Mon 14 Mar 2011
A TV Review by Mike Tooney: THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR “Bed of Roses.”
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[3] Comments
“Bed of Roses.” An episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (Season 2, Episode 29). First air date: 22 May 1964. Patrick O’Neal, Kathie Browne, Torin Thatcher, George Lindsey, Alice Backes, Alice Frost, Bill Walker, Paulene Myers, Robert Reiner, Ethel Griffies.
George Maxwell (Patrick O’Neal) has it all: a comfortable, undemanding, high-paying position in his father-in-law’s business (Torin Thatcher), a nice home, and a beautiful airhead trophy wife, Mavis (Kathie Browne).
But that still isn’t enough for George. He also has a mistress — or rather, HAD a mistress. George wakes up one hungover evening to find her dead — and he’s not sure if he’s responsible.
Let’s face it: George is ill-equipped to handle this situation. Not only does he accidentally open himself to blackmail from a snoopy cab driver and a personal secretary, but he also shows how inattentive he is as a husband.
George, you see, is about to have an epiphany regarding his wife, one that will leave him slack-jawed with surprise and swollen with admiration. Among other revelations, he will learn that when his wife offers somebody one of her delicious sugar-molasses cookies, they would be well-advised to turn it down….
Patrick O’Neal (1927-1994) specialized in shifty, unlikable, yet somehow elegant characters, such as the killer in the Columbo episode “Blueprint for Murder” (1972).
Beautiful Kathie Browne (1930-2003) had “range” as an actor. She could be good with doe-eyed innocence; she could also be bad with those same doe-eyes. Watch her in the Star Trek episode “Wink of an Eye” to see what I mean.
Torin Thatcher (1905-1981) often played screen villains; he rarely had a chance to be a good guy like his character in the Star Trek episode “The Return of the Archons.”
George Lindsey (born 1935) is most often remembered as Goober on The Andy Griffith Show. Before he got that gig, though, he had a chance to play more complex and sinister characters in two other Hitchcock shows: “The Jar” and “The Return of Verge Likens.”
Watch “Bed of Roses” online at Hulu.com here.
March 14th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
One of O’Neal’s best roles was the psychiatrist in A FINE MADNESS more than a little challenged by Sean Connery’s Dylan Thomas type poet, and the patrican Union Officer in ALVAREZ KELLY. He was less successful as the hero in THE KREMLIN LETTER, ASSIGNMENT TO KILL, and MATCHLESS. He made a fine madman in CHAMBER OF HORROR even with the ‘horror horn.’
Thatcher was memorable in 7Th VOYAGE OF SINBAD and as the mentor who taught Houdini many of his secrets in George Pal’s HOUDINI. He was also effective on HITCHCOCK PRESENTS in the adaptation of Thomas Burke’s memorable “The Hands of Mr Ottermole.” He was good as the villian in the Danny Kaye KNOCK ON WOOD too.
Kathie Browne was also Mrs. Darren McGavin, and in addition to this and the STAR TREK, played similar roles in two episodes of THE WILD WILD WEST, particularly in one with Burgess Meredith as her father who enjoys creating earthquakes.
As Mike said she had something of a gift for playing wide eyed innocents who turned out to be just a shade psychotic. There is a nice selection (or was) of photos of her at the Darren McGavin fan site.
March 15th, 2011 at 10:32 am
I’ll always remember O’Neal as the evil mastermind behind THE STEPFORD WIVES (the original not the Nicole Kidman remade botch-up).
March 15th, 2011 at 10:40 am
Sheesh! I forgot to mention one of Torin Thatcher’s more memorable film appearances: the prosecutor in Billy Wilder’s WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957).