Day of Reckoning (22 Nov. 1962)

An unfaithful wife taunts her husband that she's ditching him for a real man. As the drunken couple argue on the stern of a yacht, the normally-timid husband shoves her overboard to drown. ... See full summary »

Director:

Jerry Hopper

Writers:

John Garden (novel), Richard Levinson (teleplay),

Stars:

Alfred Hitchcock, Barry Sullivan, Louis Hayward

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Himself - Host
Barry Sullivan	...	Paul Sampson
Louis Hayward	...	Judge David Wilcox
Dee Hartford	...	Felicity Sampson
Claude Akins	...	Sheriff Jordan
Katharine Bard	...	Caroline Sampson
Hugh Marlowe	...	Harold
Jeremy Slate	...	Trent Parker - Golf Pro
K.T. Stevens	...	Alice
Les Tremayne	...	Dr. Felix Ryder
Robert Cornthwaite	...	The District Attorney
Alexander Lockwood	...	Dr. Campbell - Psychiatrist
James Flavin	...	The Coroner
Tom Begley	...	The Court Clerk
Buck Taylor	...	Officer Frazier

Storyline

An unfaithful wife taunts her husband that she's ditching him for a real man. As the drunken couple argue on the stern of a yacht, the normally-timid husband shoves her overboard to drown. The society party-goers on the boat support his tale that the wife accidentally fell over the side that night, & the police believe the husband too. At first, he's relieved, then gradually guilt takes him over, but friends feel his panicky behavior is grief. The widower blurts the murder to his friends, but his story was so convincing they downplay his confession, not wanting to be involved in an embarrassing murder inquiry. As his internal pressure mounts, the killer desperately seeks a way out.

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Plot Keywords:

boat | judge | golf pro | drowning | sheriff

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 November 1962 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shamley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hugh Marlowe and K.T. Stevens, who played husband and wife Harold and Alice, were actually husband and wife since 1946 until their divorce in 1967 5 years after this production.

User Reviews

Barry Sullivan and Louis Hayward

"Day of Reckoning" was a story adapted by Richard Levinson and William Link, who later conceived and produced COLUMBO, ELLERY QUEEN, and MURDER SHE WROTE. Barry Sullivan stars as Paul Sampson, whose beautiful young wife Felicity (Dee Hartford) informs him that she wants a divorce so she can be with another man. While cruising on a small yacht, with several guests playing cards below, the jealous Paul shoves Felicity overboard, and she drowns. The sheriff (Claude Akins) is perfectly willing to put it down as an accident, but the defensive Paul assumes that he is under suspicion. One guest, Judge David Wilcox (Louis Hayward), removes any doubts by swearing that he could see both Paul and Felicity from down below, and that Paul never went near his wife. At the coroner's subsequent inquest, Felicity's doctor (Les Tremayne) reports that she had at best three years left to live, and that a sudden attack of dizziness could indeed have been the cause of her falling overboard. Seemingly in the clear, Paul confesses to his sister Caroline (Katharine Bard) that he murdered his wife because she was leaving him for another man, but neither she nor anyone else will believe him, except for the man she was planning to be with. Dee Hartford was a busy television actress (LOST IN SPACE, BATMAN) best remembered as the sister of Eden Hartford, who became the final wife of Groucho Marx. The excellent supporting cast includes real life husband and wife Hugh Marlowe and K. T. Stevens, along with Robert Cornthwaite, Alexander Lockwood, and James Flavin, familiar faces all.