Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) The Big Switch (1956) User Reviews

A decent episode made by the presence of George Mathews.

[b_kite · 6/10 · 23 May 2019]

Gangster Sam Dunleavy wants to murder his ex-girlfriend, Goldie, so he has his friend Barney arrange for him the perfect alibi. Barney has it staged as though he and Sam are playing a game of poker in Barney's back room. Sam sneaks out successfully but is unable to kill Goldie when she claims she's pregnant, However when Sam returns to Barney's backroom, he is met with a big surprise.

The best thing about this episode has to be the presence of veteran actor George Mathews, he eats up the screen with his witty dialogue and rugged looks which make him come off perfectly as the 1930's gangster type. As for that there's really nothing here and all you really whined up getting is episode six "Salvage" with some different results, an added in alibi plot, and an OK ironic twist. It's not a bad episode at all and much like reviewer hitchcoc stated if your going into it not thinking to much then you'll probably enjoy it for what it is an OK episode with a strong lead actor.

Baby Dunleavy!!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 21 March 2012]

Cornell Woolrich was an ideal writer for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". The year before his series started Hitchcock had taken the plot from a Woolrich novel for one of his most thrilling and successful films - "Rear Window". Woolrich wrote many short stories ranging from the spine chilling to the bizarre. "The Big Switch" takes place in Chicago of the 1920s, "the city of beer and beautiful babes" (very Damon Runyonesque)!!

The only actor I recognised was George E. Stone, an actor who would feel right at home in these surroundings, having played "Little Caesar's" right hand man and was among Warner's "master class" of supporting players. He plays bar owner Barney who provides Dunleavy with an alibi when he goes out to kill Goldie, a past mistress who "done him wrong". He goes gunning for Goldie but she finds his soft spot when she spins a story about her husband and their new "baby" who they have named "Dunleavy" in honor of him. So he goes back to the bar to find ---!!!

If you have read enough Woolrich you will guess the ending as he always leaves a sting in the tail!! Hitchcock showed he had a lot of respect for Woolrich's writing - "he doesn't make mouse traps, he makes people traps"!!!

A Mousetrap comes with a perfect alibi !!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 16 June 2020]

In this story Hitch expounds with a bit of sarcasm a mousetrap and how it is so dangerous , thus begin the story of a crook Sam Dunleavy (George Mathews) who has been absent for a while at Miame on his mousetrap business, Back to Chicago he perceives that his beauty and unfaithful girlfriend Goldie (Beverly Michaels) replaces him for another sponsor, Sam eaten for the hate sets up a perfect alibi to killing her and escapes unscathed due since he arrived in town has a cop in his neck, then he goes into a night club which he had close ties with the owner, the corrupt Barney (George E. Stone) whose Sam will buy for 2.500 bucks his alibi, they planned pretend playing poker at his private room, meanwhile Sam leaves the place through a secret passage, then reaching at Goldie's room he waiting for her who quickly comes, Sam be sure why he is there, displayng a gun, Goldie when she realizes that will be killed, the smart girl fools him, that already had a baby called Dunleavy in his homage, Sam has been thrilled by such regard, then he changes your mind and return to Barney's night club, however backing in the poker room the unexpected comes, Hitch was right about the time!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

Not Front Rank

[dougdoepke · 6 February 2016]

Okay episode, at best. Sam (Mathews) loves his cat and birdie, but he's no soft-hearted pushover. Instead, he's a brawny tough guy who's going to teach his two-timing girl friend (Michaels) a thing or two about slow and painful death. Too bad for her sake she's not a kitty or a birdie. But first he needs an airtight alibi since the cops watch him like hawks. So he arranges one for a hefty fee with a nightclub crook. Now what can go wrong. Being Hitchcock, we know something will and with an ironic chuckle.

The story's okay even if the upshot seems more contrived than usual. Actually, the cast is the real draw. The Runyonesque Mathews is always a colorful character with his fractured grammar of "deese" and "dem", along with a face that looks like ten miles of bad road. Then there's Beverly Michaels on leave from one of Hugo Haas's sleazy bad movies. Together, they're like a marquee team from Guys and Dolls. And catch James Edwards in a small bartending role. He was one of the first African-Americans to get dignified roles, even before Sidney Poitier. His lead role in 1949's Home of the Brave was a landmark shattering of Black stereotypes. Too bad his role here is not bigger. All in all, it's a colorful half hour, even if not top rank.

"Your contract's running out right now, sweetheart."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 18 July 2021]

The game plan concocted between gangster Sam Dunleavy (George Mathews) and saloon owner Barney (George E. Stone) seemed credible enough in theory, but the execution was a bit on the lame side. Ensconced in his bar's back room, Barney shouts out an imaginary argument so that patrons, including a cop (Joe Downing), can hear, so as to provide cover for Sam's hustle through a phony phone booth on his way to kill a former girlfriend (Beverly Michaels). She hooked up with another hood who blew town for some reason we're not privy too, and as it turns out, wasn't important anyway. Being it was entirely a one sided/one voice conversation, it's surprising no one else in the joint caught on.

Wouldn't you know it, Barney's obsession with cleaning his gun got him carried away, to the point of shooting himself by accident, just as Sam makes his way back from the unscheduled rendezvous with Blondie (Michaels). You have to give credit to the ex-girlfriend for thinking on her feet, she appealed to Sam's better nature by naming her baby Dunleavy. I guess it never crossed Sam's mind to wonder why the (imaginary) baby was with the father instead of Goldie. Instead, he's caught red handed for a murder he didn't commit, and for which he doesn't have an alibi. Aah, for the best laid plans of mice and men.

