Total Loss

May I add to the other excellent reviews here, this one slight observation: What a world it was when Hitchcock, during his droll introduction, could dissuade "...those who suspect they've wandered into a production of Salomé, with me playing the part of John the Baptist," because we see only his head above a steam cabinet. Today's producers would never permit any show to assume this level of cultural literacy among its audience. And more's the pity.

While I'm at it: Nancy Olson and Ralph Meeker are totally winning and perfectly cast. It's an above-average episode but not one of the best. Still very much worth watching.

This episode has always fascinated me because there's so much realism to it. Ask any fire chief out there who will share some bizarre insurance scam stories.

Nancy Olson, in a very convincing performance, plays Jan, the desperate owner of a once thriving dress shop that is losing business fast. After her bank cancels a loan, comes a suggestion from crafty salesman Ralph Meeker (as Mel). He claims it can be rigged very easily to burn the place down, write it off as a total loss and collect a big, fat insurance check. Just like that...

This is potent stuff, and you feel sorry for Jan. The business is her life. Realistically though, she could have just sold her more expensive dresses at any cost, take the loss, and start all over. But we're in Hitchcock-LAND and Mel is a force to be reckoned with.

Don Taylor, who directed seven episodes, brings out some good performances here, especially Ralph Meeker, a cross between a shameless love 'em and leave 'em type and a real con. Take your pick. Taylor, who had a long career, directed many episodes for LASSIE.

Believe it or not, written by Robert Lees, behind ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, many other classic A & C films.

This episode was a return to Hollywood for Nancy Olson, who retired from the screen five years earlier. She would next appear in Walt Disney's POLLYANNA.

Dedicated to us armchair thrill seekers. SEASON 4 EPISODE 17 remastered Universal dvd box set. 5 dvds. 2008 release.

Or not even any kind of loss at all, the complete opposite. "Total Loss" is the penultimate Don Taylor-directed 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episode, the penultimate one of seven. All of his seven outings are watchable and above, the weakest "Fatal Figures" (between that and "The Deadly") of the previous episodes still being decent if uneven. Though only "The Right Kind of House" was properly great in my view ("The Crocodile Case" came close) of his episodes.

"Total Loss" is a good penultimate episode for Taylor and is in the solid middle category ranking Season 4, a mostly solid one though with a few major bumps (i.e. "Don't Interrupt"). Of Taylor's episodes too, "Total Loss" is around the middle in ranking, not "The Right Kind of House" level but better than "The Deadly" and "Fatal Figures" (closest to "Listen Listen"). It is not much out of the ordinary story wise, but is compensated by the acting and the ending in particular. A lot is good here in "Total Loss", but it falls short of greatness.

It is a bit lacking when it comes to the suspense and the pacing could have been tighter early on, a little less talk would have solved that.

Did think too that the build up to the end was a little on the awkward side.

However, there is so much that is done incredibly well. Nancy Olson plays one of the season's most sympathetic lead characters very movingly and Ralph Meeker manages the balance of deceptive charm and cockiness very well without falling into the potential trap of being annoying. The two work very well together. Hitchcock's bookending is amusing and dry humoured and Taylor's direction is assured throughout.

Moreover, visually it is simple but doesn't look threadbare or cheap, did like the photography. The theme tune deserves its classic status. Most of the writing is thought provoking and intriguing and the story intrigues while easy to follow, the highlight being the nicely ironic ending.

Concluding, good if not great. 7/10.

Jan (Nancy Olson) is a widow who runs her own dress shop. While she is very good at this in some ways, her business sense is lacking and her shop is deeply in depth and swamped in inventory. Here friend (Ralph Meeker) has a solution...burn the place to the ground and claim the insurance! Well, after not being able to get any loans and without any good options, she considers his plan.

This is a pretty good but not exactly amazing episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and it strongly illustrates the idea that you should keep your mouth shut and say as little as possible when you are in trouble....and Jan, clearly, did not heed this advice. Well written and interesting.

A young entrepreneur runs a dress shop. She has little experience in buying and has overstocked the store. Her inventory causes her to fall into financial trouble. To make matters worse, along comes sales rep, Ralph Meeker, who is on the hunt for her. When her request for an increase on her loan is turned down, he takes her out for drinks and proposes that arson may be her best bet. He explains that he can pull it off with the help of a friend. She doesn't agree, but has so many martinis that her memory is not the best. While she is sleeping, her phone rings. The store is on fire. What transpires is one of those things where justice doesn't always work its way out.

The young woman, Nancy Olson, is a hard working, loving, driven person. We can't help but feel for her, but the fates seem to step in.