Sometimes the vignettes by Alfred Hitchcock were better than the episodes. This may be one of them. The plot of this is that two gunfighters face off at a roadhouse, run by Ellen Corby. They stand in that classic Western posture, ready to draw. She begins to think up reasons they shouldn't do anything. She keeps them from drawing their guns by shaming them, feeding them, using a cuckoo clock to its fullest effect. The two of them look sillier land sillier and would certainly withdraw if they were able to save face. The old lady has a good point and manages to tame them eventually. Still, the comments by the master of suspense are precious. Don't miss the closing.
23 Reviews
"All right, who's going to be the killer?"
classicsoncall9 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Just like it's television successor, 'The Twilight Zone", 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' would occasionally take a trip back in time to the Old West as a setting for one of their stories. This one is done in a bit of a parody style, as Del Delaney (Gene Barry) finds himself in a confrontation with a man he apparently humiliated in a card game by not getting into a gunfight with him when that man was drunk. Seeking to save face, Red Hillman (Darren McGavin) tracks down Delaney to a cabin outpost run by Maggie Ryan (Ellen Corby) to force a reckoning. One of the great things about these old programs is seeing actors before they went on to bigger and better things, eventually making names for themselves in shows of their own. Barry went on to star as Bat Masterson in a few more years, while McGavin had a hit with "Kolchak:The Night Stalker" a couple of decades later. And if you're an old time Western fan, you've probably seen Ellen Corby at one time or another in just about every TV Western ever made.
Once the opposing gunmen square off, it gets more comical as time goes by, with Corby's character attempting to dissuade them from shooting each other. She knows them both as frequent customers and does everything she can to interrupt a fatal showdown at high noon. Barry in particular is well over the top in his portrayal, affecting a posture that shows he's ready to get down to business as the faster on the draw between the two adversaries. I'm not sure if Maggie's intention to label the winner of the gunfight a killer would have worked, but the ruse is repeatedly spoken among the trio as if it were in dead earnest. Dear old Maggie's gimmick with the faulty cuckoo clock spares the gunfighters from shooting each other, and with some relief, the men depart as friends once again. Maggie's hired hand (Casey MacGregor) lets us in on the gambit she used to upend the gunfight, but for that, you'll have to catch the show.
Having mentioned 'The Twilight Zone' earlier, there's a remarkable coincidence I just noted, in as much as during each of their very first seasons on the air, both 'Hitchcock' and 'Twilight Zone' came up with an Old West story as the third episode of their respective series. With TZ, it was a show titled 'Mr. Denton on Doomsday'. It also told a story of two protagonists who find themselves in a confrontation in which neither man could win or lose in a showdown. I've always been intrigued by the myth of the 'fastest gun' in TV shows and movies, and two of the best I've seen include the 'Yawkey' episode of 'Lawman', and Gregory Peck's 1950 film "The Gunfighter".
Once the opposing gunmen square off, it gets more comical as time goes by, with Corby's character attempting to dissuade them from shooting each other. She knows them both as frequent customers and does everything she can to interrupt a fatal showdown at high noon. Barry in particular is well over the top in his portrayal, affecting a posture that shows he's ready to get down to business as the faster on the draw between the two adversaries. I'm not sure if Maggie's intention to label the winner of the gunfight a killer would have worked, but the ruse is repeatedly spoken among the trio as if it were in dead earnest. Dear old Maggie's gimmick with the faulty cuckoo clock spares the gunfighters from shooting each other, and with some relief, the men depart as friends once again. Maggie's hired hand (Casey MacGregor) lets us in on the gambit she used to upend the gunfight, but for that, you'll have to catch the show.
Having mentioned 'The Twilight Zone' earlier, there's a remarkable coincidence I just noted, in as much as during each of their very first seasons on the air, both 'Hitchcock' and 'Twilight Zone' came up with an Old West story as the third episode of their respective series. With TZ, it was a show titled 'Mr. Denton on Doomsday'. It also told a story of two protagonists who find themselves in a confrontation in which neither man could win or lose in a showdown. I've always been intrigued by the myth of the 'fastest gun' in TV shows and movies, and two of the best I've seen include the 'Yawkey' episode of 'Lawman', and Gregory Peck's 1950 film "The Gunfighter".
How to Draw Humor out after the Episode
DKosty12318 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This episode plays out very much like the typical Western show of this period. The difference is that Gene Berry, Daren McGavin, & Ellen Corby are better casting than many westerns on TV after this.
