Strange Miracle

I'm wondering why there are no reviews? Maybe people shy away because there is a religious theme or no big name stars in this episode. I'm not going to recap the storyline, just a little further discussion.

The twist at the end is predictable, one of two that I thought of before I saw it. I would have liked a little more development of Pedro's and Lolla's reactions after the initial twist.

Regardless, there is an additional twist after the initial twist at the end of the show and I did like that, something more along the lines of karma or the balance of justice.

If it bothers you that this episode has a religious theme then just think of it as magic or really advanced science controlled by ?

SPOILER: Overall well done for a half hour show, Pedro and Lolla clearly never even consider that the water at the local shrine might have an effect.

I agree with the last reviewer, Hitchcock was a devout Catholic all his life, and both his tv show and movies would have references to the church or clergy... however clever with a daring TWIST.

Excellent writing on the part of Halsted Welles, who did several episodes for the master of suspense. He had an impressive background in the macabre, writing for SUSPENSE and later NIGHT GALLERY.

David Opatoshu, in an excellent role, plays Pedro who was involved in a train accident and supposedly has both legs paralyzed. Greed rears its ugly head --insurance money plus investigators -- time to do some fancy stuff. Pedro comes up with the idea of a blessed "miracle" that will set him free, so he thinks!

Terrific support from actress Marian Colon playing Pedro's concerned wife. They make a terrific team. Marian would later appear in the EDGE OF NIGHT and many episodes of GUNSMOKE. Best of it is the casting of Eduardo Ciannelli, usually at home playing villains, this time around playing a priest. A rare role for him.

There IS one true to life footnote. A good lawyer would have insured Pedro kept that large bank book with all the ZEROS. But, alas, this is Hitchcock-land.

Nevertheless, not to miss the stark ending. SEASON 7 EPISODE 19 remastered Universal dvd box set. All seasons are now in a single dvd box set. Released 2022.

A man is badly injured in a train accident. He is told he will never walk again. As it turns out, he is whole and is going to cheat the insurance company. He dominates his wife and cruelly walks around. But then he decides he will be cured by the magical waters of a saint. It gets very maudlin at the end.

Community standards and broadcast rules demand that no crime go unpunished. In addition, most people believe in some form of karmic balance. So it is no great surprise when this story takes a certain turn. But a final twist somewhat elevates this simple tale of greed.

When the episode begins, there's been a bad train accident and many people have been injured. Pedro (David Opatoshu) is one of the victims and initially he cannot walk. But he soon regains the use of his legs...and decides to pretend to be paralyzed in order to get a big settlement from the railroad! What happens next, well, it seems like a great case of karma.

This is a good episode of "Alfred Hitchcock" with a most unusual twist at the end. I do wonder why they used David Opatoshu in this one. He was a fine, fine actor...but wasn't the least big Mexican.