Sat 23 Jan 2010
A TV Review by Mike Tooney: ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR “See the Monkey Dance”.
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[4] Comments
“See the Monkey Dance.” An episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (Season 3, Episode 5). First air date: 9 November 1964. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roddy McDowall, Patricia Medina, George Pelling, Shari Lee Bernath. Original teleplay: Lewis Davidson. Director: Joseph M. Newman.
George (Roddy McDowall) is returning home to a caravan (trailer) situated on leased farm land in what could be western England. When his train makes a short station stop, he hurries to a phone booth to call his lover (Patricia Medina), a woman who is married to another man. They’ve planned to spend the weekend in close proximity to each other while hubby is away.
But when George returns to the train, someone else has entered the carriage: a strange, nervous, querulous little man with horn-rimmed glasses (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), an attache case containing a Webley revolver that George doesn’t see, and a bad attitude. It’s not long before the new guy initiates a bout of verbal bickering with George. After a while, George concludes this fellow is simply crazy, and when their train reaches its stop he leaves, glad to be rid of this madman.
It’s only a short walk to his caravan, and George makes good time there; he knows his lover should be arriving soon, and straightens up the place. But there’s something going on outside. When he opens the window, there’s that same crazy man, digging a hole just a few feet from the trailer. When George moves to object, however, the strange man pops open his case and reveals the gun. George quickly realizes that he’s not just digging a hole; he’s digging a grave ….
This episode has an unusually witty script, with a couple of plot twists that someone who’s been paying close attention might anticipate. Nevertheless, it’s great fun to see McDowall and Zimbalist in a battle of wits and wills; in addition, Zimbalist pulls off a British accent quite well here.
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. played Agent Lew Erskine in the ’60s-’70s series The F.B.I and was the voice of Alfred the butler in the Batman animated series. Most viewers remember Roddy McDowall from the “Planet of the Apes” series of films; some may recall his turn in Evil Under the Sun (1982).
You can see “See the Monkey Dance” on Hulu (follow the link).
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:38 am
I’m glad Mike Tooney is discussing these hour long Alfred Hitchcock TV shows because it’s got me back on my scedule of watching one each night after dinner. Last night I watched a classic horror episode, “Where the Woodbine Twineth”. It’s also available on bootleg dvds and free on the internet. The plot involves a little girl with what her old maid aunt thinks is an over active imagination. The child has several imaginary friends and a black doll she talks to. Needless to say the aunt is in for a rough time.
Keep the reviews coming Mike!
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Walker — I’ll try! The episodes that I’ve reviewed so far are the cut down ones being shown on Retro Television. These don’t have Hitchcock’s arch epilogues, and viewers would do better to buy the DVDs or watch them on Hulu.
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:42 pm
[…] more so than “See the Monkey Dance” (reviewed here ) this episode features a script that sparkles with wit, and all the performers seem to work to […]
August 6th, 2017 at 3:28 pm
Watching right now on Decades binge weekend. Wondered what others might have thought and googled. (Was actually going to see if I could find a Top Ten list, but…). Anyway, I felt your review failed to mention a very important aspect to the episode’s success — the score (terminology OK for TV?), which I felt was instrumental (with apologies) to the viewer’s ability to engage with the piece’s shifts in tone, keeping the tension within the comedy, the comedy through the dread, and much, much more.