Bull in a China Shop

When the character of Miss. Hildy-Lou first appeared I thought - oh, isn't that... oh, what is her name? Well, it's Estelle Winwood - she appeared in everything from Bewitched to Batman! Elizabeth Patterson and Ida Moore were also prolific character actresses in their day, and then, far beyond Grandma Walton, Ellen Corby was in hundreds of movies and TV shows!

Regardless of the plot, the four of these great actresses performing together is a joy unto itself, but to be directed by Alfred Hitchcock makes this episode a real exhibit of excellence in their craft.

Furthermore, the plot is actually very good and has an ending which is both funny and satisfying. A perfect Hitchcock episode!

This episode is truly a gem. I know the series tended to lean more on the serious side but an episode like this is enjoyable and a nice change of pace although I wouldn't blame people if they watched the episode and felt like it sticks out like a sore thumb and doesn't really fit the theme for the rest of the series.

I enjoy 'Bonanza' but I must admit I roll my eyes when the Cartwrights go into heat. I wasn't rolling my eyes at the ladies in this episode for them all going into heat over Detective O'Finn. I also don't think these ladies were bored or basically just waiting to die. These ladies were having fun admiring this man. I don't think I get a kick out of them due to their ages. I think I get the most kick out of it for the measures taken so Detective O'Finn keeps calling on them! Nah, it's not a case of knocking on his door and asking for a cup of sugar or something ordinary like that. Just keep murdering your friends in the house and that'll keep him coming by! Detective O'Finn catches on and requests to be transferred to the arson department and you know what the remaining ladies do? They set fire to their home so he can come by anyway since he's in the arson department now!

So yeah, this is a wonderful episode I'd recommend. The performances from the ladies are a delight to watch. It's another in the 'best of Hitchcock'. Although tbh, both series had so many entertaining episodes it might be easier to come up with a list for the few episodes I didn't like from both series!

Clever spin on the classic comedy, "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Bull" features four little old ladies who call in their neighbor, a handsome homicide detective, to check out a corpse on their couch. Turns out the corpse was yet another little old lady, and the coroner discovers she was poisoned with arsenic. The detective questions the four spinsters, and decides the poor woman's death was accidental, since the ladies keep the arsenic (rat poison) next to their sugar supply in the cupboard. Shortly after, they call him in again, and this time, one of the four is dead, also from arsenic poisoning. This time, the detective figures one of the three survivors is a murderer, but which one? The immortal Estelle ("The Magic Sword") Winwood, with her goggly eyes and crooked smile, is delightful as the landlady of the house and Dennis Morgan handles his Cary Grant-ish role with the proper finesse. A must-see for fans of the 1944 movie that starred Grant.

"Bull in a China Shop" is a most unusual episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" in that the story lacks a good twist and yet I still enjoyed it and recommend you see it despite this serious flaw...mostly because the little old ladies are so cute and fun to watch.

The show is just weird. It seems that a group of old ladies think a detective living nearby is a real hunk (Dennis Morgan). To get his attention, they kill one of their friends...and it's quite possible she even volunteered for this in order to get him to come to their home and spend time with them. When he can't believe they could be killers and refuses to investigate, they continue committing other crimes just to get this nice man to visit! Weird...that's for sure.

The old ladies are so lovable, it impossible to not smile when they are on screen flirting with the detective. This isn't an episode where you will wonder "who dunnit?" It's extremely obvious. But where it lacks in suspense, it makes up for, in humor. The ending punchline was somewhat predictable - yet it didn't steal anything from the entertainment value. Sit back, enjoy, and get a kick out of these old ladies desperate to just be close to the handsome detective by any means necessary. And I mean ANY MEANS NECESSARY. Very cute. If you need a smile, watch this one.