A Man Greatly Beloved

How well you like this entry may depend on how much you like precocious 7-year old girls. Little Evelyn Rudie is one strong personality, her gap-tooth grin totally self-assured as her Hildegard messes with the lives of adults around her. Seems the mysterious John Anderson (Hardwicke) is a new-comer recluse to little Hildegard's town and thus invites curiosity. So Hildegard decides to find things out in her own inimitable way.

The plot generates little suspense, some interest, but maybe quite a few chuckles. It's really little Rudie's forceful personality that carries the show. It's also an interesting supporting cast. I suspect Hardewick took a secondary part as a favor to fellow Britisher Hitchcock, while Robert Culp gets an early role as the handsome Clarence. But for old movie fans, there's bird-like Edith Barrett from Val Lewton's great horror series from the early 1940's (e.g. I Walked with a Zombie, {1943}). Here she does a rather amusing bit. All in all, it's an offbeat Hitchcock with an upshot more thought- provoking than ironic.

This episode of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' benefits from good casting here with Cedric Hardwicke, Robert Culp, Edith Barrett, and Evelyn Rudie as the narrator, a small girl with a lot of cheek and curiosity.

Hardwicke is a stranger in town - but is he who Rudie thinks he is? The tone of this episode is quite light and having the little girl narrating gives it some interest. This is an amusing and engaging episode with its tongue firmly in cheek, and is all the better for it.

So with secrets, séances, and dotty character actors, 'A Man Greatly Beloved' tackles the way we sometimes see what we want to see, and accept appearances as they are. It's a decent episode, well filmed and well cast.

I was surprisingly enjoyed by this unexptected plot, where the relation between this little girl and this lonesome man - Cedric Hardwicke - is so interesting, unusual. No crime, no suspense, you just wonder where this story will lead you. The ending is also exquisite, not the best ever, but quite good enough to please to many audiences, all kind of audiences. This kind of scheme, for the whole family, usually annoys me, bores me at the most. Here, not at all.

A Hitch showcase for two stars; Sir Cedric Hardwicke, an old friend, and Evelyn Rudie, an up and coming child actress.

Hardwicke is perfect as a new, though reclusive neighbor (Mr. Anderson) in a small New England town who catches the eye of the daughter of the local reverend, Hildegarde (Rudie). Playful yes, a bit annoying, that too, slowly getting on the old gentleman's nerves, who wants to be left alone. Thank you, and Get Lost.

The inevitable Hitch question as this riddle unfolds; Does it all come down to secrets? Murder, perhaps? You wouldn't think of anything else, right? Of course, kids jump to all kind of conclusions, however Hildegarde may be onto something, and at the same time attempting to win him over. Watching the two stars work together is marvelous, and how could you fault Sir Cedric Hardwick, who appeared in ROPE for Hitch. Fondly remembered to all us kids as Dr. Frankenstein.

Nominated for an Emmy award at the age of nine, Rudie appeared in many films and tv shows, even turning up in a BOWERY BOYS comedy. Her career peaked a few years after this episode, but for the wrong reasons, when she briefly disappeared from her parents and flew to Washington, D. C. to visit first lady Mamie Eisenhower. By the early 60s, she gave up acting, returning to school and college.

Hugh Marlowe plays her father, and to spice things up, dramatic actress Edith Barrett (known for classics like JANE EYRE), plays a spiritualist.

Written by Sarrett Tobias, one of the few female writers on tv at the time, and well received.

The fun part is guessing, and even if you've seen this episode, worth a return visit for the acting. SEASON 2 EPISODE 33 remastered CBS dvd box set. All seven seasons are now on dvd in a single box set. Released 2022.

This is perhaps the my least favorite episode to date. The main character (who narrates straight into the camera) is annoying in the way little girls so often were back in the day. She missing a front tooth or two (how cute!) and has ridiculous curls and won't shut up. If this isn't bad enough, we get a second bad character, a nervous old lady neighbor.

The main story is about how the girl befriends an older male neighbor who is new to town. Given this series, I expected dark things to cut through the super cutesy girl. I was disappointed as the ending is a dud.