An American journalist meets a soccer star while traveling behind the Iron Curtain, but then is arrested as a suspected smuggler.An American journalist meets a soccer star while traveling behind the Iron Curtain, but then is arrested as a suspected smuggler.An American journalist meets a soccer star while traveling behind the Iron Curtain, but then is arrested as a suspected smuggler.
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWerner Klemperer and John Banner, European Jews from Germany and Austria, respectively, would later appear together in Hogan's Heroes (1965). Werner was the son of acclaimed composer-conductor Otto Klemperer and came from Köln, Germany. Johann Banner came from Vienna, Austria.
- GoofsAll of the Europeans say "soccer", whereas in reality Europeans call the sport "football".
- Quotes
[first lines]
[Hitchcock is standing by a pool table and wearing an eye-patch]
Himself - Host: Oh, good evening. You know, uh, this came as somewhat of a surprise to me. I was under the impression that all pool tables were kidney-shaped. I guess that's only true in Hollywood. Our story tonight will be in a somewhat different vein. It is a tale of mystery and intrigue on a transcontinental express. It is called... The title seems to have slipped my mind. It's, um...
[man enters with a pool cue and taps the end of it, significantly]
Man with Pool Cue: You've, uh, dropped your cue.
[hands Hitchcock the cue and walks off. Hitchcock unscrews the end of cue, takes out a piece of paper and reads it]
Himself - Host: The title of tonight's play is "Safe Conduct."
[looks off stage in the direction of where the man with pool cue walked off]
Himself - Host: Thank you very much.
- SoundtracksFuneral March of a Marionette
Written by Charles Gounod
Mary Prescott (Trevor) is an American journalist who has been behind the Iron Curtain interviewing the president of some communist country. However, she ends up being duped into smuggling...and a staged investigation occurs. Obviously, these officials want to create some sort of international incident. Is there any hope for the lady or is she gulag-bound?
This episode is clearly a sign of the times. Things were very tense with the Soviet-bloc nations and this came just a few years after the Red Scare of the late 40s and early 50s. As such, it really didn't fit into the style of programs on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". It also had a very long and talky finale. All in all, well made but a huge disappointment....only worth seeing in order to see Klemperer and Banner.
- planktonrules
- Feb 18, 2021
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1