Posted: May 18th, 2007, 4:59 pm
Hi John!
Those Hitchcock television shows are among the finest filmed dramas of the period--period! But do you recall another series that Hitchcock produced called "Suspicion"? It was an hour-long anthology series which ran for only one season (1957-58) putting it in direct competition with the far more popular "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." Hitch didn't introduce the "Suspicion" episodes (actor Dennis O'Keefe handled those chores, but he produced and occasionally directed.) The most memorable episode was "Four O'Clock" which was adapted from a short story by Cornell ("Rear Window") Woolrich and directed by Hitchcock himself! (I had the pleasure of watching a film collector's personal 35mm print of this hour long show twice recently, once in San Francisco and again in LA; in so many respects it is nothing less than a "lost Hitchcock film.") E. G. Marshall stars as an unbalanced man who plots to kill his wife (Nancy Kelly) by planting a time bomb in their home. The twist comes when Marshall becomes trapped in the house...with the minutes ticking away. It's a real tour-de-force of suspense and typically dark Hitchcock humor! The series never went into syndication due to the fact that it only ran for one season. It would be a real treat to see them someday released on DVD.
Those Hitchcock television shows are among the finest filmed dramas of the period--period! But do you recall another series that Hitchcock produced called "Suspicion"? It was an hour-long anthology series which ran for only one season (1957-58) putting it in direct competition with the far more popular "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." Hitch didn't introduce the "Suspicion" episodes (actor Dennis O'Keefe handled those chores, but he produced and occasionally directed.) The most memorable episode was "Four O'Clock" which was adapted from a short story by Cornell ("Rear Window") Woolrich and directed by Hitchcock himself! (I had the pleasure of watching a film collector's personal 35mm print of this hour long show twice recently, once in San Francisco and again in LA; in so many respects it is nothing less than a "lost Hitchcock film.") E. G. Marshall stars as an unbalanced man who plots to kill his wife (Nancy Kelly) by planting a time bomb in their home. The twist comes when Marshall becomes trapped in the house...with the minutes ticking away. It's a real tour-de-force of suspense and typically dark Hitchcock humor! The series never went into syndication due to the fact that it only ran for one season. It would be a real treat to see them someday released on DVD.