Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) Mail Order Prophet (1957) User Reviews

Should be required viewing...

[Archbishop_Laud · 9/10 · 11 August 2013]

...in every school in America.

This is one of my favorite episodes. We get to see a couple of disgruntled office workers, one of whom (E.G. Marshall) begins receiving "psychic" letters encouraging him to bet on events (election, title bout). Jack Klugman is a rationalist co-worker who tries to convince him it's a racket.

Could the mail order prophet be legit? It's hard not to wonder where this is going to lead. They even throw in office theft to up the ante. Not to give anything away, but I found the ending very satisfying. Plus, Klugman and Marshall are great to watch.

Good Actors/Simple Story

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 19 June 2013]

The best part of this episode is before the episode starts. Alfred Hitchcock stands at a desk behind a pile of ticker tape, looking out an open window. He announces that he had just teased his business partner that they had just lost most of the money they had invested. He also points out that the elevator man would be upset because he became confused when the people he brought up didn't ride the elevator down.

The story now focuses on two men, played by Jack Klugman and E. G. Marshall. They have worked for years in the same investment firm, sitting among a line of desks and bemoaning the fact that they may be trapped there for life. Marshall's character talks about finding a way out. Klugman is the classic naysayer who throws a wet blanket on everything. The "evil" boss brings a personal letter to Marshall and with a harumph drops it on his desk. It is from a mysterious man who says he can predict the future, but who cannot benefit from his predictions. While Klugman is warning his friend of the dangers of getting involved in this "scheme," Marshall begins to try out the tips, much to his great satisfaction. Finally, however, he reaches a fork in the road and that's what we are waiting for. I won't ruin the fun. It's a fun story and does a good job of carrying us on.

Can Christiani truly predict the future.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 8 March 2021]

Ronald and George (E.G. Marshall and Jack Klugman) are clerks in some investment firm. The job apparently is thankless and dull and both men would love something else out of life. Then one day, a weird opportunity presents itself to Ronald when he receives a letter from a Mr. Christiani. Christiani claimes to be able to predict the future and in the letter he predicts the outcome of the mayoral race next week. When the letter turns out correct, Ronald is naturally NOT convinced. But when more letters arrive from Christiani and their predictions also come true, Ronald begins to gamble on the outcome listed in the letters....and he makes some money. But he wants a big payoff and Ronald is sure the next prediction in the letter will come true...so he decides to embezzle some bonds...assuming he'll be able to pay it off in a few days. But there is a catch...and George finds out the surprising solution to this Mr. Christiani.

This is a very good episode but I don't want to say much because it might spoil the suspense. It is an interesting story and although odd, it could work out just like it did in the story...but would it really in real life? Who knows...all I know is that the acting and writing are quite good.

Absorbing Half-Hour with Marshall and Klugman

[MichaelMartinDeSapio · 10/10 · 20 April 2021]

This episode of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS is a great example of how to make absorbing, compelling drama with minimal means. E. G. Marshall and Jack Klugman are two fine character actors who, earlier in the year this episode was broadcast (1957), appeared together in the classic jury room film 12 ANGRY MEN. In fact, in that film they sat side by side at the jury room table. I'd wager a bet that they were cast together in this episode based on their performace together in the movie. Marshall and Klugman couldn't be more different, yet they share a wonderful chemistry here as two cogs in a corporate machine who long to break out and find freedom. Klugman is wordly-wise, hard-nosed, cynical, yet has an almost tender regard for the welfare of his friend. Marshall is a mild-mannered milquetoast, just the type who would be taken in by the machinations of a con artist. The episode consists almost entirely of the interactions of these two friends as they discuss Marshall's increasing obsession with the money he can win from betting on he clairvoyant predictions of one "J. Christiani," a mysterious "mail-order prophet."

The names strike me as symbolic. Klugman plays "George Benedict" - Benedict meaning blessed, because he is the one who is wise enought to see through "Christiani's" ruse. Marshall is "Ronald Grimes" - he gets his hands dirty in the process of looking for an easy fortune. As for "J. Christiani," he is obviously a false Christ, a phoney prophet who will lead one astray.

