Safe Conduct

This episode deals with that interesting feeling that one gets when traveling under the threat of a government that could arbitrarily detain or arrest someone. Will they accept your passport? Will they identify you as an undesirable? That's what happens here. As she travels in such a location, an American reporter finds herself at the mercy of some pretty scary characters. She is duped by a young soccer player and finds herself under arrest. She is strong, but she knows that she really has little power other than a lot of bluster. She also feels betrayed. This is cold war stuff with an element of spy drama. It builds suspense well and has a satisfying conclusion. Note that there is a contingent of "Hogan's Heroes" characters: John Banner (Sergeant Schultz) and a supposed researcher, Werner Klemperer (Colonel Klink). This is a well done little fifties drama.

John Banner and Werner Klemperer were both actors who starred in "Hogan's Heroes"....they also fled the Third Reich and in some ways it must have been satisfying parodying this awful empire in the show. But this wasn't the first time the pair starred in the same show, as both appear in "Safe Conduct", an "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode starring Claire Trevor (from such great films as "Stagecoach" and "Key Largo").

Mary Prescott (Trevor) is an American journalist who has been behind the Iron Curtain interviewing the president of some country. However, she ends up being duped into smuggling...and a staged investigation occurs. Obviously, these officials want to create some sort of international incident. Is there any hope for the lady or is she gulag-bound?

This episode is clearly a sign of the times. Things were very tense with the Soviet-bloc nations and this came just a few years after the Red Scare of the late 40s and early 50s. As such, it really didn't fit into the style of programs on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". It also had a very long and talky finale. All in all, well made but a huge disappointment....only worth seeing in order to see Klemperer and Banner. Apart from the disappointing story, see it to see the first appearances of John Banner and Werner Klemperer in the same show.

American journalist Mary Prescott is traveling on a train out of the Iron Curtain, after having meet with its dictator to talk about a variety of things. After having her luggage checked, she is then introduced to local celebrity Jan Gubak a famous soccer player who everyone seems to love. Gubak manages to talk Prescott into smuggling a watch which belonged to his grandmother across the country for him since her bags have already been check. However, strangely Gubak turns Prescott in telling officials that she has smuggled the watch from across country. Prescott is put in the trains jail facility, but, Gubak has a more interesting plan up his sleeve and what might it be?. An Interesting tale of intrigue made good primarily due to the time period this be 1956, and the Cold War going on pretty strong this is a nice piece of story telling for a time when television was still very young and new. The other is the fine cast of familiar faces Jacques Bergerac and Claire Trevor are both really good in there roles, and I have to admit it was pretty great to see both Werner Klemperer and John Banner in a early screen appearance together almost 10 years before the two would star along side each other in "Hogan's Heroes". Overall, this is a very well crafted story, with some really good performances.

I don't know what this story has to do in the ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS series; it is no more no less than a Cold War plot, Behind The Iron Curtain story. And the very ending is so flat and lousy. This episode belongs to the worst of the show. The good thing is the acting and directing. But I don't recommend it at all. You can live without it. Claire Trevor has always been convincing in her roles and here she is perfect. It's such a shame that it was for such a flat plot. Not the AH PRESENTS scheme I expected. I prefer forgetting it. Now it's up to you, after all the length is only twenty five minutes.

"Safe Conduct" is Justus Addis' third episode of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'. The previous two, "Salvage" and "A Bullet for Baldwin", being very good, especially the former. Did like the idea for the story, although it was atypical for the series at this point, as none of the previous episodes did this kind of story, and didn't feel like it fitted. Political intrigue is often interesting though, as long as it is not too heavy handed or over-complicated.

This is another winner from 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and for Addis. Can totally see why some have said it doesn't feel like it fits within the series (though the series was no stranger to changes of pace, such as "Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid", and did them very well) and why some may not like it. While "Safe Conduct" is not one of the best Season 1 episodes or one of the 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' classics, to me it was very good.

For my tastes, the ending could have been tauter in pace and suffers from being too long and too talk-heavy. Some of the talk also being a little more complicated than needed, especially if one is not too familiar with this period.

However, "Safe Conduct" is well made visually, especially the photography which has a lot of style and atmosphere. Great use of the setting too. The main theme in the music, "Funeral March for a Marionette" has never been utilised better in film or television, is still haunting and has always fitted perfectly with the tone of the series. Addis directs with tautness and control.

While the dialogue is not always taut enough and requires attention to understand, it is very intelligently written and provokes a lot of thought. The political elements are not overdone or laid on too thick, even if very of the time. The story also isn't perfect, but it is on the most part very absorbing, intrigues constantly and captures the tense unrest of the period perfectly. The characters carry the story very well.

Claire Trevor is on strong steely form, as is Jacques Bergerac. Werner Klemperer and John Banner give solid supporting contributions. Hitchcock's bookending really grew on me all the time, and the droll dryness continues to entertain.

Overall, very well done. 8/10.