The show does and excellent job of building tension of a gun fight and then destroying the tension. One of Don Medfords two directing efforts in this series. While the build up at the end is very good, this show pulls something which would keep the series fresher than most even when the episode was not the best.
When the gun fight never happens, & the men leave, Hitchcock smugly comes on the screen and observes "That was a bit of a disappointment, wasn't it? Both men did die later that day- of food poisoning because she (Corby) wasn't a very good cook." This bit of Hitches touch was part of what made this series special. You could never be quite sure what he would do at the end of the show, & in this case he put a clever topper on it.
The show does and excellent job of building tension of a gun fight and then destroying the tension. One of Don Medfords two directing efforts in this series. While the build up at the end is very good, this show pulls something which would keep the series fresher than most even when the episode was not the best.
When the gun fight never happens, & the men leave, Hitchcock smugly comes on the screen and observes "That was a bit of a disappointment, wasn't it? Both men did die later that day- of food poisoning because she (Corby) wasn't a very good cook." This bit of Hitches touch was part of what made this series special. You could never be quite sure what he would do at the end of the show, & in this case he put a clever topper on it.
Well-Crafted Drama, & One of the Best of the Early Episodes
Snow Leopard10 February 2006
This well-crafted drama is one of the best of the early episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", and it is a fine example of the anthology show format. It has a compact but interesting story, with interesting characters who are well-defined, and a strong cast to portray them. The writing is tight and resourceful, getting much more out of a simple situation than you would have expected.
Ellen Corby, Gene Barry, and Darren McGavin are the stars, with Casey McGregor playing the only other on-screen character. Corby's character runs an out-of-the-way lunch counter, in which the characters played by Barry and McGavin confront each other with deadly intentions. Corby's character tries everything she can think of to cool off the two hotheads, even getting them to eat something while keeping one hand ready to draw at all times.
Although Hitchcock neither wrote nor directed the episode personally, it's well worthy of him, with a memorable situation, some very good dramatic touches, plus some psychology added in. Director Don Medford did a fine job of building up the tension, and the cast members are all in very good form. It's all resolved in a clever way that also would be worthy of Hitchcock's dry sense of humor.
Practically all of the episodes in the series were at least interesting, and many of them were memorable in one way or another. This one, though, is a particularly good example of an ideal usage of the half-hour format, and among the early episodes, it is very possibly the most efficient and effective.
Ellen Corby, Gene Barry, and Darren McGavin are the stars, with Casey McGregor playing the only other on-screen character. Corby's character runs an out-of-the-way lunch counter, in which the characters played by Barry and McGavin confront each other with deadly intentions. Corby's character tries everything she can think of to cool off the two hotheads, even getting them to eat something while keeping one hand ready to draw at all times.
Although Hitchcock neither wrote nor directed the episode personally, it's well worthy of him, with a memorable situation, some very good dramatic touches, plus some psychology added in. Director Don Medford did a fine job of building up the tension, and the cast members are all in very good form. It's all resolved in a clever way that also would be worthy of Hitchcock's dry sense of humor.
Practically all of the episodes in the series were at least interesting, and many of them were memorable in one way or another. This one, though, is a particularly good example of an ideal usage of the half-hour format, and among the early episodes, it is very possibly the most efficient and effective.
"That's precisely why I don't care for Russian roulette; I never seem to win"
ackstasis15 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Alfred Hitchcock never attempted anything even close to a Western, and, likewise, he contributed nothing to this particular episode. "Triggers in Leash" (Season 1, Episode 3) is a compact little Western story that doesn't really go anywhere, though the one-room setting is something with which Hitchcock himself experimented several times throughout his career (his most notable example being 'Rope (1948)'). Maggie (Ellen Corby) runs a lunch-stop somewhere in the wild-west, and, in her lifetime, has developed experience and resourcefulness in dealing with impulsive, trigger-happy young men, among whom was her late husband. Dell Delaney (Gene Barry) and Red Hillman (Darren McGavin) meet at the diner the night after the latter was humiliated in a drunken poker game, and they are both hungry to prove their bravery by killing the other man. Maggie tries everything to take their minds off the duel even feeding them breakfast but the two men remain locked in awkward and ridiculous poses, one hand dangled over their gun belt, just waiting for the fatal draw.
