There is still an exquisite thrill to turn on a TV re-run and see the line drawing of the side view of director Alfred Hitchcock’s face while “Funeral March of a Marionette” begins and Hitchcock appears, filling out his silhouette, then turns and says in that unmistakable, sonorous voice, “Good evening.”
Hitchcock had been a world-renowned director for decades when he turned to television, hosting (and occasionally directing) these half-hour mysteries called Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Debuting on CBS, the popular show ran from 1955 to 1960, then moving to NBC and running to 1962 when it transformed into The Alfred Hitchcock Hour until 1965. It’s astonishing to realize he presented 350 episodes of television drama, showcasing incredible casts, excellent directors and memorably macabre episodes that still are chillingly effective after 70 years. In May of 1985, NBC aired a feature-length movie with 4 episodes from the series past, newly directed in color for television. They retained Alfred Hitchcock’s witty introductions (now colorized) and the special was such a hit it launched a full year on NBC of contemporized episodes. After a season the new “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” was cancelled, but USA network picked it up for three more seasons. Out now on ViaVision is a box set including every episode of this experiment, never before seen on home video.
Now to be honest, nothing quite beats the original episodes. Shot in black & white and expertly art directed, scored, directed and cast- many were sheer perfection. Look back on one that Hitchcock directed, based on a Roald Dahl story, Lamb to the Slaughter. It just doesn’t get any better. Or the Emmy-winning one directed by Robert Stevens– The Glass Eye with a haunting, unforgettable performance by Jessica Tandy in the lead and including a young William Shatner and the sublime Rosemary Harris. But many of these new versions are actually a lot of fun.
In the pilot is one of the great early episodes, also based on a Roald Dahl short story- Man from the South, originally broadcast in 1960 starring Peter Lorre as a mysterious stranger who offers a bizarre bet to a gambler (played by a young Steve McQueen). If he can ignite his lighter 10 times without fail he wins the man’s expensive new car. But if he loses, he forfeits the small finger on his left hand. The kick of this sardonic new version is that it stars John Huston as the wealthy weirdo, scarily handsome Steven Bauer as the gambler, and Melanie Griffith (who Bauer was married to at the time) as a stranger he met in the casino. Tippi Hedren shows up as a surly waitress and the incandescent Kim Novak makes a surprise appearance at the end.
Also in the pilot is a reimagining of the scariest episodes from The Alfred Hitchcock Hour– An Unlocked Window, about two nurses stranded in a house on a stormy night with a psychopathic killer (that targets nurses) nearby. The original starred Dana Wynter, John Kerr, Louise Latham and T.C. Jones. Incredibly suspenseful, it won an Edgar award for writer James Bridges.
The new version stars Annette O’Toole, Helena Kallianiotes and Bruce Davison. It’s alright, but it just doesn’t hold a candle to the original.
The Jar was another episode that aired on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Based on a story by Ray Bradbury it starred Pat Buttram as a man fascinated by a weird jar at a carnival. He buys it and brings it home but his wife is frightened by it. Neighbors gather daily to sit around staring at the jar, trying to decipher what is inside. The new version is directed by Tim Burton and really has his look all over it, with even a score by Danny Elfman. Griffin Dunne stars as an avant-garde artist who finds the jar in a junkyard and it has the same hypnotic effect on people who view it. The cast include Laraine Newman, Fiona Lewis, Paul Bartel and Stephen Shellen. Burton even guest stars Pat Buttram (from the original episode) as a wealthy oilman/art buyer. It’s a real treat.
Another memorably twisted one from the new incarnation is Method Actor, directed by Burt Reynolds and starring Martin Sheen as Paul, an insufferable alcoholic actor. He is vying for the lead in a film which his agent (Robby Benson) prays could jump-star his career. But a younger actor (Parker Stevenson) gets the part and comes over to ask Paul for tips on how to play the role, Paul flips out and strangles him. Then using sulfuric acid in the bathtub (and a chainsaw) he tries to dispose of the corpse. But the head causes a problem and ends up in an ice bucket with the expectant grisly conclusion.
The Creeper is also a nasty little chiller starring the always wonderful Karen Allen as a fashion designer living in aa sketchy part of town and a psycho killer nicknamed “The Creeper” who murders her downstairs neighbor. The neighbor also had a set of her keys which are now missing. This is a complete overhaul of the original episode and nicely directed by Christopher Crowe.
Over the weekend I merrily got through seasons 1 and 2 and am into season 3 now, but have a ton of episodes to go. The shift to USA lost much of the production value of the NBC-produced episodes, but I’m still enjoying them. And these were shot in Canada, obviously. The Final Twist is even directed by Atom Egoyan, about a special effects team who plot to kill their boss (Martin Landau), and includes a poster of fellow Canadian David Cronenberg’s Videodrome on the wall.
Thank you Dennis ! I have been streaming these since they reappeared as well. Wonderful casting !