Revenge (2 Oct. 1955)

When Carl Spann's wife Elsa is assaulted by an unknown attacker, he drives his still-incoherent wife around town, hoping she can point him out, so he can kill him.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Francis M. Cockrell (teleplay), Samuel Blas (story)

Stars:

Alfred Hitchcock, Ralph Meeker, Vera Miles

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Himself - Host
Ralph Meeker	...	Carl Spann
Vera Miles	...	Elsa Spann
Frances Bavier	...	Mrs. Fergusen
Ray Montgomery	...	Man in Grey Suit
John Gallaudet	...	Doctor
Ray Teal	...	Police Lieutenant
Norman Willis	...	Cop
John Daheim	...	Cop (as John Day)
Lillian O'Malley	...	Hotel Maid
Herbert Lytton	...	Police Lieutenant

Storyline

Carl and Elsa Spann have moved into a trailer park in California, after Elsa suffered a nervous breakdown. She is adjusting well to a more peaceful lifestyle, after her rigorous training as a ballerina. But then Carl comes home from work to find Elsa shocked and traumatized after a man assaulted her in the trailer. The police investigate, but find little to go on. Carl becomes increasingly angry about what has happened, and he is determined to kill the man responsible, if he can find him.

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Plot Keywords:

nervous breakdown | trailer park | ballerina | crescent wrench | trauma | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1955 (USA)

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shamley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

26 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Remade in 1985 with Linda Purl and David Clennon.

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Goofs

When the neighbor comes over, she asks for half a glass of apple juice, but when woman pours the two glasses, she fills them both to the top.

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Quotes

Himself - Host: You see: crime does not pay. Not even on television. You must have a sponsor. Here is ours, after which I'll return.

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Connections

Featured in A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009)

User Reviews

What a start

Very first episode of AHP features Vera Milks, a Hitchcock favorite, and Ralph Meeker as a couple who has just moved into a trailer park by the sea. An engineer, he is starting a new job and she, a former ballerina, is recovering from a nervous breakdown. On the husband's return from work on their very first night there, he finds his wife in a state of shock and near-death, having been assaulted by an intruder. Their doctor advises the husband to move her into a motel and away from the park, and let her recuperate there. Meanwhile, the husband vows to kill the rapist if he is ever found. Classic stuff, very much playing like a movie, only in a half-hour format. The master himself directed. The early scenes with Miles and Meeker are incredibly sensual for their time and the fact that this was a 1955 TV show. The husband awakens his wife with a kiss as he prepares to leave for work, and she embraces him so passionately that we have no doubt what she has in mind. After he leaves and a kindly neighbor (Benederet) comes over to pay a visit, we see the wife wearing only a man's shirt. The camera lovingly lingers on her perfectly shaped bare legs and thighs as the two women sit and chat. In the next scene, she is shown wearing (for the time) a revealing bathing suit as she prepares to sunbathe out in front of the trailer. The camera proceeds to do a slow head-to-toe shot of her as she sunbathes, again lingering on her shapely legs (supposedly seen through Benederet's eyes, which gives the astute viewer pause to reflect and wonder). The contrast between this voluptuous character and the zombie-like creature she becomes is incredible. Hitchcock knew how to draw the best out of the lovely Miles, who appeared in no fewer than three of his movies. A must see.