An obsessed young woman waits decades for her husband's body to emerge from the ice, after he fell from a mountain.An obsessed young woman waits decades for her husband's body to emerge from the ice, after he fell from a mountain.An obsessed young woman waits decades for her husband's body to emerge from the ice, after he fell from a mountain.
- Frederic Blauer
- (as Harald O. Dyrenforth)
- Man Arguing at Telescope
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode takes place from September to December 1907 and on July 21, 1947.
- GoofsAs one reviewer pointed out, a body embedded in a glacier for forty years would not emerge pristine and unblemished. Moving ice acts like a mincing machine. Even today, bits of bodies are still surfacing at the bottom of mountain slopes.
- Quotes
[introduction, Hitchcock is on a mountain with a rope]
Alfred Hitchcock - Host: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I thought I would cut this rope since it seems to be obstructing my path. I can't seem to find my partner. He was here a moment ago then let out a cry and disappeared.
[the rope breaks and Hitchcock watches something fall to the ground]
Alfred Hitchcock - Host: My, my. I seem to have made a faux pas. My friend was on the other end of that rope. Rotten luck. He was also my business partner, but the show must go on. Tonight, we are presenting a chilly little tale entitled "The Crystal Trench". It follows at a respectful distance.
- SoundtracksFuneral March of a Marionette
Written by Charles Gounod
Stirling Silliphant wrote this gem, along with nine others for the master of suspense.
Patricia Owens (best known for THE FLY), plays a young woman called Stella whose husband meets a tragic death mountain climbing, his body engulfed in a massive glacier. Two fascinating events to follow.
First, another gentleman, called Mark, enters her life soon after her husband dies, the one to break the news and who eventually falls in love with her.
Secondly, Stella refuses to do a thing, putting time on hold, awaiting the re-appearance of her husband's body once the glacier moves -- which according to scientific calculations will take about 40 years!
So she waits... and waits.
If this does not have "shades" of a real life Victorian story that inspired Charles Dickens. It was about a young woman whose husband also died suddenly. She would spend the rest of her life in mourning, and as if time stood still. Dickens it's believed based his tragic female character, Mrs. Havisham in GREAT EXPECTATIONS (who was instead left standing at the alter, wearing a rotting wedding gown for the rest of her life) on the event. Definitely a connection here, again thanks to Sterling Siliphant, who obviously did the research.
Two future tv stars add some spice to the story.
Warner Klemperer, with that distinctive personality, and Patrick Mcnee, playing the wise professor, a prelude to Steed on the AVENGERS.
Of course, Sterling Siliphant was a hero to all us kids, having created the greatest of tv road adventures, ROUTE 66, also the grandfather of cop shows, NAKED CITY. Siliphant was actually fired by Walt Disney and hired by Hitchcock, an interesting insider Hollywood story in itself. Sterling later wrote IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, THE ENFORCER, the list goes on... An imaginative writer, and with a real cool name we'll never forget.
Not to be missed. SEASON 5 EPISODE 2 remastered dvd box set. 5 dvds. Released 2012.
- tcchelsey
- May 17, 2024
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1