Happy Halloween

 

Afred Hitchcock Presents: Salvage (1955)

 

Salvage marks the 6th episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. 

In this episode a gangster (Gene Berry) who has just been released from prison, goes searching for the woman (Nancy Gates), who he believes is responsible for his brother's death.  

This is truly an excellent episode. Starting off right in the middle of the action proves to be a perfect way to tell this story as we fill out the backstory for the characters more and more as the story goes on. As we do this we discover that the characters are much more complex than we originally thought. The more we learn about these characters, the more invested in them we become. Because of this for characters we only spend less than a half hour with, we feel like we know them completely. The story is also incredibly well written. At first, we seem to think we know where it is going but it surprises us while still making perfect sense. 

The real reason this episode works so well is because of the acting. Of course, such reliable actors as Gene Berry (in his second appearance on this show) and Elisha Cook Jr. are excellent. However it is the relatively unknown Nancy Gates, who steals the show with her very emotionally vulnerable performance.

The opening and closing bits with Hitchcock on a film set are delightfully fun and silly, contrasting perfectly with the darker main story. 

This is the first episode of this show directed by Justus Addiss. He would direct a total of ten episodes. His other episodes would include A Bullet for Baldwin (1956), Safe Conduct (1956), Nightmare in 4-D (1957), The Night the World Ended (1957), Martha Mason, Movie Star (1957), The West Warlock Time Capsule (1957), The Indestructible Mr. Weems (1957), Miss Paisley's Cat (1957) and Night of the Execution (1957). Other TV series he directed for include Rawhide, Mister Ed, The Restless Gun, The Twilight Zone and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.  

-Michael J. Ruhland

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Into Thin Air (1955)

 

Into Thin Air marks the 5th episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and aired on October 30th, 1955.

In this episode, a young woman (Patrica Hitchcock) leaves her sick mother (Mary Forbes) in a hotel room. However, when the young woman returns to the hotel, she finds her mother is missing and no one remembers either her or her mother. 

I really liked this episode. The main reason for this is Patricia Hitchcock in the main role. This may be her career best performance as she really draws us in making us believe every second of this implausible story. The rest of the cast is excellent as well including a very good performance from Alan Napier, best known for playing Alfred on the 60's Batman TV show. While the story itself feels familiar, it is quite well handled with a great twist at the end. The episode also does a fantastic job of creating a bit of suspense and keeping you wondering what exactly is going on

This episode's storyline very much resembles the Alfred Hitchcock film, The Lady Vanishes (1938), something Hitch himself acknowledged in his introduction.

Hitch's daughter Patricia Hitchcock stars in this episode. This is the first of ten Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes she would appear in. The other episodes were The Older Sister (1956), The Belfry (1956), I Killed the Count Part 1 (1957), The Glass Eye (1957), Silent Witness (1957), The Crocodile Case (1958), The Morning of the Bride (1959), The Cuckoo-Clock (1960) and The Schartz-Metterklume Method (1960). She also appeared in her father's movies, Stage Fright (1950), Strangers on a Train (1951) and Psycho (1960). When Alfred Hitchcock gives his closing remarks, he tells us "I thought the little leading lady was rather good didn't you?" 

This is one of only two episodes directed by Dan Medford (the other was Triggers in Leash (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.

This is the first episode written by Marian B. Cockrell, who would go on to write ten more episodes. These episodes were Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid (1955), There Was an Old Woman (1956), Whodonit (1956), Wet Saturday (1956), Conversation Over a Corpse (1956), The Rose Garden (1956), The West Warlock Time Capsule (1957), Miss Paisley's Cat (1957), Miss Bracegirdle Does Her Duty (1958) and The Schartz-Metterklume Method (1960). 

-Michael J. Ruhland