I am a massive Hitchcock fan and would argue that his creative peak in features was in the mid-late 50's, ironically just at the time he commenced production of this short-form series bearing his imprimatur, even if he only had time to personally direct a handful of episodes. Of the first four episodes I've watched from series 1, I've been impressed by their coherence, consistency and diversity, for instance one was set in the wild west, a genre you can hardly imagine the Master covering in his own work. Snappily scripted, plotted and edited, these short programmes prefigure the likes of "Twilight Zone" in the 60's and "Tales Of The Unexpected" in the 70's. The production values are high as is the acting talent involved; famously this is how Hitch discovered Vera Miles, who was to feature in two of his features in the years ahead as well as a penchant for a low budget, black and white shoot which would result in a certain movie centring on a psychologically disturbed motel owner, the title of which escapes me. All the episodes benefit from acerbic intros and outros by the man himself, playing up to his curmudgeonly persona while the sinisterly jocular theme music still conjures up that famous pencil-profile image which he would fill over the titles. I think it's great that a top Hollywood director in his prime could make time to adapt so well to the TV market as Hitchcock did here. These programmes are fun, pithy and entertaining and still worth watching today.
Add a Review
-
Lejink1 December 2012
-
nickenchuggets31 March 2024While the films of Alfred Hitchcock are still widely celebrated decades after the legendary director himself has been gone, many people often gloss over his work in television, which is a really big mistake. When this show hit the scene in the 1950s, tv was new, and everybody seemed to like the idea of Alfred's engaging, crime related dramas being condensed into a more easy to understand format. Each episode of this show is like its own, small Hitchcock movie, some good and some not so good. This is the price you pay for Hitchcock Presents being an anthology show, meaning the storylines for the episodes are all disconnected and have nothing to do with one another. This allowed the show to gather a truly impressive range of guest stars, some of them being among the all time best classic Hollywood had to offer, such as Bette Davis, Clint Eastwood, Cedric Hardwicke, Steve McQueen, Robert Duvall, Charles Bronson, Burt Reynolds, Vera Miles, John Cassavetes and Peter Lorre just to name a few. Before The Twilight Zone pushed the boundaries of fantastic stories that often couldn't be explained by anyone, this series was basically doing the same, minus some of the fantasy elements. Basically all the episodes of this show are grounded in reality and deal with events that can possibly take place, but they will usually contain strange coincidences or Hitchcock's signature use of suspense to keep the viewers guessing (not to mention interested). Just like any other show like this, people love to discuss their favorites and point out everything the series has to offer in great detail. Among the literal hundreds of episodes Hitchcock's female companion Joan Harrison produced (along with Norman Lloyd), I will never forget how creepy the one involving the car accident is. If you've seen it already, you'll know what I'm talking about, and Hitchcock is one of the few people to make an audience feel real fear through a tv screen. Not by using cheap jumpscares that you can't predict, but by taking advantage of the fact that everyone is afraid of being paralyzed. The only thing worse than an impossibly bad situation is not even being able to remove yourself from it. That being said, there are definitely way too many other great episodes of this show to mention here, and many of them are complicated, so you'll need to see them yourself to get the full effect. Overall, I would say that Alfred Hitchcock Presents is a classic show that still entertains decades later because it takes back the talent of telling interesting, crime related stories: something that is often left by the wayside in tv now.
-
I enjoy anthology shows like "The Twilight Zone", "Tales of Tomorrow", "The Outer Limits" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", but I must admit that with shows like this, the episodes can't all be hits. Sure, there are a few duds as well...that's the nature of the beast. As far as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", I find that the shows are more uneven than some of these other shows. I know this will ruffle a few feathers, but although the show was quite good, often the episodes seemed to miss the mark and the entire purpose of the show. The purpose seems to be the great twist at the end...though quite a few times there is no twist...no irony. When there was, the show was often great....and when there's no twist you are left wondering if you missed something. So, overall, I see the show as a real mixed bag and a greater sense of direction (such as more terror or more suspense) would have helped.
