Salvage

Caught this one on Late Night TV. As a child of mid-fifties, I'm naturally prone to like ladies and gents from that epoch, as they bring to mind mom and dad. The men's dresses were smart and the ladies looked like a woman should.

This episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents gives the extra bonus of seeing Gene Barry before the classic Bat Masterson times. Man, do I love the epoch! Yes I do, and this Film Noir Candy gets an eight for that. It's a sign of true cinematic art that this part of a TV series has stood the test of time.

As I don't like giving away spoilers, I just point to the Hitchcockean cruelty in the storyline. Sir Alfred didn't seem to believe in Christian values. He'd been immensely popular in Ancient Rome.

Cold and nice as a water melon in a fridge -- stabbed with a fruit knife.

The best episode since the Hitchcock-directed pilot, "Salvage" (Season 1, Episode 6) is an excellent addition to series. Television has always been a distinct artistic medium from film, mostly with regards to running times. While sitcoms or TV dramas may have hours to develop characters and plot lines, anthology series such as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" had just under thirty minutes to unfold a complete standalone story. In many cases, as in "Don't Come Back Alive" (Season 1, Episode 4), this restriction hindered the quality, but here it serves as a positive. "Salvage" jumps full-swing into its story, with its shifty female protagonist (Nancy Gates) already fearing the arrival of a paroled gangster (Gene Barry, his second appearance in the series) whose brother she betrayed to the authorities. It's this sort of efficient storytelling that produces the best half-hour episodes – most of the characters' back-story can be filled in automatically by the viewer, allowing a considerable amount of drama to unfold in an otherwise limited running-time.

Both of the leads deliver strong performances. Nancy Gates, not an actress I'm familiar with, convincingly plays a shivering emotional wreck, a wretched woman who both understands and accepts that her time is up. Usually, a leading lady can be expected to be innocent and virtuous (as was Patricia Hitchcock in the previous episode, "Into Thin Air"), but Lois Williams is pretty much rotten from the beginning, a cowardly and unrepentant opportunist. Is this the developing mould of Marion Crane, an anti-heroine who deserved everything she got? Gene Barry has an excellent presence, a smouldering ex-convict who's always contemplating his next move. Also look out for film noir stalwart Elisha Cook Jr. as a ratty criminal associate. Hitchcock has some fun in the episode introduction, taking the viewer on a "behind the scenes" tour of the television studio, and narrowly avoiding being pulverised by a heavy object. Hitchcock's droll sense of humour would be the death of him!

Lois (Nancy Gates) is desperate. She was responsible for pushing her boyfriend unmercifully for more money and he ultimately was killed trying to rob some place in order to afford her. The dead man's brother, Dan (Gene Barry), is in prison but he's due to be released soon...and she and those that know her expect him to kill her. But oddly, when he's about to kill her, he changes his mind and actually helps her turn her life around for the better. Why? Why is this tough guy helping out the woman who helped ruin his brother?

This is a very good installment of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"...well written, exciting and with a nice twist. Well worth your time.

Although hardly novel, the idea for "Salvage" was great. Despite not caring for Gene Barry in his first 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episode "Triggers in Leash" (one of the episodes that did little for me overall as well), he is an actor who has been good in other things with his 'Columbo' guest star turn being my introduction to him. While this series is a very interesting and well worth watching most of the time, it is uneven with the unevenness already apparent in the previous episodes.

"Salvage" to me is a very good entry in the series and definitely recommended. Yes there is little new here and not many surprises, but it is so much better than the previous three episodes that ranged between just slightly above average to lacklustre ("Triggers in Leash" being the weakest of the three). In my view, it is the best 'Alfred Htchcock Presents' episode since "Premonition", if not quite as good as that episode or quite a return to form for the series.

It could have done with more surprises and more consistent suspense and is a little too on the short side.

However, so much is done very well. Nancy Gates is unsettling and movingly vulnerable, her emotional wreckage not being melodramatic. Barry is also much better here than he was in his previous appearance in the series. Elisha Cook Jr is suitably ratty and one of the standouts of a strong supporting cast. Hitchcock's intro is a lot of fun and one of the best of the early episodes.

Furthermore, "Salvage" is a very well made episode visually with a lot of atmosphere in the photography. The music doesn't come over as over-emphasised or intrusive and matches the atmosphere well, the theme tune still is great. The script is intriguing and flows naturally, the psychological element handled in a way that doesn't feel confused.

Even if the story is not a perfect one, it goes at a good pace (personally was involved), doesn't feel over-stretched or cluttered and has a lot less credibility straining than particularly "Don't Come Back Alive". The ending is nicely executed, rings true at least and doesn't come over as abrupt. It's directed solidly.

Overall, very good on the whole though not a high point of the series. 8/10.

A young woman betrays the brother of a gangster while he is in prison. She lives in abject terror of his return, knowing that these will be her last days. When he comes to kill her, he realizes that she is so guilt ridden she doesn't even care. He says as much. He wants her to beg, to plead, to get on her knees. Then a strange turn of events. Instead of doing her in, he offers her a business partnership. Of course, we think he is fronting some illegal operation and she will be victimized by it. It is, after all, Alfred Hitchcock. Still, she begins to design clothes and create a very successful dress shop. She is the happiest she has ever been. She is walking on air. There is a lot of byplay with some real noir characters such as Elijah Cook. Gene Barry is quite good as the cold calculating gangster. This is really a solid episode.