Specialty of the House

Everyone knows the ending... but yet they still don't get it!!! This episode is NOT about food at all! It's about secret societies, the elite, the wealthy, the sophisticated and the SACRIFICE an initiate must make in order to get in to the "club!" Have you ever wondered how secret societies get new members that they can trust? How do they keep the secrets of the "order" safe year after year? Why doesn't anyone squeal? What happens to those that want to "rank up"... or get to the higher levels of the society... and "see how that sausage is made"??? A wall of life members... is sold to the underlings as a status symbol to be attained... but in reality... uh-oh.

I don't know if you have noticed - I suppose and guess you actually did - but Robert Morley often was in voolved in stories where it was question of gourmets...Anthology shows and of course WHO IIS KILLING THE GREATEST CHIEFS OF EUROPE? I am satisfied with this excellent piece of drama, in the pure line of AH PRESENTS policy and with the proper black humor. The plot reveals the proper ingredients for this exquisite recipe, as tasty as the meals Morley is involved in. But not the best ever in the show, however.

I am 75. When I was 10 my father took me to the children's section of the Burbank, CA library and introduced fantasy and sci/fi to me with this short story. This was about the same time this story was shown on Alfred Hitchcock Presents though it was several years before I actually saw it in reruns. Robert Morely is excellent and I was not unhappy to see his character become a "lifetime member" with all the available benefits. : ). I am not sure if parents nowadays would be inclined to make their children aware of this genre at the age of 10, but I highly recommend it. I wound up reading fantasy and sci/fi exclusively for the next 15 years.

One of the half-dozen or so most talked about entries of the series. With the delicious black humor, it's pure Hitchcock. The plot revolves around an ultra-exclusive dining club and the house specialty. Since nothing much happens until the climax, a lot depends on the actors' holding audience interest. Getting the one-and-only Robert Morley for the lead was a real casting coup. He's perfect as a corpulent club member who lusts for every meal and absolutely squeals with delight on those occasions when the specialty is served. And, of course, with his perfect enunciation and snobbish bearing, no one would expect to see him ordering up a burger and fries at McDonald's. Then there's Madame Spivy as Spirro, the overseer of the establishment. For 1950's TV, she's a real oddity in appearance and perfect for her exotic role. Between them, they'll keep you riveted to the end. Note the scuffle in the alley with the waiter and his subsequent warning. Likely the producers added this incident to guarantee that the audience would "get" the ending. Too bad. The episode is better without the greater obviousness. So, just what the heck is going on at this club and why is it not such an honor to become a life-member. Tune in and find out.

'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' "Specialty of the House" (1959)

Opening thoughts: Am going to be honest, this reviewer was not expecting to like "Specialty of the House" let alone love it. Dark, black humour has been well many times, but there have also been many other times where it can be too cruel and too distasteful. Still saw it as someone who has liked Robert Morley and the most prolific 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' director Robert Stevens has done a number of great episodes ("The Glass Eye" for example).

"Specialty of the House" is so much more appealing than it sounded. What was expected to be a near-disaster to me turned out to be another one of the best episodes of Season 5. As well as one of Stevens' best episodes (maybe the best since "The Glass Eye"), a huge improvement over his disastrous (a contender for his worst) previous episode "Appointment at Eleven". It is true that the ending is obvious very early on, being given away almost straight away, but this turned out to not be a problem with everything else being so good and entertaining.

Bad things: Nothing.

Good things: Everything. Morley throws himself into the lead role and does so with gusto and slyness, a really wonderful performance and well supported by the rest of the cast. His character is not a likeable one, the opposite in fact, but he is interesting and fun. The character interaction is masterly and full of wit and tension.

Also can't fault the direction of Stevens, he really does maintain the tension, present mostly in the character interaction, and doesn't allow it to slip and could tell he was having fun with the material. The production values are atmospheric, the locations contrasting well with each other (the alley having a real eeriness). The theme music is as haunting as ever.

Writing is as delicious as the food itself, it is very twisted and very dark but manages to surprisingly do it without being too cruel or tasteless. There is a lot of talk, which too often is not a good thing in 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', but it didn't come over as rambling or extraneous. The story is very slight, which potentially leads to pacing issues, but is intriguing and suspenseful too and doesn't drag, amazing for a talky episode. The ending is known immediately but is still clever and neatly staged, the fun not letting up. Hitchcock's bookending is as sardonic as ever.

Closing thoughts: In summary, wonderful special episode that was the complete opposite to what was expected.

10/10.