Now what did NOT need improvements were the introductions by Hitchcock himself. While he didn't direct most of the episodes, his wonderful and usually funny intros made this the highlight of the shows...and often was better than the actual stories! The only exceptions, and I truly hated these, were when sponsors and networks pressured Hitchcock to provide an epilogue...saying that the criminals portrayed WERE caught and punished...though you never actually saw this and the chances of them getting caught were usually nil! Dumb sponsors and network. -
telegonus3 December 2002A delightful mix of suspense and humor, the serious and the absurd, Alfred Hitchcock Presents may be the best filmed anthology of all. The half-hour show ran seven seasons, the hour-longs lasted for three. I prefer the shorter shows, which have more punch and variety, and also seem more energetic and original. Aided by producers Joan Harrison and Norman Lloyd, Hitchcock owned the show through his production company, yet actually had little to do with the series, of which he directed only a small number of episodes. But Harrison and Lloyd knew Hitch and his tastes quite well, and the Hitchcock shows reflected his interests and preoccupations. He also delivered the droll introductions, which are still a joy to watch, becoming somewhat of a celebrity as a result. Drawing on such disparate sources as Ray Bradbury and John Collier, Ambrose Bierce and Guy de Maupassant, the show drew on some of the most gifted actors (if not biggest stars) in the business. They are best viewed without commercial interruption, one after the other. Their dry mood and subtle humor is still charming after all these years.
-
dougdoepke18 December 20061950's television was pretty bland by almost any yardstick. That's not to say that certain series, such as the early Gunsmoke, were not daring and edgy in their own way. Or that the early I Love Lucy did not have its hilarious moments. However the governing concepts were unadventurous at best, or just plain dull, at worst. After all, no matter how good some of the episodes, bringing law and order to the Old West or following the humorous escapades of a zany housewife were not exactly novel concepts in TV programming.
Two series, however, did come along to challenge convention. The Twilight Zone, at decade's end, attacked frontally with huge doses of imagination and exotic story-lines that often overwhelmed viewers, thereby opening American living-rooms to the expanding world of unthought-of possibilities. It was, and remains, a classic appreciated by young and old alike. However, the other ground-breaking series did not attack frontally. Instead, in true stealthy fashion, it snuck past the guardians of Good Taste and Morality, otherwise known as the department of Standards and Practices. That's probably because each episode was introduced by a funny-looking fat guy with a British accent, who came out to crack a few bad jokes and abuse the sponsors. Who could suspect that what followed such a slow-talking Humpty-Dumpty would subtly undermine some of TV's most entrenched conventions.
Yet that's exactly what the Hitchcock half-hours did. Perhaps the most subversive change lay in the series's really sneaky treatment of wrong-doers. To that point, convention insisted that culprits be apprehended on screen, the better to teach the audience that Crime Doesn't Pay. And while that may have conveyed a comforting societal message, it also made for a very predictable and boring climax to even the best stories. What the Hitchcock show did that was slyly revolutionary was to transpose the comeuppance from the story to Hitchcock's often humorous epilogue. There the audience would learn that the culprit was duly punished and that justice had once again prevailed, apparently enough to keep the censors of the day at bay. So the story-line might end on screen with a grotesque murder, while only later would the audience be told by Hitchcock that justice had indeed caught up. Maybe that seems like just a minor change. But in fact, it was highly significant. For now the audience could follow plot developments, without knowing how the story itself would end, while the deadening element of predictability was transferred to the easily ignored epilogue. It was a truly ground-breaking event in the evolution of TV.
All in all, that element of uncertainty made for the kind of programming that continues to entertain, even into today's super-charged era of technicolor and relaxed censorship. It also accounts largely for why Hitchcock Presents remains one of the few series from that long-ago time to still be re-run. There were other sly subversive wrinkles such as the black humor that sometimes accompanied the most heinous crimes. Or the subtle insistence that murder often begins at home. In fact, the series as a whole managed to mirror much of Hitchcock's movie-making personality, which suggests the producers (Norman Lloyd and Joan Harrison) were very protective of what the Hitchcock brand name implied. Anyway, like any other series, some episodes were better than others, but only rarely did one really disappoint. In fact, the high quality remained surprisingly steady throughout the half-hour run, before dropping off noticeably during the over-stretched hour-long version.
