Crack of Doom (25 Nov. 1956)

A no-limit game of poker brings a real estate man to the brink of ruin.

Director:

James Neilson

Writers:

Robert C. Dennis (teleplay), Don Marquis (story)

Stars:

Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Horton, Robert Middleton

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Himself - Host
Robert Horton	...	Mason Bridges
Robert Middleton	...	Sam Klinker
Gail Kobe	...	Jessie Bridges
Dayton Lummis	...	Tom Ackley
Gavin Gordon	...	Card Player
Kay Stewart	...	Secretary Della
Francis De Sales	...	Card Player (as Francis de Sales)
Pierre Watkin	...	Porter
Keith Britton	...	Whitman
Jess Kirkpatrick	...	Card Player
Alan Reynolds	...	Card Player

Storyline

In the club car of a New York-Chicago streamliner, Mason Bridges adamantly refuses his friends' request to join him in the next car for a game of penny-ante. One of the friends presses him about this refusal, and Mason tells him a story of the time he had unwittingly become a thief. Years before, he was an office manager for a real-estate firm. An unpleasant business associate named Sam Klinker gives him $10,000 to put in the company safe--and then invites him to a no-limit game of poker. Circumstances conspire to bring Mason Bridges to the brink of ruin. And a single card will make all the difference.

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Plot Keywords:

poker | real estate | penny ante | club car | husband wife relationship | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 November 1956 (USA)

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shamley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Tom Ackley: Can I get you a fresh one, Mason?
Mason Bridges: Uh, no thanks.

User Reviews

Let's Hope a Pair Beats a Flush

So why doesn't Mason Bridges (Horton) play poker any more, not even a friendly game in the railway club car. The suspense doesn't really kick in until the last 5 minutes, but then it's sweaty-palms time in spades. A lot depends on that excellent actor Robert Middleton making Sam Klinker (apt name) rather dislikable. That way we can believe a prudent businessman like Bridges would risk ruin just to wipe the smile off Klinker's smug face. The revealing tale is told appropriately in flashback, and reviewer Hitchcoc is right—it's a strong entry, though there is a key development that remains something of a stretch. The hunky Robert Horton was in a number of these early episodes before joining the cast of the super-popular Wagon Train series. After abruptly quitting that series, he tried to make the jump into movies, but apparently it didn't work out. Too bad, he was an excellent actor as this 30 minutes shows. Anyway, I enjoyed Crack of Doom as a boy and am glad to return the favor, even 50 years later.