If you are not familiar with the stock market and financial parlance (I'm not), then some of the dialog and plot twists toward the end might be confusing. But this is a small matter, since the upshot of the story still comes across. The twist ending is not what I expected, but still satisfying.

A classic of 1950s TV, typical of the thought-provoking entertainment that filled that era.

Very under-rated episode

[natureadmirer · 10/10 · 19 June 2021]

This is one of my favourite episodes and very, very underrated.

This episode is unlike the other ones in the series where we often see some murder or some attempt on killing someone or the other but rather it has its share of suspense and plot twist at the end.

The twist at the end is too good and makes you think for a while. And then when you add 2 and 2 together then everything makes sense.

The actors are great and they surely help carry the flow.

A must see episode.

An Interesting Departure

[dougdoepke · 24 October 2009]

A departure for the series. It's basically a gimmick plot that manages a good dose of suspense, but without the usual hint of Hitchcock mayhem or dark deeds.

Marshall and Klugman are two self-described "cogs' in a faceless corporate machine. They dream of riches, independence, and telling-off their cranky boss. But the way they meekly submit, you figure they'll remain just pipe dreams. Then Marshall starts getting anonymous letters making predictions that prove uncannily accurate. Soon, he's making bets based on the predictions that pay off, and his dreams begin to look real. So what's the deal here. Who's the anonymous "prophet", and does he have the kind of psychic powers he appears to have. He better because Marshall is now "borrowing" from company funds

These two fine actors help carry the story, but it's also a clever script. Note the bar scene with its humorous overtones, the regimented desks on the office floor, or the final scene so hugely ironical and satisfying. There's also a subtle subtext contrasting the wisdom of belief with that of skepticism working its way through. No, it may not be typical Hitchcock, but the gimmick does keep you guessing.

My favourite so far

[midbrowcontrarian · 10/10 · 3 January 2021]

Other things I've reviewed such as Twilight Zone and Hammer House of Horror I was already familiar with. Only recently did I discover AHP, and with 268 episodes I'll be occupied for quite some time. I'm watching them in rating descending order, which risks boredom with later below par episodes, although my favourites are seldom the most popular.

At the time of writing I've chalked up thirty, and enjoyed this one the most, for two reasons. I'm hopeless as guessing whodunit or anticipating a Hitchcockian twist, but with a financial services background I did twig why the prophet's predictions turned a (ahem) profit. It was clever to cast against type. Lugubrious looking Jack Klugman is good at playing desperate losers so you expect him to be the one suckered into a scam. But it's E G Marshall, usually a hard-headed sobersides, who is taken in.

Also very memorable: HOOKED - man plots to get rid of older wife and marry young girlfriend, with a trademark twist. THE GLASS EYE - aging spinster falls for handsome ventriloquist, maybe a bit slow but a startling denouement. ARTHUR - some way down the ratings but I couldn't delay seeing the lovely Hazel Court playing a flighty foil to a superbly sardonic Laurence Harvey.

That's 30 episodes down, 238 to go, so watch this space...

Prophet of suspense

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 24 August 2022]

James Neilson directed twelve episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', some good, some not so good though none terrible certainly. Have liked EG Marshall and Jack Klugman in other things, with more familiarity actually with Klugman. Did like the premise, but was a bit worried about it being based around a gimmick. Have seen a lot of films and television episodes revolving around gimmicks, and not all worked with some being very interesting and well done and others too gimmicky and indulgent.

Luckily "Mail Order Prophet" is in the former category and it has to be said too that Season 3 has in my opinion had a mostly quite strong first half and its quality better than the previous two seasons' first halves. Was near-bowled over by the previous episode "The Glass Eye", and this episode "Mail Order Prophet" has been every bit as good (if not quite one of the best episodes of the series). Also think that it is an episode that is not appreciated enough, if anybody is worried about it revolving around a gimmick, having seen films or television episodes revolving around them and not doing them, don't worry as this is one that does it well. So well in fact that this reviewer actually forgot there was a gimmick momentarily.

There is actually not really anything wrong, though the ending is not an ingenious one or one that stays in the mind forever.

