Safety for the Witness

Norman Lloyd directed nineteen 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes, was a producer for most of the series' run and even acted in five episodes (his biggest role being in "Design for Loving"). "Safety of the Witness" is his second directing credit for the series, after "The $2,000,000 Defence". The premise did sound intriguing and potentially very suspenseful if done right. It was very interesting seeing Art Carney in a lead role of this type, with the role in need of intensity and edge.

"Safety of the Witness" however was a major disappointment. Season 4 had a lot of fine episodes, but did have its misfires too and this is one of the biggest ones (along with "Don't Interrupt"). Also one of my least favourites of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and it is sad that a great lead performance is so let down by almost everything else being so poorly executed. As far as Lloyd's episodes as director go, "Safety of the Witness" is a very strong contender for the worst.

The best thing about it is Carney, who does very well with what he is given, didn't think him dull at all. He does give some subtle intensity while also providing a character that is not too hard to root for initially.

Did think too that the episode looked pretty slick and atmospheric and that the theme music for the series is still suitably macabre. It starts quite well.

A lot of shortcomings can be seen in "Safety of the Witness" however. It runs out of steam very quickly and becomes increasingly sillier and duller. It is a very ploddingly paced episode, directed indifferently, and has a paper thin story that severely lacks suspense. What should have been suspenseful instead comes over as silly, and when there is signs of a story it doesn't make sense. Especially the truly dumb decision making of Carney's character towards the end, in one of the most senseless changes of heart of the series that undoes what happened previously and made the character really stupid.

It is agreed too that the ending is a colossal cheat and one of the series' most unsatisfying, the very equivalent of the it's all a dream type ending when done badly. The twist is not much of one, pretty limp and predictable as well as far fetched and this is another episode that really could have done without Hitchcock's epilogue. Which adds nothing and over explains. Usually really enjoy Hitchcock's bookendings, but the irony here is not that strong and not amusing. The dialogue rambles and Carney's character goes from rootable to truly frustrating when his decision making becomes stupider and more vague.

Overall, very disappointing. 3/10.

Not a bad story, because very unpredictable, I mean you can not foresee what will happen in the next scenes. That's the good point, a plot totally new in this anthology show where similar plots are more or less galore. Now, the finale, the ending, is a bit twist but not that much. I was not that delighted, not as much as other episodes. A curiosity from my point of view.

This is post Honeymooner Art Carney. He plays a gun shop owner who sells both to the public and to gangsters. The police become annoyed with him because of his impartial distribution of firearms. He is annoyed with them because every time a witness testifies against one of the baddies, they are found dead. Unfortunately, as he's walking down the street, he witnesses two of his regular customers, a couple of kingpins, slaughtering another witness. Now, "he" is the witness. Being an expert at firearms, he goes to a seventh floor hotel room with a package containing a silencer and high powered rifle. He proceeds to snipe the two guys. Now he feels he must be in protective custody. He admits to the crime, but because of his tame appearance, the police refuse to put him in jail for more than a few minutes. They just won't cooperate. If there are any redeeming qualities of this episode, I guess it's Art Carney, but in this role, he isn't even that interesting.

"Safety for the Witness" is set in the gangster era of the roaring 20s. A gunsmith (Art Carney) witnesses a gangland murder...and the killers also shoot him repeatedly. However, he awakens in the hospital and did survive...and the police try, in vain, to get him to tell them who did it. But considering the man the hitmen killed was a guy who had agreed to testify against the mob, Carney's character isn't about to tell them anything....he's going to take care of the problem himself.

So why do I only score this one a 5? Well, there are two big problems with the show. First, the twist isn't particularly interesting nor ironic...it's a bit limp. Second, during the epilogue, Alfred Hitchcock did something that OFTEN spoiled excellent crime episodes...he tells the audience that the man with the perfect crime was caught and punished!! Huh?! I can only assume he was doing this to please the sponsors.......but really frustrates the viewer and essentially says "everything you just witnessed about the perfect crime...well, ignore it...crime doesn't pay!". How ridiculous.

That's what I said to my wife when it was over. I'm a huge Art Carney/Honeymooners fan. Carney was dull and the plot was barely existent. That only interesting thing about it was when he wrote a check to the hospital What a stinker!

PS can't be any spoilers. There is nothing to spoil. Skip this one, trust me.