A Bullet for Baldwin

When an office worker is fired from his job, he shoots his boss to death, but when he returns to the office his boss is alive, and has no recollection of the incident. A lesser but cleverly-written entry with some good characterisations. However, it's not too remarkable.

It is a bit complicated plot to follow, but quite enjoyable and unusual, with a good expected twist ending. I am not that prepared for such a scheme and needed to watch it twice to fully understand. Not my favorite, but fun and inventive. I hardly can summarize it, and that means it is an intelligent story. I advise you to watch it very closely. And watch it several times if necessary. I will wait several years before watching it again. There will be many plots like this one further in the show. It pushes you to be very focused on those cliché ridden stories, and I think it is a good thing. I will resume my watching and reviewing.

This episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" features a cleverly written story that makes it pretty interesting to watch. It also gives character actor John Qualen a chance to play a starring role, in a part that fits his talents well. This is a good example of the kind of story that works by putting you in the position of the main character as he tries to figure out a baffling situation.

The story starts with Qualen, as a timid office worker, impulsively gunning down his boss after getting fired. But when he returns to his office, the boss seems to be alive and well, with no recollection of any part of their confrontation. Things get even more inexplicable from there, and the story is written carefully so that the viewer knows only what Qualen's character himself knows.

Qualen is a good choice for the part, since he often played this kind of downtrodden but sympathetic character, here adding a believable dose of bewilderment as things get stranger. Sebastian Cabot and Philip Reed head up the supporting cast.

The story is resolved neatly, and there is a morbidly witty parallel between the beginning and the ending that certainly would have pleased Hitchcock himself. A fair amount of exposition is needed at times, but the script (which two of the show's regular writers adapted from a story by Joseph Ruscoll) handles it rather well, keeping things from bogging down as they can do in such scenes. While this episode may not have quite as much depth to it as the best episodes of the series had, it's an entertaining mystery that also represents a skillful adaptation of its story to the anthology show's format.

When the episode begins, a very meek man, Mr. Stepp (John Qualen), is fired from his nasty boss, Mr. Baldwin (Sebastian Cabot). Stepp's response is surprising for such a mousy man, as he soon enters his now ex-boss's office and makes him an ex-living person...shooting him at point blank range.

Stepp goes home and expects to be arrested any moment. Surprisingly, no police arrive and Stepp's job calls him in the morning to ask him why he didn't come in to work! What about the dead boss? What about the blood and bullet? Here's the kicker...the boss IS there and things seem normal!! What is happening? And, what's Stepp going to do next?

Hiring John Qualen for this role was brilliant, as he as among the meekest looking actors of his age, apart, perhaps, with the exception of Donald Meek (his real name), who died a decade before this episode was filmed. After all, it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting nor surprising if John Wayne or Robert Mitchum had played such a part!

Overall, a very strange episode and one that you won't soon forget.

Ultimate dark comedy, exceptionally written by brothers Francis and Eustace Cockrell who shared a laugh with Hitch. You can count on that.

Hitch liked John Qualen because he played the downtrodden, everyday guy to perfection. This may be one of his best tv roles. Qualen plays a used and abused office worker called Mr. Stepp, as in stepped on? Sebastian Cabot, who could play some worthy bad guys, fits the role of bossy Mr. Baldwin, who decides to fire Stepp after many years of loyal service. Goodbye and Good Luck.

At first -- and you can't blame Stepp -- he considers shooting himself. He has nothing much to live for. However, comes that brilliant bridge from the Hitchcock playbook. Why not shoot the SOB instead? And he does. Next day comes around, Stepp expecting the worst, but is instead called back to the office to find the old buzzard ALIVE and WELL? As for the shooting, there was none?

If you're a fan of the show, it's EZ to guess what happened... Still fun to watch how this bizarre mystery unfolds and lands in Stepp's lap for a second time. The ending is a real dazzler, mixed with some fitting dialogue.

Beautifully directed by Justus Addiss, who turns Cabot into a work of art -- who deserves everything he gets. And you just feel so sorry for John Qualen. Popular actor Phillip Reed guest stars, who also played his fair share of villains in a long career.

SEASON 1 EPISODE 14 remastered CBS dvd box set.

Collectors First Season box with a super color cover pix of deadpan Hitch.