There Was an Old Woman

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.

I am sure that everyone will agree with the fact that this story brings nothing special to the series. If you remove the twist ending, there is nearly nothing left. Just an agreeable time waster and that's all. The lead characters is a couple of greedy crooks, robbers seeking to take advantage of an old lady. There are many old ladies in this series, I don't know if you had noticed. This is not an unforgettable story, I repeat, but it remains quite enjoyable. Not boring tale for a rather predictable plot. But there are many of them in this series. Compared to the other episodes, Iwill place this one in the medium scale of quality and interest.

"There Was An Old Woman" devotes its entire screen time to the kind of macabre humor that was such an enjoyable part of so many episodes of this television series. The deceptively light feel of the episode conceals some grim truths that lie underneath, and it succeeds very well in carrying off some markedly offbeat story ideas. The writing, production, and acting are all of very good quality.

Estelle Winwood is wonderful as a very pleasant but decidedly delusional woman, with the habit of planning imaginary funerals. Charles Bronson and Norma Crane work well together as an unscrupulous couple who hear about her wealth and invade her home, only to find it necessary to respond to a weird and unexpected situation. Bronson is particularly effective in sometimes showing scorn and incredulity towards the elderly woman's delusions, and at other times trying to think along with her, to turn the situation to his advantage.

The story is written and told with careful pacing, and it includes a simple but plausible explanation for everything. The ending is gruesomely ironic, and the main story is framed very neatly by the two visits from the stoic milkman (played by Dabbs Greer), which contain some clever parallels. It's a very offbeat episode, and it would be understandable if it is not to everyone's taste. But for those with a morbid sense of humor, it could prove quite enjoyable.

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.

Dishonest Frank (Charles Bronson) and Lorna Bramwell (Norma Crane) visit the home of wealthy, eccentric Monica Laughton, with the intention of robbing her.

Tough guy Bronson gets deservedly annoyed by an eccentric lady, wonderfully played by Miss Winwood. This is an amusing foray into macabre humour with the imaginary guests and funeral.