The Crystal Trench

Hitchcock's TV show often made me sad. He often had good people victimized by their own goodness and faith. When one becomes so in love and so full hope that he doesn't listen to the advice that we can only change ourselves, not other human beings, he pretty much ends his very life. Throw in the self centered, driven woman who appears on the surface to be a possible mate, and you have the formula for great sadness. There are two elements at work: time and a glacier. By the time they intersect, all that is left is a broken man and a woman who made her intentions known over and over. She never has a clue, however, of the impact on this man. Or did she?

What a wonderful story, bitter, sad story without any murder nor suspense, nor mystery or investigation. Just a very unusual and depressing drama which I won't spoil you, but with a tremendous morale in the end. A painful morale, that you certainly won't forget. I am not a romance goer, but this one is unforgettable. Among the five best of the whole series, offering a terrific twist.

The writing of "The Crystal Trench" was a bit disappointing....mostly because the visit with the geologist (Patrick Macnee...in his second appearance in a row on this show) was utterly ridiculous.

The story begins in Switzerland, near a famous peak called the Schwarzhorn. It seems that a young and impetuous Brit insisted on climbing it and a guide took him and friend on this ill-advised ascent...and the man died. Oddly, instead of them telling the widow, the asked another Brit staying at the hotel if he could tell her. She was naturally heartbroken and he soon became smitten with her.

Later, the woman took this man with her to see a noted geologist or something along those likes (Macnee) and he tells her that the body lost on the glacier would be accessible on an exact day and time of day forty years in the future based on his calculations...and, amazingly, this turned out to be true and then the twist occurs. The twist is good, the notion a person could make such an accurate prediction is ridiculous.

Okay, so you have a woman and her male friend waste forty years of their lives AND they return to the peak forty years later just as the body would become retrievable....doesn't this all sound rather absurd? And, absurd is what I'd call this episode. A clear miss that easily could have been better. Heck, had Macnee played a psychic or Nostradamus, it would have made more sense than this script.

HOW can you forget this story, with shades of Charles Dickens. The end of this weird tale is definitely what Hitch wanted you to remember.

Stirling Silliphant wrote the mini classic, along with nine others for the master of suspense.

Patricia Owens ( known for THE FLY), plays a young woman called Stella whose husband meets a tragic death mountain climbing, his body caught in a massive glacier. Two fascinating events to follow.

First, another gentleman (Mark) enters her life soon after her husband dies, the one to break the news, and who eventually falls in love with her. Secondly, Stella puts time on hold, and their relationship, determined to await the re-appearance of her husband's body once the glacier moves -- which according to scientific calculations -- will take about 40 years!

So she waits... and waits.

Definite a link to a real life Victorian story that inspired Charles Dickens. It was about a young woman whose husband also died suddenly. She would spend the rest of her days in mourning, as if time stood still. Dickens ( it's believed ) based his tragic character, Mrs. Havisham in GREAT EXPECTATIONS on that story. She was left standing at the alter, wearing a rotting wedding gown for the rest of her life.

Two future tv stars add some additional interest; Warner Klemperer (HOGANS HEROES) and Patrick Macnee (the AVENGERS), playing the wise professor.

Stirling Silliphant (love that name), was a hero to all us kids, having created ROUTE 66 and NAKED CITY. Hitch obviously liked his style.

Not to be missed. SEASON 5 EPISODE 2 remastered dvd box set. 5 dvds. Released 2012. All seven half hour seasons are now on dvd in a single box set. Released 2022.

'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' "The Crystal Trench" (1959)

Opening thoughts: "The Crystal Trench" is the second Season 5 episode to be directed by the justly coined Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock (a favourite since mid-teens), after the very well done and underrated Season 5 opener "Arthur". Did like the idea for the episode on paper, though mixing mystery and morality can risk being disjointed and/or muddled tonally, and seeing the always worth watching Patrick MacNee pre-'The Avengers' was interesting to see.

On the whole, "The Crystal Trench" is a watchable episode, if more for a curio or completest sake if wanting to see all the series' episodes. There are definitely worse episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', such as "The Hidden Thing", "Sylvia", "Don't Interrupt" and "Safety for the Witness" when talking about previous outings. There are also much better, such as "Breakdown", "The Creeper", "Lamb to the Slaughter", "Poison" and "The Crooked Road". Of Hitchcock's episodes, "The Crystal Trench" to me is in the lower middle of the road end and that applies for the series in general too. A long way from a disaster, but falls well short of being great let alone a series classic.

Good things: Beginning with the good, the acting is fine with the two leads giving everything they've got and while his character is too on the absurd side MacNee is fun. The photography has some nice atmosphere, likewise with the lighting.

Furthermore, the main theme is as wonderfully macabre as ever, one of the best uses of pre-existing classical music in television. The bookending is amusingly ironic, while there is some intrigue and an interesting twist.

Just wish however that most of what came before it was as compelling. The story is pretty thin, with a few too many relatively uneventful stretches, which does affect the pacing which is dull. The story is also too ridiculous and not much makes sense, with agreed the meeting with the geologist being particularly total nonsense.

Bad things: There is not much of a mystery, and what there is completely lacks suspense and contains few surprises other than the ending. The moralising felt undercooked and didn't feel needed. The script is very bland and lacks tautness, while the beginning confused from trying to keep up with the character introductions. While there is atmosphere and mood in the photography and lighting the sets are phony and indicative of low budget and rushed production.

Hitchcock's direction is disappointingly pedestrian. Didn't find myself caring for any of the characters and that shouldn't have been the case for this type of story. The episode never really develops them and motivations came over as too vague and silly. The chemistry between the two leads could have done with more spark.

Closing thoughts: Concluding, watchable but uninspired and middle of the road.

5/10.