Product Description
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"Good evening…" With dramatic flourish, Master of Suspense Alfred
Hitchcock used these simple words to introduce all of his 39
timeless episodes of horror, mystery and intrigue in Alfred
Hitchcock Presents: Season Two, now available in a 5-disc
collection. Not only loved by millions of TV viewers around the
world, this legendary season also received three Emmy® awards as
well as a Golden Globe® for Television Achievement. Loaded with
twists, turns, and things that go "bump" in the night, these
classic half-hour tales of menace and mayhem feature such iconic
stars as Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Rip Torn, Vic Morrow, and
many more. It's time to tune in once more to the master
storyteller as he delights viewers with some of the most
deliciously wicked and chilling television ever aired!
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"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" appears to be the guiding
philosophy behind season 2 of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Like
season 1 ( /dp/B000AL733G ), these 39 episodes (totaling 16
hours, 52 minutes, and originally broadcast from September 30,
1956 to June 23, 1957) follow the established formula that made
the series so popular, with self-contained tales of murder,
suspense, and intrigue (mostly running about 26 minutes each)
based on short stories from a variety of new and established
writers in the mystery genre. (Many of these stories also found
their way into Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.) By
latter-day standards of intensity, most of these episodes play
like tame, parlor-trick mysteries or single-room chamber pieces
that accommodated the show's emphasis on budget-friendly
production values. Still, modern-day viewers can readily
appreciate the consistently high quality of writing, direction,
and performance, along with the droll, playful introductions by
Hitchcock himself, now fully established as a TV celebrity in
addition to his global accl as "the master of suspense."
(Ironically, Hitchcock's first-season jokes at the expense of
series sponsors are mostly missing here; apparently Hitchcock
agreed to his humor elsewhere.) With the release of season 2,
Universal has upgraded their disc format to appease fans who
complained about double-sided discs in season 1; these five discs
(eight episodes each, with seven on disc 5) are single-sided,
double-layered, and neatly presented with no-frills menus and
easy access to episodes. (Unfortunately, cast and credits are not
listed on the packaging, which includes brief plot synopses on
the inside slip-case.) Picture quality is uniformly crisp and
clean, and sound quality is mostly excellent, allowing for
somewhat lower volume on a few episodes (so turn 'em up). Another
improvement on these DVDs is the inclusion of four chapter stops
for each episode.
As with season 1, the season premiere ("Wet Saturday") was
directed by Hitchcock, who also helmed "Mr. Blanchard's Secret,"
the season highlight thriller "One More Mile to Go," and "The
Three Dreams of Mr. Findlater." It's no accident that these rank
among the finest episodes (Hitchcock enjoyed the speed and
economy of TV directing), but while there are a few misfires
along the way, most of these episodes adhere to the smart,
literate standard of the series. They're also an impressive
showcase for new and established actors from the twilight of
Hollywood's golden age: Seasoned veterans like Cedric Hardwicke,
Mildred Dunnock, Henry Jones, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Edmund
Gwenn, and Albert Salmi do fine work here, and the relative
newcomers include Rip Torn, William Shatner, Dick York, and
Robert Culp, among others. Of course, no crime could go
unpunished in '50 TV-land, so Hitchcock (in closing each episode)
assures us that all criminals were eventually brought to justice.
All in a day's work for Alfred Hitchcock Presents! --Jeff Shannon