The Man with Two Faces

Slender premise without much development adds up to low-grade Hitchcock. Matronly Alice (Byington) who lives with daughter Mabel and son-in-law Leo, is mugged on downtown street. Taking it to the cops (Dunne), she unexpectedly spots Leo's mug shot on "wanted list". Will she turn him in—after all, they seem like such a nice young couple and it is her daughter's happiness.

Dunne does well as the cagey, low-key detective, as does the perennially girlish Byington as the conflicted Mom. However, the amount of screen time spent poring over the mug shots exposes the spare screenplay and premise. There is, of course, the expected twist, but it's pretty mild given the series standard. Usually dependable scenarist Slesar was stretching it out on this one.

Spring Byington (December Bride and other shows) is an elderly lady who lives with her daughter and her husband. It is her house. She is mugged after a movie and goes to the policy, checking mugshots when she makes a disturbing discovery. Well done little story which isn't too hard to figure out. I enjoyed her interaction with the police detective.

Hitchcock favorite Henry Slesar, wrote this classic episode for noneother than Spring Byington. Spring was the "Betty White" of early tv. She was everywhere, a certified star of both movies and tv (DECEMBER BRIDE). She actually had to slow down in later years due to so many offers.

Spring plays Alice, who lives with her daughter and son in law and gets herself mugged. She's ok, but what follows is cause for alarm. In a fun Hitch twist, it appears her son in law has a mug shot, obviously for a "secret" crime. Say it isn't so!

Watch all this unfold, co-starring Steve Dunne, another series regular, playing a detective. Steve was a movie and tv vet, also a popular Hollywood DJ and announcer.

One you have to see for Spring Byington, a natural if there ever was. She was nominated for an Oscar in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU.

SEASON 6 EPISODE 11 remastered Universal dvd box set. 5 dvds. Released 2013.

Bethel Leslie, a beauty, looks a great, great deal like Paula Prentiss in dyed brown hair. The two women sound and act nearly totally alike as well. I thought it was Prentiss at first.

The episode is pleasant and has some neat twists and it is close to being in the show's top ten eps.

One final thought. The movie theater you see was also used props and all in the original Twilight Zone pilot

Some think the story line was somehow predictable, but I didn't think so. First one twist and then another at the end. I'm not one of those Monday morning quarterbacks that says they saw it coming all along. One reviewer mentioned that they mistook Bethel Leslie for Paula Prentice. I didn't see that at all. If anything, I'd say that she resembles Lee Remick somewhat. Overall, it was a very good episode with some pretty good acting.