Alfred Hitchcock Had His Own Twilight Zone Before The Twilight Zone
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Alfred Hitchcock Had His Own ‘Twilight Zone’ Before 'The Twilight Zone'
"Good evening, I'm Alfred Hitchcock."
When you think of the godfather of horror anthology TV shows, your mind probably goes to Rod Serling for his work on The Twilight Zone, but what most people don't know is Alfred Hitchcock played the game first with Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a series that is perfect for fans of the Master of Suspense. Each episode is like a quick serving of the types of movies that he always directed, but with a way shorter runtime, and fun little bookend appearances from the man himself. Unlike The Twilight Zone, this series steers far away from science fiction and has fewer horror-centric episodes, typically falling into the thriller genre more than anything. If you're looking for short stories in the same vein as Rear Window or Dial M for Murder, then it looks like you've come to the right place.
Alfred Hitchcock Directed Many Movies Before His Anthology Series
By the mid-1950s, Alfred Hitchcock was already a few decades into a highly successful directing career, but he didn't come onto the scene as an overnight success. He spent his early years in the silent era, making dramas, romance films, and of course, thrillers. Unlike many others, he successfully transitioned from the silent era to sound pictures, when he really hit his stride. This is when films like the original The Man Who Knew Too Much and The 39 Steps came into play. By the time the 1940s rolled along, Hitchcock had become one of the more reliable studio directors in Hollywood, crafting several classics like Rebecca, Notorious, and Rope during this time. The '50s were different, though. If you're a movie fan, there's no way that you don't know these movies. We're talking about Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, and North by Northwest, just to name a few. And of course, sandwiched between all of this massive success was a television show — one that proved Hitchcock's status as a household name.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents first premiered on October 2, 1955, exactly four years before The Twilight Zone ever hit television. Hitchcock's series didn't have quite the variety of stories that Rod Serling's did, but in exchange, it regularly told suspense and thriller stories. This wasn't a show that simply used its filmmaker's name in the title and left it at that; every episode feels like a mini-feature crafted by the man himself. These were often episodes that had a simple hook to grab the audience immediately, an exciting guest star, and either a plot twist or some sort of shocking ending.
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For the first seven years, Alfred Hitchcock Presents aired short, 22-minute episodes, but in 1962, the series received a bit of a facelift. From '62 to '65, for its final three seasons, the show became The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Other than taking up a longer time slot, the general approach of the show remained the same. Hitchcock kicks every episode off with a much sillier intro than Rod Serling ever did, detailing everything to come with plenty of jokes locked and loaded, and comes back to close out the hour or half hour in the same way. A lot of the time, he even has little clever bits about upcoming commercials! This series shows a way goofier side of the Master of Suspense than we're used to.
Alfred Hitchcock Brings His Suspense to the Small Screen
The first episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents could not be more indicative of where the series would be headed. "Revenge" first aired on October 2, 1955, and plays out exactly like a 25-minute Hitchcock movie would. This episode was directed by the man himself, and stars Ralph Meeker and Vera Miles as a married couple, simply referred to as Carl and Elsa. One day while Carl is away at work, Elsa is attacked by an unseen intruder and left traumatized. That's when Carl decides to live up to the title of this episode and get revenge on the man who harmed his wife.
"Revenge" is the definition of a meat-and-potatoes thriller. Everything starts out way too idyllic for Carl and Elsa, both literally and speculatively. On one hand, these two reflect the 1950s in the most annoying way possible. Elsa is way too happy with being a "ditzy" wife who has nothing to talk about except for the cakes that she plans on baking that day. Meanwhile, Carl is the typical, nine-to-five, deep-voiced, authoritative husband. On the other hand, as soon as you lay eyes on this married couple, you know there's no way that they'll come out of this episode unscathed. They're just way, way too happy.
All of that being said, the way these two are set up feels intentional. Once Elsa has been traumatized and Carl vows vengeance on her attacker, their dynamic and demeanor change entirely, and you really start to feel Alfred Hitchcock behind the camera. Without spoiling anything, the episode goes out on a pretty grim note. "Revenge" has a rough start, but if you stick with it, you'll get everything that you'd hope. All in 25 minutes, too!
Vincent Price Stars in One of the Best ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ Episodes
Alfred Hitchcock might be known for the way that he ratchets up the tension with his pacing, camerawork, and keeping the threat of the story off-screen. He should have his skills as a director of dialogue scenes brought up more, though, and "The Perfect Crime" is a perfect example of that. This Season 3 episode stars the legendary Vincent Price as a famous detective named Charles Courtney, who is visited by John Gregory (James Gregory), a lawyer who is sure that Courtney convicted the wrong man to a death sentence. Over the next 25 minutes, Gregory breaks down the proof that he has of Courtney making the wrong choice, with the two going at each other's throats more and more as the episode goes on. "The Perfect Crime" feels a lot like a play, and it should be no surprise given the teleplay was written by the legendary Stirling Silliphant. Come to see Hitchcock expertly direct a fantastic script, and stay to hear Vincent Price run excellent dialogue for half an hour.
'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' Had Realistic Threats
This series isn't without its more intense episodes, and "Bang, You're Dead!" is proof of that. This episode follows Jackie Chester (played by Bill Mumy of the classic Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life"), a five-year-old boy who wears a cowboy hat and fires his cap gun off at everyone in sight. One day, Jackie looks through his uncle's suitcase and finds his revolver and a couple of bullets. He swaps the real gun out with his cap gun, loads it up with a few live rounds, and runs loose across the town.
This episode is Hitchcock executing his "bomb under the table" rule better than most others in the series. Jackie starts out with only one bullet in the gun, so every time he spins the chamber before pulling the trigger on someone, it's like a little game of Russian roulette. The thing is, Jackie puts an additional bullet in the gun every couple of minutes, so by the end of the episode, the gun is fully loaded, and he has less room to roll an empty chamber. You know that the gun is set to go off at any second, you just never know exactly when. Hitchcock also opens and closes the episode with a pretty serious warning about how careful people should be with their firearms, and that this episode is more of a cautionary tale than anything. No need to worry, this subject matter isn't treated lightly. If you need a good ticking time bomb episode, then check out "Bang, You're Dead!"
Clint Eastwood, William Friedkin, and Robert Redford Worked on Alfred Hitchcock's Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents was such a successful show that its creative reins didn't end with its titular filmmaker. Several directors who were soon to make a name for themselves helmed episodes, including Robert Altman, William Friedkin, and Stuart Roseman. Still, Hitchcock directed 17 episodes of his show. The show also boasted a large cast of guest actors over the years, including appearances from Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, Steve McQueen, and Robert Redford. If you need a new anthology series from the golden age of television, don't stop at The Twilight Zone. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (or The Alfred Hitchcock Hour) is a phenomenal show with ten years' worth of great thriller, horror, and suspense stories that are bound to put you in a similar eerie, atmospheric mood that Serling has always been given credit all the credit for. Plus, you get to spend a little bit of time with the man himself before and after each episode kicks off. What more could you want?
The Big Picture
- ▪ Alfred Hitchcock Presents is a horror anthology TV show that predates The Twilight Zone and is perfect for fans of Hitchcock's suspenseful films.
- ▪ The series consists of short episodes that typically fall into the thriller genre, with a focus on suspense and plot twists.
- ▪ Notable directors and actors, including Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford, worked on the show, making it a must-watch for fans of the golden age of television.
Sam Williamson is a senior writer for Collider as well as a musician and independent filmmaker.
Tags: Philosophy, Television, Philosophy Of Art, Zdot, Hitchcock, Adaptation, Zas