A Crime for Mothers

The birth mother of a little girl shows up at the home of her adoptive family, hoping to extort money from them. When they prove incapable of producing the money, she decides to kidnap their little girl, whom she has not met (except at birth, of course). It has an interesting conclusion which fits well with the Hitchcock stamp.

Shades of KEY LARGO here, the film which Claire Trevor won a much deserved Oscar for playing a hopeless drunk.

Claire is spot on in this role, but instead of playing a gangster's moll, she portrays a lonely woman with a drinking problem who lost her baby many years ago to a young couple. What a story to tell, and from both sides.

Ida Lupino directed this episode with her usual flair; you could only imagine these two film greats working together. Trevor plays Mrs. Meade, who unexpectedly enters the lives of the Birdwells (Robert Sampson and Patricia Smith) who have raised her baby girl over the last several years, and expect to keep her.

Mrs. Meade claims she was cheated, plain and simple, wants her child back or will sue the couple for damages... That is... until a strange man enters her life and claims he can get her child back by simply kidnapping her! I agree with the last reviewer, the second half of his classic episode definitely has the Hitchcock stamp, and you'll be surprised how it all ends.

Applause for movie tough guy Biff McGuire, playing Phil. Popular actor Robert Sampson passed in 2020. Look for funnyman Howard McNear (ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW) playing Mr. Maxwell. No matter what role McNear did, he always seemed to look and act like Floyd the famous tv barber.

A must see from SEASON 6. Remastered dvd box set. 5 dvd sets. Released 2013 and 2015. Classic yellow box set.

When the story begins, Mr. And Mrs. Birdwell are visited by their young daughter's biological mother, Mrs. Meade (Claire Trevor). Meade gave up her child seven years ago and has literally drunk most of her life away. But this alcoholic is a malevolent woman...and she swears to make the Birdwell's lives hell unless they pay her to stay away and leave them in peace. In other words, she wants to blackmail them and bleed them of every dime she can get.

After consulting with many lawyers who tell Meade she hasn't got a case and could never regain custody of her daughter, a stranger arrives and offers her a suggestion...to kidnap the kid and charge the Birdwells ransom! What could possibly go wrong?!

This is a great episode....made even better by Trevor's wonderfully vivid performance. She's thoroughly despicable and you hate her...which demonstrates what a fine actress she was (as well as being an Oscar-winner). Well worth your time...and well made in every way.

A slender but satisfying episode. Claire Trevor was always good at playing slatternly types as she does here.

The Birdwells are a nice young couple with a young daughter Eileen about to celebrate her birthday. Then without warning, up pops Eileen's real mother Mrs. Meade (Trevor) demanding that the adoptive parents return the girl to her real mother. Worse, Meade is to motherly types what Lindsey Lohan is to polite society, so naturally the Birdwells refuse. Undeterred, Meade demands a payoff instead. However, the young couple can't afford that amount. So what's the luckless Meade to do. Then up pops PI Phil Ames at Meade's door saying he's got a "can't miss" plan for shaking down the young couple. Naturally, the ethically challenged Meade is interested. But what happens next?

The 30 minutes is essentially a Trevor showcase. It's probably a credit to her that she would take on such an unflattering role at this later career stage. No chills or mayhem here, but there is genuine curiosity at how this unusual premise will end, and a neat, unexpected twist it is. Be sure also, to catch Hitch's funnier than usual wrap-around. This is not a front-rank entry, but remains entertaining nonetheless.