Triggers in Leash

A rather odd third episode for a series then in the process of establishing itself. The problem is that after about 15 minutes of macho hectoring and gunfighter's crouch, the hair-trigger face- off between Barry and McGavin goes from tense to tedious. There's still a question of how the drama will end, but the dialogue and visuals have become too familiar to sustain the initial tension. As another reviewer points out, a final twist managed to salvage what looked like a really cop-out ending. In my book, the best thing about this tepid curiosity is the featured role it gives to that fine actress Ellen Corby who spent her career playing thankless menials of one type or another. There should be a special place in Hollywood heaven for such unsung stalwarts as she. Too bad I can't say the same for this episode.

This well-crafted drama is one of the best of the early episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", and it is a fine example of the anthology show format. It has a compact but interesting story, with interesting characters who are well-defined, and a strong cast to portray them. The writing is tight and resourceful, getting much more out of a simple situation than you would have expected.

Ellen Corby, Gene Barry, and Darren McGavin are the stars, with Casey McGregor playing the only other on-screen character. Corby's character runs an out-of-the-way lunch counter, in which the characters played by Barry and McGavin confront each other with deadly intentions. Corby's character tries everything she can think of to cool off the two hotheads, even getting them to eat something while keeping one hand ready to draw at all times.

Although Hitchcock neither wrote nor directed the episode personally, it's well worthy of him, with a memorable situation, some very good dramatic touches, plus some psychology added in. Director Don Medford did a fine job of building up the tension, and the cast members are all in very good form. It's all resolved in a clever way that also would be worthy of Hitchcock's dry sense of humor.

Practically all of the episodes in the series were at least interesting, and many of them were memorable in one way or another. This one, though, is a particularly good example of an ideal usage of the half-hour format, and among the early episodes, it is very possibly the most efficient and effective.

I enjoyed seeing such great actors. Gene Barry is one of my all-time favorites. Bat Masterson and Burke's Law were awesome shows. I'm a big fan of The War of the Worlds. Darrin McGavin and Ellen Corby are wonderful too.

The plot is a little thin here, but I still enjoyed it. Maybe not the best of the shows, but I still had fun watching it.

Lots of Alfred Hitchcock episodes are on YouTube. Peacock has all episodes from Season One, Episode One of Alfred Hitchcock Presents to the last episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. I've decided to start and the beginning and watch them all. I hope you enjoy the shows as much as I do.

Normally, I'm not cheering on a shootout, but when Hitch says, "That was disappointing, wasn't it?" I had to agree. Both gunmen bored and annoyed me at the same time, which seems unlikely, but jeezely Pete, by the third time (of MANY) one taunts the other to draw, I'm hoping for an end to the characters' (and my) misery.

The basic plot: a men enters Maggie's establishment, which looks like a little cabin but apparently feeds random stragglers. The man refuses to remove his gun belt. Why becomes clear when a second man enters. It seems there was a poker game the night before and it devolved into an argument. The first man let the second live, and now the second is looking for revenge. Their showdown over ham and eggs lasts 20 minutes. 20. Minutes. "You draw first." "You draw first." "Even if you draw first, I'll outdraw ya." "Even if you draw first, I'll outdraw ya." Lather, rinse, repeat. For 20 minutes.

In between, Maggie implores both men to think before they shoot. The twist ending I hoped for involved Maggie and a pistol hidden in her apron, but alas, it was not to be. Not one of the show's better offerings, in my opinion.

Watching this episode, I got a strong feeling that Sergio Leone must have seen it sometime and it made an impression on him. Almost the entire episode is guys waiting to draw on each other while tension builds, just like the ending of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. There are some similar shots -- a low shot from behind a hand over a holster, and close-ups of the men's eyes (something very rarely done in film before Sergio started doing it).

Also, since the men were supposed to draw when a cuckoo clock chimed, I was reminded of For A Few Dollars More, when a gunfight was supposed to start when a musical watch stopped its song.

Anyway, I can't know for sure, but I feel almost certain that the maestro must have caught this episode and liked it, and found things he wanted to use. Watch the climactic duel from The Good The Bad and the Ugly, and then watch this episode. I think you'll see what I mean.