Eventually, it is God who intervenes in the pair's quarrel, and both Dell and Red go away as good friends again (as Hitch says, "that was disappointing, wasn't it?"). Had it not been for the unexpected twist in the tale, I would have been pretty embittered by this cop-out resolution (we've all seen such contrivance before, and it always annoys me), but I liked how Maggie's cleverness mocked the all-too-convenient plot device that dictates the Almighty's intervention into such minor human squabbles. "Triggers in Leash" feels like a one-note short, working for twenty minutes towards a single pay-off. However, the relative lightness of this episode is offset by a brilliant closing monologue from Hitchcock, who reveals with a completely straight face that the two main characters actually died later that day from a bout of food poisoning: "Maggie's heart was in the right place; she just wasn't a very good cook." This is one of the best examples I've heard to demonstrate Hitch's particularly droll sense of humour, and I loved it.
Eventually, it is God who intervenes in the pair's quarrel, and both Dell and Red go away as good friends again (as Hitch says, "that was disappointing, wasn't it?"). Had it not been for the unexpected twist in the tale, I would have been pretty embittered by this cop-out resolution (we've all seen such contrivance before, and it always annoys me), but I liked how Maggie's cleverness mocked the all-too-convenient plot device that dictates the Almighty's intervention into such minor human squabbles. "Triggers in Leash" feels like a one-note short, working for twenty minutes towards a single pay-off. However, the relative lightness of this episode is offset by a brilliant closing monologue from Hitchcock, who reveals with a completely straight face that the two main characters actually died later that day from a bout of food poisoning: "Maggie's heart was in the right place; she just wasn't a very good cook." This is one of the best examples I've heard to demonstrate Hitch's particularly droll sense of humour, and I loved it.
Triggers in Leash
bombersflyup1 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
A light and amusing episode, without a whole lot going on. The superb Darren McGavin in his younger years. I was assuming something would happen, like Ben coming through the door making them both fire. I wouldn't of liked Hitchcock's conclusive statement about the poison, but because it wasn't in the episode I just disregard it.
A psychological western with three great actors!
b_kite25 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Episode 4 starts in the old west as restaurant owner Maggie (Ellen Corby) is having little business due to bad weather, with help from Ben (Casey McGregor) who Maggie sends to town to receive fire wood. It isn't long before gunman Dell Delaney (Gene Berry) shows up seeming very unsteady, later Red Hillman (Darren McGavin) shows up and the fight is on. While both Dell and Red imply an impending gunfight is about to happen Maggie does what she can to save the men if all possible...
This one is a big change from the first two episodes dropping the contemporary setting for that of the old west. This one is mostly a psychological western character study with three talented actors Darren McGavin of Kolchak: The Night Stalker fame, Gene Berry of Bat Masterson fame, and Ellen Corby who everyone knows as Grandma Walton. There is also little twist that I didn't see coming. Overall a nice change of pace here.
This one is a big change from the first two episodes dropping the contemporary setting for that of the old west. This one is mostly a psychological western character study with three talented actors Darren McGavin of Kolchak: The Night Stalker fame, Gene Berry of Bat Masterson fame, and Ellen Corby who everyone knows as Grandma Walton. There is also little twist that I didn't see coming. Overall a nice change of pace here.
Who's Gonna Draw First?
callanvass16 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Maggie is a lonely widow, who's business is stalling because of bad weather. She sends Ben out to get some firewood, a man named Del comes in, and begins to act extremely peculiar. After starling Ben with a gun, Ben heads into town to pick up supplies. A man named Red pops in as well, who Maggie seems to know, also. The two draw their guns out, claiming their heat with one another is a result of a bitter poker game. Maggie tries to play peacemaker between the two and manages to get them to sit down and eat, while trying to stop them from doing something foolish. This is another above average, if unspectacular episode from this show. That is kind of the norm for this show at this juncture. I don't mind Western's, but not so much in an anthology like story. There isn't that much you can do with time restraints. This one is more imaginative than most. It is filled with witty dialog, great acting, and decent suspense. Darren McGavin steals the show as Red, while Ellen Corby is terrific as Maggie. My only carp is Red & Dell are rather petulant to listen too. You get a seemingly happy ending in this one, which is rare, only for Alfred Hithcock to reveal Red & Dell died that very same day, from food poisoning. "Maggie's heart was in the right place, she just wasn't a very good cook" You gotta love Alfred!