Some of my favorites: "Mr. Pelham" (good semi sc-fi); "The Creeper" (suspense & fine acting); "The Glass Eye" ( well-done horror); "Back for Christmas" (typical Hitchcock irony); "Poison" (you'll sweat a bucket load); "Design for Loving" (off-beat premise well executed); "Human Interest Story" (Hitchcock meets the Twilight Zone); "Special Delivery" (truly spooky); "Specialty of the House" (It ain't Mc Donalds); "Breakdown" (Why don't they hear me?), and anything with the deliciously repulsive Robert Emhardt.
I'm sure there are many others not so fresh in my memory. Anyway, in my book, a big thanks is due Alfred Hitchcock for doing something no other movie heavy-weight of the time was willing to do. He risked his big league reputation by squeezing into millions of little black boxes once a week for seven years to bring the audience outstanding entertainment. His snooty peers may have sneered, but generations of grateful viewers have since proved him right. -
MarieGabrielle11 October 2007You can catch this on 'Chiller' channel in many areas....via satellite. This classic series from 1955-1965 features the most varied suspense, horror and curious human behavior, as Hitchcock was so adept at portraying.
Better than some of the Twilight Zone stories as there is less science fiction, more study of human behavior, psychology and murder. A few of the more intriguing vignettes come to mind. One episode involves a murderer and his wife Jocelyn, who believed to be dead, mysteriously returns to the scene of the crime, a seaside village. Another episode is with Margaret Natwick and Hurd Hatfield ("The Picture of Dorian Gray" lead). He plays a scheming nephew attempting to gain his inheritance through murder of his elderly aunt. There is a twist.
As only Hitchcock can, there is suspense to the end of the story, keeping the audience guessing. Hitchcock once said the element of horror is not the actual blood and gore, but the suspense and mystery leading up to it. The finest director we have seen, and this series is a do not miss. Highly recommended. 10/10. -
I've only seen a few episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", but just those few identify it as a great show. The opening with his shadow approaching his outline gives a hint of suspense, but when we see the Master of Suspense offering a slight explanation of what's about to happen, there's no turning back.
One can see that Hitch - who would have turned 108 yesterday - occasionally used the show to introduce his movies, and did a really clever job with it: one episode featured a woman stealing money (remember in which movie that happened?). Another episode was set on a train (now where did we see a train?) All in all, I would call this the perfect way that any director could get involved in TV, and who else could do it except Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock? You just gotta see it to really get a feel for it. But when you do watch it, just be prepared for what sorts of things you're about to see. -
"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" is one of the true highlights of American television. Its overall presentation, the stories, the twists to the tales, the calibre of acting and writing talent, not to mention the man himself making an appearance, all resulted in an exceptional show. It always fascinates me in how much story can be added into 25 minute episodes, just like with "Rod Serling's Twilight Zone." There are so many talented people amongst the cast, some who were already established and others who were yet to be known. Here are some of the actors and stars involved: Claude Rains, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Bette Davis, Walter Matthau, Roger Moore, Denholm Elliott, Hazel Court, Mark Richman, Harry Guardino, John Larch, Dick York, Charles Bronson, Burt Reynolds, Murray Hamilton, Harry Dean Stanton, Vera Miles, John Forsythe and others. You could not ask for a more varied and diverse range of cast members such as the above. Alfred Hitchcock really adds to the proceedings here. It isn't every filmmaker who can advertise and market his own films or television shows but Hitchcock was a born showman. His methods of advertising are effortless and natural. His introductions and conclusions to his television show are delivered with a dry, deadpan sense of humour. I have had a bit of a chuckle at some of this. This show lasted for seven seasons and ran from 1955 to 1962. Then under the title of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," the episodes were extended to 50 minutes each but there is a fair bit of padding to these.
