The Better Bargain

Herschel Daugherty was one of the most prolific directors on 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'. While not being a fan of all of his episodes, his best ones are outstanding. One of the prime examples being "The Creeper", which to me is among the best and creepiest 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes, and his first episode "The Belfry" is one of the better debut outings of the series' most frequent directors. His previous four outings for the series are all worth a look, with only "Kill with Kindness" disappointing a bit.

"The Better Bargain" is not one of his best episodes, comparing this to Daugherty's previous four episodes this gets my vote as the weakest by quite some way. It is a long way from bad, far from being one of the worst episodes of Season 2 or of the whole of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and definitely worth the look, but it is a case of one great performance being quite a lot better than the episode itself. As far as Season 2 goes, "The Better Bargain" is neither one of the best or worst.

What raises "The Better Bargain" from being a potentially mediocre episode to a slightly above average one is the performance of Henry Silva, who is wonderfully serpentine. His character is on the obvious side, but Silva really unnerves and has strong chemistry with a solid (if not quite inducing the same amount of fireworks) Robert Middleton. Daugherty does direct more than competently, not exceptional but it is a long way from a hack job.

It is a slick looking episode, with some atmospheric shots and lighting. The audio has enough atmosphere too and the main theme never fails to haunt and fits the tone of the series perfectly. Hitchcock's bookending is entertainingly ironic. Enough of the script is thought provoking and it starts off well.

Did feel though that "The Better Bargain" could have done from a lot of tautness and suspense and the second half felt too routine for my tastes.

Moreover, the final quarter did ramble a bit (again personal opinion) from the story starting to feel over-stretched, all the way to the too predictable conclusion.

Overall, slightly above average but only just. 6/10 (was debating whether to give 5 or 6 but Silva is so good that part of me couldn't be too hard on it)

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.

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.

An aging mobster who has gone more or less legit marries a beautiful woman more than half his age. When he suspects she is cheating on him, he hires a notorious hit man to do her and her mystery lover in. He soon finds he has gotten more than he bargained for. This episode is what I call a lazy script. We know the truth minutes into the plot. Also, the entire episode takes place on one set, so it's very stagey. The one glimmer of hope is the performance by Henry Silva as the poetry-spouting hit man. Silva's character clearly was patterned on the legendary Jack Palance, and he is very young and suave and sinister here. If you must watch the episode, savor Silva's snake-like performance. The rest is filler.

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?