7/10
7/10
Hitchcockian western
Cristi_Ciopron6 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
See Gene Barry and Darren McGavin in TRIGGERS IN LEASH; it's a pretty silly but thoroughly nice looking episode with two loco cowboys who fight over a hand of poker. Prefaced by Hitchcock who checks a gun, it tells about a couple of rancorous, mean, angry cowboys, Delaney and Hillman. Hillman has been too drunk but required that the poker continues, while Delaney cleaned him while maintaining he refused to play on because Hillman was so drunk. Directed by Don Medford, a Teleplay by Dick Carr, based on a story by Allen Vaughn Elston, played by Gene Barry, Darren McGavin, Ellen Corby and Casey MacGregor, this nonsense story is, as Hitchcock says, a western; Delaney and his rival Hillman want to suppress each other, they're both quite rabid.
Bat Masterson vs Mike Hammer
kapelusznik1829 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS**** It's when gunslinger Dell Delaney, Gene Barry, gave the drunk and out on his feet Red Hillman, Darren McGavin, a free pass by not drawing on him instead of being grateful to Dalaney for spearing his life Hillman felt that he dissed him in front of everyone in the bar by showing what a helpless drunk he really was. Now in a driving rainstorm Hillman tracks Delany down at Maggie's, played by Ellen Corby the famous "Screaming Woman" in the movie "They Won't Believe Me", bed & breakfast to finish the job,of him getting shot and killed by Delaney, that he started.
What in fact turns out to be a staring contest between both Delaney & Hillman who seem to be reluctant to draw their guns and fire at each other. In the cockeyed reasoning that the one who draws as well as kills first would be charged with murder and end up, after being convicted in a court of law, dancing at the end of a rope. This, the staring contest, goes on for what seems like forever with Maggie serving hams & eggs for the two screwballs until it's decided that when the cuckoo clock in the kitchen cuckoo's that when they'll draw their guns. Thus making the two immune, how they came up with that is never explained, in being charged with murder for the one who eventually shoots & kills first!
***SPOILERS*** Unknown to everyone but Maggie the cuckoo clock is in need of repairs so it never cuckoo's making it impossible for ether man to draw and shoot each other. But as "The Master" Alfred Hitchcock tells us in the epilogue of the episode that in fact both Delaney & Hillman ended up dead by the end of the day. Not from bullets from their guns but from food poisoning from the ham & eggs breakfast, laced with arsenic, that Maggie served them!
What in fact turns out to be a staring contest between both Delaney & Hillman who seem to be reluctant to draw their guns and fire at each other. In the cockeyed reasoning that the one who draws as well as kills first would be charged with murder and end up, after being convicted in a court of law, dancing at the end of a rope. This, the staring contest, goes on for what seems like forever with Maggie serving hams & eggs for the two screwballs until it's decided that when the cuckoo clock in the kitchen cuckoo's that when they'll draw their guns. Thus making the two immune, how they came up with that is never explained, in being charged with murder for the one who eventually shoots & kills first!
***SPOILERS*** Unknown to everyone but Maggie the cuckoo clock is in need of repairs so it never cuckoo's making it impossible for ether man to draw and shoot each other. But as "The Master" Alfred Hitchcock tells us in the epilogue of the episode that in fact both Delaney & Hillman ended up dead by the end of the day. Not from bullets from their guns but from food poisoning from the ham & eggs breakfast, laced with arsenic, that Maggie served them!
A Young Darren McGavin
gavin69427 March 2016
A cook tries everything she can think of to end a dispute between two gunmen who have sworn to kill each other.
I appreciate this episode for the young Darren McGavin, who looks remarkably different than he did in the 1970s. I understand 20 years will do that to a guy, but it makes me wonder what he was doing for most of that time. Was he a big name before "Kolchak"? I am not aware of it, but then I wasn't really alive at the time.
After the first two episodes, this one is a bit of a disappointment. Not great, not terrible, just a very simple story. Maybe if I was a bigger fan of westerns I would like it more, but it just seemed like it could have used a little something more.
I appreciate this episode for the young Darren McGavin, who looks remarkably different than he did in the 1970s. I understand 20 years will do that to a guy, but it makes me wonder what he was doing for most of that time. Was he a big name before "Kolchak"? I am not aware of it, but then I wasn't really alive at the time.
After the first two episodes, this one is a bit of a disappointment. Not great, not terrible, just a very simple story. Maybe if I was a bigger fan of westerns I would like it more, but it just seemed like it could have used a little something more.
Possible influence on Sergio Leone?
zwolf21 November 2022
Watching this episode, I got a strong feeling that Sergio Leone must have seen it sometime and it made an impression on him. Almost the entire episode is guys waiting to draw on each other while tension builds, just like the ending of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. There are some similar shots -- a low shot from behind a hand over a holster, and close-ups of the men's eyes (something very rarely done in film before Sergio started doing it).