-
Jac2344330 August 2014The sophistication of these elaborately drawn out suspenseful tales intrigue me to the fullest extent. It is sad to see that television has down fallen to shows with bad writing, poor character development and unnecessary situations that take the story absolutely nowhere. It is more than satisfying to know that those interested can easily dig into the past to find something better than what the present has to offer. Alfred Hitchcock truly is the "Master of Suspense." Although I've only seen a couple of his episodes from this exceptionally well written series, I find myself lucky to have seen a couple at all. You can honestly see the difference in quality of television and movies when you watch this, and then go off to watch something from this year or last year, most of all these television series and movies are explicit and cruel(SAW), violent and twisted(Game of Thrones), comedic and pointless (Let's Be Cops); the writing is rudimentary at best and the acting mediocre(excluding Game of Thrones). This idea that anyone can write, and everyone has the ability to make it big has obscured those with any potential to come forth and blow our minds away as Hitchcock once did for the silver screen, but that is just my opinion. This series and his Alfred Hitchcock Hour are two amazing series that are incomparable to anything I've ever seen.
-
motownfn26 February 2008I remember watching this show very late at night as a young kid on WTTG in Washington,DC during the '70s. I never saw it again until the late '80s when Nick At Nite was airing it. This was an excellent series with great acting and exceptional stories. The episode that sticks out most in my mind is "Lamb To A Slaughter" starring Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie from the Dallas TV series). I won't give away the ironic ending, but watch what Barbara does when the police come to the house to investigate just how her hateful husband met his untimely end. You too will find the humor as you watch Barbara's look of satisfaction in pulling the wool (pardon the pun) over the cops' eyes.
-
Bored_Dragon5 February 2019The series consists of 268 twenty-five-minute episodes, divided into seven seasons, that were aired from 1955 to 1962. Each episode is a separate short film and not in any way related, except for the genre. Some of the episodes were directed by Hitchcock himself, others signed by many other writers and directors, but they are all mysterious crime dramas in the style of Hitchcock. Their level varies greatly, from boring and naively predictable, to really quality thrillers, whereby the good ones must really be acknowledged, because it is very difficult to develop a quality story in this genre in just 25 minutes. In my opinion, this is not a series for binge-watching, but I advise you to download around ten episodes at the time and use them on occasions when you really want to watch something but you are short with time. I dragged on the first two seasons for about two years.
7/10 -
redryan6427 January 2016IT WAS IN the Autumn of 1955. Being present here on Planet Earth only since the first full Post World War II period, our 10th birthday was one celebration that made us feel really grown up and "old" even. By this time, perusing the annual Fall Lineup on the TV Networks had become a tradition, much like Halloween Trick & Treating and Opening Day at the Ballpark.
THE ONLY QUESTION that we had this year was; "Who is Alfred Hitchcock, anyway?" The announcement had been made that he was joining the CBS Network family of weekly shows. Well, our folks told us that this was a big name and well known maker of the movies that we saw at the Ogden, the Highway or the Peoples theatres in Chicago.
THE SERIES DID of course premiere and quickly established itself as a staple of our video diet. What we found it to be was a weekly anthology of half hour mystery plays. Their content varied from the very alarming (THE GLASS EYE with Jessica Tandy & Tom Conway) to the serio-comic (CHEAP IS CHEAP with Dennis Day). Every mood in between was featured. There was and is (in reruns)a favourite flavour for everyone.
EITHER BY DESIGN or with the good fortune of dumb luck, the half hour time slot proved to be the perfect length for these mystery plays. It is a case of size mattering; although in the diminutive sense rather than the greater.
WE LATER SAW this proved to be true. The cases in point are both the ALFRED HITCHCOCK Show and THE TWILIGHT ZONE expanded to a full hour each; which proved to be detrimental to the shows. Instead of more being better, we found the expanded episodes of these shows to be heavily padded and filled with scenes that never would have been included otherwise.
