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Alfred Hitchcock Presents
S1.E39
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
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IMDbPro

Momentum

  • Episode aired Jun 24, 1956
  • TV-14
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
800
YOUR RATING
Skip Homeier and Joanne Woodward in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)
CrimeDramaMysteryThriller

Richard Paine decides to steal money from his boss that he has owed him for months, and it turns into an unnecessary and ironic murder.Richard Paine decides to steal money from his boss that he has owed him for months, and it turns into an unnecessary and ironic murder.Richard Paine decides to steal money from his boss that he has owed him for months, and it turns into an unnecessary and ironic murder.

  • Director
    • Robert Stevens
  • Writers
    • Francis M. Cockrell
    • Cornell Woolrich
  • Stars
    • Alfred Hitchcock
    • Skip Homeier
    • Joanne Woodward
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    800
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Stevens
    • Writers
      • Francis M. Cockrell
      • Cornell Woolrich
    • Stars
      • Alfred Hitchcock
      • Skip Homeier
      • Joanne Woodward
    • 11User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos4

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    Top cast17

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    Alfred Hitchcock
    Alfred Hitchcock
    • Self - Host
    Skip Homeier
    Skip Homeier
    • Richard Paine
    Joanne Woodward
    Joanne Woodward
    • Beth Paine
    Ken Christy
    Ken Christy
    • A.T. Burroughs
    Henry Hunter
    Henry Hunter
    • Finance Company Agent
    Mike Ragan
    Mike Ragan
    • Cab Driver
    William Newell
    William Newell
    • Charlie
    • (as Billy Newell)
    Frank Kreig
    • Martin the Janitor
    • (as Frank Krieg)
    Harry Tyler
    Harry Tyler
    • Apartment Hunter
    Jack Tesler
    • Newspaper Man
    Dorothy Crehan
    • Woman
    Don Dillaway
    Don Dillaway
    • Policeman
    Patricia Knox
    Patricia Knox
    • Woman at Bus Stop
    John Lehman
    • Man at Bus Stop
    • (as John Lehmann)
    Joe Gilbert
    • Motorist
    • (as Joseph Gilbert)
    Myron Cook
    • Man in Bar
    Paul Frees
    Paul Frees
    • Radio Announcer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Stevens
    • Writers
      • Francis M. Cockrell
      • Cornell Woolrich
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews11

    7.2800
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    10

    Featured reviews

    9planktonrules

    Exquisitely written.

    In 1957, Joanne Woodward had a breakout role in "The Three Faces of Eve"...and she won the Oscar for best actress for her excellent acting. Before then, Woodward had been very popular as a TV actress...but no especially famous. Well, "Momentum" came out a year before Woodward shot to fame.

    The star of this episode is Skip Homeier, who plays Richard Paine. The Paine's are in a serious financial condition. While Richard is owed a lot of money, getting him to pay up has been difficult. So Richard plans something foolish...to sneak into the boss' house and take the money. When he does this, the boss shows up and pulls a gun. In the struggle, the boss is killed...and Richard is desperate. He contacts his wife (Woodward) and tells her to meet him at the bus station and to buy tickets for them to go to San Diego, since it's so close to Mexico. But things get worse...and Richard digs his hole even deeper. Now everyone is looking for the guy and he ends up getting shot as well! Is there any hope for the guy?

    The ending of this was brilliant and made the episode. The point of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" is the twist ending, though quite a few episodes fall flat instead of delivering on this...but not with "Momentum"...it's really an exceptional episode...one you really should see.
    9TheLittleSongbird

    Doesn't lose momentum

    Season 1 of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' was not a bad first season at all. In fact it was pretty solid and interesting, if not consistent. There are brilliant episodes, such as "Breakdown", "And So Died Riabouchinska", "The Case of Mr Pelham" and "The Creeper". But also some mediocre at best ones, such as "Triggers in Leash", "Shopping for Death" and especially "The Hidden Thing". There were also a few successful changes of pace, such as "Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid".

    What a wonderful way to end Season 1. Although "Momentum" is one of those episodes that is not going to be for all, it certainly did it for me and it is up there among the best. Whether it does the original story justice is up for debate, but as somebody who has always judged adaptations on their own terms rather than dismiss adaptations when they deviate in any way from the source material. While it may not quite have the same atmosphere as the original story, "Momentum" is bleak and unsettling in its own way.

    It looks fine, with some suitably eerie and bleak imagery that matches the story's very well indeed. "Funeral March of a Marionette" has a devillish yet ironic quality that is in perfect keeping with the tone of the series. Have always gotten a kick out of Hitchcock's bookending, did say in my first couple of reviews for the series that the quality of his bookends varied but in the case of Season 1 that opinion has changed.

    Robert Stevens does one of his better directing jobs of Season 1, and his best since "Never Again", another unsettling episode. Especially towards the end, where some suspenseful touches can be seen. The script intrigues and doesn't ramble and the story is disturbingly bleak and very creepy, really did get the chills towards the end (which is one of the best ones of Season 1).

    Furthermore, Skip Homeier and especially Joanne Woodward do great jobs in their psychologically fascinating roles. The psychology of their characters adds a lot to the unsettlement.

    My one complaint is moments of lagging pacing in the middle.

    Otherwise, to me this was wonderful. 9/10.
    7elo-equipamentos

    Mankind at Rat's race is a trap for those less informed in the edge of the foolishness!!!

    Hitchcock introduces what's coming next in ironic mood as always, using a great eye on the wall, looking all us momentum like a rat's race, Joanne Woodward and Skip Homeier as top billing casting in this depressing episode about a young couple in financial trouble due since Richard Paine (Skip Homeier) left his last job didn't got any work to supply his house, however his last Boss owe him 450 dollars, his wife Beth Paine (Woodward) demands him looking for him settled the score due he sold his company lately, thus his Boss has the enough money to afford the debts.

    Who knows why Richard tries borrow some money of a gabling bartender, which lost the bet in the wrong horse, the he head to his Boss's house decided to asking the money for all means, when he reach there, his Boss is talking to someone and gave a sum of money withdrawn from a iron box at his home-office, Richard hidden around the house waiting for the guest leaves the house, the he enters stealthily through the window in order to takes his money from there.

    Sadly his Boss caught him in the act with a gun and tries call the police, Richard then holds him, in this struggles the Boss is deadly shot by his own gun, Richard in panic disappears and go back at his apartment having mind an escape to Mexico, even Beth trying tells him something the freak out Richard is out of control and is suspicious of everyone, sending his wife waiting him at bus station, when someone knock at his door another misunderstanding gonna happen, letting Richard deadly wounded, when he finally reach at bus station a whole thing is clarified, however too late.

    Hitch in this tragic story allude the rush by survival that ravages the mankind in its lifestyle like a Rat's race.

    Thanks for reading.

    Resume:

    First watch: 2022 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25.
    dougdoepke

    The Wife Can Handle It

    Though the ending proves nicely ironical, the episode itself remains curiously flat. Young husband Skip Homeier wants to join the urban rat-race since he and long-suffering wife Joanne Woodward are perilously in debt. But he has no luck finding employment. Desperate, he goes to collect money still owed him from an old employer. Unfortunately, events plunge into a downslide from that point on-- hence, the title "Momentum".

    Homeier made his mark playing ruthless young punks, and is well-cast since he can generate the appearance of a bomb about to go off . And looking like the little Dutch boy, Woodward plays her part of the drab housewife with an appropriate lack of color. So why does the entry lack excitement or suspense once the plot thickens. I expect it's because director Robert Stevens never gets the material to gel in an involving way. We remain spectators to the drama rather than participants. I can't help noticing the segment was made in 1955, but wasn't aired until mid-'56 and as the last episode of that season. To me, that suggests the producers too were disappointed with the results. All in all-- of interest to fans of early Woodward
    7Hitchcoc

    Nice to See Joanne Woodward

    This is one of those episodes where you would like to crawl into the screen and start straightening things out. First of all, the husband is, in many ways, about as wimpy as you can get. They have no food, but he doesn't have the guts to talk to a man who owes him dearly. He would rather get himself involved in a convoluted plot to get the money, breaking and entering and destroying his life in the process. It's a bit much. I noticed that when this episode is written about, the Joanne Woodward character is described as a nagging wife. Other than quietly urging him to be a man and take care of his family, she is much kinder that she needs to be. With the death of Paul Neuman, it was nice to see his wife in some of her earlier work. Anyway, about all the young man has left is to run away, no plan, no end in mind. She tries to stay with him. Unfortunately, there is an even bigger fly in the ointment.

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      One of the few times where Hitchcock does not end with "goodnight".
    • Goofs
      During Richard's ride in the taxi cab, inside shots show the gear shift lever in the "park" position while being driven.
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Alfred Hitchcock: Did you ever have the feeling that you were being watched?

      [Hitchcock glances behind at a large eye above him on the wall]

      Alfred Hitchcock: Observe closely. No eyelid. He never sleeps. Obviously, an ideal audience. Unfortunately, he doesn't watch television. That's true. He isn't watching me, he's watching you, to see if you're watching me. Please don't misunderstand. I love television, as a performer, that is.

      [gestures briefly with his finger]

      Alfred Hitchcock: But I feel the wrong person is being paid. Actors receive salaries, but their viewers, the people who do the really hard work, don't make a cent. It seems to me that television is exactly like a gun.

      [Hitchcock pulls out a revolver and points it at the camera]

      Alfred Hitchcock: Your enjoyment of it is determined by which end of it you're on.

      [holds the gun in both hands]

      Alfred Hitchcock: Tonight, we plan to tell a story about this gun and what a very ordinary man did with it in the course of 24 hours.

    • Soundtracks
      Funeral March of a Marionette
      Written by Charles Gounod

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 24, 1956 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Republic Studios - 4024 Radford Avenue, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Shamley Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      30 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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