Murder Me Twice

"Murder Me Twice" is an episode that intrigued me, as I have had extensive training in hypnotherapy. At times the show seemed like a lot of mumbo jumbo instead of realistically portraying hypnosis, though this didn't harm the episode in the least!

Early in the episode, a hypnotist puts on a demonstration using Lucy (Phyllis Thaxter). Unexpectedly, this hypnosis results in Lucy becoming a long-dead murderess from the mid-19th century...and she immediately stabs her husband to death! When she's taken out of hypnosis, she claims to have no recollection of killing the guy!

When Lucy is being investigated for murder, the hypnotist offers to defend her and explain how she had no control over herself and it was some sort of past life regression....and then the twist.

The episode is most enjoyable and instead of encouraging the audience to believe ridiculous things about hypnosis, it exposes the guy as a quack...and Lucy as a most unusual lady! Well worth seeing and most entertaining.

An eerie, entertaining little story. Phyllis Thaxter gives an excellent performance as the protean young wife. The shock of the terrible deeds in the story comes from the halcyon settings in which they are placed. I confess to some pleasure at seeing a mountebank hoist with his own petard.

Thank God that police investigations in real life aren't as ridiculous as the ones in many of these Hitchcock episodes. In this one, a woman at a cocktail party asks to be hypnotized by an expert. While in a trance, she becomes a psychotic young woman from the South in the mid 1800's. She suddenly grabs a letter opener from a table and stabs her husband to death. Well, you get it. She's not responsible because she was a different person and there's no way to prove otherwise. I have a feeling that the law would have leaned on her a lot harder than they ultimately. Meanwhile, the hypnotist, who it turns out has a few skeletons in his closet, tries for a payoff from the young woman. The police and the legal system are totally incapable of at least an investigation. Like, perhaps looking into the relationship with the husband or checking the story a bit further. One other thing that has always bothered me. The ease with which people are killed with pointed objects. I know hitting the right spot can kill a person, but most don't have the skill to find that spot and people don't really that easily. In "Dial M for Murder" Grace Kelley easily kills her assailant sent by her husband, using a pair of scissors. Yet in "Torn Curtain" there is a long painful attempt to kill a man who doesn't want to be dead. Oh, well, I'm learning to be patient although this effort just doesn't seem to rate my patience. Oh, you know there is a twist at the end, but I'll leave that to your perusal.

Fascinating story, certainly one to pick apart for crime buffs, if not lawyers. I often wonder if either Hitch or writer Irving Elman was inspired by the Carole Lombard thriller, SUPERNATURAL, produced back in the 30s.

The story had more of a scifi slant, although the point is the tortured soul of a female killer enters the body of an innocent young woman (Lombard) who becomes a murderer herself.

Switch to Phyllis Thaxter, who plays a woman in a similarly eerie situation. At a dinner party, a hypnotist (Tom Helmore) puts her into a trance where she becomes a long dead murderess who killed her husband back in the 1850s. With a convenient weapon on a table (and I agree, that's a stretch!), she kills her modern-day husband (Alan Marshall). Is she guilty of any crime?

Great debate here and a fine performance by Thaxter, possibly her best in the entire series. Yes, there's also the case of the hypnotist -- without giving too much away -- and Tom Helmore is as convincing. Best remembered for VERTIGO, who hired James Stewart to follow mysterious Kim Novak. That was him. You knew there was a Hitchcock connection with this guy.

A macabre story that earned the show's theme song, "Funeral March of a Marionette," which may even give you a chuckle at the end. It fits.

The only episode directed by producer and writer David Swift. He should have directed one more atmospheric tale. A job well done.

SEASON 4 EPISODE 9 remastered Universal dvd box set. The classic green box with green dvds. Released 2008.

Was not sure what to make of the premise for "Murder Me Twice" (great title!). It did have real potential to be very creepy and intriguing, but it also had potential to be far fetched. Which for me has been the case for anything centering heavily around hypnosis. Despite being mixed on the premise, "Murder Me Twice" was still seen anyway as there are plenty of great 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and it was great to have a break from the more prolific directors. Phyllis Thaxter is also no stranger to the series, and all her previous performances for it were excellent.

She herself does not disappoint, but "Murder Me Twice" as an episode disappointed. It is not terrible and it is a much better episode than the previous episode "Safety for the Witness". It is also though one of a number of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' outings to have a lead performance that is much better than the episode itself, and also a case of starting off well but declining rapidly too early. Season 4 did have worse than "Murder Me Twice", but also a lot better.

Thaxter is the best thing about "Murder Me Twice". Her performance was excellent and had intensity, without falling into histrionics, and also enough nuance. Tom Helmore is strong too and the chemistry likewise. As said, the episode did start off with a good deal of promise. It was intriguing and it did unsettle.

Hitchcock's bookending amuses and is suitably droll humoured while there is some nice atmosphere in the production values. "Funeral March of a Marionette" is great film music.

For all those good things, "Murder Me Twice" had a lot of issues. It is too talky, with a lot of rambling mumbo jumbo that succeeded more in confusing rather than intriguing. Quite difficult to get the head round some of it, especially if not familiar with how hypnosis works beyond what is portrayed in film and television. David Swift's (in his first and only 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' directing credit) direction is slack and undistinguished.

Did feel that the story was messy. It started off very well, but too early and quickly lost any suspense and became very predictable and silly, as well as more confusing than necessary. Actually was not surprised by the ending at all and also found it beyond far fetched.

Summing up, loved Thaxter but didn't care for the episode. 5/10.