major | Bill was the epitome of a grumpy old coot and Mrs. Herman was putting up with him. |
| gold digging | major | Uncle Bill had to deal with not only his greedy niece and heir Mrs. Herman, but also a former actress who wormed her way into being his heir by marrying him. |
| greedy heir | major | Uncle Bill had to deal with not only his greedy niece and heir Mrs. Herman, but also a former actress who wormed her way into being his heir by marrying him. |
| uncle and niece | major | Mrs. Herman plotted to knockoff her wealthy uncle Bill Finley and make off with a sizable inheritance. |
| acute anxiety | minor | Uncle Bill was accused of being paranoid. Perhaps he was and perhaps he had reason to be. |
| circus skill | minor | In his monologue, Alfred Hitchcock posed as the target for an unseen knife thrower. |
| coping with aging | minor | Uncle Bill might have demurred, but Mrs. Herman considered that he had nothing much to look forwards to in his dotage. |
| husband and wife | minor | Mrs. Fenimore married uncle Bill in secret. |
| law enforcement | minor | An officer of the law interrogated the two women who survived Uncle Bill. |