I first saw this episode when I was only 10 yrs old ,I didn't remember if it was Hitchcock, Twilight Zone, or Outer Limits, then I had been TIVOing the Alfred Hitchcock Hour off the Encore Suspense channel and watched this episode the other night, first time in over 30 yrs and it all came rushing back to me after the scene with the umbrella poking under the couch for her imaginary friends ,it was like a tidal wave of memories and I remembered the twist ending before they even showed it, it haunted me for years as a kid. This is definitely an atypical episode for Hitchcock, you half expect Rod Serling to walk out from behind the bushes and give his epilogue at the end because this was definitely more in the wheelhouse of a Twilight Zone episode than a Hitchcock. Well acted, well written, disturbing and haunting, as the saying goes " they just don't make them like this anymore " The dolls' resemblance to the little girl and facial expression at the end were so eerily accurate and creepy they will haunt your mind forever.
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series)
Where the Woodbine Twineth (1965)
User Reviews
Review this title29 Reviews
A never-forgotten episode
adh-0885128 August 2020
I know I saw this when I was very young, but the only things I remembered about it were a girl, the words, "Where the Woodbine Twineth" and that it scared me quite a bit. Just saw it again last night and although it no longer scared me, I was engrossed from start to finish. The atmosphere of dread pervades unrelentingly and I think it's heightened by the perfectly normal setting of a lovely house and sunny days. The acting of the entire cast is subdued and perfect and very impressive by adorable Eileen Baral, who is the lonely little girl with a cast of made-up friends - or are they?
When Hitchcock veered from suspense to horror, like "The Jar", "An Unlocked Window" and this episode ,he did so with great style, effect, and impact.
When Hitchcock veered from suspense to horror, like "The Jar", "An Unlocked Window" and this episode ,he did so with great style, effect, and impact.
I finally found it
rocketXpert21 September 2014
Judging by most of the reviews I've seen, this episode made an indelible impression on a lot of people when they watched it as children. You can count me among that number. However, I didn't see the entire episode or even most of it. At best, I only saw a couple minutes, and yet that was sufficient to stick with me to this day. Since the advent of the internet, I've made attempts to track down whatever it was I saw, looking through the episode descriptions of various older anthology series. The Alfred Hitchcock Hour was one I never considered, however, since I wasn't aware that it ever delved into the supernatural.
I could not have been more than three at the time. What I remember watching is this: A woman finds her little girl sitting in front of the davenport, talking to her "imaginary friends," most of whom have unusual sounding names. When the woman looks under the davenport, there's nobody there, and the distraught little girl accuses the woman of chasing her friends away. At that point, my Mom turned off the TV, probably fearing it was too frightening for me. She may have been right; the little girl's performance was unnerving, and at that age, I was easily scared; I was even freaked out by certain stuff I saw on Sesame Street (ie, Kermit chasing Grover while wearing fake teeth).
Despite the danger to my tender young psyche, I sort of wish my Mom had let me watch the entire thing. In a way, the damage had already been done; that one scene was eerily intense enough that it never left me, and I spent many years not knowing what I'd seen and wondering what happened next. I'm not sure if those decades of uncertainty were any better than the risk of an even greater childhood trauma.
One thing seems pretty certain. If I had seen the rest of the episode when I was little, it would definitely have made a much bigger impact on me than it did when I finally managed to watch it last night.
I was so excited to have stumbled upon the thing that I'd been trying to find for so long. I turned off the lights and prepared to be creeped out. But I'm not quite as easily frightened these days, and I suppose nothing could match over three decades' worth of expectations.
The ending is good, though while it might have emotionally scarred the three year old me for life, watching it now, I just found it rather predictable and not nearly as upsetting as the ending to some other episodes of this show I've seen. Some reviews I've read elsewhere suggest that voodoo is at play here- one person even referred to the doll the girl receives as a voodoo doll. Why? Because it's black? Seems like a somewhat racist assumption. I thought it was kind of cool that this little white girl would become enamored of a black doll, though I don't for a second think it was a colorblind choice; rather, when the ending comes, the racial difference helps make things abundantly clear that something magical has occurred. Anyway, if voodoo folklore involves wee folk who live under furniture and ride on frogs, this is the first I've heard of it.
Speaking of which, if this had been a half hour episode, all the stuff about the little people that only the girl could see- the part I remembered so vividly- could have easily been cut out without it affecting the rest of the plot. Also, what's with the disagreement the servants have about the ham she asked him to get from the smoke house? She insists she told him, but he insists he would have remembered. It can't be there for no reason, but it's never explained either. All of it hints at something strange going on, and is supposedly tied together in a way the audience isn't meant to fully understand, but the story feels a bit padded or disjointed as a result.
It's often been said that what is left up to the imagination is scarier than what you are actually shown. That's definitely true in this case. Thinking about the brief snippet I saw as an impressionable child was far creepier than seeing the episode in full as a jaded adult.
I could not have been more than three at the time. What I remember watching is this: A woman finds her little girl sitting in front of the davenport, talking to her "imaginary friends," most of whom have unusual sounding names. When the woman looks under the davenport, there's nobody there, and the distraught little girl accuses the woman of chasing her friends away. At that point, my Mom turned off the TV, probably fearing it was too frightening for me. She may have been right; the little girl's performance was unnerving, and at that age, I was easily scared; I was even freaked out by certain stuff I saw on Sesame Street (ie, Kermit chasing Grover while wearing fake teeth).
Despite the danger to my tender young psyche, I sort of wish my Mom had let me watch the entire thing. In a way, the damage had already been done; that one scene was eerily intense enough that it never left me, and I spent many years not knowing what I'd seen and wondering what happened next. I'm not sure if those decades of uncertainty were any better than the risk of an even greater childhood trauma.
One thing seems pretty certain. If I had seen the rest of the episode when I was little, it would definitely have made a much bigger impact on me than it did when I finally managed to watch it last night.
I was so excited to have stumbled upon the thing that I'd been trying to find for so long. I turned off the lights and prepared to be creeped out. But I'm not quite as easily frightened these days, and I suppose nothing could match over three decades' worth of expectations.
The ending is good, though while it might have emotionally scarred the three year old me for life, watching it now, I just found it rather predictable and not nearly as upsetting as the ending to some other episodes of this show I've seen. Some reviews I've read elsewhere suggest that voodoo is at play here- one person even referred to the doll the girl receives as a voodoo doll. Why? Because it's black? Seems like a somewhat racist assumption. I thought it was kind of cool that this little white girl would become enamored of a black doll, though I don't for a second think it was a colorblind choice; rather, when the ending comes, the racial difference helps make things abundantly clear that something magical has occurred. Anyway, if voodoo folklore involves wee folk who live under furniture and ride on frogs, this is the first I've heard of it.
Speaking of which, if this had been a half hour episode, all the stuff about the little people that only the girl could see- the part I remembered so vividly- could have easily been cut out without it affecting the rest of the plot. Also, what's with the disagreement the servants have about the ham she asked him to get from the smoke house? She insists she told him, but he insists he would have remembered. It can't be there for no reason, but it's never explained either. All of it hints at something strange going on, and is supposedly tied together in a way the audience isn't meant to fully understand, but the story feels a bit padded or disjointed as a result.
It's often been said that what is left up to the imagination is scarier than what you are actually shown. That's definitely true in this case. Thinking about the brief snippet I saw as an impressionable child was far creepier than seeing the episode in full as a jaded adult.
Unforgettable Classic
sawyertom11 October 2006
I remember seeing this episode when I was five. That is how strong of an impression it left. Some thirty plus years later I read a collection of short stories that involved horror and children, which this story was part of. I knew it was the same that I had seen as a kid and the hunt was on. I finally found the episode and bought it. The episode involves a spinster aunt who basically has no time or patience for an orphaned child's imaginary friends and make believe world and tries to put an end to it. She soon learns why she should have listened and been a little more receptive to her niece's imaginary world and make-believe friends. If you can find this episode get, it since it ranks up there with the memorable "The Unlocked Window" and others. The old master Hitchcock, while most famous for his intrigue and murder mysteries in TV and film, could also do a nice nasty horror episode as well. This episode will haunt you, especially with its ending.
Genuinely eerie one-of-a-kind Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode
john_p4020 May 2014
Saw this two nights ago (May 18, 2014) on MeTV and WHOA - I wasn't familiar with the episode and didn't know where it was leading the viewer. I felt four separate cases of chills crawl up my spine and settle on my neck. (There is something that's too creepy about lonely little girls interacting with their doll and invisible playmates.) The lead, Margaret Leighton, an actress trained on the British stage who won two Broadway Tony Awards, was spot-on convincing portraying the caring-but-baffled "spinster" aunt and primary caregiver of her overly imaginative young niece. There is strong character support from Juanita Moore (remember 1959's "Imitation of Life"). The story is set in early 1960's South (probably Lousiana or Mississippi) where racial segregation was the policy. And the fact that a young white blonde girl is so attached to her African-American doll only adds to the dissonance and disconnect between niece and her aunt. I'm not going into plot points; there are plenty spread across other reviews, but trust me, you won't easily forget this episode. (And, oh, that final fade-out.)
leaves a lasting impression
alberni-218 February 2007
When I was about ten I saw this episode in the UK. Like some of the others, from this series, I never forgot it but this one stood out the most. I think it mad a huge impact on me ( as a child, and I probably should not have been allowed to watch it, on reflection) and influenced the sort of drama I have been interested in since. One thing, I do not know where I can get this DVD in the UK and would really like to find out, if anybody wants to post a comment on where I should look?
The story involves, as I remember it, a small girl who has an imaginary friend and her mother (or perhaps her guardian) has very little patience with her. The way the plot unfolds was done in a near perfect fashion and the usual Hitchcok type twist was done with pure genius. Fabulous TV and I can't think of another film that had a similar effect on me apart from the brilliant 'Don't Look Now'.
The story involves, as I remember it, a small girl who has an imaginary friend and her mother (or perhaps her guardian) has very little patience with her. The way the plot unfolds was done in a near perfect fashion and the usual Hitchcok type twist was done with pure genius. Fabulous TV and I can't think of another film that had a similar effect on me apart from the brilliant 'Don't Look Now'.
Creepy Episode
StevenFlyboy24 November 2007
Just like the previous reviewer said, this episode affected me permanently after seeing it. I was 8 years old and I never forgot Numa being put on top of the player piano, which would start by itself. Most episodes of The Alfred Hitchcok Hour were about cops and robbers, which was very boring to a child of 8 years old. This is one of the final episodes and I seriously doubt this will ever be released to the public due to political incorrectness. The people responsible for banning "Amos 'n' Andy" and "Walt Disney's Song of the South" would no doubt prevent the release of this episode too, for the same reasons. I too found a DVD-R copy of it on the Internet. If you haven't seen this and are into movies/TV shows dealing with the supernatural, I strongly recommend getting this. The one i have is about a 6 to 7 in quality, on a scale of 1 to 10, but the impact is still there. The immortal music of Bernard Herrmann makes it even the more creepy. Hitchcock was the truly the "master of horror" and his ability shines through with this brilliant episode.
Hish Rating For Scare Factor!
aehome1021 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I caught this episode one summer evening in the late-1980's while home alone! Odd, that a summer storm was approaching at the same time and those swaying trees mimicked those in external shots of the home featured in this episode. I must admit this episode was THE MOST haunting of all Hitchcock's offerings and the most unforgettable at the same time. One wonders how Nell's (Margaret Leighton) life will proceed after the shocking end presented in this episode! I can foresee years of psychiatric therapy in Nell's future post-demise of her young niece. Curiously though, while Suse, the housekeeper and cook as well, embraces a position of humility and subordination to her employer, one wonders why there was no relationship between the two adult women established over the years. Obvious concern is implied by Suse while talking with little Eva about her playtime games with a doll, Numa, Suse apparently never approaches her employer Nell with any concern about words spoken by Eva, "Sometimes she puts YOU in the box?" I found it curious that even a diminished employee didn't approach her employer about odder than usual comments made by a little girl of 6. Perhaps a tragedy could have been avoided, just my thought. The creepiness factor was certainly added with the wayward player piano and the fact that young Eva was placed in her late father's bedroom as an accommodation. The father's room looked as if it had just recently been vacated by Eva's father, with the college pendant still present on the wall. Excellent fare for a Hitchcock offering, but absolutely jolting for me while viewing this while home alone. These days I view this episode with at least one family member present! And does anyone else think the smokehouse scene was CREEPY? <Eva's voice when responding to Suse's question of, "Who's in here?!">
Very Twilight Zoney.
planktonrules10 June 2021
Eva orphaned and goes to live with captain and his daughter. (Grandpa and aunt)
aunt nell-leighton.
Eva is a cute little girl who recently lost her parents. As a result, she is taken to live with her grandfather and her aunt, Nell (Margaret Leighton). At first, Aunt Nell and Eva get along fine, but soon problems begin when the child talks about her seemingly imaginary friends. Nell insists that they aren't real and insists that Eva gives up these ideas. As time goes on, the relationship sours more and more...leading to a tragedy at the end of the story.
This is an odd one, as it's very much unlike "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and more like an episode of "The Twilight Zone" because the story isn't about crime but a tale of the supernatural. Now the "Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" did occasionally do some supernatural tales...but not often. Less than a half dozen that I can recollect out of hundreds of shows.
So is it any good? Yes, generally. I do think it went on a bit too long, but otherwise was entertaining. It was also entertaining seeing Leighton, as I was impressed by her ability to hide her normal British accent and play an American.
Eva is a cute little girl who recently lost her parents. As a result, she is taken to live with her grandfather and her aunt, Nell (Margaret Leighton). At first, Aunt Nell and Eva get along fine, but soon problems begin when the child talks about her seemingly imaginary friends. Nell insists that they aren't real and insists that Eva gives up these ideas. As time goes on, the relationship sours more and more...leading to a tragedy at the end of the story.
This is an odd one, as it's very much unlike "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and more like an episode of "The Twilight Zone" because the story isn't about crime but a tale of the supernatural. Now the "Alfred Hitchcock Hour" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" did occasionally do some supernatural tales...but not often. Less than a half dozen that I can recollect out of hundreds of shows.
So is it any good? Yes, generally. I do think it went on a bit too long, but otherwise was entertaining. It was also entertaining seeing Leighton, as I was impressed by her ability to hide her normal British accent and play an American.
Finally Found !
nataliemitchelllcsw1 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I recall seeing this episode as a kid and have been trying to locate it for years as an adult! It made an indelible impression on me, but not in the same way that so many have expressed! Yes it was spooky and had a shocking ending, but it's special meaning for me was that it represented the FIRST time I saw a beautiful black girl portrayed on television in a non stereotypical, demeaning manner! There was the undercurrent in the aunt's response when running Numa off, but Numa was beautiful and accepted by Eva as a friend.
Haunting, unresolved question
bribabylk2 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The plot of the episode has been recounted in numerous reviews prior to this one, including the ending, so I won't bother with that, but if you haven't read them then this is really going to SPOIL it for you.
What happened to Numa??
Where is she??
Eva, the little white girl in the story, threatened to exchange places with Numa, the black doll that could come to life like the mannequins in THE AFTER HOURS and, well, MANNEQUIN, and go "Where the woodbine twineth". And apparently at the end of the episode that's just what she did; the doll's likeness changed from that of Numa's to Eva's.
"Exchange" is the key and worrisome word. Does that mean that Eva is in Woodbine Land, with the Eva-doll remaining in our world as a sort of avatar and/or bridge between dimensions, and Numa is now stuck in our reality as a flesh-and-blood child (as Eva had been before the exchange), without I.D., without cash, without shelter, without means of support, without anyone to take care of her? Not a pleasant thought. Or did Numa retreat permanently into Woodbine World and just give the "keys" to the door between dimensions (as represented by the doll) to Eva? I hope the latter was the intended result; however it's a question that haunts.
What happened to Numa??
Where is she??
Eva, the little white girl in the story, threatened to exchange places with Numa, the black doll that could come to life like the mannequins in THE AFTER HOURS and, well, MANNEQUIN, and go "Where the woodbine twineth". And apparently at the end of the episode that's just what she did; the doll's likeness changed from that of Numa's to Eva's.
"Exchange" is the key and worrisome word. Does that mean that Eva is in Woodbine Land, with the Eva-doll remaining in our world as a sort of avatar and/or bridge between dimensions, and Numa is now stuck in our reality as a flesh-and-blood child (as Eva had been before the exchange), without I.D., without cash, without shelter, without means of support, without anyone to take care of her? Not a pleasant thought. Or did Numa retreat permanently into Woodbine World and just give the "keys" to the door between dimensions (as represented by the doll) to Eva? I hope the latter was the intended result; however it's a question that haunts.
Pay attention to the black maid Suse and the fact that she understands what is happening with Eva
feliceedenbaker2 April 2022
Suse knows what's up with the doll. Also take a closer look at one of the last scenes, where she leaves the misbehaving Eva with a full, lavish dinner of chicken and dumplings, milk and a nice slice of her favorite pie. Then as Suse closes the door, she asks Eva, "You're not mad at me, are you Eva". Eva is a child, who was also misbehaving, there's no need for Suse to be trying to spoil her, or to ask her if she is mad at her. That seemed shockingly out of place. Suse, even as a black woman during those times, has more authority over that child than what she is actually exercising. It's clear that Suse is culturally aware of what that doll is, and wants to get on Eva's good side to avoid the spiritual consequences of the Voodoo doll. Also Suse is all smiles while she is asking Eva if she is mad at her, but as she heads down the stairs her face clearly changes to serious by contrast. This is a nice detail that is not explicitly explained in the episode, but it's very clear to me.
Unusual Story About An Orphan and Her Unseen Playmates
ricepritchard15 October 2016
This is a story about a little orphan girl and her family and a doll that seems to come to life at times and an imaginary family of little people living under the parlor couch. There was so much wrong with this. One it was supposed to be summer in the 1960s with scorching heat and humidity somewhere on the lower Mississippi River but here was a well to do family with two servants but no fans or air conditioners. Not likely.The little girl was a woefully inadequate actress who showed no emotion at her father's funeral or grief afterwards. The spinster aunt in real life would have held a job in an office or owned a shop in a nearby town, not just kept house for her father. Also the houseman Jessie would not have been driving "Miss Nell" all over the place; she would have driven herself except on rare occasions.Jesse and his wife Suzy would not have been live in servants unless there was an invalid requiring 24/7 care. They would have had their own small shotgun house nearby and do in the short story. The TV show was an anachronism because reading the original source short story on line by Davis Grubb makes it clear the grandfather was a steamboat captain. Steamboats were nearly extinct by World War I, much less the 1960s. An ice house is mentioned which were impossible due to heat in the Deep South so the setting is likely Kentucky since Louisville and nearby Cincinnati were steamboat hubs in the river packets' heyday from 1840-1890. The story is probably set in the 1890s or 1900s. The doll was supposed to be a Creole doll with gold earrings, head scarf, multi colored dress and apron. Most importantly the aunt would not have objected to the child having a little Black girl for a playmate as was common in the South pre 1970. Now if there had been "river rats",i.e. low class Whites, living in shanties or houseboats on a nearby backwater and one of their kids was playing with the little girl that would have been a different story entirely.The story did have a good plot overall and unusual story line so it was adequate but definitely not outstanding nor a real classic.
Haunting
dougdoepke26 January 2007
Superior Hitchcock fare. Excellent script makes good use of hour format, something the other 60-minute episodes by and large could not do. Are little Eva's playmates real or not. She seems so convinced and convincing. Suspense builds nicely, helped along by an exquisite performance from Margaret Leighton as the anguished aunt. Watch the subtle progression of facial expressions as she moves from normalcy to genuine trauma over the obsessive state of her young niece. Little Eileen Baral, on whom the episode turns, is wonderfully natural, with no hint of artificial emotion-- I suspect that when a child actor performs this well, a lot of credit must go to the director (here, Alf Kjellin). There's a really creepy undertone to the story that could have been heightened by a more Gothic approach, instead of the straightforward, high-key lighting which drains the visuals of the kind of shadowy atmosphere that would complement the script. Still and all, it's a haunting 60 minutes, one that's likely to stay with you. And for those who care, I suspect there's an allegory about race relations in the Jim Crow South lurking somewhere in the subtext.
"You never believe me when I tell you things are real!"
classicsoncall10 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
There's something obviously special about this episode. Unless I'm mistaken, it has more reviews here on IMDb than any other Hitchcock story, indicating that it must have struck enough of a nerve to have folks log in and write about it. Many of them refer to an earlier viewing years prior and the impression it made to be remembered for so long. I can't say I have that experience, since Hitchcock wasn't a regular at our house. My Dad and I watched 'The Twilight Zone', but more on that later.
The story has a rather familiar set-up - a young girl whose parents have died is taken in by her grandfather and matronly aunt, and immediately begins talking to and playing with imaginary friends with colorful names. I liked 'Mingo' and 'Mr. Peppercorn', 'Sam' and 'Popo' were a little less clever. This wouldn't have been a problem, except for the fact that Aunt Nell (Margaret Leighton) took exception to little Eva's (Eileen Baral) insistence that her invisible friends were real. Eva became particularly disturbed when Nell 'broke' Sam's leg by thrashing under the davenport with the vacuum cleaner where her little community lived.
When Eva's grandfather, Captain King (Benton Reid) returned from a lengthy trip, he brought home a doll for her to play with. Now this was 1965 when the program aired, and I can imagine viewers' reaction to the doll being that of a black girl, because even today it struck me as odd while watching. No reason was given for that choice, perhaps it was meant to assure and instruct Eva that racial tolerance had a place in her new home. The servant couple (Joel Fluellen, Juanita Moore) in the Snyder home were African-American, and the woman Suse had a particular fondness for Eva.
As tension mounted between Aunt Nell and Eva regarding her vivid imagination, the young girl would leave the house to play in the nearby woods with Numa (Lila Perry), the black doll come to life. Aunt Nell's reaction was particularly aggressive, which logically would have been a good opportunity for Nell to accept a real-life playmate for Eva, potentially replacing the imaginary ones. Instead, she chases Numa away, and when she searches for Eva, she's shocked to be reminded of Eva's promise that if Nell persisted in her denial, Eva would take Numa's place in the box that Captain King brought home with him. Because the idea was telegraphed earlier, it doesn't come across as a complete shocker, but what's striking is how much the now white doll resembled the young actress portraying Eva.
Getting back to the Twilight Zone connection, there were two Rod Serling stories involving not dolls, but ventriloquist dummies. The fifth season episode 'Caesar and Me' had Jackie Cooper as a down and out entertainer, whose dummy suggested burglary as an option! But the better parallel to this Hitchcock episode was Season Three's 'The Dummy', in which Cliff Robertson, as a failing alcoholic, becomes successful again when he and his dummy switch places!
The story has a rather familiar set-up - a young girl whose parents have died is taken in by her grandfather and matronly aunt, and immediately begins talking to and playing with imaginary friends with colorful names. I liked 'Mingo' and 'Mr. Peppercorn', 'Sam' and 'Popo' were a little less clever. This wouldn't have been a problem, except for the fact that Aunt Nell (Margaret Leighton) took exception to little Eva's (Eileen Baral) insistence that her invisible friends were real. Eva became particularly disturbed when Nell 'broke' Sam's leg by thrashing under the davenport with the vacuum cleaner where her little community lived.
When Eva's grandfather, Captain King (Benton Reid) returned from a lengthy trip, he brought home a doll for her to play with. Now this was 1965 when the program aired, and I can imagine viewers' reaction to the doll being that of a black girl, because even today it struck me as odd while watching. No reason was given for that choice, perhaps it was meant to assure and instruct Eva that racial tolerance had a place in her new home. The servant couple (Joel Fluellen, Juanita Moore) in the Snyder home were African-American, and the woman Suse had a particular fondness for Eva.
As tension mounted between Aunt Nell and Eva regarding her vivid imagination, the young girl would leave the house to play in the nearby woods with Numa (Lila Perry), the black doll come to life. Aunt Nell's reaction was particularly aggressive, which logically would have been a good opportunity for Nell to accept a real-life playmate for Eva, potentially replacing the imaginary ones. Instead, she chases Numa away, and when she searches for Eva, she's shocked to be reminded of Eva's promise that if Nell persisted in her denial, Eva would take Numa's place in the box that Captain King brought home with him. Because the idea was telegraphed earlier, it doesn't come across as a complete shocker, but what's striking is how much the now white doll resembled the young actress portraying Eva.
Getting back to the Twilight Zone connection, there were two Rod Serling stories involving not dolls, but ventriloquist dummies. The fifth season episode 'Caesar and Me' had Jackie Cooper as a down and out entertainer, whose dummy suggested burglary as an option! But the better parallel to this Hitchcock episode was Season Three's 'The Dummy', in which Cliff Robertson, as a failing alcoholic, becomes successful again when he and his dummy switch places!
Lasting impression
olander-328 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Like everyone who has commented here, I have distinct memories of this episode. I was 5 or 6 at the time (I'm now 47), and the doll's expression and the chilling music at the end made quite an impression on me. While my parents policed some of my T.V. watching at that time, this was an example of one they missed (and one they should have caught!).
My experience with horror/supernatural T.V. prior to seeing this was the original "Frankenstein" movie. While that movie resulted in some scary aftereffects, this episode absolutely terrified me and lingered with me long afterward.
I occasionally think about this particular show and have done some brief searches, I just today found the detailed description. Given the plot and the finale, it is surprising that this episode was broadcast in the early 60's.
My experience with horror/supernatural T.V. prior to seeing this was the original "Frankenstein" movie. While that movie resulted in some scary aftereffects, this episode absolutely terrified me and lingered with me long afterward.
I occasionally think about this particular show and have done some brief searches, I just today found the detailed description. Given the plot and the finale, it is surprising that this episode was broadcast in the early 60's.
One of the best
naynay82429 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best episodes I have ever seen.
Although it was a bit predictable.
I figured the doll would somehow come to life and that the child would become the doll.
The child was giving clues throughout the episode.
The child got along well with the housekeeper and her husband, who were Black.
I figure that this is why the doll that was sent to the child was Black.
This was groundbreaking given this episode was made in 1965.
It was also interesting when the aunt found the doll alive, that the doll was unable to talk.
She just pointed to her mouth and made sounds when the aunt was questioning her.
It was frightening to see how they made the face of the doll look just like the little girl; very scary! Again, very good episode; it gave me the chills.
If you are a Hitchcok fan, this is a must see.
Although it was a bit predictable.
I figured the doll would somehow come to life and that the child would become the doll.
The child was giving clues throughout the episode.
The child got along well with the housekeeper and her husband, who were Black.
I figure that this is why the doll that was sent to the child was Black.
This was groundbreaking given this episode was made in 1965.
It was also interesting when the aunt found the doll alive, that the doll was unable to talk.
She just pointed to her mouth and made sounds when the aunt was questioning her.
It was frightening to see how they made the face of the doll look just like the little girl; very scary! Again, very good episode; it gave me the chills.
If you are a Hitchcok fan, this is a must see.
Decades later, still recall this one
ArchFrenemy27 July 2018
Like others here, I was a small child when I saw this and it has stayed with me forever. I was in love with The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, but only a handful of Hitchcock episodes, this being one of those. Superbly played by the child actress, this was a scary and profound supernatural cautionary tale with a poignant little message at the end, about the price of intolerance and mean-spiritedness. Perfect for the '60s, when it was released. This would have made a super Outer Limits episode; kudos to Hitchcock for doing it instead.
Predictable
htrey-7101919 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler alert: I guess I've been watching these kind of shows for a long time. This episode has a 7.7 rating I was really looking forward to seeing something that was going to blow me off my feet. It's nicely done I suppose if someone was really naive they would be comfortable with this ending. Because if anyone didn't realize that that doll was going to switch with the girl at the end of this episode. I can't believe it. The girl actress was very good and convincing great job on her part. It was also interesting to see the sign of the times back in 1965 with the black maid and a Black Butler.
Mystery Finally Solved!
pblueitt6 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I love watching old TV shows from my childhood. They bring back memories when life, while not really better for many, was definitely much simpler as a child. This is the show that I have had vague memories of for decades that, like many other reviewers, left an indelible impression on me as a young child. I specifically remembered the story of a young blonde girl who had a life-sized black doll that, through circumstances I didn't quite remember, ended with the doll coming to life and the child becoming the doll. Because I was only 5 or 6 years old when I saw it, I didn't have a clue whether the memory was from a movie or from one of the creepy shows on air at that time, such as Outer Limits or The Alfred Hitchcock show. Then, today I was watching an old episode of one of my all-time favorite childhood shows, The Big Valley, in which the young blonde actress appeared and was so familiar to me that I looked her up on the internet. Lo and behold, I discovered a picture of her with a life-sized black doll and I realized that after over 50 years of wondering, I had finally found what I had spent decades wondering about! I found the episode on YouTube and watched it, and now I know why I have remembered it all these years later. I am sure that as a young African-American child myself, I didn't fully understand the meaning behind the story. I was too young to really understand Intolerance and racism that ran rampant back then (and has made a resurgence in recent years), but it is obvious that even as a young child, the story and the message behind it resonated with me on some level, and I am so glad this little mystery in my life has finally been solved!
More Details and just aired tonight on MeTV
htcevojan18 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I just wanted to mention that the "spinster and old maid", two terms that are repeated by little Eva about her aunt, are not understood by the child but were things said to her by her tiny friends who live under the davenport whom no one else can see. The housekeeper, Suze and her husband Jesse, the caretaker are kind and gentle with the child who confides in them about her friends and they take it in stride without alienating her trust and love for them.
I think the aunt has built a wall around her emotions as they pertain to Eva, remembering the lack of demonstrative love or a carefree childhood from her own parent(s). She is not equipped to handle a child, having never been married, much less an orphaned child relative I believe she had no say in bringing into the family home by her own father. The child is an innocent with an overactive imagination and every time something happens, including overhearing one way conversations and giggling, the aunt finally acts out in exasperation poking her umbrella under the davenport, pushing it back to prove there is no one there.
Little Eva is to go with her aunt to the dock to meet "The Captain", whom she has been looking forward to seeing. Based on the aunt running away her little friends, she hides in the smokehouse and confides to Suze what the aunt did and how she injured one of her friend's foot and they would never come back as long as her aunt was there because they didn't like her. But then one came back for a second on the back of a butterfly (I think Mr. Peppercorn) that someone is coming to play with her called Numa.
When the Captain arrives, she runs to him, all dressed up and sweet and happy and when she saw the present he brought her, a large box, she exclaimed out loud, "Numa!" before the box had been opened. The doll is a beautifully coiffed and nicely dressed African American doll...and large enough that little Eva can barely carry her or the box but is delighted with the gift and that Mr. Peppercorn was telling her the truth.
The aunt and her father, The Captain, exchange words after Eva goes upstairs with her doll about his tolerance and patience with little Eva as his own daughter reminds him of his disciplinarian ways with her while she was growing up and at the same age as Eva.
A day or so later, after the aunt leaves, Eva is alone with Suze. Eva confides in Suze as she is helping her bake that she and Numa play lots of games but sometimes Numa gets tired of being a doll so they change places plus, under the bed covers all of a sudden you can tell there are two voices and two live bodies playing and jumping and rolling around. I noticed the strange look on the housekeeper's face when Eva said this but she didn't make an issue about it.
After another altercation because the aunt asks Eva to tell the truth but the truth is so unbelievable, she is punished anyway. The doll is moved out of her reach and behind locked doors. After her aunt leaves for a meeting, she is able to retrieve the doll and she disappears out to play before the summer ends.
The aunt comes home to find the locked doors flung wide open, doll missing from mantle where keys are now found, child is missing, and calls on the live-in Suze and Jesse. The aunt runs out of the house and eventually picks up the sounds of children laughing and talking or repeating a rhyme. As she gets closer, she picks up a branch and starts stripping the leaves off (oh-oh, switch time). She accuses the African American child of sneaking up to play with Eva and then starts hitting the ground in front of her telling her to leave (maybe demanding an answer) and telling her never to come back, all the while using the switch on the ground around and in front of her feet but never striking the child. The child starts to leave, turns back when told never to return and with a furious look on her face...remember Eva said her friends didn't like her aunt...and almost a look of hatred before she disappears. The aunt goes to the doll box and sees a doll similar to her niece Eva and then realizes what she thought to be a lie...incredible nonsense has happened.
She runs calling out to Numa to return, come back but nothing. She picks up Eva, now a doll and holds her tenderly, gently, crying and repeating, " Oh Eva".
I think the aunt has built a wall around her emotions as they pertain to Eva, remembering the lack of demonstrative love or a carefree childhood from her own parent(s). She is not equipped to handle a child, having never been married, much less an orphaned child relative I believe she had no say in bringing into the family home by her own father. The child is an innocent with an overactive imagination and every time something happens, including overhearing one way conversations and giggling, the aunt finally acts out in exasperation poking her umbrella under the davenport, pushing it back to prove there is no one there.
Little Eva is to go with her aunt to the dock to meet "The Captain", whom she has been looking forward to seeing. Based on the aunt running away her little friends, she hides in the smokehouse and confides to Suze what the aunt did and how she injured one of her friend's foot and they would never come back as long as her aunt was there because they didn't like her. But then one came back for a second on the back of a butterfly (I think Mr. Peppercorn) that someone is coming to play with her called Numa.
When the Captain arrives, she runs to him, all dressed up and sweet and happy and when she saw the present he brought her, a large box, she exclaimed out loud, "Numa!" before the box had been opened. The doll is a beautifully coiffed and nicely dressed African American doll...and large enough that little Eva can barely carry her or the box but is delighted with the gift and that Mr. Peppercorn was telling her the truth.
The aunt and her father, The Captain, exchange words after Eva goes upstairs with her doll about his tolerance and patience with little Eva as his own daughter reminds him of his disciplinarian ways with her while she was growing up and at the same age as Eva.
A day or so later, after the aunt leaves, Eva is alone with Suze. Eva confides in Suze as she is helping her bake that she and Numa play lots of games but sometimes Numa gets tired of being a doll so they change places plus, under the bed covers all of a sudden you can tell there are two voices and two live bodies playing and jumping and rolling around. I noticed the strange look on the housekeeper's face when Eva said this but she didn't make an issue about it.
After another altercation because the aunt asks Eva to tell the truth but the truth is so unbelievable, she is punished anyway. The doll is moved out of her reach and behind locked doors. After her aunt leaves for a meeting, she is able to retrieve the doll and she disappears out to play before the summer ends.
The aunt comes home to find the locked doors flung wide open, doll missing from mantle where keys are now found, child is missing, and calls on the live-in Suze and Jesse. The aunt runs out of the house and eventually picks up the sounds of children laughing and talking or repeating a rhyme. As she gets closer, she picks up a branch and starts stripping the leaves off (oh-oh, switch time). She accuses the African American child of sneaking up to play with Eva and then starts hitting the ground in front of her telling her to leave (maybe demanding an answer) and telling her never to come back, all the while using the switch on the ground around and in front of her feet but never striking the child. The child starts to leave, turns back when told never to return and with a furious look on her face...remember Eva said her friends didn't like her aunt...and almost a look of hatred before she disappears. The aunt goes to the doll box and sees a doll similar to her niece Eva and then realizes what she thought to be a lie...incredible nonsense has happened.
She runs calling out to Numa to return, come back but nothing. She picks up Eva, now a doll and holds her tenderly, gently, crying and repeating, " Oh Eva".
Searched High and Low to Learn About This One!
richard.fuller117 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Thirty-plus years since I last saw this program.
I always believed it was Bea Benaderet from "Burns and Allen" and "Petticoat Junction" who played this part.
Upon going online, I searched her name, and found nothing.
Didn't know if it was Twilight Zone, Hitchcock or something else.
Then finally I was given Ms. Leighton's name, the name of the program from Hitchcock and even sent to a site with her picture.
Sure enough, she bore a resemblance to Bea Benaderet.
Have to rethink all those memories.
Yet I do remember this truly frightening and utterly bizarre, yet very ground-breaking story.
It seems there is more than what I and my siblings recall.
A small girl goes to her aunt's to live. The little girl says someone named Mr. Peppercorn (I got that name from another site) was doing all the mischievous things.
Now this little girl had a black doll; African American doll, if you will. I've also read on another site that the doll was voodoo in origin it seems. Someone had given it to the girl as a gift.
In one scene, the doll is put up on the piano as punishment for the little girl, and the piano starts playing by itself.
I guess this was Mr. Peppercorn doing this.
At the end, the woman goes looking for the little girl. She hears laughter in the woods.
We briefly glimpse (can you believe I remember this after three decades?) the little white girl leaping toward an object.
The woman finds a little black girl there.
"So!" she says. "Youre the one causing all this trouble and being a bad influence!" She takes a switch to the little black girl, who runs away without saying a word.
The woman then goes back to the box that had the doll in it.
The doll is there, but it is no longer black.
The doll is white.
The little girl has traded places with the doll. Now the doll is alive and the little girl is the doll.
The woman runs after the little girl, screaming, pleading for her to come back, but to no avail.
She falls to the ground, clutching the doll, and sobbing.
Worth noting; the line "where the woodbine twineth" is uttered in the 1930s Lionel Barrymore film "On Borrowed Time" about the old man who catches death (Cedric Hardwicke) in a tree.
Mr. Brink (Hardwicke) would take people away by saying they were going 'where the woodbine twineth'.
I always believed it was Bea Benaderet from "Burns and Allen" and "Petticoat Junction" who played this part.
Upon going online, I searched her name, and found nothing.
Didn't know if it was Twilight Zone, Hitchcock or something else.
Then finally I was given Ms. Leighton's name, the name of the program from Hitchcock and even sent to a site with her picture.
Sure enough, she bore a resemblance to Bea Benaderet.
Have to rethink all those memories.
Yet I do remember this truly frightening and utterly bizarre, yet very ground-breaking story.
It seems there is more than what I and my siblings recall.
A small girl goes to her aunt's to live. The little girl says someone named Mr. Peppercorn (I got that name from another site) was doing all the mischievous things.
Now this little girl had a black doll; African American doll, if you will. I've also read on another site that the doll was voodoo in origin it seems. Someone had given it to the girl as a gift.
In one scene, the doll is put up on the piano as punishment for the little girl, and the piano starts playing by itself.
I guess this was Mr. Peppercorn doing this.
At the end, the woman goes looking for the little girl. She hears laughter in the woods.
We briefly glimpse (can you believe I remember this after three decades?) the little white girl leaping toward an object.
The woman finds a little black girl there.
"So!" she says. "Youre the one causing all this trouble and being a bad influence!" She takes a switch to the little black girl, who runs away without saying a word.
The woman then goes back to the box that had the doll in it.
The doll is there, but it is no longer black.
The doll is white.
The little girl has traded places with the doll. Now the doll is alive and the little girl is the doll.
The woman runs after the little girl, screaming, pleading for her to come back, but to no avail.
She falls to the ground, clutching the doll, and sobbing.
Worth noting; the line "where the woodbine twineth" is uttered in the 1930s Lionel Barrymore film "On Borrowed Time" about the old man who catches death (Cedric Hardwicke) in a tree.
Mr. Brink (Hardwicke) would take people away by saying they were going 'where the woodbine twineth'.
Truly an excellent classic!
leesa3232 April 2022
Outstanding plot and acting. This episode is one of my favorites and the children actresses are exceptional. The dolls are very real-looking. I also really like the big plantation mansion and outdoor area where it's located.
Ghostly
Hitchcoc28 May 2023
The little girl who plays Eva is absolutely wonderful. She is expressive and precocious. S comes to live with an aunt and grandpa after her father dies. She is only six and has a striking imagination. The aunt, who never married or left the house, tries to make her be what she is not. The little girl's imaginary friends would, for most people, have been natural, especially when one considers the loss of her father. But the aunt is determined to punish her if she doesn't stop this fantasy. There are two black actors who have significant roles which was probably poo-pooed in 1965. The story plays out with a startling result.
My all-time favorite episode
Mflc20056 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Discovering this was aired in 1965 I must have been 10 years old. (spoiler, ha!).
Seriously the little white girl who becomes a friend with the little black girl - and they both have dolls. Then the little white girl's evil aunt interrupts their play and she forever becomes a doll (and the little black girl is chased away)! I don't remember it correctly, but this story has creeped me out for 45 years.
Was it just the one little girl with her doll? That makes more sense.
I have to see this again! Is it on Netflix?
Apparently written by Manly Well Wellman. Just found it on YouTube!
Seriously the little white girl who becomes a friend with the little black girl - and they both have dolls. Then the little white girl's evil aunt interrupts their play and she forever becomes a doll (and the little black girl is chased away)! I don't remember it correctly, but this story has creeped me out for 45 years.
Was it just the one little girl with her doll? That makes more sense.
I have to see this again! Is it on Netflix?
Apparently written by Manly Well Wellman. Just found it on YouTube!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