Also, since the men were supposed to draw when a cuckoo clock chimed, I was reminded of For A Few Dollars More, when a gunfight was supposed to start when a musical watch stopped its song.
Anyway, I can't know for sure, but I feel almost certain that the maestro must have caught this episode and liked it, and found things he wanted to use. Watch the climactic duel from The Good The Bad and the Ugly, and then watch this episode. I think you'll see what I mean.
Also, since the men were supposed to draw when a cuckoo clock chimed, I was reminded of For A Few Dollars More, when a gunfight was supposed to start when a musical watch stopped its song.
Anyway, I can't know for sure, but I feel almost certain that the maestro must have caught this episode and liked it, and found things he wanted to use. Watch the climactic duel from The Good The Bad and the Ugly, and then watch this episode. I think you'll see what I mean.
Great actors!
stan_c12 March 2023
I enjoyed seeing such great actors. Gene Barry is one of my all-time favorites. Bat Masterson and Burke's Law were awesome shows. I'm a big fan of The War of the Worlds. Darrin McGavin and Ellen Corby are wonderful too.
The plot is a little thin here, but I still enjoyed it. Maybe not the best of the shows, but I still had fun watching it.
Lots of Alfred Hitchcock episodes are on YouTube. Peacock has all episodes from Season One, Episode One of Alfred Hitchcock Presents to the last episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. I've decided to start and the beginning and watch them all. I hope you enjoy the shows as much as I do.
The plot is a little thin here, but I still enjoyed it. Maybe not the best of the shows, but I still had fun watching it.
Lots of Alfred Hitchcock episodes are on YouTube. Peacock has all episodes from Season One, Episode One of Alfred Hitchcock Presents to the last episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. I've decided to start and the beginning and watch them all. I hope you enjoy the shows as much as I do.
Unleash the triggers already
galaescobar22 April 2015
Normally, I'm not cheering on a shootout, but when Hitch says, "That was disappointing, wasn't it?" I had to agree. Both gunmen bored and annoyed me at the same time, which seems unlikely, but jeezely Pete, by the third time (of MANY) one taunts the other to draw, I'm hoping for an end to the characters' (and my) misery.
The basic plot: a men enters Maggie's establishment, which looks like a little cabin but apparently feeds random stragglers. The man refuses to remove his gun belt. Why becomes clear when a second man enters. It seems there was a poker game the night before and it devolved into an argument. The first man let the second live, and now the second is looking for revenge. Their showdown over ham and eggs lasts 20 minutes. 20. Minutes. "You draw first." "You draw first." "Even if you draw first, I'll outdraw ya." "Even if you draw first, I'll outdraw ya." Lather, rinse, repeat. For 20 minutes.
In between, Maggie implores both men to think before they shoot. The twist ending I hoped for involved Maggie and a pistol hidden in her apron, but alas, it was not to be. Not one of the show's better offerings, in my opinion.
The basic plot: a men enters Maggie's establishment, which looks like a little cabin but apparently feeds random stragglers. The man refuses to remove his gun belt. Why becomes clear when a second man enters. It seems there was a poker game the night before and it devolved into an argument. The first man let the second live, and now the second is looking for revenge. Their showdown over ham and eggs lasts 20 minutes. 20. Minutes. "You draw first." "You draw first." "Even if you draw first, I'll outdraw ya." "Even if you draw first, I'll outdraw ya." Lather, rinse, repeat. For 20 minutes.
In between, Maggie implores both men to think before they shoot. The twist ending I hoped for involved Maggie and a pistol hidden in her apron, but alas, it was not to be. Not one of the show's better offerings, in my opinion.
you draw and i shoot
RResende5 November 2009
Here is an interesting development of the 30 minutes formula that this show approaches. I believe people involved in the show could do anything with the specific episode they were granted. These were exercises in working a short measure of time to develop an idea that, in order to work, would have to be clear, clean, grasping and effective. Or not be any of those but made in a way that made the audiences wonder. It had to work. Actually, as i start digging a little deeper into this, i think one can probably go through all the episodes of the show and get, in the end, an interesting glossary on cinematic narrative bending. Probably not so much in visual terms, which is understandable because: -not many directors of the show did really interesting things with their careers; -this Is television, things were shot and edited way faster than feature films.
