"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955)TV series 1955-1962

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

2 October 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock presents several short stories. The stories are invariably surprising...

Plot Keywords:

Morbid | Shocking | Black Humor | Murder | Twist

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Alfred Hitchcock

...

Himself - Host / ... (268 episodes, 1955-1962)

(more)

Series Directed by
Robert Stevens		(44 episodes, 1955-1961)
Paul Henreid		(28 episodes, 1957-1962)
Herschel Daugherty		(24 episodes, 1956-1962)
Norman Lloyd		(19 episodes, 1958-1962)
Alfred Hitchcock		(17 episodes, 1955-1961)
Arthur Hiller		(17 episodes, 1958-1961)
Alan Crosland Jr.		(16 episodes, 1960-1962)
James Neilson		(12 episodes, 1956-1958)
Jus Addiss		(10 episodes, 1955-1957)
John Brahm		(10 episodes, 1959-1961)
Robert Stevenson		(7 episodes, 1955-1959)
Don Taylor		(7 episodes, 1957-1959)
Don Weis		(5 episodes, 1955-1962)
Robert Florey		(5 episodes, 1961-1962)
Stuart Rosenberg		(4 episodes, 1959-1960)
Bernard Girard		(4 episodes, 1962)
John Newland		(4 episodes, 1962)
Jules Bricken		(3 episodes, 1956-1957)
John Meredyth Lucas		(3 episodes, 1956-1957)
Boris Sagal		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Don Medford		(2 episodes, 1955)
Francis M. Cockrell		(2 episodes, 1956)
Robert Altman		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Leonard Horn		(2 episodes, 1959-1962)
Paul Almond		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
Bretaigne Windust		(2 episodes, 1959)
Ida Lupino		(2 episodes, 1960-1961)
George Stevens Jr.		(2 episodes, 1960-1961)

Series Writing credits
Henry Slesar		(36 episodes, 1957-1962)
Robert C. Dennis		(31 episodes, 1955-1959)
Francis M. Cockrell		(18 episodes, 1955-1959)
Bernard C. Schoenfeld		(16 episodes, 1956-1960)
James P. Cavanagh		(15 episodes, 1956-1962)
William Fay		(14 episodes, 1958-1962)
Marian B. Cockrell		(11 episodes, 1955-1960)
Stirling Silliphant		(11 episodes, 1956-1959)
Harold Swanton		(10 episodes, 1955-1962)
Robert Bloch		(10 episodes, 1960-1962)
Sarett Rudley		(9 episodes, 1956-1959)
Joel Murcott		(9 episodes, 1957-1962)
Stanley Ellin		(8 episodes, 1956-1962)
John Collier		(7 episodes, 1956-1961)
Bill S. Ballinger		(7 episodes, 1959-1961)
Victor Wolfson		(6 episodes, 1956-1960)
Roald Dahl		(6 episodes, 1958-1961)
Bryce Walton		(6 episodes, 1959-1962)
Halsted Welles		(6 episodes, 1959-1962)
Ray Bradbury		(5 episodes, 1956-1962)
Alec Coppel		(5 episodes, 1957-1958)
C.B. Gilford		(4 episodes, 1956-1958)
Fredric Brown		(4 episodes, 1957-1959)
Jerry Sohl		(4 episodes, 1959-1961)
Helen Nielsen		(4 episodes, 1960-1961)
Richard Carr		(3 episodes, 1955-1956)
Stacy Aumonier		(3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Andrew Solt		(3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Cornell Woolrich		(3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Thomas Burke		(3 episodes, 1956-1957)
Emily Neff		(3 episodes, 1956-1957)
Evan Hunter		(3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Roy Vickers		(3 episodes, 1957-1958)
Irving Elman		(3 episodes, 1958-1962)
Margaret Manners		(3 episodes, 1958-1960)
Kathleen Hite		(3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Talmage Powell		(3 episodes, 1959-1962)
Charlotte Armstrong		(3 episodes, 1960)
Allan Vaughan Elston		(2 episodes, 1955-1956)
Norman Daniels		(2 episodes, 1956-1962)
Gwen Bagni		(2 episodes, 1956)
Eustace Cockrell		(2 episodes, 1956)
Irwin Gielgud		(2 episodes, 1956)
Joseph Ruscoll		(2 episodes, 1956)
A.J. Russell		(2 episodes, 1956)
Frank Gabrielson		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Lawrence Treat		(2 episodes, 1957-1958)
A.A. Milne		(2 episodes, 1957)
F.J. Smith		(2 episodes, 1957)
Robert Arthur		(2 episodes, 1958-1961)
Rose Simon Kohn		(2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Casey Robinson		(2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Jay Folb		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
Albert Lewin		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
Burt Styler		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
Robert Turner		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
William O'Farrell		(2 episodes, 1959)
John Cheever		(2 episodes, 1960)
Allan Gordon		(2 episodes, 1960)
Thomas Grant		(2 episodes, 1960)
Eli Jerome		(2 episodes, 1960)
John T. Kelley		(2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Richard Levinson		(2 episodes, 1961-1962)
William Link		(2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Nicholas Monsarrat		(2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Calvin Clements Sr.		(2 episodes, 1961)

