"Tales of the Unexpected" Lamb to the Slaughter (1979)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

John Davies

Writers:

Roald Dahl (writer)
Robin Chapman (dramatisation)

TV Series:

"Tales of the Unexpected" (1979)

Original Air Date:

14 April 1979 (Season 1, Episode 4)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Supernatural Power | Famous Opening Theme | Cult TV

Cast

Roald Dahl	...	Himself - Introduced by
Susan George	...	Mary Marney
Brian Blessed	...	Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan
Michael Byrne	...	Patrick Marney
Mark Jones	...	Detective Sergeant Jameson
George Little	...	Mr. Samuel
Hugh Cross	...	Police Doctor
Andrew Fell	...	Uniformed Police Constable
David English	...	Plain Clothes Officer

Movie Connections:

Version of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Lamb to the Slaughter (#3.28)" (1958)

"Find the weapon... we find the man." A top tale of the unexpected.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Tales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter starts as Mary Marny (Susan George) arrives home from the corner shop & discovers her policeman husband Patrick's (Michael Byrne) dead body in the living room, obviously shocked she immediately calls the police & Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan (Brian Blessed) is on the case. The police conclude that Patrick was killed with a very heavy blunt instrument but cannot locate it & without a weapon they have no case, meanwhile Mary continues to cook the huge leg of lamb that she was going to make Patrick which she had used earlier for a rather sinister & violent purpose...

This Tales of the Unexpected story was episode 4 from season 1 & originally aired here in the UK during April 1979, directed by John Davies this is the sort of story where Tales of the Unexpected is at it's best. The story by Roald Dahl had already been adapted for the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV anthology series in 1963 before it was dramatised by Robin Chapman for this show, during his introduction Dahl says that he got the idea for the story when James Bond author Ian Flemming & himself were on holiday enjoying a meal when Flemming commented that the lamb was so dry & hard it must have been in the freezer for 10 years & that's how Dahl got the idea which is a neat enough anecdote I suppose. Lamb to the Slaughter has a simple yet engaging story that ends in a terrific twist that will probably stay with you longer than the rest of this episode & if I'm honest most of the rest of the 111 episodes, I just love the ironic & clever idea that the police got rid of the murder weapon for Mary themselves by eating the lamb! This one moves along at a nice enough pace, at only 25 minutes long it doesn't outstay it's welcome & is a memorable crime drama with a cool twist. My only problem with it is that a group of police officers investigating a brutal murder wouldn't suddenly stop what their doing to enjoy a lamb roast cooked by the victims wife & served up by the senior officer! I'm sorry but it wouldn't happen, would it? Lamb to the Slaughter is still a great story with a neat central premise so I'll forgive the unlikeliness of it all!

This one hasn't dated that well but doesn't look as bad as some episodes from this series, it's reasonably well made but it ain't going to win any awards for style that's for sure. Again I am much impressed with the cast on show, did a Tales of the Unexpected ever have a bad cast? Here Susan George makes her first appearance on the show & would go to star in the equally great Royal Jelly (1980) from season 2 & of course there's the big man himself Brian Blessed who actually looks quite trim in this.

Lamb to the Slaughter is a great Tales of the Unexpected story from probably it's finest season, a must for fans of the show & Dahl & it also makes decent entertainment for anyone interested in short stories with a twist. Well worth a watch.