Here we have an interesting idea. To build (and hold!) a tension based on nothing. A single set, to prevent distractions, and a dispute that will make us follow the two cowboys, and want to know who of them (if any) will break and draw first. The fact that they use a single space is already important, because it notes already an intention to be tense (and intense). Because this is a 25 minute episode (plus Hitch's interventions) they don't have to establish any shots outside the space to allow spectators to breathe. We can be 25 minutes inside the same room.
The interesting thing is to check the narrative devices and modes they choose to build on the tension, or ease on it when needed, and the cleverness of the unfolding. So, tension increases depending on the placement of the cowboys in the space and, more important, Maggie's position in relation to them. So it's a very spatial positioning of the characters which i enjoy, and which the camera helps. We fear for Maggie, when she is just behind Del, and we fear for her when she's in the middle. Comedy; this is a comedy, in the end, and we have a very curious balance between the eminent shooting and the goofiness of having, for example, two fellows who can't eat properly because they won't stop starring at each other. Comedy here happens not because they act to be funny, but because the situation implies that. It's a great type of comedy. And of course, the final twist, when we thought we'd seen something, we are told we've being as deceived as the cowboys.
Hitch's interventions, specially at the end, is again priceless, here enhanced by the really funny nonsense twist. The value of it is that it's not a mere annotation on what we saw, it's a continuation of the narrative, after the end of the episode.
My opinion: 4/5
http://www.7eyes.wordpress.com
Here we have an interesting idea. To build (and hold!) a tension based on nothing. A single set, to prevent distractions, and a dispute that will make us follow the two cowboys, and want to know who of them (if any) will break and draw first. The fact that they use a single space is already important, because it notes already an intention to be tense (and intense). Because this is a 25 minute episode (plus Hitch's interventions) they don't have to establish any shots outside the space to allow spectators to breathe. We can be 25 minutes inside the same room.
The interesting thing is to check the narrative devices and modes they choose to build on the tension, or ease on it when needed, and the cleverness of the unfolding. So, tension increases depending on the placement of the cowboys in the space and, more important, Maggie's position in relation to them. So it's a very spatial positioning of the characters which i enjoy, and which the camera helps. We fear for Maggie, when she is just behind Del, and we fear for her when she's in the middle. Comedy; this is a comedy, in the end, and we have a very curious balance between the eminent shooting and the goofiness of having, for example, two fellows who can't eat properly because they won't stop starring at each other. Comedy here happens not because they act to be funny, but because the situation implies that. It's a great type of comedy. And of course, the final twist, when we thought we'd seen something, we are told we've being as deceived as the cowboys.
Hitch's interventions, specially at the end, is again priceless, here enhanced by the really funny nonsense twist. The value of it is that it's not a mere annotation on what we saw, it's a continuation of the narrative, after the end of the episode.
My opinion: 4/5
http://www.7eyes.wordpress.com
two guys looking like kids
AvionPrince169 January 2022
I dont know what to say. I found this episode less interesting. It lack of purpose. Its just two man who want to kill each other. A fight that is not really interesting because we know the two men. And what they are. We just asking when they will act and stop talking and i found it pretty annoying. No other storytelling and its just non sense talk but we still want to know how it will end. But i didnt find the episode really interesting to be honest. Even if the woman was pretty smart but not a good cook.
Why Maggie behaved like this in the end?
searchanddestroy-121 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
I am going to spoil the episode, but I quite don't get why the hell Maggie did this to the two men: as Master Hitchcock explained afer the show, in the epilogue.
Why did Maggie poisoned them? This makes no sense to me.
I am going to spoil the episode, but I quite don't get why the hell Maggie did this to the two men: as Master Hitchcock explained afer the show, in the epilogue.
Why did Maggie poisoned them? This makes no sense to me.
I Couldn't Take Any Of It Seriously
bribabylk16 October 2014
This one stood out to me as being more goofy than anything. I guess it can't be called unintentionally funny, as several other reviewers here seem to think that that was exactly the goal, but it still seems to me like there was supposed to be an underlying tension, a risk that something seriously awful could result from the conflict here, that was completely undercut by the way the story was executed.
It amounts to two gunfighters having a staring contest. They refuse to take their eyes off of each other and maintain a barrage of taunts that only heighten the silliness. They are seated at a little table covered by a checkered tablecloth; they stab blindly at the food before them and overturn cups of coffee. Grandma Walton keeps running in and out of frame trying to distract them with different things. It felt like an SNL skitch. There's even a comically over-sized prop that plays a crucial part in the "twist ending". This was all MEANT to be funny, right?
Hitch's epilogue, a much-needed acerbic twist upon the twist, was the part of this episode that I enjoyed the most.
