Mail Order Prophet

This is one of my favourite episodes and very, very underrated.

This episode is unlike the other ones in the series where we often see some murder or some attempt on killing someone or the other but rather it has its share of suspense and plot twist at the end.

The twist at the end is too good and makes you think for a while. And then when you add 2 and 2 together then everything makes sense.

The actors are great and they surely help carry the flow.

A must see episode.

Ronald and George (E.G. Marshall and Jack Klugman) are clerks in some investment firm. The job apparently is thankless and dull and both men would love something else out of life. Then one day, a weird opportunity presents itself to Ronald when he receives a letter from a Mr. Christiani. Christiani claimes to be able to predict the future and in the letter he predicts the outcome of the mayoral race next week. When the letter turns out correct, Ronald is naturally NOT convinced. But when more letters arrive from Christiani and their predictions also come true, Ronald begins to gamble on the outcome listed in the letters....and he makes some money. But he wants a big payoff and Ronald is sure the next prediction in the letter will come true...so he decides to embezzle some bonds...assuming he'll be able to pay it off in a few days. But there is a catch...and George finds out the surprising solution to this Mr. Christiani.

This is a very good episode but I don't want to say much because it might spoil the suspense. It is an interesting story and although odd, it could work out just like it did in the story...but would it really in real life? Who knows...all I know is that the acting and writing are quite good.

Other things I've reviewed such as Twilight Zone and Hammer House of Horror I was already familiar with. Only recently did I discover AHP, and with 268 episodes I'll be occupied for quite some time. I'm watching them in rating descending order, which risks boredom with later below par episodes, although my favourites are seldom the most popular.

At the time of writing I've chalked up thirty, and enjoyed this one the most, for two reasons. I'm hopeless as guessing whodunit or anticipating a Hitchcockian twist, but with a financial services background I did twig why the prophet's predictions turned a (ahem) profit. It was clever to cast against type. Lugubrious looking Jack Klugman is good at playing desperate losers so you expect him to be the one suckered into a scam. But it's E G Marshall, usually a hard-headed sobersides, who is taken in.

Also very memorable: HOOKED - man plots to get rid of older wife and marry young girlfriend, with a trademark twist. THE GLASS EYE - aging spinster falls for handsome ventriloquist, maybe a bit slow but a startling denouement. ARTHUR - some way down the ratings but I couldn't delay seeing the lovely Hazel Court playing a flighty foil to a superbly sardonic Laurence Harvey.

That's 30 episodes down, 238 to go, so watch this space...

...in every school in America.

This is one of my favorite episodes. We get to see a couple of disgruntled office workers, one of whom (E.G. Marshall) begins receiving "psychic" letters encouraging him to bet on events (election, title bout). Jack Klugman is a rationalist co-worker who tries to convince him it's a racket.

Could the mail order prophet be legit? It's hard not to wonder where this is going to lead. They even throw in office theft to up the ante. Not to give anything away, but I found the ending very satisfying. Plus, Klugman and Marshall are great to watch.

Yes, just a curious story in AH PRESENTS show, without any murder or suspense of any kind. Just a light comedy drama, where you wonder all the time where lt ieads you to...In the end, you just have a solution, an explanation, that's all. Nothing more. Certainly not the famous twist ending. It may interest many folks, though, because you can imagine yourself one of the characters presented here. Not bad, but, for me, it has nothing to do there.