Product Description
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Join the legendary "Master of Suspense," Alfred Hitchcock, in all
39 original episodes of the first season of Alfred Hitchcock
Presents, the Emmy® Award-winning murder-mystery series that, in
the words of Hitchcock himself, "brought murder back into the
home—where it belongs." This spectacular collection includes
exclusive bonus features, including in-depth interview with
Alfred Hitchcock's daughter, Pat, and associate producer Norman
Lloyd. Join stellar guest stars including Cloris Leachman,
Charles Bronson, Claude Rains, Lorne Greene, Joanne Woodward,
Vera Miles and more in over 16 hours of the most captivating,
intriguing, suspenseful television ever aired.
Bonus Content:
Disc 3:
* Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Look Back
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When it premiered on CBS on October 2, 1955, Alfred Hitchcock
Presents was an instant hit destined for long-term popularity.
The series' original half-hour anthology format provided a
perfect showcase for stories of mystery, suspense, and the
macabre that reflected Hitchcock's established persona. Every
Sunday at 9:30 p.m., the series began with the familiar theme of
Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" (which would thereafter
be inextricably linked with Hitchcock), and as Hitchcock's
trademark profile sketch was overshadowed by the familiar
silhouette of Hitchcock himself, the weekly "play" opened and
closed with the series' most popular feature: As a good-natured
host whose inimitable presence made him a global celebrity,
Hitchcock delivered droll, dryly sardonic introductions and
epilogues to each week's episode, flawlessly written by James
Allardyce and frequently taking polite pot-s at CBS sponsors,
or skirting around broadcast standards (which demanded that no
crime could go unpunished) by humorously explaining how the
show's killers and criminals were always brought to justice...
though always with a nod and a wink to the viewer.
This knowing complicity was Hitchcock's pact with his audience,
and the secret to his (and the series') long-term success. It's
also what attracted a stable of talented writers whose teleplays,
both original and adapted, maintained a high standard of
excellence. Hitchcock directed four of the first season's 39
episodes, including the premiere episode "Revenge" (a fan
favorite, with future Psycho costar Vera Miles) and the season
highlight "Breakdown," with Joseph Cotten as a car-accident
victim, paralyzed and motionless, who's nearly left for dead;
it's a perfect example of visual and narrative economy, executed
with a master's touch. (The fourth episode, "Don't Come Back
Alive," is also a popular favorite, with the kind of sinister
twist that became a series trademark.) Robert Stevenson directed
the majority of the remaining episodes with similar skill,
serving tightly plotted tales (selected by associate producers
Joan Harrison and Norman Lloyd) by such literary greats as Ray
Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Cornell Woolrich, Dorothy L. Sayers, and
John Collier. Adding to the series' prestige was a weekly roster
of new and seasoned stars, with first-season appearances by
Cloris Leachman, Darren McGavin, Everett Sloane, Peter Lawford,
Charles Bronson, Barry Fitzgerald, John Cassavetes, Joanne
Woodward, Thelma Ritter, and a host of Hollywood's best-known
character players. With such stellar talent on weekly display,
Alfred Hitchcock Presents paved the way for Thriller, The
Twilight Zone, and other series that maximized the anthology
format's storytelling potential.
Packed onto three double-sided DVDs, these 39 episodes hold up
remarkably well, and while some prints show the wear and tear of
syndication, they look and sound surprisingly good (although
audio compression will cause many viewers to turn up the volume).
The 15-minute bonus featurette, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A
Look Back" is perfunctory at best, but it's nice to see new
anecdotal interviews with Norman Lloyd, assistant director Hilton
Green, and Hitchcock's daughter Pat (a frequent performer on
these episodes), who survived to see their popular series benefit
from the archival convenience of DVD. --Jeff Shannon