Momentum (24 Jun. 1956)

Richard Paine decides to steal money from his boss that he owes him anyway, and it turns to a unnecessary and ironic murder.

Director:

Robert Stevens

Writers:

Francis M. Cockrell (teleplay), Cornell Woolrich (story)

Stars:

Alfred Hitchcock, Skip Homeier, Joanne Woodward

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Himself - Host
Skip Homeier	...	Richard Paine
Joanne Woodward	...	Beth Paine
Ken Christy	...	A.T. Burroughs
Henry Hunter	...	Finance Company Agent
Holly Bane	...	Cab Driver (as Mike Ragan)
William Newell	...	Charlie (as Billy Newell)
Frank Kreig	...	Martin the Janitor (as Frank Krieg)
Harry Tyler	...	Apartment Hunter
Jack Tesler	...	Newspaper Man
Dorothy Crehan	...	Woman
Don Dillaway	...	Policeman
Patricia Knox	...	Woman at Bus Stop
John Lehman	...	Man at Bus Stop (as John Lehmann)
Joe Gilbert	...	Radio Announcer (as Joseph Gilbert)

Storyline

After his boss tells him the firm is close to bankruptcy, Dick Paine agrees to work for half pay. Dick is nagged by his wife Beth into standing up for himself. He goes to his boss and demands the money he has not been paid. His boss refuses to give him the money and Dick must resort to murder.

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Plot Keywords:

cash box | struggle for gun | double exposure scene | poker | narrated by character

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 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

Alfred Hitchcock: It seems to me that television is exactly like a gun. Your enjoyment of it is determined by which end of it you're on.

User Reviews

Nice to See Joanne Woodward

This is one of those episodes where you would like to crawl into the screen and start straightening things out. First of all, the husband is, in many ways, about as wimpy as you can get. They have no food, but he doesn't have the guts to talk to a man who owes him dearly. He would rather get himself involved in a convoluted plot to get the money, breaking and entering and destroying his life in the process. It's a bit much. I noticed that when this episode is written about, the Joanne Woodward character is described as a nagging wife. Other than quietly urging him to be a man and take care of his family, she is much kinder that she needs to be. With the death of Paul Neuman, it was nice to see his wife in some of her earlier work. Anyway, about all the young man has left is to run away, no plan, no end in mind. She tries to stay with him. Unfortunately, there is an even bigger fly in the ointment.