It amounts to two gunfighters having a staring contest. They refuse to take their eyes off of each other and maintain a barrage of taunts that only heighten the silliness. They are seated at a little table covered by a checkered tablecloth; they stab blindly at the food before them and overturn cups of coffee. Grandma Walton keeps running in and out of frame trying to distract them with different things. It felt like an SNL skitch. There's even a comically over-sized prop that plays a crucial part in the "twist ending". This was all MEANT to be funny, right?
Hitch's epilogue, a much-needed acerbic twist upon the twist, was the part of this episode that I enjoyed the most.
Enough material for a 5-10 minute episode!
planktonrules15 February 2021
This installment of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" is set in the old west. Del (Gene Barry) and Red (Darren McGavin) have a feud brewing between them...and when they meet, they have vowed to kill each other.
Triggers in Leash" is the very first really bad episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Its biggest problem is that there's only enough material for a 5-10 minute episode at most....and it seems to drag on and on and on. Add to that some serious overacting by Gene Barry and Darren McGavin and you've got a recipe for boredom. As for Ellen Corby...she's given a better part and some comes off much better in this terrible episode. See it...you'll see what I mean.
By the way, it was funny that at the epilogue, Hitchcock began by saying 'Isn't that disappointing?'. I think he might have been referring to how it ended...though it sure could have been a commentary about the entire episode!! I prefer to think the latter!!
Triggers in Leash" is the very first really bad episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Its biggest problem is that there's only enough material for a 5-10 minute episode at most....and it seems to drag on and on and on. Add to that some serious overacting by Gene Barry and Darren McGavin and you've got a recipe for boredom. As for Ellen Corby...she's given a better part and some comes off much better in this terrible episode. See it...you'll see what I mean.
By the way, it was funny that at the epilogue, Hitchcock began by saying 'Isn't that disappointing?'. I think he might have been referring to how it ended...though it sure could have been a commentary about the entire episode!! I prefer to think the latter!!
Must Have Cost 50 Bucks to Make
dougdoepke23 December 2008
A rather odd third episode for a series then in the process of establishing itself. The problem is that after about 15 minutes of macho hectoring and gunfighter's crouch, the hair-trigger face- off between Barry and McGavin goes from tense to tedious. There's still a question of how the drama will end, but the dialogue and visuals have become too familiar to sustain the initial tension. As another reviewer points out, a final twist managed to salvage what looked like a really cop-out ending. In my book, the best thing about this tepid curiosity is the featured role it gives to that fine actress Ellen Corby who spent her career playing thankless menials of one type or another. There should be a special place in Hollywood heaven for such unsung stalwarts as she. Too bad I can't say the same for this episode.
A tale of two gunmen
TheLittleSongbird19 January 2022
While the Western genre is not one of my favourite film/television genres, there is still high appreciation for it and there are a lot of classics in it. Have often liked the actors here in other things, with Gene Barry (introduced to me via his memorable turn in a 'Columbo' episode) being the most familiar name to me. 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' is a very interesting and often well done if not consistent series. So there was potential for "Triggers in Leash" to be good and the premise was not bad.
"Triggers in Leash" unfortunately struck me as disappointing. There are many fine episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', but this is not one of them. If anything, it's one of the misfires and one of the lesser episodes of the first season. Also a big letdown after two great previous episodes. It does have its moments definitely, but "Triggers in Leash" could have been a lot better and there is just something about it that makes it feel like it doesn't belong in the series.
Am going to get the good out of the way. It is slickly photographed. The theme tune is masterly use of pre-existing classical music, one of the best. Ellen Corby gives a very strong and dignified performance, one that deserved a better episode and a better rest of the cast.
Best of all is the wonderfully acerbic epilogue, Hitchcock's bookending sequences varied throughout the series' run but the one in "Triggers in Leash" is one of the best and sticks in the memory. The twist is quite good.
Something that the rest of the episode does not sadly. Barry and Darren McGavin are not on Corby's level and both try too hard and could have done with a lot more grit in their interpretations. The character psychology is interesting but could have delved into a lot deeper, not meaty enough.
What really lets "Triggers in Leash" down in particular is that the story didn't grab me. It felt like 15 minutes over-stretched to 30, which made it drag quite a bit because of it being too thin and too often near-uneventful. There is far too little tension and a lot of it feels contrived and unintentionally silly. Something that is apparent in a lot of the dialogue too. Maggie's actions at the end also don't make sense and it is not really explained.
In conclusion, disappointing. 4/10.