A great twist make this one an excellent episode.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 17 February 2021]

The story is set in Chicago in 1920. Sam (George Mathews) is a thug with a long record. And, he wants to murder his old girlfriend, Goldie (Beverly Michaels). But an old parole officer is closely watching Sam and killing her and getting away with it won't be easy. So, he comes up with a plan. With the help of Barney (George E. Stone), he creates what seems like the perfect alibi. He goes to Barney's club to play cards, and Barney's office has a secret door so that Sam can sneak out the back, kill Goldie, and then return....all the while, folks outside the office think Sam and Barney are inside playing cards. Not surprisingly, there is a twist at the end!

This is a funny episode and it's very well written...better written than nearly all the episodes of season one of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Well worth seeing.

Watching all episodes in order

[sdot8787 · 7/10 · 21 March 2021]

I saw the twist coming but it was a bit different than I expected. Well acted.

I Was Taken in by It

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 7 October 2008]

I never realized there were guys whose job it was to provide alibis for crooks. This should be entitled "The Bulldog and the Wolf." These two shifty characters have a checkered past. It makes you wonder if a guy who spent so much time backing up bad guys at the police station, wouldn't arouse suspicion. Nevertheless, a plot is hatched to protect the bulldog after he goes and kills his ex-girlfriend. At least that's how they set it up. There are secret passages and a stupid game of five card stud with continuous yelling of threats. Of course, only one guy is yelling. The other one has left through a false telephone booth and is on his way to mayhem. Well there is a little baby that is really a gun and a double cross and little bit of what goes around comes around. This is a fun episode if you don't think too much and the ending is pretty satisfying. The characters are really over the top, but it's pretty much tongue in cheek to the bitter end.

Could have been bigger

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 16 February 2022]

It was great to have Don Weis back in the director's chair, after doing so well with "Santa Claus and The Tenth Avenue Kid" ( a fine example of a change of pace episode done very well). The previous 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes were mostly solid to brilliant (with "Breakdown" coming out on top), with only two barely average ones "Don't Come Back Alive" and especially "Triggers in Leash". The premise didn't sound all that exciting, but having seen many things that have ordinary premises but made into something more on screen there was hope.

And "The Big Switch" did turn out better than expected. It is slightly disappointing in terms of being top 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' standard, plot-wise it is nothing wholly remarkable. It is though a lot of fun as an episode and benefits greatly from its lead performance. "The Big Switch" is another one of the entries that is noither one of the best of the season or show or the worst on both counts, but more just scrapes the high middle category.

The story is nothing exceptional, it is short on suspense and surprises, so slightly bland atmosphere-wise, and can be rather contrived. A feeling that gets on the over the top side in the final act, which did feel like more time was needed to flesh it out more.

However, "The Big Switch" benefits hugely from the twinkling larger than life lead performance of George Matthews. The rest of the cast do very well too, if not on Matthews' level and their roles are not as interesting. Weis' direction is far from routine and there is an ease. What is also good is the script writing, which is very tongue in cheek and genuinely humorous. It is not the lean, tough sort of script, but it does show again that 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' could do tongue in cheek and humour well.

Which was always evident anyway in Hitchcock's droll bookend scenes. It's a well made episode visually, with some lovely atmospheric shots, and the theme music is as usual wonderfully devillish. And despite not being wowed by the story, it is not a dull one and it has its charm. The character chemistry is done well.

Concluding, liked it but not loved it. 7/10.

Curtains for Donlevy's cheating dame

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 17 May 2022]

Gangster Sam Dunleavy sets up an elaborate alibi so that he can kill his ex-girlfriend Goldie, who left him for another man. A mildly amusing story set in the backdrop of Tommy guns, gangsters and molls. Nothing too standout, but that twist really lifts this one a couple of notches. Plus there's a great performance by George Matthews, whose elaborate scheme ricochets greatly.

The Big Switch

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 7 June 2023]

Set in 1920s Chicago, it is the time of the bootleggers and gangsters. Big Sam Dunleavy (George Mathews) is a lug just back from doing two hits in Miami.

He loves his cat, bird and his girl Goldie (Beverly Michaels) but she has ditched hi. Tonight Sam is going to run her out, he just needs an alibi. There is a cop hot on his tail.

Nightclub owner Barney (George E Stone) agrees to provide a watertight alibi for a price of £2500. Sam will be playing cards with him all night in a back room while Sam quietly slips away.

Only there is no hit of Goldie, she thinks on her feet and manages to talk herself out of certain death. Sam has to go and rejoin Barney.

Sam's big problem is, Barney's penchant of cleaning his gun misfires.

This is a nice character piece, Mathews does a good portrait of Big Sam who loves his pets and might just be a bit dim. The ending though is not that watertight. After all there would be no fingerprints of Sam on the gun.

No alibi

[AvionPrince16 · 6/10 · 14 February 2023]

So its a story about a man who will attempt a murder on a babe because she was with an other man. But he will pay for an alibi to make things less suspect and get rid of the agent behind his back. But things do notmturn as expected; the woman lied about a baby and make the guy changed his mind. But in the meantime, the alibi have an accident and get shot by himself and died. The man will get arrested for it. When the trick get against you thats what happened. And the woman is free and will have her new life with the other husband.

I found the alibi story interesting and pretty surprised that how things turn against the main character who will get accused of a murder that he didnt commit because of the story of the alibi and he didnt killed the one he wanted to kill. Pretty ironic. I really enjoyed it anyway.

The Big Switch

[bombersflyup · 4/10 · 18 February 2020]

It's pretty elaborate for it to end with just the gun accidentally going off. It's mildly amusing.