User reviews

After making quite a good first impression with his debuting 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episode "Help Wanted", James Neilsen returns for his second (of twelve) with "The Orderly World of Mr Appleby". The premise wasn't too exciting, but 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' did more than once prove that it could make something interesting out of premises that are nothing special so hopes were almost certainly not dashed by any stretch.

"The Orderly World of Mr Appleby" turned out to be quite decent, but not great let alone exceptional. It could have done more with the premise and not much wows, but it still turned out to be worth watching and has enough to like. "The Orderly World of Appleby" is not one of the best episodes of Season 1 or 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' in general. At the same time, it is also not one of the worst. Personally put it somewhere in the middle.

Good things are certainly here. Robert H. Harris does a great job in the lead role and is the main reason to see "The Orderly World of Mr Appleby", suitably fidgety but also suitably easy to hate. Perfect for his jerk-ish character. The ending is another strength and elevates what is otherwise not the greatest of stories to a better level, it's plausible and surprising.

Supporting cast are pretty good if never outstanding. Hitchcock is wonderfully droll as is the humour and irony in the bookending. Neilsen directs with competence if not with complete distinction, while the episode is well made visually. Especially the photography. Still love the main theme.

However, the story didn't strike me as too great. It came over as on the far-fetched and thin side, and really could have done with a tighter pace and more suspense. Without those it did come over as bland. The script also could have been tighter.

Despite the supporting cast being pretty good, the supporting characters are not particularly well written with them not being gone into more depth.

Overall, quite decent but there was something missing. 6/10.

In his introduction, Alfred Hitchcock gives a warning to housewives.

Mr Appleby is an antiques dealer who cannot bear to part from his valuable antiquities.

With no sales, he cannot afford to pay his supplier in Turkey. Now facing an impossible deadline he better raise the money pronto.

Mr Appleby can obtain money from his wife, if she was dead.

With the help of a book called 'Murder or Accident.' He plans to kills his wife and make it look like an accident. Then collect from her insurance.

Money problems solved but not for long. His antiques supplier had obtained a valuable collection. He wants the money upfront from Mr Appleby.

Now he hits upon a idea to marry Martha Sturgis. A lonely but wealthy spinster. He better start wooing her quick, just in case someone pulls the rug from under him.

Entertaining but t never makes much sense. Does Mr Appleby seriously think he could get away with two accidental deaths of his spouses.