Series Produced by
Joan Harrison	....	producer / associate producer (253 episodes, 1955-1962)
Norman Lloyd	....	associate producer (170 episodes, 1957-1962)
Alfred Hitchcock	....	executive producer / producer (68 episodes, 1955-1962)

Series Cinematography by
John L. Russell		(67 episodes, 1955-1962)
Reggie Lanning		(55 episodes, 1955-1958)
John F. Warren		(48 episodes, 1957-1962)
Lionel Lindon		(32 episodes, 1957-1960)
Neal Beckner		(26 episodes, 1960-1962)
Dale Deverman		(11 episodes, 1961-1962)
Lester Shorr		(2 episodes, 1955-1957)
Ellsworth Fredericks		(2 episodes, 1957)
Joseph LaShelle		(2 episodes, 1957)
Benjamin H. Kline		(2 episodes, 1961)

Series Film Editing by
Edward W. Williams		(251 episodes, 1955-1962)

Series Art Direction by
John J. Lloyd		(125 episodes, 1956-1962)
Martin Obzina		(115 episodes, 1955-1962)
Arthur Lonergan		(6 episodes, 1958-1959)
George Patrick		(2 episodes, 1956-1960)
John Meehan		(2 episodes, 1958-1960)

Series Set Decoration by
James Redd		(102 episodes, 1955-1962)
John McCarthy Jr.		(75 episodes, 1959-1962)
Julia Heron		(42 episodes, 1959-1962)
George Milo		(20 episodes, 1958-1960)
Glen Daniels		(20 episodes, 1961-1962)
Rudy Butler		(12 episodes, 1960-1961)
James M. Walters Sr.		(9 episodes, 1956-1959)
Perry Murdock		(7 episodes, 1956-1957)
Ralph Sylos		(7 episodes, 1956-1957)
James M. Walters		(6 episodes, 1957-1961)
Jerry Welch		(5 episodes, 1955-1956)
Hal Gausman		(4 episodes, 1960)
Mac Mulcahy		(3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Fred M. MacLean		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)

Series Costume Design by
Vincent Dee		(6 episodes, 1958-1960)

Series Makeup Department
Florence Bush	....	hair stylist (215 episodes, 1956-1962)
Jack Barron	....	makeup artist (204 episodes, 1956-1962)
Leo Lotito Jr.	....	makeup artist (21 episodes, 1955-1960)
Robert Dawn	....	makeup artist (11 episodes, 1957-1962)
William Oakley	....	makeup artist (10 episodes, 1955-1956)
Ted Coodley	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1955)
Gary Morris	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1955)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hilton A. Green	....	assistant director (35 episodes, 1956-1960)
James Hogan	....	assistant director (24 episodes, 1955-1962)
Richard Birnie	....	assistant director (21 episodes, 1955-1957)
James H. Brown	....	assistant director (17 episodes, 1958-1962)
Ronald R. Rondell	....	assistant director (16 episodes, 1956-1961)
Frank Fox	....	assistant director (14 episodes, 1958-1962)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1959-1962)
Charles S. Gould	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1957-1962)
George Lollier	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1957-1958)
James Nicholson	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1956-1957)
Jack Doran	....	assistant director (8 episodes, 1960-1962)
Jack Corrick	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1955-1956)
George Bisk	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1959-1962)
Ben Bishop	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1958-1962)
Carter DeHaven	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1960-1961)
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1961-1962)
Will Sheldon	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1957-1960)
Edward K. Dodds	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1959-1962)
Nat Holt Jr.	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1961-1962)
Frank Losee	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1960-1961)
John Clarke Bowman	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Jack Voglin	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1955-1956)
Dolph Zimmer	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1958)
Milton Carter	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1959-1960)
William Dorfman	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1960)
Lester Wm. Berke	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Henry Kline	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1961)

