I agree with Mr. Haffner in that the conclusion is hinted at too many times and in a heavy handed way. When our young fellow falls for the lovely granddaughter, he should have realized how utterly weird she was. Also, his demands should be inappropriate if she were any other woman. This is much more like an episode of The Twilight Zone. It also reminds me of Ray Bradbury's story "Marionettes, Inc."
6 Reviews
The twist is telegraphed again and again and again.
planktonrules14 April 2021
A young man, Dane, enters Mr. Klemm's watch shop because his pocket watch needs to be repaired. Once inside, he's invited to dinner with Klemm and his granddaughter, Lisa. He's immediately captivated by the young lady and later he and Lisa sneak away to spend time together. Soon Dane tells Klemm he wants to marry Lisa...and Klemm is adamant that he will not give his approval...and Dane is sent packing. However, he doesn't give up and eventually he learns the truth about the lady.
This is a great idea for a story...and very similar to Hoffmann's "Coppélia". But it also suffers from a huge problem...the twist is something that is telegraphed again and again throughout the story and the ending isn't really much of a surprise. Still worth watching but not a great episode.
This is a great idea for a story...and very similar to Hoffmann's "Coppélia". But it also suffers from a huge problem...the twist is something that is telegraphed again and again throughout the story and the ending isn't really much of a surprise. Still worth watching but not a great episode.
"The human body is a curious instrument, my friend."
classicsoncall17 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Not too hard to figure this one out as other reviewers have mentioned. Why Dane Ross (Nicholas Pryor) couldn't see it is anyone's guess, but they do say love is blind. The only thing is, an automaton like Lisa (Anne Helm) wouldn't have sweat profusely in that scene when her grandfather (Abraham Sofaer) was offering his ominous warning to Ross. For Hitchcock fans who enjoy a twist ending that can't be seen coming, this one was pulled off like clockwork.
Skilled Hands Can Fix Anything
dougdoepke16 June 2007
Intriguing little half-hour from horror-master Robert Bloch. Kindly old watchmaker Abraham Sofaer invites polite young customer Nicholas Pryor to share dinner with him and his comely daughter Anne Helm. Pryor is immediately taken with Helm and jumps at the invite. Afterwards, he tries to line her up for a date even though she hesitates because of her father. They apparently meet on the sly, though this is never made clear. Since his intentions are honorable, Pryor asks the father's permission to marry the daughter. Sofaer emotionally refuses-- but why? Pryor is an obviously decent sort, but must leave town on business. While he's away, bad things happen.
Intrigue is with mysterious old man and his unusual clock shop. We know something is wrong, but what. Sofaer is a weird looking guy and is well cast. I wonder, however, why he would invite Pryor for dinner being as possessive as he is and knowing the good-looking young man would share time with the fetching Helm. Story holes aside, the ending is genuinely creepy and is likely to stay with you. All in all-- vintage Hitchcock.
Intrigue is with mysterious old man and his unusual clock shop. We know something is wrong, but what. Sofaer is a weird looking guy and is well cast. I wonder, however, why he would invite Pryor for dinner being as possessive as he is and knowing the good-looking young man would share time with the fetching Helm. Story holes aside, the ending is genuinely creepy and is likely to stay with you. All in all-- vintage Hitchcock.
"The Changing Heart" keeps on ticking and ticking and ticking...