NO MATTER WHAT one's preference in these half hours, the greatest and most unique feature of the series was the relationship that developed between the audience and the series M.C., being Sir Alfred Hitchcock, himself. He displayed a previously unknown ability with a unique brand of very dry, deadpan humour. -
StrictlyConfidential9 November 2018"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" ran (on prime-time television) for 7 seasons (1955-1962). At this time its episodes were all 25 minutes in length and they were mainly directed by either Robert Stevens or Paul Henreid (with Hitchcock only directing but a few).
Hosted by the imitable Alfred Hitchcock - This TV presentation did absolute wonders to boost said-director's celebrity status and turn his name into one of the most easily recognizable of his generation.
Even though these episodes are all more than 60 years old, they do manage (for the most part) to hold up quite well with their thrilling tales of mystery, horror, and crime. -
Snow Leopard22 June 2001For those who like classic television, it doesn't come any better than "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Although he did not direct every episode by himself, his stamp is on every program. Almost every episode is of high quality, with clever and creative stories combined with writing and acting that ranges from good to outstanding. There is also terrific variety - you never know whether a given episode will be serious or light-hearted, whether there will be a happy ending or a tragic one. Each show keeps you guessing, and most have a twist at the end, many of them quite memorable. There are also a lot of big stars who appear in one or more episodes, as well as some young actors who would become stars, and the ones that don't have anyone famous generally have a pretty good set of character actors. If all that weren't enough, you have Hitchcock himself introducing each episode with some hilarious remarks - often making fun of TV commercials - and often in humorous settings that have a connection to the upcoming episode.
Episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" are well worth the trouble to find, whether you are fortunate enough to find broadcasts of them or whether you need to track down some videos of selected episodes. -
Each episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" begins with the unmistakable caricatured profile of Hitchcock himself. He introduces the episode, shows up to introduce commercial breaks and, being the good host, bids his viewers good night at the end of each episode. All of this is done with the pithy, tongue-in-cheek, insinuations for which Hitchcock was noted. He is laughing at us, at the sponsors, and at the world in general, it seems, as if he knows a secret we don't.
The series is an anthology of stories and, like "The Twilight Zone", it features stories that are imaginative and cleverly written. Where "The Twilight Zone" features stories of science fiction, "Hitchcock Presents" features stories about criminal intent, psychological aberrations, or just odd views of personalities.
It seems that the whole is greater than its parts, because although some episodes--when viewed separately--are not very impressive, as a body of work, the series is impressive, with fine performances and good writing.
As a child, I remember that merely hearing the show's theme music (Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette") and seeing Hitchcock's profile was enough to suggest the presence of the macabre. His off kilter sense of humor as host of the series, served to tie the individual shows together, despite commercial interruptions. Like a Tony Perkin's smile, he seemed to intimate hidden depths and dark intentions. -
mizlou25 February 20073 nurses episode on ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR:
The name of that episode is "OPEN WINDOW". I don't blame you for asking. This episode was one of the very best from what was an all-round excellent show. The creepy line "Stella, you are such a pretty nurse" scares me to this day! I believe this episode book-ended Hitchcock's "Psycho". A couple of others I loved were "Hangover", "Arthur","The Gloating Place" and "Special Delivery", one of the few sci-fi orientated episodes The Master did. "The Magic Shop" and "Where the Woodbine Twineth" were a couple more episodes with a supernatural/sci-fi slant. "Specialty of the House" (just saw it today on METV)is another good one. I'M TRYING TO FIND THE TITLE OF THE ONE ABOUT THE SPINSTER MURDERS.
Hope I helped. -
glitterrose23 November 2018It's funny how attitudes change. If I had written this review when I was a kid I would've told you I didn't like the series and thought it was stupid. I think I had caught some of the series when it was on TV Land when I was younger and I just wasn't impressed with it.
I gave the show another chance when I was older and my attitude reversed itself. Alfred's intros and outros are hilarious and the episodes themselves are well written and acted. It disappoints me that the series really doesn't get the appreciation it deserves, whether we're talking about episodes being labeled as classic or even high quality dvd releases. I would LOVE to own the series on dvd but I don't want to shell out money for discs that are 'flipper discs' and it sounds like it's a hit or a miss if certain discs or episodes are viewable.
I had just done a review for Little House on the Prairie and I said it was rare for me to find a series that was good from start to finish. Alfred Hitchcock Presents is another one on that very short list. And just like with Little House, there's a few episodes I'm not fond of. But it's still not a case of getting to a certain season and thinking "Well, let me wait for the series to start back over because the series really started tanking at this point." It was excellent from the first season to the last. Quite impressive and major credit goes towards the cast and crew for doing such a great job. -
inioi25 October 2015I remember back in the 80's when all my family and me join all together around TV to see this gripping and fascinating TV show.
Of course there are a lot of episodes, and not all has the same level or interest. But anyway, the series worth to see it because of the good plot, production, direction, acting, etc.
Anything could happen in every episode. Drama, comedy, murder, thriller...always surprising. The black and white photography gives a "noir" touch in some episodes. All dressed with the always fun/enigmatic introduction by Alfred Hitchcock with that mystery piece of music.....the music of "the unexpected" -
This is from the Alfred Hitchcock Hour (now showing on MeTV)
Season 3, Episode 17: An Unlocked Window Original Air Date: 15 February 1965 A third murder in the last two weeks is reported over the television, and police confess they have a psychotic madman on the loose, preying only on live-in nurses. One dark stormy night, Nurse Stella Crosson (Dana Wynter) and Nurse Betty Ames (T.C. Jones) are tending to their employer, a man with a heart condition who resides in a creepy old mansion just outside of town and needs constant attention. A phone call from the murderer informs the women that he knows they're alone, and intends to pay them a visit before the night is over. Checking to make sure all the doors and windows are locked, Stella finds that she overlooked a basement window, a mistake that might prove all too costly. -
dainamariebradley5 July 2023I.grew up watching this series, as well as many of the Hitchcock movies. For me, this brings me back in time when everything was simpler, more slow-paced. This is nostalgia at its most comforting. For millennials and Gen Z's, this is the most interesting history lesson on the 1950s & 1960s era imaginable, and a chance to get to know many of the finest actors of the day. The sets are pretty lame, B & W isn't for everybody, and the sound effects/music is over-the-top dramatic That's how TV really was, back when only a few network channels were available, and all had "a message from our sponsor," aka ads or commercials. Familities really did watch TV together, in the living room, so it initially brought people together, before they eventually drifted apart. Censorship was everywhere. But, anyone who is familiar with the brillianxe of Hitchcock will be able to see that each episode is like a mini-movie, containee within itself. These 25-minute episodes each pack a major, suspenseful plot-twisting punch. It's kind of like watching The Twilight Zone (another old fave!), generally minus the sci-fi. I started streaming these ad-free on Peacock, and they are even more addictive than I remember. This series won't be for everyone, but for those who love to binge-watch, this is the ultimate binge series! Thank you, Mr. Hitchcock, for providing amazing entertainment over a half-century later!
-
The "Master of Suspense", Alfred Hitchcock was the host of the long-running drama anthology "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." It ran for 10 years in both half hour and hour episodes and to me Hitchcock's opening and closing remarks set the scene for success.
What I remember the most about the show was the opening sequence with just an outline of Hitchcock's profile on the screen followed by the veteran director filling the profile. Then they cut to a bizarre location where Hitchcock delivered his opening monologue that concluded with a lead-in to the commercial. One that I remember was when he said "It will follow this one minute anesthetic." Following the commercial began the story and then the show concluded with a wrap up from Hitchcock.
Many veteran actors and actresses appeared in episodes,though too numerous to mention. Even though I didn't get into a lot of the episodes since I'm not much of a suspense fan, I really enjoyed Hitchcock's opening and closing sequences. Fortunately, Antenna TV is rerunning the shows, so viewers can relive one of the great all-time drama anthology shows. Good night. -
barneycalhounthepizzaguy30 April 2019A very good show, 10/10! It is a true masterpiece, maybe even being the best show of all time!
