Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Triggers in Leash (1955)

 

Note: This review contains spoilers.

Though often called the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock worked in a wide variety of genres including suspense, horror, romantic comedy, dark comedy, melodrama, action, dramatic stage and literary adaptions and even a musical biopic. One genre Hitch will never be associated with is the western. He never directed a western in his long career. However, the third episode of his TV series was in fact a western.

In this episode a local man (Darren McGavin) challenges a cowboy (Gene Barry) to a shootout. Both agree to have this duel when the big mantel clock strikes a certain time. However, the clock mysteriously stops. 

This is an excellent episode. Though when many of us think of westerns, gunfights and action come to mind, the point of this episode is actually to avoid such action. Most of the episode is spent building up tension and the characters. Though there is little to any action, this is a very tense episode. With a small cast and one setting, there is a wonderful claustrophobic feel here that puts one on the edge of their seat. This old cabin in the rain and the dirty clothes on the characters help give this episode a real tense sense of atmosphere that keeps it from feeling as stage bound as it easily could have. Though this is a dialogue heavy episode, the dialogue is very well written, and perfects sets up the characters and the sense of tension. To not have an actual shoot out is a perfect twist. Though it could have felt anti-climactic, it actually fits the story very well.  

Once again, though the story is essentially serious, Hitch's introduction takes a very tongue and cheek sense of humor, even stating that there are no horses because they couldn't remember the lines. His line about Russian roulette cracked me up being the perfect example of Hitch's dark but silly sense of humor as is what he has to say about the ending of the episode. 

This is one of only two episodes directed by Dan Medford (the other was Into Thin Air (1955)), a very prolific TV director. Some of the other TV series he worked on include Climax!, The Riffleman, The Untouchables, The Twighlight Zone, The F.B.I., The Fall Guy and Dynasty.

 The writers are Richard Carr and Allan Vaughan Elston. Richard Carr co-wrote two more episodes of the show Salvage (1955) and The Big Switch (1956). His other TV credits include such TV series as Racket Squad, Rawhide, Batman, Peyton Place, The Legend of Jessie James, The Waltons, The Six Million Dollar Man and Charlie's Angels. Allan Vaughan Elston co-wrote one more episode of the show, The Belfry (1956). Neither of the writer nor the director ever worked on one of Alfred Hitchcock's movies. 

Gene Berry appeared in one more episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Salvage) and an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (Dear Uncle George (1963)). He is probably best known for his lead role in the classic sci-fi movie The War of the Worlds (1953) and his starring roles in the TV series Bat Masterson, Burke's Law and In the Name of the Game. Darren McGavin would appear in one more episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Cheney Vase (1955) and an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, A Matter of Murder (1964). He is probably best known his leading role in the TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Premonition (1955)

 

Premonition is the second episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and the first episode not directed by Hitch himself. This episode was directed by Robert Stevens, who directed more episodes of this series than anyone else. He was one of the best TV directors of his time and especially shined in anthology series like this one. Other anthology shows he worked on include Suspense (another show for which he was the most prominent director, directing a whopping 145 episodes), Climax, Suspicion, Playhouse 90 and the granddaddy of them all The Twilight Zone. Though he was mostly a TV director, he did occasionally direct movies as well including the film-noir The Great Caper (1957) and the Jane Fonda and Peter Finch romantic film, In the Cool of the Day (1963).  

In this episode a famous pianist (John Forsythe) returns to the hometown he grew up in. Finding out his father is dead he attempts to find the man he thinks killed his dad. 

This is truly excellent episode. Robert Stevens gives the whole episode a dark air of foreboding that draws us in before anything actually happens. There is a real atmosphere here that reminds one of Hitch's best movies, even if Hitch didn't direct it himself. This episode also impressively manages to fit a lot of moments that perfectly build up the characters, the mystery and the suspense. Managing to have very effective moments like these in a half-hour story is incredibly impressive. What is more impressive is that while doing this, the episode never once feels rushed but instead like it is the exact right length to tell the story. The writing here is also very smart and does a wonderful job of keeping you on the edge of your seat with each twist. The final twist is perfect. 

This is the only episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents to star John Forsythe. However, it is far from his only work with the master of suspense. He would later star in an episode of the show's follow-up series The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (I Saw the Whole Thing (1962)). He would also appear in two of Hitch's movies Trouble with Harry (1955) and Topaz (1969). His co-star Cloris Leachman appeared in two more episodes Don't Interrupt (1958) and Where Beauty Lies (1962). She would also appear in Mel Brooks' Hitchcock spoof High Anxiety (1977).  

This episode's writer was Harold Swanton, a very prolific TV writer. His other Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes would include The Long Shot (1955), Portrait of Joycelyn (1956), Coyote Moon (1959), Anniversary Gift (1959), An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1959), Summer Shade (1961), Museum Piece (1961), Bang Your Dead (1961) and The Twelve Hour Caper (1962) as well as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode Body in the Barn (1964). Other TV shows he worked on include The Whistler, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Wagon Train, Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie. He also occasionally worked on movies like Disney's Rascal (1969).