A Piece of the Action

A professional poker player in a tough crowd tries to discourage his younger brother from taking up the pursuit. At the same time, his wife threatens to leave if he doesn't quit.

Rather spotty episode. Suspense doesn't really kick in until the showdown poker game that ends on an unforeseeable note of Hitchcock irony. Where the story's going isn't indicated by the first half hour, so it's up to the strong cast to carry interest. Also it looks like there's some padding in this first part with Duke (Young) and wife Alice (Hyer) trying to get along, though the pool scene remains a novelty. I expect the chief interest now is a young Robert Redford just starting out in the business. And who at the time could have predicted he would expand and prosper for 50-years in such a cutthroat industry. Anyway, it must have been a cheap episode to produce since the action's basically indoors except for the pool scene. The cast also features an underrated Gene Evans, whose poker-playing Ed proves nobody to mess with. Overall, what the 60-minutes lacks in general suspense is made up for in good character interest and a worthwhile payoff.

"A Piece of the Action" is the first hour-long episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"....which was renamed "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" starting with this show and running for the next three seasons.

Duke (Gig Young) is a compulsive poker player. It's gotten so bad that his lovely wife (Martha Hyer) is ready to leave him. In desperation, he promises to stop gambling....though you can't help but think it's just an empty promise. This is especially tough for Duke because a guy who just lost big to him, Ed (Gene Evans), isn't about to just let him go. At about this same time, Duke's brother (Robert Redford) arrives in town to see him...and it seems the brother also has a gambling problem. Duke doesn't like to see his brother is a gambler...though it's hardly like he has any reason to look down on the guy! So, he decides to help out Ed and teach his brother a lesson...though it ends up backfiring and now Ed is angrier than ever.

Apart from being an interesting character study, there isn't a lot of suspense here and the twist is pretty limp. Additionally, the episode really could have been done quite well in an hour...trimming a few unnecessary story elements (such as Raymond Bailey's portion at the beginning). Watchable and well made but disappointing as it seemed to lack what you'd expect from this series.

This the first ever episode of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" called "A Piece of the Action" which first aired on 9-20-62 was a memorable one and it was one of Robert Redford's earliest appearances and works. You have a wealthy man named Duke(Gig Young) who's an investment adviser and he has a trophy wife and on the side he has the vice of being a gambler. And for sure he brushes shoulders with a rough and not so trusting crowd, so he's had enough and wants to vacation and spend more time with the wife only when his little brother Chuck(Redford) visits his life of being a young hot lawyer is found to be no more, it's like he's following the path of Duke. So things twist and change when Chuck gets in over his head and Duke is to the rescue only to have it in debt for all, it's like he bailed his brother out and payed a fine! Overall good memorable and well done and written episode that entertained.

I am surprised how Robert Redford ends many sentences with the wrong tones. This director stinks! He should have corrected this; what is a director for? Redford not very good either!

Gig Young is a professional gambler, although people assume he is in real estate investment (maybe it's both). He has a beautiful wife who comes from prime stock and she is getting tired of his not being home. He plays cards with some really dangerous guys and usually wins. Enter his brother, played by a very young Robert Redford. He wants in on the gambling world but doesn't know about his brother. It is a fifth anniversary and it is decided that the gambling will cease and he will spend time with his wife, but sonny boy works his way into a game. It's a harsh ending where a man tries to do what's right and pays for it.