Martha Mason, Movie Star

Hitch had a loving relationship with bad marriages, and this is a gem. He cast Judith Evelyn, who previously played Miss Lonely Hearts in REAR WINDOW, now as a bitter wife who WANTS to be alone.

Mabel is a big movie fan, and in fact believes she looks like a star! Her boring husband (or is he bored with her?), appropriately played by Robert Emhardt, is cramping her style -- if not her Hollywood career -- leaving her no choice but to kill him. Yes, there's a little poetic license at work since her husband happens to be digging a hole in a garden? You know what's next, and don't forget the fake note all about him running away with another woman. How convenient, and worth a chuckle.

Supreme dark comedy, and I agree with the last reviewer, you really love to hate this woman. The fun part is guessing what's in store for cold as ice Mabel. Another treat written by Robert C. Dennis, coupled with some fine direction by Justis Addiss, who headed no less than 10 episodes.

SEASON 2 EPISODE 34 remastered dvd box set. 5 dvd. Hitch's brooding cover photo is now a classic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode as well.

I'm somebody that likes a few celebrities (practically everybody I like is either old, dead or has beens). I innocencently like the celebs I enjoy. It hasn't turned into an obsession. I find 'stans' to be quite creepy tbh. I think our leading actress deserves major credit for turning this into a comedic piece instead of making the viewer think her character is just pathetic.

Mabel is a drama queen tuned up all the way. She's absolutely obsessed with the actress Martha Mason and thinks she looks just like her and she thinks others thinks she looks like Martha as well.

Martha's married to Henry. He puts up better with the Martha obsession better than a lot of people would imo. Henry's into gardening. Too bad Mabel doesn't realize that just like a movie star is her whole life, Henry has some hobbies that it'd be nice if she said something positive about instead of acting in disdain over.

Henry's done it now. He tells Mabel that she looks as much like Martha Mason as he does. Mabel slams him over the head with a shovel and buries him in the garden. I should mention this all taking place outside in broad daylight. Good thing nobody came out to check the mail or heading to the car to run errands, eh? Anyway, Mabel's got him buried. Time to craft up a story to explain Henry's disappearance. Mabel comes up with a story involving Henry running off with another woman. Mabel's on the phone drama queening with Henry's boss and she's 'reading' a blank piece of paper that's supposed to be the letter Henry left behind. Mabel can't help herself. Even writing a letter from Henry's point of view she can't help to mention Martha Mason and Henry's boss is even confused by that tidbit. What's he going on about? Anyway, Henry's boss says he'll say he sent Henry on a business trip to explain his absence and so they won't be the talk of the town. Henry's boss clearly doesn't know Mabel that well because no doubt she's been drama queening it up all over town and telling everybody Henry left her for another woman.

Mabel's called down to the police station and she's clearly been putting on airs around town with how she's dressed. Mabel's about to get a shocker. Henry DID have another woman and she's also in the police station saying Henry wouldn't leave without her. The cops tell Mabel they saw how well Henry's flowers were growing and they they found Henry. Mabel drama queens it up to the very last minute.

I meant what I said in the header. I would've loved to have seen Mabel's behavior in court and even prison. Perhaps even have a scene with Martha Mason as she's seen filing a restraining order against Mabel.

I won't spoil the ending, other than to say that until I got there I was pretty tired of this episode. Hitchcock's portrayal of shrew-like women is pretty consistent and this is no exception. History has shown us that he was a bit of a misogynist, especially in his movies (Marnie, The Birds, etc.). The long suffering husband has been portrayed ad- infinitum. As I've tried to catch up on these episodes, I've run across so many abused men. Most recently it was the man who murdered his wife and locked her in the trunk of his car, only to be foiled by a highway patrolman. Anyway, this one is so self centered that she can't see what a nice life she has. She is enamored with some film star and truly believes that they are alike in appearance and talent. When she strikes, we know the wrong person has paid the price. Enjoy this one. It has a payoff.

Was honestly not expecting to like "Martha Mason Movie Star" let alone love it so much. There have been episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' where the lead character is so awful to such an irritating degree or their character flaws are so overdone that it unbalances the story and makes it difficult to enjoy. Judging from what was read online prior to watching, with even those that liked the episode acknowledging that, "Martha Mason Movie Star" honestly sounded like one of those episodes.

Even with such an awful character, "Martha Mason Movie Star" to me actually worked though it is totally understandable if it doesn't for others. Namely because it is so well acted, suspenseful and because the character manages to be interesting in a compelling scenario, other 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes to have characters so detestable don't have those which is the difference. It is one of the best and most interesting episodes that Justus Addiss directed for 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and much better than the rating here suggests.

"Martha Mason Movie Star" runs out of gas towards the end a little when the self-absorbed personality gets a bit too much.

Perhaps a bit of a slow starter.

However, a lot is good here. It is incredibly well acted for one thing. Judith Evelyn relishes her role to a wonderfully bat out of hell degree and it is quite thrilling to watch and she succeeds in making her psychologically fascinating and not over-cartoonish. While she does dominate the episode, there are so many other elements that are great that there isn't any unbalancing. Robert Ermhardt also does a great job against type and did feel for him. They are electric together.

Also standing out is the absolutely delicious and really quite ingenious ending, one of my favourites of Season 2 (which had some great endings but also some severely underwhelming ones). Not only a complete surprise but also a relief. Hitchcock's bookending is wonderfully dry humoured and Addiss' direction is some of his most inspired. The script isn't too talky and the story absorbs and doesn't feel predictable or over-stretched. There is also suspense in what would happen to Evelyn's character and how far the self absorbing (usually hate this character trait intensely) would go. The production values are slick and "Funeral March of the Marionettes" is still wonderfully devillish.

Very good episode and surprisingly so. 8/10.

Pity poor husband Henry. He's middle-age, over-weight, and not very attractive, but what did he do to deserve wife Mabel. She's so deluded about her plain, average looks, she thinks she resembles movie glamour girl Martha Mason. And when not in one of her dramatic poses or fishing for compliments, she treats poor Henry with arrogant disdain even though he works hard at his office job. No wonder he looks forward every week to Wednesday night at his lodge meetings or to his afternoons gardening in the flower bed. Together, they're really just an average middle-age couple if only she would give up her extravagant illusion.

In my book, it's a really delicious twist ending, fully deserving of the Hitchcock brand name. Also, the episode provides the great Robert Emhardt one of his few sympathetic roles showing the considerable range of his talent-- no wonder he was a Hitchcock favorite. Judith Evelyn also excels as the vain, silly wife, all meaningful pauses and dramatic poses. I wouldn't be surprised writer Mason based her on a real life character who sat through too many Joan Crawford matinées. Anyway, I didn't see that ending coming and I bet others won't either. It's really a fitting lesson in manic self-absorption.