Series Sound Department
Stephen Bass	....	sound (34 episodes, 1956-1959)
Earl Crain Jr.	....	sound (22 episodes, 1956-1962)
William Russell	....	sound (22 episodes, 1959-1962)
William H. Lynch	....	sound (20 episodes, 1955-1961)
Earl Crain Sr.	....	sound (18 episodes, 1956-1961)
David H. Moriarty	....	sound (16 episodes, 1956-1962)
Hugh McDowell Jr.	....	sound (15 episodes, 1955-1956)
Melvin M. Metcalfe Sr.	....	sound (14 episodes, 1956-1961)
John C. Grubb	....	sound (13 episodes, 1957-1960)
Frank H. Wilkinson	....	sound (10 episodes, 1959-1962)
Lyle Cain	....	sound (8 episodes, 1960-1962)
John W. Rixey	....	sound (8 episodes, 1961-1962)
Richard Tyler	....	sound (6 episodes, 1956-1957)
Joe Lapis	....	sound (5 episodes, 1960-1961)
William Brady	....	sound (4 episodes, 1955-1956)
Robert R. Bertrand	....	sound (4 episodes, 1961-1962)
John F. Kean	....	sound (3 episodes, 1958)
Vernon W. Kramer	....	sound (3 episodes, 1960-1961)
Edwin J. Somers Jr.	....	sound (3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Roy Meadows	....	sound (2 episodes, 1959-1962)
Herbert Alberty	....	sound (2 episodes, 1961)
Harry Smith	....	sound (2 episodes, 1961)

Series Stunts
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunt double: Scott McKay (1 episode, 1958)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vincent Dee	....	wardrobe supervisor / costume supervisor / ... (245 episodes, 1955-1962)

Series Editorial Department
Richard G. Wray	....	editorial supervisor / supervising editor / ... (164 episodes, 1955-1960)
David J. O'Connell	....	editorial supervisor / editorial department head (87 episodes, 1960-1962)

Series Music Department
Joseph E. Romero	....	music supervisor (86 episodes, 1960-1962)
Stanley Wilson	....	music supervisor (82 episodes, 1955-1957)
Frederick Herbert	....	music supervisor (49 episodes, 1958-1960)
Charles Gounod	....	composer: theme "Funeral March of a Marionette" (3 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Other crew
Hilton A. Green	....	assistant to director (2 episodes, 1956-1957)

Production Companies

• Revue Studios (1955-1963)
• Shamley Productions
• Universal TV (1963-1965)

Distributors

• CBS Television (1955-1960) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Revue Productions Inc. (1955) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1960-1962) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Laserlight Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD) (episode "The Sorceror's Apprentice", 1962)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Nelonen (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Studios USA Television (????) (USA) (TV)
• Universal TV (????) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

30 min (266 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios/CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Revue Studios

Trivia:

Walt Disney refused to allow Alfred Hitchcock to film at Disneyland in the early 1960s because Hitchcock had made "that disgusting movie Psycho (1960)”. Hitchcock's intended project is unidentified at this time, but it may have been for an episode of his TV series.

