hecklongtree

All weekend, I've been watching the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents--Season One, Disk One dvd. When you see the shows one after another, you become aware of the episodes' recurring tropes and themes: for instance, people with identical doubles, or tough bosses who heartlessly sack their employees. "A Bullet for Baldwin" with Sabastian Cabot actually manages to combine the two.

My favorite episode, "Breakdown," directed by Hitch himself, involves a tycoon (Joseph Cotten) who lays off an employee, then criticizes him for the way he takes the news: by breaking down and crying. Joseph Cotten's character gets his comeuppance when he gets into a car accident that leaves him completely paralyzed--well, almost.

I love "Alfred Htchcock Presents." I'll probably buy the whole set.