chuck-reilly10 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Nicholas Pryor plays Dana Ross, a young businessman who just happens to stumble upon a little repair shop for watches and clocks in the middle of a busy New York City street. He is greeted by the owner, Mr. Klemm (played by resident Hitchcock weirdo Abraham Sofaer) who tells him that he left the old country (probably Transylvania) and has been fixing intricate clocks and creating complex mechanical toys for many years. He then introduces Dana to his lovely daughter Lisa (played by beautiful Anne Helm). Mr. Klemm invites his new customer for dinner and Dana and Lisa begin to fall in love with each other faster than the tick of a clock. Later when he's leaving, Dana secretly asks Lisa out for a date. She reluctantly refuses him because her father is "very possessive." How possessive this fellow really is takes this story to a macabre and horrific ending. This tale also has some unexpected loose ends that don't entirely add up. The two lovers are seen later on a date at a local bar, but how can this happen with the old man sternly forbidding her to go anywhere without his consent? Several days later, Dana asks for Lisa's hand in marriage and is given the brushoff from Mr. Klemm. Dejected, the young suitor soon leaves town for a new position in Seattle, but his letters of correspondence to Lisa are torn to pieces by Klemm. Then Lisa catches a mysterious but deadly illness and Klemm refuses all medical care for her because he knows how to tend to her better than anyone else. Unfortunately for Lisa, his "medical" technique and procedures aren't anything you'll find in any company's HMO. When Dana finally gets back to town to see his love, he is in for the shock of his life. "The Changing Heart" (an obviously ironic title) is one of the more demented episodes in the Hitchcock half-hour series. It was written by the man who wrote the original story for "Psycho" (Robert Bloch) and has all the elements of terror depicted in that ground-breaking film. Versatile character actor Abraham Sofaer had a long and distinguished career. He played plenty of doctors and scientists and quite a few eccentrics; his character here is one for the ages. Nicholas Pryor is probably best known for playing Tom Cruise's father in "Risky Business." The lovely Anne Helm is still with us but not as active professionally as she was in the past. Hitchock's parting shot to this episode regarding something Ms. Helm might have inadvertently swallowed is one of his best. Leave it to old Alfred to put a smile on your face after watching this gruesome tale.
Getting one's clock cleaned
kapelusznik1817 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Even the "Master" Alfred Hitchcock Is at a loss for words here in explaining the strange ending of this "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode about clocks that have a mind of their own and the master clock-maker Ulrich Klemm, Abe Sofaer, who cleans and maintains them. It's Dane Ross, Nicholas Pryor, who shows up at Ulrich's watch shop to fix a old watch that's been in his family for some three generations that suddenly stopped ticking. As the old guy starts to work on the watch his grand daughter Lisa, Anne Helm, shows up with her home cooked dinner that the hungry Dane wolfs down as if he haven't eaten in days. Dane also notices Lisa's sweet smile and hour glass figure and like he did with what she cooked up for him falls madly in love with her.
It's wise old Ulrich who sees what's coming and does everything to keep Dane from marrying his daughter Lisa but try as he must love wins out in the end. That's with Urich dropping dead, from exhaustion, in his study and leaving a note for Dane explaining what he's to face in the future if his plans to marry Lisa becomes a reality. The poor schmuck never saw it coming but in the end Dane found out what the love of his life Lisa was really all about and what she was made out of.
***SPOILERS*** Dane ends up going totally cuckoo in the head in him seeing what he did not only to himself but to Lisa who's dad Urich did everything to protect her from the outside world that he kept her hidden from. It was when Urich slipped up and let Dane into the house for dinner and meet Lisa that the world that he created for himself and his daughter fell completely apart. And with that the deep secret that he kept from everyone all these years that was to lead to his sudden and not so unexpected death.
It's wise old Ulrich who sees what's coming and does everything to keep Dane from marrying his daughter Lisa but try as he must love wins out in the end. That's with Urich dropping dead, from exhaustion, in his study and leaving a note for Dane explaining what he's to face in the future if his plans to marry Lisa becomes a reality. The poor schmuck never saw it coming but in the end Dane found out what the love of his life Lisa was really all about and what she was made out of.
***SPOILERS*** Dane ends up going totally cuckoo in the head in him seeing what he did not only to himself but to Lisa who's dad Urich did everything to protect her from the outside world that he kept her hidden from. It was when Urich slipped up and let Dane into the house for dinner and meet Lisa that the world that he created for himself and his daughter fell completely apart. And with that the deep secret that he kept from everyone all these years that was to lead to his sudden and not so unexpected death.
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