This was the very first episode directed by Lewis Teague, who was in his 20s at the time, and an apprentice with Sidney Pollack (THE WAY WE WERE) at Universal Studios. Teague would later direct such creepy classics as CUJO and CATS EYE. He does a very good job here.
You have to see this for two of the best actors in the business; Martin Landau and Frank Gorshin.
In fact, this episode may have paved the way for Gorshin to appear as the Riddler in the BATMAN tv series. He is that sly and crafty. Watch him, especially his expressions.
This is an old story with Hitchcock, but always with possibilities. Landau plays a distinguished attorney who just happens to have the luck of defending a slickster (Gorshin), who actually turns out to be guilty of murder. He wins his case and now what?
There are some actual legal questions at play here, as to what a lawyer can and cannot do in real life, and this would have made a terrific PERRY MASON episode. However.... this is Hitchcock, and watch what happens. A solid supporting cast with lovely Nancy Kovak, who was in a ton of movies and tv shows at this stage in her career, and the ever durable Harold J. Stone, remembered for THE UNTOUCHABLES, and many other classic shows. Stone was a favorite in Hollywood, very popular.
Great late night entertainment. SEASON 2 EPISODE 30 CBS dvd box set. Shop around for the hour long Alfred Hitchcock tv episodes, though the half hour shows are enormously popular and more readily available on dvd and blu ray. Thank you so much METV.