'Alfred Hitchcock Presents': "I'll Take Care of You" (1959)
Opening thoughts: Although Robert Stevens was the most frequent 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' director, with 44 episodes to his name, he was also one of the most inconsistent (Paul Henreid to me was also variable) which can be seen in Season 4. A vast majority of his episodes were well worth watching, though there were misses. "I'll Take Care of You" also has Ralph Meeker in his last of four appearances on the series, and also 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' favourite Russell Collins' seventh appearance of nine.
"I'll Take Care of You" is very good and nearly great, with many great things and little wrong. Not just of Stevens' output but also for 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' in general. It is not one of Stevens' best 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes and it is also not one of his worst (nowhere near in the case of the latter). Actually put "I'll Take Care of You" somewhere around high middle in ranking, doing a very good if not exceptional job with a premise worthy of Hitchcock.
Bad things: There is very little wrong here as said. Low budget does show at times, especially in the threadbare looking sets and editing that doesn't always flow.
Good things: Meeker and Collins are both extremely good however, did not think that Meeker overacted at all and he is in a type of role where it was easy to do so. The chemistry is strong. Count me in as another person who liked the ending very much, it was a shock to me and what very nearly came close to being unsatisfying was given a very clever and wacky twist.
While the production values aren't perfect, the photography is suitably moody and has some elegance. Hitchcock's bookending is suitably ironic and the theme music has lost none of its devillish quality. The episode is quite talky in spots, especially early on, but it didn't feel overly so and it all intrigued. The story never stops being compelling and has some nice suspense, never coming over as draggy.
Concluding thoughts: Concluding, liked it a lot.
8/10.
Opening thoughts: Although Robert Stevens was the most frequent 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' director, with 44 episodes to his name, he was also one of the most inconsistent (Paul Henreid to me was also variable) which can be seen in Season 4. A vast majority of his episodes were well worth watching, though there were misses. "I'll Take Care of You" also has Ralph Meeker in his last of four appearances on the series, and also 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' favourite Russell Collins' seventh appearance of nine.
"I'll Take Care of You" is very good and nearly great, with many great things and little wrong. Not just of Stevens' output but also for 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' in general. It is not one of Stevens' best 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes and it is also not one of his worst (nowhere near in the case of the latter). Actually put "I'll Take Care of You" somewhere around high middle in ranking, doing a very good if not exceptional job with a premise worthy of Hitchcock.
Bad things: There is very little wrong here as said. Low budget does show at times, especially in the threadbare looking sets and editing that doesn't always flow.
Good things: Meeker and Collins are both extremely good however, did not think that Meeker overacted at all and he is in a type of role where it was easy to do so. The chemistry is strong. Count me in as another person who liked the ending very much, it was a shock to me and what very nearly came close to being unsatisfying was given a very clever and wacky twist.
While the production values aren't perfect, the photography is suitably moody and has some elegance. Hitchcock's bookending is suitably ironic and the theme music has lost none of its devillish quality. The episode is quite talky in spots, especially early on, but it didn't feel overly so and it all intrigued. The story never stops being compelling and has some nice suspense, never coming over as draggy.
Concluding thoughts: Concluding, liked it a lot.
8/10.