The Three Dreams of Mr. Findlater

Jules Bricken, who produced the outstanding WWII adventure THE TRAIN, starring Burt Lancaster, brought out the very best of Barbara Baxley in this dark comedy.

A bit off the track for Hitch, but fun to watch. After all these years, it's made me wonder if this was another script he had to defend to the execs at CBS. Hitch did not like talking to the guys upstairs, being an independent producer, but he was working for CBS. Rules are rules.

John Wlliams returns, playing Mr. Findlater(?), saddled with a complaining wife (Isobel Elsom) and his escape are "risque" dreams. The dreams involve temptress Barbara Baxley, wearing a sarong, and not much anything else. His wife also disappears! Of course, it's only a dream, but what happens when Lalage (Baxley) suggests murder? Or was he thinking about murdering the old lady anyway?

Well acted by both leads, certainly restricted to 1950s censorship. And that's where the top brass may have come in to double check the script. Had this been a more contemporary story, and it does have possibilities, this would have been R-rated material for sure. Sarrett Tobias, one of the few female tv writers at the time, turned in a super script once again.

The background music is campy, and precisely at the right moments.

BEST yet opening gag has Hitch telling all his problems to psychiatrist Raymond Bailey, shades of Mr. Drysdale. You have to love it.

From SEASON 2 remastered Universal dvd box set. 2006. Famous green box with green dvds. All seven seasons are now on dvd in a single box set. Released 2022.

Straight out of the Walter Mitty textbook. We are led into the world of a dreamer who is constantly picked on by his verbally abusive and unappreciative wife. Women weren't treated very well in the fifties unless they were curvy sex objects. Well, there's one of those here too. The protagonist is stuck in his sense of morality. He would love to kill his wife and begin an adventurous life, but he would never do anything. In his reveries is a Tahitian treat. A Dorothy Lamour look alike who helps him make it from one day to the next by encouraging him to change his life. I found that I wasn't really attending much as this dragged on.

I have never liked this episode, not that funny, light hearted and a bit boring. I waited for the ending, to see how the husband would get - or ot - rid of his wife. I am not satisfied with this story, I guess it as nothing to do with this anthology series; It is amusing though, for elders in family. Not my favorite, I guess you have understood what I meant. But watch it, it is only twenty five minutes long.

Bank manager Mr Findlater (John Williams) dreams of getting rid of his overbearing wife (Isobel Elston), aided by his dream woman Lalage (Barbara Baxley).

This episode is one of the more light-hearted ones. I always enjoy watching John Williams, but he really excels himself here - the way he expounds his second dream, doing all the voices, is brilliant. The whole episode is shown from his point of view, and he carries it wonderfully.

This isn't driven by atmosphere or suspense, but is great story telling. It's based on a story by A. A. Milne. I never liked Winnie the Pooh, but this makes me wonder if I should look at some of his other work.

Barbara Baxley is also good - both character-wise and physically - I wouldn't mind having her in my dreams...

Enjoy!

"The Three Dreams of Mr Findlater" is the third and last episode directed by Jules Bricken. The first being "Alibi Me", which was pretty good if not exceptional. The other being "Conversation over a Corpse", which was great and one of the few great episodes of the first half of Season 2. The main reason as to why it was seen was for 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' regular John Williams, always worth watching and good and more in all but one of his previous outings (the exception being "Whodunnit").

Didn't find myself particularly impressed by "The Three Dreams of Mr Findlater", and it is easily the weakest of Bricken's three 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes. Can't fault Williams, but the story never really came to life or properly engaged. As far as Season 2 goes, it is not quite one of the weakest episodes but to me it is somewhere around low middle. Average or less ratings and reviews have never been given with pleasure watching and reviewing the 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes, when disappointed by something it has always intended to be as thoughtful and honest as possible.

By all means there are good things. The best aspect is the performance of Williams, who excels in the type of role he played extremely well throughout his career and his role here plays to his strengths. The acting in general is well above average as is the chemistry between the actors.

Furthermore, Hitchcock's bookending nearly always delights in the series, and it continues to be amusingly ironic. There is some nice photography throughout, though not jaw dropping. The main theme for the series is suitably macabre and the audio doesn't jar or overbear. The premise was very interesting and promising and the episode did start off very well and intriguing.

However, "The Three Dreams of Mr Findlater" could have been a good deal better than it turned out. Just wish that that promise was maintained rather than run out of steam like the episode sadly did. The story drags in the second half from the plotting becoming thinner instead of intricate, and it lacks surprises and suspense (which was expected considering the premise). The ending is not much of one and is very predictable and extremely forgettable. Any revelations are far from big and coincidences are none.

While the script has thought provoking moments early on it generally lacks spark and could have been a lot tighter later on. Bricken's direction is very uninspired, an adjective that wasn't applicable to either of his two entries.

Concluding, another watchable but unmemorable episode. 5/10.