After a lacklustre opener to the second season, "Guillotine" really got the series back into high gear. Another solid effort from director Ida Lupino, this Cornell Woolrich story is set in 1875 France, where convicted murderer Robert Lamont (Alejandro Rey), sentenced to death by beheading, implores his wife Babette (Danielle De Metz) to make certain the executioner will not complete his task. Robert Middleton, previously seen in "The Fingers of Fear," plays the unsuspecting executioner, Monsieur De Paris, while other roles are essayed by such familiar faces as Peter Brocco, Louis Mercier, and Marcel Hillaire (LOST IN SPACE). Danielle De Metz had previously appeared in 1959's "Return of the Fly," while Alejandro Rey would go on to play another doomed character in "La Strega," opposite a young unknown named Ursula Andress.
7 Reviews
Great twist
collings50019 September 2019
This episode is very good, as long as one does not look for perfect logic throughout. Unlike a lot of the Thriller episodes, this one does not rely upon any supernatural twists, and one is left wondering right up to the last second...will he be executed or won't he? The guillotine is a perfect, dramatic, "visual" motif here, and the suspense and the atmosphere of doom is very well done by director Ida Lupino. The ending is perfect. Thumbs up!
"It is said he would not willingly hurt a cockroach."
classicsoncall16 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Robert Middleton was just perfect for certain roles, and here he's at his best as a worldly gentleman who just happens to also be an executioner. You know, of the guillotine type, who performs his duties at the crack of dawn to put heinous criminals out of their misery. I thought it rather unique that he provided his own special blade for the occasion. I wonder if that was standard operating procedure for Seventeenth Century France.
The victim in this case, Robert Lamont (Alejandro Rey), is betting on his wife (Danielle De Metz) to incapacitate the grim reaper so he can live to see another day. Apparently if the executioner cannot keep his appointment with the guillotine, the intended victim must be set free. Again, not being up on my executioner lore, I don't know if this was customary or simply concocted for the story, but it had you wondering how things would play out.
But you know, this looked like a tough crowd. I hazard to think what might have occurred if the sentence on Lamont failed to carry out. For her part, Babette got a pass after Monsieur de Paris (Middleton) confronted her for his unusually sudden illness. It would have been interesting to see her in the sequel as the woman who lost her head over her man.
The victim in this case, Robert Lamont (Alejandro Rey), is betting on his wife (Danielle De Metz) to incapacitate the grim reaper so he can live to see another day. Apparently if the executioner cannot keep his appointment with the guillotine, the intended victim must be set free. Again, not being up on my executioner lore, I don't know if this was customary or simply concocted for the story, but it had you wondering how things would play out.
But you know, this looked like a tough crowd. I hazard to think what might have occurred if the sentence on Lamont failed to carry out. For her part, Babette got a pass after Monsieur de Paris (Middleton) confronted her for his unusually sudden illness. It would have been interesting to see her in the sequel as the woman who lost her head over her man.
Plausibility & Peine de Mort
pap23481 July 2012
After the Reign of Terror and the general bloodletting of the Napoleonic wars, French juries reserved the death penalty for particularly heinous offenses. From the context of a killing resulting from a crime of passion it is unlikely that this would be an appropriate punishment. French bureaucracy, however, makes the central argument likely. The Sanson family were chief executioners from before the time of Armand du Plessis (for whom they executed Cinq-Mars) through the Terror and the Napoleonic era. It is likely that the blade would be akin to the sword and would be considered a tool of the trade belonging only to that "craftsman". As such it could not be used by another. Also, the death of the executioner would suggest a divine intervention--a trial by ordeal.
The Executioner
AaronCapenBanner31 October 2014
Set in 1875 France, this episode deals with a condemned man(played by Alejandro Rey) awaiting execution on the guillotine who learns of a legal loophole that if his appointed executioner dies before sentence is carried out, he will receive a full pardon. He then enlists the aid of his wife Babette(played by Danielle DeMetz) to insinuate herself into the life of the executioner(played by Robert Middleton) by whatever means necessary, and poison him, which does succeed, but that in no way means that the condemned will be spared... Stylish episode has fine direction and period flavor, even if the fate of the characters isn't terribly compelling, though the ending is most ironic.
Very Predictable Episode/Still Fun
Hitchcoc28 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A man who killed his wife's lover is sentenced to die in 19th century France. He watches as those around him are taken to the Guillotine. Monsieur Paris is the executioner. He is a rather plain man, hated by much of the citizenry. The convicted has one hope. If the executioner dies before a replacement can be named, the next to be killed will be freed. This man makes a deal with his wife. She is to kill the executioner on the eve of her lover's date with the Guillotine. She come on to him and manages to poison him. Now the suspense starts. The guy has an amazing constitution and is able to head toward the scaffold. Meanwhile, our hero is totally smug because he has received news from his wife that he won't be harmed. The conclusion is pretty easy to figure out. Still, there is a sense of tension all the way through.
Not especially logical.
planktonrules23 October 2018
This story is set in the 19th century. Robert (Alejandro Rey) is about to be executed in France. However, he sees a potential loophole. If the executioner is dead....they won't execute him! So, he explains this to his wife and asks her to arrange some 'accident' for the man!
There are a few interesting things about this episode. First, the introduction by Boris Karloff is much better than usual and is rather fun. Second, this one brings back Alejandro Rey, Robert Middleton and the director, Ida Lupino--all of which were in other episodes in the series.
I thought there were some very silly story elements in this one. First, I have a very hard time believing that in France if the executioner dies, the next scheduled man to be executed is set free. That just doesn't make sense--especially since folks would have been murdering executioners all the time! betrays self! Second, even if it was true, the condemned man was so cocky that folks would know he had the executioner murdered! Logic just isn't in abundance in this one...despite some really nice acting by Middleton in this one.
There are a few interesting things about this episode. First, the introduction by Boris Karloff is much better than usual and is rather fun. Second, this one brings back Alejandro Rey, Robert Middleton and the director, Ida Lupino--all of which were in other episodes in the series.
I thought there were some very silly story elements in this one. First, I have a very hard time believing that in France if the executioner dies, the next scheduled man to be executed is set free. That just doesn't make sense--especially since folks would have been murdering executioners all the time! betrays self! Second, even if it was true, the condemned man was so cocky that folks would know he had the executioner murdered! Logic just isn't in abundance in this one...despite some really nice acting by Middleton in this one.
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