Marshall and Klugman give note perfect performances however that balance humour and mystery beautifully. They sound like an odd couple together on paper and their characters are very different but actually they gel together like a fine wine and moist cheese (hoping that is a compliment). The script is a very clever one that is both funny and tense with no signs of rambling. Neilson's direction is controlled and taut and the suspense flows nicely.

Script wise, it is a good mix of light-hearted and tautly suspenseful, meaning that it doesn't take itself too seriously in a witty and hearty way while not treating it as a joke. The story is slight but still intriguing and suspenseful, with no dull stretches. Hitchcock's bookending entertains, while the episode is slickly made and the theme tune is suitably haunting.

Overall, great and a case of different done well. 9/10.

"If you read this letter, you will know I lost."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 1 September 2021]

Here's an offbeat tale from 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' that doesn't deliver the kind of surprise one might expect. All the while you're wondering when Ronald Grimes' (E. G. Marshall) luck will run out with the prophetic letters he keeps receiving from the unseen J. Christiani. Fellow co-worker and friend George Benedict (Jack Klugman) keeps a wary eye out for Ronald, but can't convince him that the letters are bogus and only coincidentally correct in their predictions. What's uncanny is the strategy used by Christiani that's explained by the postmaster (Judson Pratt). It sounded like it could actually work, although it would have been a lot harder to pull off in the Fifties when a person would have to produce all those letters one by one, not to mention mailing them out and relying on the good nature of the folks profiting from his 'advice'. It was like a pyramid scheme in reverse, producing a diminishing pool of satisfied customers, unlike the Bernie Madoff type of scam that took in large numbers of victims. Be that as it may, the reverse twist here doesn't end in doom for Ronald Grimes, which he prepared for with a note to anyone who found his corpse (see my summary line). Instead, the very lucky man reveled in his good fortune, deciding to quit while he was ahead, while his unknown benefactor would up in prison for deceiving all those who weren't as fortunate.

Interesting and neat episode of win money and know the future by mail!

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 23 January 2018]

This "AHP" episode from 1957 called "Mail Order Prophet" is a neat and interesting one as the plot and ideas of the episode are clever. It stars classic and the now late character actor E.G. Marshall(1982's "Creepshow") as a man named Ronald Grimes who works in an office and all of a sudden one day he receives a letter from a mysterious writer named Mr. Christianai and it predicts the outcome of an upcoming election. And what do you know the underdog political candidate wins! Soon one by one more mailed letters arrive with predictions on all things from sports to you guess what money investments like the stock market! However it turns that things and people are not what they seem, however Ronald turns to out to be lucky and benefit at the right time! Overall well done episode of timing, luck, and hope as it's an episode of choices and a good guess to fortune!

Enjoyable and Light Hearted.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 17 April 2012]

E. G. Marshall and his friend Jack Klugman work in an arid office environment. Man, it's dull. All the white-collar workers have been beaten into a silent conformity. The director adds a nice touch when Marshall slams home a desk drawer and everyone else stops what they're doing to stare at him.

Marshall begins getting letters from a self-proclaimed prophet who, though he cannot benefit from his own ability to predict the future, has chosen Marshall as the beneficiary of his gift.

At first dubious, Marshall is won over by successful prediction after successful prediction and finally begins to place big bets on the outcomes of contests -- who will win the mayoralty or the championship fight. Klugman does his best to convince Marshall that it's a scam but Marshall, by this time a neural shambles, embezzles $25,000 from the firm and buys 100,000 shares of Athabasca Mines at sixty cents a share. The money, of course, must be replaced in a day or two or it's Sing Sing for Marshall.

The next day Marshall and Klugman spend at their desks, Marshall biting his lips and sweating at the stock market draws to a close. He wins. He's able to sell his 100,000 shares at $1.40. The last shot we see of Marshall, he's sitting on the deck chair of a cruise ship.

But Klugman is unsatisfied and wants to know more about this mail-order prophet, so he seeks information from the police, Judson Pratt, who explains that it was all mail fraud and the prophet is now in jail.

It's handled by the director and the performers as a story of suspense but without any real danger. Marshall considers killing himself if his investment fails but it's not taken seriously.

