Don't Look Behind You

I need to Google, to find out why they expanded "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," to "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour." It merely magnifies the horrendous hamminess of the original series.

This episode is cringe-worthy. The over-acting!

Vera Miles is a thirty-three year-old in medical school?

Jeffrey Hunter had already completed the "surfer Jesus," "King of Kings" big-budget mess? Kind of a step back.

The Hitchcock series were always just awkward, even when he directed a few episodes.

Everyone performing in this episode, is a hot mess.

Good to see the second "Leave It to Beaver" house, make a cameo.

Eeeeeerie tale (for all us late, late show addicts), only one debit. Should have been the premier episode.

British playwright Barre Lyndon wrote this fade to black mystery, known for some offbeat stories, including WAR OF THE WORLDS. There's a maniac on the loose, the campus killer, who attacks women in the woods in a small college town. Extremely atmospheric, directed by John Brahm, who effectively used the Universal backlot late at night.

It all centers around professor Jeffrey Hunter and his fiancee, played by Vera Miles, who Hitch also used in his films. She MAY be next-- and WHO could it be? Hunter is quite good as the gentleman of science looking into the minds of homicidal maniacs, and what makes them tick. As they gather with friends, suspicions are cast on just about everybody.

Spicing up the scenery is veteran actor Abraham Sofaer, playing the wise professor, and good guy slash bad guy Alf Kjellin. Lyndon wrote two episodes for Hitch, and without too much surprise, wrote for Boris Karloff's tv show, THRILLER. Has the feel of something Karloff would have done, possible outlined for his show originally.

FYI; A Season Three episode would have a very similar slant, only with the mad killer of nurses. Watch for it. Hitch used the LEAVE IT TO BEAVER set at Universal. Often wonder if that wasn't a dark comedy reach, because the set turned up more than once in the series. Brooding music score by Lynn Murray, who worked on IT TAKES A THIEF for Hitch.

SEASON 1 EPISODE 2 remastered dvd box set. Some of the dvd boxes were produced in Europe and will not play on American made players. Check with the seller regarding Region 2 playback.

I remember Jeffrey Hunter when he played Christopher Pike on the fStar Trek pilot episode, The Menagerie. He was a painful character then and here again. Here he is involved with the beautiful Vera Miles. There have been attacks on young women in a college town and he has decided to capture the perpetrator. He is a specialist in abnormal psychology and wants to invade the psyche of the killer. She is involved with two other men in a casual way. One is a co-worker and the other a concert pianist. They both have bland personalities. One of them is Dick Sargent who became the second Darren on Bewitched after Dick York left. The problem with this one is bad acting and a slow, ponderous pace which may be a problem with the full hour Hitchcock episodes.

A previous poster called her Madge "Batman" Kennedy. Madge Blake played Aunt Harriet Cooper on Batman. Madge Kennedy played Aunt Martha on Leave It To Beaver.

The plot is a bit contrived and confusing but those 2 make up for it. Rest in peace Jeffrey Hunter and may Vera Miles continue to be blessed and alive.