The Better Bargain

The ultimate dark comedy. How can you miss with burly Robert Middleton playing a man of means who is saddled with a young and beautiful wife who cheats? Hitch seemed to love this theme.

Yes, it's an old story, but the master of suspense gives it the full treatment. I do agree with the last reviewer, it's one of those head scratchers. Does this goof really think money is going to keep his wife from fooling around?

The catch here is Middleton is a crime boss, with lots of connections. So the plan is to hire a hit man to make everyone happy?

Henry Silva is the perfect choice to play the smooth talking killer... and the best thing about this story is the dialogue between the boss and his new employee. Thanks to Bernard Schoenfeld, who wrote 16 episodes for Hitch. Bernard wrote one of the greatest prison films, CAGED.

Middleton, about a year earlier, played one of Humphrey Bogart's gang in THE DESPERATE HOURS, a role that insured his place in movie history as a real bad guy. The movie was shot at Universal, where Hitch did his tv show. The biggest surprise about that movie is Bogey's character was shot dead on the front lawn of the LEAVE IT TO BEAVER house. Amazing. Super trivia question.

A classic for late night tv, and for fans of Robert Middleton. From SEASON 2 remastered Universal/CBS dvd series. 16 hrs total running time. All seven seasons are on now dvd in a single box set. Released 2022.

What a good surprise to have here Henry Silva as a hired killer, in a character that reminded me Vince Edwards in MURDER BY CONTRACT. Because of the way he speaks of women as targets...Nothing exceptional however, you wait for the twist ending. And for this kind of plot - husband trying to get rid of his cheating wife and (or) her lover - is not new and there are plenty of those schemes. Not a bad episode, of course, I would put it just in the middle batch; not the top, not the bottom, just the middle. Robert Middleton already played in an AH PRESENTS series episode, with a poker game. Do you remember?

Robert Middleton is back (he appeared just a couple of episodes ago) as a man who suspects that his much younger wife is having an affair. He has hired a private investigator (an unassuming man, "like a bug on a patch of grass") and soon hires a killer (a smooth one).

A lot of the fun is the conversation between the investigator and our protagonist, who doesn't get the poetic references. Francois Villon is name-checked and quoted. When the wife appears, she's wearing a stunning hat. It looks like leaves or feathers are sticking out of the sides. She seems a bit spoiled, wanting him to buy her a car.

I didn't see the ending coming, but this, to me, is less about twists than about characters. It's also entirely in one room, with the protagonist always there and the others coming and going.

A middle-aged gangster (Robert Middleton) suspects that his wife might be unfaithful. So he pays a private detective to follow her and see what she's up to. He also consults with a top hitman (Henry Silva)...just in case it turns out that it's true and she is cheating. And, she's cheating with a guy who, uggh, loves poetry!

This is only an okay episode. It's quite talky...especially at the end. Not a terrible episode but also one that just isn't all that good.

Vintage Hitchcock. Gangster Koster's fetching young wife is playing around even as the aging husband indulges her every wish, but as everyone knows, you just don't fool with aging tough guys. She's going to pay.

Many of these early episodes were cheaply done. Note the use here of only one set. Nonetheless, the budget compensated by shrewdly hiring some excellent performers who sharply engrave their characters, especially Henry Silva as the smooth-talking assassin. He's an actor clearly on his way up. Also, Don Hanmer is excellent as the mousy detective in an easily overlooked part, along with the reliable Ray Middleton as the wary old gangster. Without these colorful characters, the one-note plot and single set might become tedious, as someone in production probably knew. Then too, note the colorful touch with the familiar Jack Lambert as Koster's henchman. Instead of just having him sit around waiting for office visitors, he's building a model ship, of all things. These are the kind of minor touches that can distinguish an episode.

Maybe you can figure out the ending. I couldn't on first viewing, lo, so many years ago. Anyway, take a close look at the very last frame—the series was clearly pushing the bounds of 1950's TV with that shot, something Hitchcock did throughout its run. Also, please tell me what that is on top of wife Kathleen Hughes's head when she visits the office. Whatever it is, I hope it doesn't take over the world. In my view, at least, this remains a solid series entry.