Decoy

This is a wonderful episode - it proves that talent will out - I met Cara Williams recently at a screening of "The Defiant Ones" - I must say, I was star-struck. I've had a good career in film/TV, met many a star, but meeting Cara, well what can I say? Look at this episode - she plays truth itself. I gave her a kiss and a hug that night at the screening - she was so humble - and a bit embarrassed - and quite surprised I should consider her performance so wonderful. I only wish she had stayed in the business longer. It's just great to know she is still around, and by the way, looks fantastic! I wish she would consider getting back into the mainstream - take a shot at acting again - this kind of talent is in-born, not taught. She's an amazing woman with an amazing talent.

I enjoyed the episode. I love seeing Cara Williams anytime. She was always hilarious in "Pete and Gladys". But my interest here is in a classic character actor, Philip Coolidge, who plays the police Lieutenant. He made a memorable twilight zone episode in which he was very cross and disagreeable until he would hear a player piano playing, then he became very kind. He has a very unusual appearance, which suits him well for the various roles in different shows of the time. What I noticed in this show, but I think he does in every role he plays, it's his way of closing his eyes just as he begins to talk! Very unusual and effective!

"Decoy" is another one of those 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes with a quite interesting premise, especially if it is a type of story that is up your alley (like with me), but also one that is fairly familiar (with it sounding like the sort of story you'd see in an early Hitchcock film). My main reasons for seeing it were that it featured quite a few Hitchcock regulars and also to see all the episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', which was of inconsistent but solid quality up to this point.

As far as the series and Season 1 go, "Decoy" is one of the middle of the pack outings. There are worse episodes on both counts (meaning of both the series and Season 1), but also a lot better likewise. This is an episode that is worth watching and is not a bad outing, there is just nothing special about it either. The premise intrigues, but "Decoy" could have done a good deal more with it. This is all personal taste though that will be agreed with by some but disagreed with by others.

While there are better looking episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' definitely, "Decoy" does have some nice slickness and atmosphere. Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" is still made iconic use of for the main theme. When used, the music is suitably ominous without being over emphasised. Hitchcock's bookending is suitably dry humoured in both writing and delivery.

The script has some tautness and intelligence and the story has some nice suspense early on. The acting is very good from all, particularly from Robert Horton with touching Cara Williams close behind, and it is directed assuredly enough.

On the other hand, "Decoy" agreed would have benefitted from being longer. It did feel rushed and like there was too much crammed in, which meant that not everything had clarity and it could have had more depth. The suspense could have been more in the slightly too coincidence-heavy second half and personally did think that the ending was not that much of a surprise.

It is agreed too that the sets do look sparse and under-budgeted side.

Concluding, worth watching if unexceptional. Had good potential early on that wasn't carried all the way through. 6/10.

Hitch starts looking through magnifying glass suggesting to the viewers stay tuned about the story, also saying that the gorgeous dancing girls will appears in the end of the episode which one of them nowadays is married with a famous person of English aristocracy, with snarky British mood as always.

The Coy is about a musician Gil Larkin (Robert Horton) working with married singer Mona Cameron (Clara Williams) as composer nourishes a secret love with her, Larkin realizes some bruises in the Mona's arms, he asking for who done it, but Mona flees from this conversation, however letting a slight hint that his husband Ben Cameron (David Orrick) did it, thus Larkin is willing to face Ben about this, Mona disagrees but the jealous Larkin goes to the Ben's office to clarify, arriving there at early evening just finds the secretary and Ben at private office talking in phone with someone, upon entering in the office steeply when starts arguing with Ben an unknown guy behind Larkin shot Ben who yells "Ritchie" the murder hits Larkin's head, letting the gun at your hand to frame him.

He has two hours long before the dead body has been found by the janitor of shift night, through a note found at Ben desk Larkin tries out find there two names write in the note, by the end Hitch is back again making apologizes to the audience due the short time of the episode had to cut off the gorgeous dancing girls at final scene, Hitch did his usual tricks, fantastic!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 2022 / Source: DVD / How many: 1 / Rating: 7.5.

When the story begins, a man is playing piano for a woman practicing a song. Gil notices that the lady has some bruises on her arm and asks her if her husband did that....and she eventually says yes. So, he storms over to the husband's office and is about to confront him when he's hit over the head and whoever did that then kills the husband...and leaving Gil to get the blame. But Gil soon recovers and does what folks often do in films (but NOT in real life), they try to solve the case themselves instead of calling the police. But after a while the police arrive....and he's got some 'splaining to do.

I hate the cliche used here....a man is set up to take the blame for murder but instead of contacting the police, they try to solve the crime. Is anyone really this dumb? And, as far as who was behind all this, I figured it out right away...so there wasn't all that much suspense. All in all, this really could have been much better...a lot better.

Overall, this would have been better as a police or detective program episode...not an installment of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents".