James Cavanagh wrote this tight drama, which is quite similar to a PETER GUNN episode. At least the bad guys would be right at home on that show. This was a bit of a switch for Hitchcock, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Darryl Hickman, brother of tv star Dwayne Hickman (DOBIE GILLIS), plays an ex-con who may or may not know where lots of stolen money is hidden. He makes a bad mistake of moving in with the mother (Mildred Dunnock) and father (Nahemiah Persoff) of one of his old cell mates. Beware of people with big smiles!
I agree with the last reviewer, Persoff is at is best playing a real brute of a father, and Dunnock has an interesting part herself. Wait and see. So true, Hitch did in a half hour what so many directors could not do with a big budget movie, even to this day. Good bit from Len Lesser as a thug, best known for playing Uncle Leo on SEINFELD. Lesser played villains for years on a ton of cop shows.
All three actors are exceptional, especially Hickman, who had been acting in films (as a child star), since the late 1930s. This may be one of his best tv roles.
SEASON 3 EPISODE 4 remastered Universal dvd box set. 5 dvd set. 17 hrs. 2007 release.