Murder! (1930 film) names of the two principal characters. The portrayal of the character Sir John Mernier was loosely based on that of the actor Gerald du Maurier, who was a friend of Hitchcock. Hitchcock later adapted three novels written by du Maurier's daughter Daphne du Maurier: "Jamaica Inn", "Rebecca" and "The Birds". Hitchcock makes his cameo appearance in the film as a man walking past the murder victim's house. The film's sets were designed by the art director John Mead. The German language version of the film, "Mary", was shot simultaneously on the same set with German speaking actors. Miles Mander reprised
George du Maurier the novel, is known to this day as a "trilby". The plot inspired Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel "Phantom of the Opera" and the innumerable works derived from it. Du Maurier eventually came to dislike the persistent attention given to his novel. The third novel was a long, largely autobiographical work entitled "The Martian", only published posthumously in 1896. George du Maurier was a close friend of Henry James, the novelist; their relationship was fictionalised in David Lodge's "Author, Author". He was buried in St John-at-Hampstead churchyard in Hampstead parish in London. George du Maurier George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier