A bookmaker blackmails a man who faked his own death to collect a life insurance payout and discovers the man's wife also wants a share.A bookmaker blackmails a man who faked his own death to collect a life insurance payout and discovers the man's wife also wants a share.A bookmaker blackmails a man who faked his own death to collect a life insurance payout and discovers the man's wife also wants a share.
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Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsOne male actor is not credited even although he is involved in at least five lines of dialogue with Walter (Robert Horton). This is at the beginning of the show before Walter goes in to see his boss, Regis.
- Quotes
Alfred Hitchcock - Host: [introduction] Good evening, fellow athletes. I believe that everyone owes it to his well-being to indulge in some sport. My favorite pastime, as you can see, is, uh, filching loving cups. Naturally, I never steal too much at a time for fear of losing my amateur standing. But the people from whom I take the cups don't mind, I'm sure. After all, it isn't who wins that counts. It's how you play the game. By the way, I'm inventing a device that should make tennis much more enjoyable. It suddenly raises the net half a foot just as the victor leaps over to offer condolences to the loser. Through it, I hope to add what is lacking in tennis: laughs. Before viewing tonight's chronicle, we must identify the party who is footing the bill. I must apologize for the brevity of this announcement, but this is one of the conditions laid down by our modest sponsor.
- SoundtracksFuneral March of a Marionette
Written by Charles Gounod
One of those great episodes "Disappearing Trick" may not quite be, but it is an impressive one with much to admire and with flaws actually being not many at all. As well as much better than Hiller's previous 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' outing "Flight to the East". Season 3 did see much better episodes ("The Glass Eye", "Return to Finder", "The Right Kind of House"), when talking about the previous episodes, but also certainly far worse ("The Percentage", "Sylvia").
Did find the ending, while amusingly ironic, rather easily foreseeable and obvious too early. Raymond Bailey does well, but his casting is also on the obvious side and could have done with more variety to work.
The story is also quite slight, not really quite as eventful as it sounds, and the momentum goes a little towards the end.
A lot is good. Horton is very charming in the lead role and Betsy von Furstenberg is alluring and teasing. Loved their chemistry together, which is very cat and mouse like to increasingly unsettling effect. Something that is apparent right from their initial scene that gets stronger and stronger. Hitchcock's bookending is amusingly ironic and Hiller directs with more confidence and edge.
It's solidly made with some atmospheric photography. The series theme music is one of the best and most inspired examples of pre-existing classical music being used as a main theme, fitting perfectly with the series' overall tone. The writing is thought provoking, fun and unsettling, with no over-talkiness and there is some dark suspense.
Concluding, not great but did like it quite a lot. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Feb 2, 2023
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1