There Was an Old Woman

I enjoy watching this episode on DVD. Estelle Winwood is excellent in her believable portrayal of an eccentric and portentous old lady. Charles Bronson plays a boorish golddigger while his wife, played by Norma Crane, is a young, blonde whiner with little understanding of what is actually taking place. The only issue that concerns her is her hunger. The final scenes are somewhat ambiguous when one has to decide whether or not the Winwood character is deliberately trying to poison her houseguests. While making the muffins she is looking for rat poison as she "dialogues" with her cat as to those pesky rodents. Then she asks, "Now where did I put that rat poison?" However it does not seem obvious if she intentionally intended to inform her guests that the muffins were poisonous or not. In one scene Winwood "scolds" Bronson in a manner that many today could not relate to. "You have made me very angry. You are indeed a man without honor". I thought to myself, "That's tellin' 'em".

Frank and Lorna Bramwell (Charles Bronson and Norma Crane) are crooks. So when they hear that Monica Laughton (Estelle Winwood) is rich, they decide to visit her and rob her blind. But Monica is not a typical old lady...he's beyond just a little bit 'touched'! When they arrive, she's having a funeral for a friend....an invisible friend along with invisible guests! And, when it comes to meals, they are quite invisible as well! And the more they try to humor the old woman, the more frustrated they become.

I really enjoyed this episode. The Bramwells were nasty jerks and it was enjoyable watching Miss Laughton torment them and get the last laugh. Very cute and enjoyable.

A delicious episode. I never thought I would see a frazzled Charles Bronson, but then he is up against an 80-year old loopy Estelle Winwood. Seems small-time crook Frank (Bronson) and rather dim wife (Crane) think aristocratic old lady Laughton (Winwood) will be easy pickings. After all, she lives alone in a big house full of invisible family, guests, and food. But somewhere inside that mausoleum, Frank figures, is a load of cash, at least that's what he heard. So now he and wife push their way in, while the agreeable old lady introduces them to the invisible guests. But where's she got that darned money hidden.

Winwood's perfect, her bulging eyes and ditzy manner, a perfect foil for the aggressively greedy Bronson. This was still early in the tough guy's career before his acting style was reduced to a single hard-eyed stare. Happily, he shows here that he does have an acting range. Then too Crane makes the rather slow-thinking wife into a reluctant counterpart to hubby Bronson. In my book, the episode is pitch-perfect Hitch fare, the character elements coming together beautifully, with an ironic closing line that fits perfectly, raising also a boggling subtext about how those now invisible family members became invisible. Anyway, hats off to all involved, and to a Bronson that's seldom seen.

Marian Cockrell, who went on to write for BATMAN, was behind this mini classic, the title likely from the nursery rhyme.

Short and sweet, and totally Hitchcock.

Estelle Winwood plays Mrs. Laughton -- worth a fortune -- and scheming Charles Bronson (Frank) and his wife Lorna (Norma Crane) who want it all.

Mrs. Laughton is a Hitch treasure, eccentric if there ever was, planning a funeral for an invisible friend, among other strange things. Just the beginning as the hungry couple are treated to the deluxe menu, and in no uncertain terms. Wait and see.

To be seen for Charles Bronson, just beginning his long career and Estelle Winwood, having the time of her life. Born in England, her career went back to the stage in the 1920s, featured in some magnificent movie roles, even in bits. A standout.

Note Hitch's gag intro. He says he looks worse in Technicolor? Actually, a star in his own right, having walk-ons in most of his films, especially in COLOR. We all miss him.

Worth the price of admission. From SEASON 1 EPISODE 25 remastered Universal box set. 2005 release. 4 dvd set.

Estelle Winwood is Monica Laughton a rich old woman living out by herself. One day while over hearing the milkman talk of her, Frank played by Charles Bronson schemes with his girlfriend Lorna to get in the old woman's good graces enough at least to rob her blind at the right moment. The problem is however she's got a couple of screws loss, as she's built her house full of imaginary family members living with her, even the food is imaginary. Eventually, the two begin to starve and Bronson losses patients, prompting the old woman to change her mind on letting the couple stay in her house, but, they won't be leaving so easy either. A classic among the series and rather disturbing once you think about it, I'm starting to like these episodes where rich old women hold there ground against greedy siblings or invaders, usually doing themselves in by there own stupidity as is the case here. The episode keeps you guessing weather there's any money at all or if its imaginary to. We learn however there is, and in the shows usual ironic affair its in the most obvious of locations.