"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" And So Died Riabouchinska (1956)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Mel Dinelli (teleplay)
Ray Bradbury (story)

TV Series:

"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955)

Original Air Date:

12 February 1956 (Season 1, Episode 20)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

While investigating a murder in a theater, a detective uncovers a strange web of tensions revolving around a ventriloquist and his female dummy.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Dummy | Theater | Ventriloquist | Murder

Cast

Alfred Hitchcock	...	Himself - Host
Claude Rains	...	John Fabian
Charles Bronson	...	Det. Krovitch
Claire Carleton	...	Alice Fabian
Lowell Gilmore	...	Mel Douglas
Charles Cantor	...	Zander
Harry Tyler	...	Dan Sill
Iris Adrian	...	Macey
William Haade	...	Stagehand (as Bill Haade)
Virginia Gregg	...	Riabouchinska (voice)

Runtime:

USA:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios - 4024 Radford Avenue, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Shamley Productions

Quotes:

Himself - Host: Good evening. This misty bit of ectoplasm forming on the inside of your television screen is one Alfred Hitchcock, coming to you tonight from across that great barrier that divides the quick from the dead: the Atlantic Ocean. I have materialized tonight for the express purpose of warning you; that during tonight's seance, you will witness a playlet entitled "And So Died Riabouchinska". But first, I would like to make an announcement to those of you who can't stay until the end...

Movie Connections:

Version of "The Ray Bradbury Theater: And So Died Riabouchinska (#2.12)" (1988)

Another Dummy Story

This is a Ray Bradbury story. As I was watching the video, I realized I had read this story long ago. It involves a murder being investigated by a detective played by Charles Bronson. Claude Raines, a heavyweight actor, plays a cracked ventriloquist who is having an affair with his own dummy. She is the reincarnation of woman he loved, but who became abusive and left him. Most of the episode is about Bronson, trying to get the ventriloquist to open up. Of course, at some point we have his hidden personality inside his wooden creature. The suspense builds and the lies build and eventually it all comes tumbling down. Raines is is excellent in this little performance, showing what a fine actor he was. Bronson is also very photogenic. His career was just starting and we can see that there was something there. It works out very well and it's a really gut wrenching story.