This half-hour adaptation of a well-remembered episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) is a standout from the revival series' excellent first season, and it improves on the original.
The 1964 version of "Final Escape" concerned Perry, a convict in a prison work camp who is notorious for his previous escape attempts. A fellow prisoner-- the elderly "Doc," a trusty who tends to sick and dying inmates and ultimately to their burial-- presents Perry with what seems to be a perfect escape plan. In exchange for some of Perry's ill-gotten gains, Doc will secrete him in the next available outgoing coffin along with the next decedent, to be disinterred from an offsite grave a few hours later. The plan, of course, goes awry in a memorable twist.
The 1985 version, in addition to tightening the story to fit the plot (and the time slot) more satisfactorily, depicts the convict-- this time a scheming woman named Lena Trent-- as a thoroughly despicable murderer facing life imprisonment. In replacing the original's repeat-offender bank robber, the ultimate fate of the main character is made much more satisfying.
My only criticism is with the depiction of the character of Doc, the fellow convict who tends to the dead inmates and their interment. In the previous version, Doc's chronic health issues and alcoholism are made plain, making his final lot-- if not his reappearance-- unsurprising. In the remake, Doc suffers from cataracts but otherwise seems in satisfactory health. It's a minor reproach to a first-rate entry.
The 1964 version of "Final Escape" concerned Perry, a convict in a prison work camp who is notorious for his previous escape attempts. A fellow prisoner-- the elderly "Doc," a trusty who tends to sick and dying inmates and ultimately to their burial-- presents Perry with what seems to be a perfect escape plan. In exchange for some of Perry's ill-gotten gains, Doc will secrete him in the next available outgoing coffin along with the next decedent, to be disinterred from an offsite grave a few hours later. The plan, of course, goes awry in a memorable twist.
The 1985 version, in addition to tightening the story to fit the plot (and the time slot) more satisfactorily, depicts the convict-- this time a scheming woman named Lena Trent-- as a thoroughly despicable murderer facing life imprisonment. In replacing the original's repeat-offender bank robber, the ultimate fate of the main character is made much more satisfying.
My only criticism is with the depiction of the character of Doc, the fellow convict who tends to the dead inmates and their interment. In the previous version, Doc's chronic health issues and alcoholism are made plain, making his final lot-- if not his reappearance-- unsurprising. In the remake, Doc suffers from cataracts but otherwise seems in satisfactory health. It's a minor reproach to a first-rate entry.
