“Alfred Hitchcock Presents” is an American television anthology series hosted and executive produced by Alfred Hitchcock, which aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Alfred Hitchcock is a wonderful storyteller and there are a lot of interesting plots and surprising twists. It’s also nice to see so many famous faces.
It’s a visual and sensual treat to watch Hitchcock’s television films – around 400 episodes. The total time I spent watching these memorable episodes is around 220 hours. This research took around 9 months. In the process of my patient research, I jotted down my own running notes of each of the episode.
Took running notes? Are you crazy? How is it possible? You are exaggerating…well I do not have to convince you…yet the truth of my claim remains.
For example: I had goose bumps all over my body when I was watching Season 3 Episode 27 on 9th January, 2021. The name of the story in this episode is “The Disappearing Trick”. This episode was telecasted in April, 1958. I fell in love with each of the stories / dramas (as Hitchcock names it), more so I fell in mad intellectual love with Sir Alfred Hitchcock himself! His ‘never hurry’ voice, bald head and commencing every episode with a ‘Good Evening’ and ending it with a ‘Good Night’. In his concluding comments after the “Disappearing Trick” Sir Hitchcock says “Those of you seeing me in the year 2000 – Please do write to tell me how are the things then”.
Futuristic? Crazy? Can this be possible? But yet, I am seeing this episode in 2021 – i.e., after almost 63 years! What reply can I give to that profound question…except a stunned expression on my face! However, if I were to ‘write and tell’ – I would say the things are the same even in 2021. The lust, greed, deception, extramarital affairs, crime, kidnapping, beautiful women…in other words nothing has changed in human nature/ emotions. And I think nothing ever will. Sir! You did the greatest job on earth in depicting the human nature in its truest sense 63 years ago. If I may add, people these days look at your films and TV series with warmth and contended enjoyment. No one…I repeat no one has attempted till date to become a pale shadow of your greatness.
Further your comments on the sponsors…the commercials are the words of magic. In one of your Season 5 episodes you cautioned ‘you will be seeing the commercials at your own risk’. You felt that the sponsor had an important message for us the viewers. With similar sounding words in every episode, you made the sponsors of an episode a part of the drama!
I bow to you my great man…with all respect and awe. You are, indeed, a man of tomorrow unfortunately born yesterday. I am glad to be given a chance to meet the ‘tomorrow man’ today. I am immensely thankful for letting me to become a part of your greatest show. No wonder…you are considered as the Greatest Showman on Earth! “Good Night”.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
