The Cheney Vase

The story is not a novel one, but it did sound very interesting nonetheless and had the potential to be very suspenseful if done right. Robert Stevens directed 44 episode of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', all worth watching at least once and the best ones are truly fine. 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' was mostly solid in quality up to this point, with only two disappointments and with "Breakdown" being a particularly exceptional episode.

While not one of the best episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', "The Cheney Vase" is also a long way from being one of the worst. Somewhere around high middle, an episode that has a lot of truly great things but also feeling a little lacking. It is not one of Stevens' best episodes, such as "Our Cook's a Treasure" for an example, but one can tell that it was directed by him. And this is meant in a good way because when Stevens was at his best in the series his work was on Hitchcock's level.

A lot is good in "The Cheney Vase". What immediately stands out is the acting. Patricia Coolinge is benevolent but also remarkably cunning, while Darren McGavin (in his second and infinitely better appearance in the series, after "Triggers in Leash") does sleazy and deceptively charming in a way that unsettles. Loved the chemistry between them, which grew in intensity the more that is revealed. A pre-Morticia Addams Carolyn Jones is also great. Stevens directs with tautness yet control too.

Production values are high, especially the atmospheric photography. The music is not used constantly but is quite haunting when it is. Cannot get enough of the theme tune, while Hitchcock's bookending is some of his drollest in writing (the intro is quite quotable) and cleverest in staging. The script is tight enough and intrigues, while the story is concise and engaging with some nice tension. The final quarter does surprise.

Did think that some of the episode could have done with more suspense. It also felt on the rushed side in a story that would have been better at least 15 minutes longer with what goes on. That way what is left unexplained could have gone into more detail. The out of the blue and rather too random arrival of a character with no explanation is an example of this.

In regard to the ending, it does surprise but it also felt too abrupt and vague.

Overall, quite good but not great. 7/10.

Film fans will remember Patricia Collinge as featherheaded Aunt Birdie in The Little Foxes, but for a different Collinge one should look at this episode from the Alfred Hitchcock Presents series, The Cheney Vase.

The vase is Hitchcock's McGuffin here, a valuable antique in the Cheney family for years. George MacReady who is the head of a museum wants Collinge to sell it to him, but she prefers to keep it until she dies.

Which might not be long if Darren McGavin has his way. McGavin was fired by MacReady, but he fakes a letter of recommendation from his former boss and insinuates himself into Collinge's household. He even plants Ruta Lee there as a maid.

Collinge turns out not to be so featherheaded in the end however.

McGavin plays a nasty piece of work, but he didn't see what Collinge had in the way of wits by any means.

Definitely, though not personally directed by Hitchcock, in the spirit of the master of suspense.

After he is fired from a New York City art museum for lateness (and not showing up at all), womanizing drifter Darren McGavin (as Lyle Endicott) moves in on one of the museum's patrons, elderly and disabled Patricia Collinge (as Martha Cheney). Quickly, Mr. McGavin takes over Ms. Collinge's home. He gets rid of her loyal maid, and cuts Collinge off from the world outside. Next, McGavin plots to run off with shapely blond Carolyn Jones, after selling Collinge's most valuable possession: "The Cheney Vase". It being Christmas, presenter Alfred Hitchcock sells several unbreakable replicas of the $45,000 "Cheney Vase" during his closing remarks. Collinge and a great cast make this "Kind Lady" swipe a nice way to spend your half hour.

******* The Cheney Vase (12/25/55) Alfred Hitchcock : Robert Stevens ~ Patricia Collinge, Darren McGavin, Carolyn Jones

When you have someone in a wheelchair being taken advantage of, you know that at some point the bad guys are going to pay. In this case a man finagles his way into a vulnerable woman's confidence in order to steal a valuable vase. He manipulates her every way he can, employing a confidante, and getting ready to strike. The old girl isn't dumb and evidence begins to build. As with many of these people, the man has a flaw and doesn't play things out to the end. The episode has a satisfying ending where justice is served. The acting is reasonably good and the story has some credibility. It calls for some pretty drastic action and things like this often get in the way, but it's a pretty good Hitchcock effort.

This early Hitchcock episode stars a young Darren McGavin in a decent Shatner-type toupee as an out-of-work museum assistant and all-around cad and hustler. He befriends an old woman (Collinge, who steals the show) and talks his way into becoming her caretaker. She owns an antique vase worth a pretty penny for its day, which he intends to steal and sell. He turns the old lady into a prisoner in her own home as he plots the theft. OK episode, nothing particularly special about it, and the half hour format makes the episode feel rushed. For instance, while the bad guy has a very sexy blonde girlfriend with whom he intends to run away with (Jones), he replaces the old lady's longtime maid with an even sexier blonde maid (Lee) Unfortunately, we learn nothing about her, other than she is loyal to our heel. I thought for a moment he was going to doublecross the girlfriend and run off with the maid, but this element is not developed. Maybe he planned to run off with both. I know I would have. A clever ending and Collinge's savvy performance make this one worth a look. Just don't expect the superior production and expanded script values that would come some years later with many of the Alfred Hitchcock Hour episodes.