-
Bored_Dragon20 August 2018If you are a fan of this master of suspense, you'll certainly enjoy his legendary TV show. This series of 268 unrelated short episodes, tell interesting stories in Hitchcock's manner, combining crime, mystery and a bit of horror, followed by Alfred's witty and funny comments. Mostly it's nowhere near the quality of his movies, but it's still quite good and very entertaining.
8/10 -
Gunnar_Runar_Ingibjargarson16 June 2008When it premiered on CBS on October 2, 1955, Alfred Hitchcock Presents was an instant hit destined for long-term popularity. The series' original half-hour anthology format provided a perfect showcase for stories of mystery, suspense, and the macabre that reflected Hitchcock's established persona. Every Sunday at 9:30 p.m., the series began with the familiar theme of Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" (which would thereafter be inextricably linked with Hitchcock), and as Hitchcock's trademark profile sketch was overshadowed by the familiar silhouette of Hitchcock himself, the weekly "play" opened and closed with the series' most popular feature: As a good-natured host whose inimitable presence made him a global celebrity, Hitchcock delivered droll, dryly sardonic introductions and epilogues to each week's episode, flawlessly written by James Allardyce and frequently taking polite pot-shots at CBS sponsors, or skirting around broadcast standards (which demanded that no crime could go unpunished) by humorously explaining how the show's killers and criminals were always brought to justice... though always with a nod and a wink to the viewer. This knowing complicity was Hitchcock's pact with his audience, and the secret to his (and the series') long-term success. It's also what attracted a stable of talented writers whose tele plays, both original and adapted, maintained a high standard of excellence. Hitchcock directed four of the first season's 39 episodes, including the premiere episode "Revenge" (a fan favorite, with future Psycho costar Vera Miles) and the season highlight "Breakdown," with Joseph Cotten as a car-accident victim, paralyzed and motionless, who's nearly left for dead; it's a perfect example of visual and narrative economy, executed with a master's touch. (The fourth episode, "Don't Come Back Alive," is also a popular favorite, with the kind of sinister twist that became a series trademark.) Robert Stevenson directed the majority of the remaining episodes with similar skill, serving tightly plotted tales (selected by associate producers Joan Harrison and Norman Lloyd) by such literary greats as Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Cornell Woolrich, Dorothy L. Sayers, and John Collier. Adding to the series' prestige was a weekly roster of new and seasoned stars, with first-season appearances by Cloris Leachman, Darren McGavin, Everett Sloane, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Barry Fitzgerald, John Cassavetes, Joanne Woodward, Thelma Ritter, and a host of Hollywood's best-known character players. With such stellar talent on weekly display, Alfred Hitchcock Presents paved the way for Thriller, The Twilight Zone, and other series that maximized the anthology format's storytelling potential.
Packed onto three double-sided DVDs, these 39 episodes hold up remarkably well, and while some prints show the wear and tear of syndication, they look and sound surprisingly good (although audio compression will cause many viewers to turn up the volume). The 15-minute bonus featurette, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Look Back" is perfunctory at best, but it's nice to see new anecdotal interviews with Norman Lloyd, assistant director Hilton Green, and Hitchcock's daughter Pat (a frequent performer on these episodes), who survived to see their popular series benefit from the archival convenience of DVD.
Starring: Alred Hitchcock (Host) Director: Robert Stevens. -
kafkaatkaffa20 June 2007This episode was first broadcast in 1965 on the Alfred Hitchcock Hour. I watched it with my grandmother, and it scared the bejesus out of us! It's called "the Unlocked Window". Apparently the house from "Psycho" is used as the nursing home. There was a remake of this episode in the eighties with Annette O'Toole playing the part of nurse Stella. A nurse is murdered in the first scene. As I remember, she was dragged from the sidewalk into some hedges. The suspense is consistent throughout the story, with ominous radio reports of a killer on the loose, and a violent thunderstorm that has the resident nurses, Stella and Betty (nurse Ames) quite on edge. Killer ending!