Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS SEASON TWO

ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS Season Two. 

The second season of Hitch's half hour series -- not to be confused with The Alfred Hitchcock Hour although it often is -- presents more interesting stories of the macabre and dark humor with more hits than misses [although the final dozen or so episodes all fall kind of flat despite some interesting premises]. Jessica Tandy gives an excellent performance as a nervous mother with a secret in "Toby." Dorothy Stickney and Carmen Mathews have a "Conversation over a Corpse." "Jonathan" is an intriguing, hard-hitting story about the rivalry between a son (the excellent Corey Allen) and his father's new wife. In The Rose Garden" with John Williams, Patricia Collinge writes a book about her brother-in-law's murder, which certainly upsets her domineering sister. "A Bottle of Wine" pits Herbert Marshall against his wife's lover and "The End of Indian Summer" stars Gladys Cooper as a widow who may be the next target of a con man. Claude Rains offers a superb performance as a desperate actor in "Cream of the Jest." To read about season one of the show, click here

Verdict: More black comedy and chills from the Master. ***.

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