Tea Time

Well, I won't say that this episode is a bad one, but I am annoyed by this kind of plot, more and more, too many characters, too much complex schemes of treason, revenge. The last minutes reveal a rather interesting twist, I have seen better but also worse. You need to be focused on the rest of the story to enjoy this ending. Me, who has seen so many anthology stories like this one, I am not that enjoyed. Just bored. But not everyone is like me.

The show begins with a strange encounter. It seems that the woman who's been having an affair is having a nice, civil tea in a nice restaurant as they discuss the affair and the troubled marriage. While smiling and acting nicely, the two take turns taking jabs at each other. Ultimately, the mistress pulls out her trump card and blackmails the wife to allowing her husband to get a divorce. But the wife is no shrinking violent, and she decides the best way to deal with this is murder!!

The twist at the end is interesting and worth seeing. However, it's not a great twist nor an especially memorable one. Interesting but not great.

Although Robert Stevens was the most frequent 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' director, with 44 episodes to his name, he was also one of the most inconsistent (Paul Henreid to me was also variable). A vast majority of his episodes were well worth watching, and there were excellent episodes such as "Our Cook's a Treasure", "One for the Road" and "The Glass Eye". There were misfires as such, with "Shopping for Death", "The Hidden Thing" and "Don't Interrupt" immediately springing to mind in my head.

"Tea Time" is not one of his best 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes, it is not even one of his best from Season 4. It is also a long way from being one of his worst in my view. Personally don't think it is a great episode or that it quite lives up to its premise (it is though the kind that Stevens would do well at), and it is one that is easy to criticise if one prefers suspense laden episodes and ones that are not talk heavy. "Tea Time" still was for me an intriguing and well crafted episode, if a little lacking in the memorability factor.

Plenty of things are done well. It is very well acted, with a terrific double act in the form of Margaret Leighton and Marsha Hunt. Their chemistry suitably unsettles, and Murray Mattheson makes the most of his not as meaty role. Stevens directs with assurance throughout.

While the production values aren't perfect, the photography is suitably moody and has some elegance. Hitchcock's bookending is suitably ironic and the theme music has lost none of its devillish quality. The episode is quite talky in spots, especially early on, but it didn't feel overly so on the whole and it all intrigued. The story isn't perfect in pace but intrigues still and the ending is clever and not one that was expected by me.

It is not without flaws. Personally would have liked more suspense and a tighter pace, with the beginning being on the draggy and talky side.

Low budget does show at times, especially in the threadbare looking sets and editing that doesn't always flow. Odd seeing as the production values in Season 4 were generally more elaborate and opened up.

Concluding, good if not great. 7/10.

Another story of extortion and blackmail. The wife of a rich philanderer is approached by his present conquest and is asked to release him from their marriage vows. She is an attractive blonde (aren't they all in Hitchcock) and she has an incriminating letter. This was a marriage for money and the present wife had a few adventures of her own. Neither of the wants to budge but the newby has the goods and offers her adversary 24 hours to figure out what to do. Of course, it wouldn't be part of this series if murder wasn't a serious option. I won't rain on anyone's parade, so you'll have to see what happens. Watching these episodes fifty years after they were made shows what inferiors women were thought to be. The rich jerk seemed to hold all the cards. Of course, money has always talked and this is the foundation for his every move. Who knows what happens next and who really cares? These people are awfully hard to pull for.

Hitchcock female duel of duels, and well cast, starring British actress Margaret Leighton, who I'm sure Hitch recommended, and Marsha Hunt.

It all starts out at a fancy restaurant where Blanche (Hunt) asks Iris (Leighton) to simply give up her husband, played by Murray Matheson. She has been having an affair with the rich gentleman and wishes to live happily ever after... Of course, that would leave poor Iris in the dark, correct?

Oh yes, there's some tricks up everybody's sleeve in this one, the kind of Hitch story you will love. Wait for the ending --and all the NOISE -- without giving too much away. Written by Katherine Hite, who at the time was writing for GUNSMOKE. In the 70s she wrote for the WALTONS.

The dialogue between the ladies is the main attraction. At times, comes off as a witty stage play.

Look for comedic actor Fritz Feld as the maitre d. In a class all by himself, and we kids loved him.

A tribute to Marsha Hunt, who was appearing in films well into her 80s. She passed in 2022 at age 104, one of the oldest living actresses from Hollywood's golden age.

SEASON 4 EPISODE 10 remastered Universal dvd box set. 15 hrs 30 mins. 6 dvds. Released 2008. All seven seasons are on dvd in a single box set. Released 2022.