One for the Road

Charles (John Baragrey) divides his time between his wife and his mistress. An arrangement that suits only one of the three...

Louise Platt plays the devoted wife, who would do anything for her husband, whilst Georgann Johnson is the attractive other woman, who naturally wants more - her second "tug of love" role in this series (see "Jonathan").

Charles is completely self-absorbed - he is not at all concerned with the feelings of either woman, and the fact that he provokes strong feelings in both (how strong we find out) is further evidence of his ability to deceive.

There are some great moments of suspense in this episode. The pace never lets up, and all three actors are excellent. Definitely worth a look.

The scheme is here not surprising in such an anthology show. Cheated woman, revenge, poison, all the ingredients which you are used to since so many episodes. It is still riveting, not boring at all, a routine that you will never get tired of. It is pretty well done, perfectly acted, flawless for me. Now, if you are bored with such plots, make a break in this kind of show.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents' is a very interesting and very well done, if not consistent, series that ran for seven seasons between 1955 and 1962. Every season had some truly fine episodes, and they all had some not so good episodes. Something that was obvious in Season 2's twenty third episode "One for the Road", luckily in a good way. Season 2 did not start off great, or even particularly good, at all, and there were misfires in the season but the best episodes were great.

"One for the Road" is not one of the great episodes of Season 2 and of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' in general. It is also a long way from being among the worst on both counts. Director Robert Stevens (the most prolific director for 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents') is not at his worst or at his best for the series here. "One for the Road" is not a great episode, though the performances fit that definition, but to me it is still a well above average one that is somewhere around solid middle in ranking in regard to this less consistent season.

Much is good here. The production values are suitably moody and professional looking. Have always loved the series' theme tune, with Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" being for me one of the best uses of pre-existing classical music on television (bravo to Bernard Hermmann for suggesting it).

It is tautly scripted and avoids being too melodramatic, which was a danger with this type of story. The story is crisply paced and there is a lot going on without feeling too over-crowded. Lots is intriguing here. The atmosphere is suitably suspenseful and there is a lot of it. Stevens directs with a sure hand and a steely Louise Platt is the standout in an episode that is extremely well acted.

Having said all of that, "One for the Road" has a few things that could have been better. Hitchcock's epilogue didn't feel necessary and the ending generally felt unsatisfying due to feeling that the wrong person was targeted.

Concluding, good if not great. 7/10.

Smug, suburban husband cheats on his long-suffering wife.

Vintage Hitchcock. It's a stellar cast, but I particularly like Louise Platt as the dowdy, put- upon wife. Her eyes are especially expressive. Watch her emotions run the gamut from abject devotion to hardened resolve, all in convincing fashion. Her character is the epitome of the wronged woman. Actress Platt had an odd, abbreviated career that peaked with the classic Stagecoach (1939), but she definitely had the talent as demonstrated here.

And what a perfect two-timing louse Baragrey makes. There's enough oil in his performance to create a major spill. Wondering how poetic justice will eventually deal with his smug self- absorption is worth waiting for. And Georgeann Johnson as the blonde "other woman" creates a surprisingly sympathetic character who also believes in one last chance.

Anyway, in my book, this is classic 50's Hitchcock, with its suggestion of criminal potential among non-criminal types as mundane as a suburban family. It's an episode that may also make you think twice about that last cup of coffee.

(In passing—if you were the law, how would you apportion guilt. Seems to me like it's something of a legal conundrum, given the facts of who did what.)

I couldn't stand any of the characters and didn't really care what happened to any of them. The husband is about as insensitive and smug as anyone can be under the circumstances. The wife is neurotic and fragile and should enlist our sympathy. I guess as the wronged woman, she is the most sympathetic. The "other" woman is pretty and needy. She fails to see what a jackass she has hooked up with. Anyway, the formula has been set and the events play themselves out. Poison must have been readily available in the fifties because those plotting murder don't seem to have much trouble getting their hands on it. Nevertheless, what is somewhat engaging is the dramatic irony involved in watching the guy confidently manipulate his situation to the exclusion of the two women in his life. Our disgust for him sort of keeps us involved.