Alibi Me

The whole premise of this episode is so lacking in reality. First of all, there's a police detective who has openly stated that if one of two men die violently, he will go after the other. Of course, the principle character offs the other guy and then must begin to come up with an alibi. He is so inept. First he tries a restaurant owner who he has helped in the past. This is too risky for the guy. Then he goes to a former girlfriend. Of course, she finds a provocative picture of a chorus girl type and she realizes she is being used. Not to a man who is dying of a heart condition. The point is that unless the police are a bunch of total idiots, he would have left a trail of evidence to convict him. I won't spoil the ending. Let me just say that the encounter with the police detective is beyond belief. I see this as a hopeless, throwaway episode with little to offer.

Season 2 had yet to have an episode above good, the best (such as "Fog Closing In") being good but not great. Compared to the quite strong start that the first season enjoyed, Season 2 up to this point was a bit of a disappointment (especially with its very underwhelming first episode) and generally wasn't as strong a season. The best of the previous Season 2 episodes were good, but about half of the previous episodes were slightly above average or less.

While a long way from being one of the best outings of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and not my definition of great, "Alibi Me" is still well worth watching and is one of the better episodes of Season 2 up to this still quite early stage. It is the first of three outings directed by Jules Bricken, the other two being the next episode "Conversation over a Corpse" and "The Three Dreams of Mr Findlater", also worth a look.

"Alibi Me" has a lot to like. It is a slick looking episode with some nice atmospheric lighting in particular and while Bricken's direction is not what one calls imaginative or distinguished it is at least assured and not indicative of someone out of his depth. The music is haunting enough and the main theme is memorably macabre, keep saying that it is one of the best uses of pre-existing classical music in television and still stand by that. Hitchcock's contribution is amusingly ironic.

The first half is intriguing and tense with an unexpected and clever ending, while the script has the right amount of edge and entertainment value. Lee Phillips carries the episode with great assurance and Chick Chandler was clearly enjoying himself thoroughly.

Did feel though that the second half wasn't as strong, it intrigues enough still but the pace slackens and too much of it is also far fetched

Everything with the police detective was hard to swallow and quite silly. Also felt that more suspense was needed, everything here is present and correct but just lacks the extra something.

Overall, good but not great. 7/10.

Entertaining, if not riveting, entry. Slickster Georgie (Phillips) has a long time feud with rival gangster Lucky (Chandler). Trouble is Lucky cuts in on Georgie's pinball territory so Georgie confronts the interloper who believes the slickster's too soft to do anything. Then Lucky arrogantly mocks him. Big mistake. Georgie shoots the sneering son-of-a- gun. But now he's got a bigger problem because cop Larkin will immediately suspect him. Now he needs an alibi, and fast.

Interest is in watching desperate Georgie bounce from one potential alibi to the next. It's kind of like a profile of his life, and indicates why he's being hung out to dry. Outstanding is unknown actress Shirley Smith as cheap blonde Goldie, reminding me a bit of Shelley Winters. Her broken desires are indeed touching. At spectrum's other end is Chick Chandler who spreads on his loathsome character with a trowel. Payoff is deliciously ironic, something about it not paying to be a tightwad.

Hitch was famous for stories about guys at the end of their rope, and this is a short and bitter tale all about one desperate guy boxed in BIG TIME.

Lee Phillips, in a memorable performance, plays a con named Georgie whose clock has run out. He kills a foe named Lucky (played by comedian Chick Chandler in a dramatic role) -- who basically told him the truth about who he is. With that in mind, Georgie now has to get an alibi to save his skin. Ain't EZ. He tries to get help from an old friend, also a former gal pal -- even a guy who is about to drop dead! That's how BAD his luck is.

One of those you wouldn't want to be in his shoes stories, exceptionally written by Bernard Schoenfeld, who wrote several mini classics for Hitch.

You will never guess the ending, hits the dark comedy bullseye. Jules Bricken directed, who later produced the classic movie, THE TRAIN. By the way, Lee Phillips is best known for directing the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. Look for Alan Reed (the voice of Fred Flintstone) as good ole Uncle Leo.

SEASON 2 EPISODE 7 remastered dvd box set. Released 2006. The famous deadpan Hitch cover.

A man walks upstairs to the final movement of the Moonlight Sonata, played in another room. He enters a door labeled "Brooklyn Amusement Corp." But this is a front and this is a gangster episode. A man pulls a "rod" (gun) on someone and we get our killing early, so the tale is about his post facto need for an alibi.

The actor who voiced Fred Flinstone pops up looking like Tony Soprano's uncle (he acted a lot in those days, including the original Postman Always Rings Twice).

I like the ending as written, but the slack story has lost all its energy by the time we get there.