An excellent story -- and what a twist ending --thanks to master mystery writer Richard Levinson, who wrote some of the best whodunits for COLUMBO and MURDER, SHE WROTE. This was a little show prep for him.
Gary Merrill (ALL ABOUT EVE, THE HUMAN JUNGLE), plays a man suspected of burying his wife in the back yard. He claims his wife left him while a nosy neighbor saw the whole thing --kind of, sort of? In steps analytical sheriff Fess Parker, not too fast to put the cuffs on his suspect. To his defense, there is NO body -- yet, only lots of talk and finger pointing.
Phyllis Thaxter, a series favorite, is quite good here, perhaps with the very best role. Also look for Martine Bartlett playing the neighborhood gossip. Popular "senior actor" Burt Mustin has a bit as a store manager. Shortly after this episode, Parker won the role of tv's DANIEL BOONE, and the rest is history.
I agree with the last reviewer, definitely in the tradition of REAR WINDOW, which undoubtedly caught Hitch's attention. The original ending is a camp classic you would never guess. Watching everyone's face at the close is the kicker. An ending where expressions outweigh the dialogue, thanks to director Herschel Daugherty. No surprise he was also directing Boris Karloff's tv show, THRILLER.
SEASON 2 remastered dvd box set. 8 dvds. 25 hrs length. Released 2016. According to Amazon, the box was manufactured in Europe and may not play on American made dvd players. Always check with the seller.