Quotes:

[Hitchcock arrives for his introduction dressed in a safari outfit and pith helmet]
Himself - Host: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to darkest Hollywood. Night brings a stillness to the jungle. It is so quiet, you can hear a name drop. The savage beasts have already begun gathering at the water holes to quench their thirst. Now one should be especially alert. The vicious table-hopper is on the prowl, and the spotted back-biter may lurk behind a potted palm. To take me through this most savage of lands, I have hired a native guide.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tripping the Rift: Ghost Ship (#2.4)" (2005)

A Sneaky Revolutionary

1950's television was pretty bland by almost any yardstick. That's not to say that certain series, such as the early Gunsmoke, were not daring and edgy in their own way. Or that the early I Love Lucy did not have its hilarious moments. However the governing concepts were unadventurous at best, or just plain dull, at worst. After all, no matter how good some of the episodes, bringing law and order to the Old West or following the humorous escapades of a zany housewife were not exactly novel concepts in TV programming.

Two series, however, did come along to challenge convention. The Twilight Zone, at decade's end, attacked frontally with huge doses of imagination and exotic story-lines that often overwhelmed viewers, thereby opening American living-rooms to the expanding world of unthought-of possibilities. It was, and remains, a classic appreciated by young and old alike. However, the other ground-breaking series did not attack frontally. Instead, in true stealthy fashion, it snuck past the guardians of Good Taste and Morality, otherwise known as the department of Standards and Practices. That's probably because each episode was introduced by a funny-looking fat guy with a British accent, who came out to crack a few bad jokes and abuse the sponsors. Who could suspect that what followed such a slow-talking Humpty-Dumpty would subtly undermine some of TV's most entrenched conventions.

Yet that's exactly what the Hitchcock half-hours did. Perhaps the most subversive change lay in the series's really sneaky treatment of wrong-doers. To that point, convention insisted that culprits be apprehended on screen, the better to teach the audience that Crime Doesn't Pay. And while that may have conveyed a comforting societal message, it also made for a very predictable and boring climax to even the best stories. What the Hitchcock show did that was slyly revolutionary was to transpose the comeuppance from the story to Hitchcock's often humorous epilogue. There the audience would learn that the culprit was duly punished and that justice had once again prevailed, apparently enough to keep the censors of the day at bay. So the story-line might end on screen with a grotesque murder, while only later would the audience be told by Hitchcock that justice had indeed caught up. Maybe that seems like just a minor change. But in fact, it was highly significant. For now the audience could follow plot developments, without knowing how the story itself would end, while the deadening element of predictability was transferred to the easily ignored epilogue. It was a truly ground-breaking event in the evolution of TV.

All in all, that element of uncertainty made for the kind of programming that continues to entertain, even into today's super-charged era of technicolor and relaxed censorship. It also accounts largely for why Hitchcock Presents remains one of the few series from that long-ago time to still be re-run. There were other sly subversive wrinkles such as the black humor that sometimes accompanied the most heinous crimes. Or the subtle insistence that murder often begins at home. In fact, the series as a whole managed to mirror much of Hitchcock's movie-making personality, which suggests the producers (Norman Lloyd and Joan Harrison) were very protective of what the Hitchcock brand name implied. Anyway, like any other series, some episodes were better than others, but only rarely did one really disappoint. In fact, the high quality remained surprisingly steady throughout the half-hour run, before dropping off noticeably during the over-stretched hour-long version.

Some of my favorites: "Mr. Pelham" (good semi sc-fi); "The Creeper" (suspense & fine acting); "The Glass Eye" ( well-done horror); "Back for Christmas" (typical Hitchcock irony); "Poison" (you'll sweat a bucket load); "Design for Loving" (off-beat premise well executed); "Human Interest Story" (Hitchcock meets the Twilight Zone); "Special Delivery" (truly spooky); "Specialty of the House" (It ain't Mc Donalds); "Breakdown" (Why don't they hear me?), and anything with the deliciously repulsive Robert Emhardt.

I'm sure there are many others not so fresh in my memory. Anyway, in my book, a big thanks is due Alfred Hitchcock for doing something no other movie heavy-weight of the time was willing to do. He risked his big league reputation by squeezing into millions of little black boxes once a week for seven years to bring the audience outstanding entertainment. His snooty peers may have sneered, but generations of grateful viewers have since proved him right.