As pleasant as the story itself is, it's equally nice to see professional players at work. Two years later, both Marshall and Klugman would work together on Sidney Lumet's marvelous "Ten Angry Men." And Judson Pratt would appear as the bluff cavalry sergeant given to drink in John Ford's "The Horse Soldiers." I can't count the times that Marshall has played parts similar to this -- lawyers, stock brokers, investigators. Hollywood no longer seems to have such a pool of reliable and skilled character actors capable of their kind of voluminous output.

A Brilliant Story About a Brilliant Idea

[pnolname · 10/10 · 28 March 2024]

This story exposes the reason many of the predictions and prophesies we see in life seem so convincing. We are fooled because we are so willing to fool ourselves. Not every "victim" is actually a looser and some never realize how lucky they are. That's about as much as I can say without giving anything away, but the story is compelling, E. G. Marshal plays the role perfectly and Jack Klugman, working for a Hitchcock-approved team, shows the restraint and subtlety that was sadly lacking in his work on "Quincy". Stories like this were the reason Hitchcock Presents and Hitchcock hour ran for 10 years.

Predicting the future is a scientific impossibility

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 11 May 2012]

***SPOILERS*** It's when brokerage house bookkeeper Ronald Grimes, E.G Marshall, got this strange letter from a Jay Cristani about who's to win the local election he more or less shrugged it off feeling it was a kind of prank on this Cristani's part. That's in Cristai giving Grimes this story that he has the powers to predict future events but only Grimes, because of some strange law of the universe, can benefit from his predictions. As it turned out the prediction that Cristani gave him in the upcoming mayoral election came true with highly favorite Mayor Twist losing to the underdog challenger Fred Hampton!

Thinking this was all just a fluke Cristani's prediction keep coming in by mail to Grimes and sure enough they all end up being accurate with Girimes making$700.00 beating on them! It's Grimes friend and fellow office worker George Benedict, Jack Klugman, who smells a rat in all this but can't convince his friend that he's somehow being taken for a ride by this Cristani guy! It's when Cristani starts to ask,by mail of course, Grimes for a little kick back or donation of his winnings that he provided him with that it becomes clear in Benedict's mind that he's being set up for the kill in the next and very probably last prediction that he'll give him.

***SPOILERS*** With Grimes by now so hooked on Cristani's accurate predictions he throws caution, and possibly his freedom,to the wind when he's given an offer or prediction that he simply can't refuse! That's leads to Grime embezzling his firm of $15,000.00 to invest in the stock market on a, as Cristani's wrote, sure thing! Well in the end Cristani made believes of everyone in his powers of prediction even the very skeptical and non believing George Benedict! But by then luckily for Benidict in finding out what kind of sham he was running Cristani was no longer around to do any predicating! His winning streak had just run out of steam and it was Ronald Grimes the person who fell for his sham who somehow, against the laws of averages, ended up getting all the marbles!

Pretty bad

[bmesser · 2/10 · 2 July 2022]

Still trying to work this one out. Nice to see Quincey getting mad again. Padding required as I need to write 150 characters for this junk. Still some way short hopefully this line will do it.

MR. CHRISTIANI PREDICTS!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 27 March 2024]

A very interesting story written by Robert C. Dennis, complimented with the likes of E. G. Marshall and Jack Klugman. Right off the bat, you know Marshall is the man with a plan, the keen analytical type.

He has been working in a drab office of an investment company for years, along with colleague Klugman, and nothing much to look forward to. That is until he starts receiving letters from the mysterious Mr. Christiani --- who can pedict the future!

This is one of those theres "a little bit of an adventurer" in all of us tales, something we can relate to. Despite the warnings and misgivings from Klugman, Marshall follows through on the advice from Christiani --and using company funds!

Watch how this all unfolds, and don't y'all love it. Hitch seemed to prefer office and bank settings, if you followed the series, generally with frustrated characters beset with thankless jobs --and a chance to change things. So much fun, especially the back and forth between Marshall and Klugman.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 2 remastered Universal dvd box set 5 dvd set. 17 hrs/2007 release.