Specialty of the House

The portly Robert Morley, the ultimate symbol of pomposity, is a gourmand, who frequents a secret restaurant where he takes his business associate. The place serves only forty members. The food is phenomenal, but there is a lamb dish that everyone is nuts about. It is only served on rare occasions and no one knows in advance (well within a day or two). It is supposedly from lambs raised in Uganda that eat a unique kind of grass. It is fun watching Morley do his thing as he tells his tales to his young associate. Of course, being Hitchcock, we suspect there is something about the food, especially the Specialty of the House, that we will eventually be let in on. Unfortunately for me, I figured it all out long before the ending. But one then must savor the actors, the atmosphere, and the pacing.

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.

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.

This is all Robert Morley. I mean, the plot is good and perfect for the series (and a bit on the dark side for its day). Is the ending a surprise? I don't know... it's one of those where, if given enough guesses, you'd probably figure it out. Such is the problem with a series like this. You *know* that there's a twist coming, which only undercuts the twist. My advice is, don't play guessing games.

Morley is the perfect combination of refinement and entitlement. He's a cultured little child. Kenneth Haigh is fine as the straight man lead. Madame Spivvy comes across as Kathy Bates at her hammiest. And the voice on Paul (George Keymas), oh my! Even the\ club members play their small parts well.

The whole thing is delicious fun.