"Triggers in Leash" unfortunately struck me as disappointing. There are many fine episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', but this is not one of them. If anything, it's one of the misfires and one of the lesser episodes of the first season. Also a big letdown after two great previous episodes. It does have its moments definitely, but "Triggers in Leash" could have been a lot better and there is just something about it that makes it feel like it doesn't belong in the series.
Am going to get the good out of the way. It is slickly photographed. The theme tune is masterly use of pre-existing classical music, one of the best. Ellen Corby gives a very strong and dignified performance, one that deserved a better episode and a better rest of the cast.
Best of all is the wonderfully acerbic epilogue, Hitchcock's bookending sequences varied throughout the series' run but the one in "Triggers in Leash" is one of the best and sticks in the memory. The twist is quite good.
Something that the rest of the episode does not sadly. Barry and Darren McGavin are not on Corby's level and both try too hard and could have done with a lot more grit in their interpretations. The character psychology is interesting but could have delved into a lot deeper, not meaty enough.
What really lets "Triggers in Leash" down in particular is that the story didn't grab me. It felt like 15 minutes over-stretched to 30, which made it drag quite a bit because of it being too thin and too often near-uneventful. There is far too little tension and a lot of it feels contrived and unintentionally silly. Something that is apparent in a lot of the dialogue too. Maggie's actions at the end also don't make sense and it is not really explained.
In conclusion, disappointing. 4/10.
Minimalism in the Wild West.
rmax30482322 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Ellen Corby runs a restaurant in a shack in the Old West. Gene Barry appears as a guest -- a very touchy guest who refuses to remove his gun belt. The door bursts open. Barry leaps to his feet. The visitor is Darren McGavin. The two men glare at each other, poised to draw their guns, but Corby stands between them and tries to talk them down. Neither man will budge. This is a matter of honor over some drunken fight in last night's saloon. Corby short circuits the tension with a simple trick.
It's one of the less interesting episodes. The players are good enough but the story seems stretch to the creaking point at half an hour.
Barry and McGavin strike these absurdly exaggerated poses when they stand ready to draw. They look like birds about to take flight. That's the director's problem -- unless he was being deliberately satirical, which would have worked for the first few minutes.
The two sit down for breakfast, still scowling into each other's eyes, reaching for utensils without breaking their locked gazes, picking up the spoon instead of the fork, or knocking over the cup of coffee. Incidents like that might have been amusing but the scene goes on too long.
Above all, these black-and-white television Westerns were all over the networks in the 50s and by this time they were already tiresome, with their cheap sets, bored actors, and stilted plots. This one is simply too close to the others, even with the comic elements.
It's one of the less interesting episodes. The players are good enough but the story seems stretch to the creaking point at half an hour.
Barry and McGavin strike these absurdly exaggerated poses when they stand ready to draw. They look like birds about to take flight. That's the director's problem -- unless he was being deliberately satirical, which would have worked for the first few minutes.
The two sit down for breakfast, still scowling into each other's eyes, reaching for utensils without breaking their locked gazes, picking up the spoon instead of the fork, or knocking over the cup of coffee. Incidents like that might have been amusing but the scene goes on too long.
Above all, these black-and-white television Westerns were all over the networks in the 50s and by this time they were already tiresome, with their cheap sets, bored actors, and stilted plots. This one is simply too close to the others, even with the comic elements.
Triggers in Leash
Prismark104 September 2022
At the epilogue, Hitchcock states 'Isn't that disappointing?' He is right and Hitchcock knew it.
Del Delaney (Gene Barry) and Red Hillman (Darren McGavin) are two feuding cowboys who bicker and threaten each other.
The showdown takes place in a roadhouse run by Maggie Ryan (Ellen Corby.)
She tries to stop them from having a shootout but the clock is running down. Only a miracle might save them.
This is a dull piece, the pair argue like two old washerwomen. It comes across as unintentionally camp.
The twist and its explanation is effective enough but not enough to save the story.
Hitchcock makes a nice gag about Maggie's cooking.
Del Delaney (Gene Barry) and Red Hillman (Darren McGavin) are two feuding cowboys who bicker and threaten each other.
The showdown takes place in a roadhouse run by Maggie Ryan (Ellen Corby.)
She tries to stop them from having a shootout but the clock is running down. Only a miracle might save them.
This is a dull piece, the pair argue like two old washerwomen. It comes across as unintentionally camp.
The twist and its explanation is effective enough but not enough to save the story.
Hitchcock makes a nice gag about Maggie's cooking.
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