The Long Shot

A compulsive gambler Charlie Raymond (Peter Lawford) finds himself in serious debt. Forced to flee New York, he answers an ad from a fellow Brit Walker Hendricks (John Williams) looking for a traveling companion to San Francisco. On the way, Charlie decides to change identities with Hendricks - with horrible consequences.

As other reviews have stated this type of episode has been done a zillion times across different TV shows and movies. The down on his luck con man who then decides to get in with a rich man or woman (mostly men) kills them and takes there inheritance. As usual and knowingly here they never get away with it and much like the name of the episode this is in fact a long shot, I mean this would never work in today's high tech landscape let alone in 1955. The episode is a constant build up to Charlie's evident demise, and while it does come there's a very cool twist to the twist which I didn't see coming at all, and Charlie's final scene is great. Williams is his usual smug British self and I love to watch him act all fancy and proper. Lawford is great as Charlie and its fun to watch him literally chain smoke his way threw this episode (different time folks), All in all its a nice take on a very familiar story with a very fun twist ending.

Except for the talky middle, the entry holds interest throughout. Englishman, gambler Charlie Raymond (Lawford) is flat broke and fleeing New York from a bookie he owes money to. So he pretends to be respectable by hiring on with English gentleman (Williams) who needs companionship while driving to San Francisco. On the way, Charlie discovers his companion is set to inherit a fortune by simply turning up at an attorney's office in Frisco and verifying his identity. So the wheels start turning on more than just the car.

It's really a Lawford showcase as he manages the shifty-eyed schemer in fine fashion. Catch how subtly he reacts to his companion's endless ruminations on life in London. We know there's more going on than meets the eye since this is Hitchcock. But what. Stay tuned. And, oh yes, don't look for any shapely girls in his male exclusive 30-minutes.

Peter Lawford stars as a ne'er-do-well gambler who is bound to get his legs broken, or worse, if he doesn't get out of town. He owes someone a lot of money...so he accepts the job of a traveling companion....so he can go from New York to San Francisco, and out of harm's way. Along the drive, his traveling companion (John Williams) turns out to be a bore...and he seems to talk nonstop about life in London. What's next? See the show.

The acting and writing are very good here. As I mentioned in the summary, the twist at the end isn't completely surprising...but it is satisfying and enjoyable. Well worth seeing.

I've seen so many plots where a man finds out about an inheritance that is being held for someone. Many B movies use this plot. If they can get rid of this person, they can swoop in and grab the money. One need only think for a moment how incredibly hard this would be. All it takes is one eye witness. What about a photograph? We are talking big money here. Peter Lawford is a small time gambler, in trouble with his bookie. He becomes the unwitting accomplice to his rival, a man who will talk about nothing but London. Given the opportunity, he will off this guy and move in. The guy is an utter bore. Being a Hitchcock episode, there are some surprises along the way. It's just that the plot is so far fetched we just know something is going to screw it up.

Despite finding a huge amount to like about 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' as a series and really liking to loving five of the previous eight episodes, expectations were not massive for "The Long Shot". The story is very familiar ground and Peter Lawford generally is not a huge favourite of mine. Also didn't care very much for Robert Stevenson's previous episode "Don't Come Back Alive", but did think that he could do another Don Medford in having a lesser episode of the season as his first episode and redeem himself with his second.

Luckily that is the case with Stevenson with "The Long Shot". The improvement is so vast that a check to see whether it was the same person who directed both episodes was needed. It is not flawless and to me there are better episodes of Season 1 and of the series, "Breakdown" immediately coming to mind. "The Long Shot" though is very good and has enough of what makes me like 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' a good deal. Anything that manages to get a great performance out of Lawford already goes up in my estimations.

As said, Lawford is not a favourite of mine (not sure about that being a popular opinion) but it has always been dependent on the role and he did have some weak ones in his earlier years. He has a strong role here and gives a performance that is very committed, pretty subtle but never to the point of boredom and he excels at being shifty. Have always liked John Williams and felt he never gets enough credit and he does smug and distinguished very well. The supporting cast are solid.

"The Long Shot" is another well made episode, with some suitably moody photography and it is not claustrophobic or overblown looking. Stevenson is a lot more in control of the material here and directs with precision and a good eye for atmosphere for much of the time. It's hauntingly scored and the theme tune is for me one of the best uses of pre-existing classical music in television and not a conventional one. On the most part, it's scripted tightly and thoughtfully and the story compels and has a nice suspenseful atmosphere. The twist is well executed and clever, if not earth shattering perhaps.

Where "The Long Shot" is at its weakest is the over-talky and occasionally pedestrian mid-section.

Did feel too that there were moments going towards the end where suspension of disbelief is needed.

In conclusion, very well done. 8/10.