When 5,200 dollars in lost cash is found by a man, he gets into a potentially deadly conflict with his wife about what to do with it.When 5,200 dollars in lost cash is found by a man, he gets into a potentially deadly conflict with his wife about what to do with it.When 5,200 dollars in lost cash is found by a man, he gets into a potentially deadly conflict with his wife about what to do with it.
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe $5200 in the wallet in 1957 would be equivalent to about $55,150 in 2022.
- Quotes
[introduction]
Alfred Hitchcock: [Hitchcock is standing with his back to the camera, pulling dollar bills off the leaves of a life-sized bush-like tree] I'll be with you in a moment.
[turns to the audience to reveal a stack of bills in his hand]
Alfred Hitchcock: I suppose you're as surprised as I was to see a money tree like this. The ones I've seen have always been much taller.
[turns back to the tree and pulls off another bill]
Alfred Hitchcock: Oh!
[looks briefly at the bill]
Alfred Hitchcock: I've smudged that one. The ink wasn't dry yet. Last year, my entire crop was wiped out by grasshoppers.
[camera moves in]
Alfred Hitchcock: I finally tried insect spray, but by that time, the grasshoppers were so rich, they could afford gas masks.
[starts putting the money inside his jacket]
Alfred Hitchcock: Actually, I have no regard for money apart, aside from its purchasing power. It's completely useless as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, the leading characters in tonight's play do not share my detachment. You shall see what befell them in a moment.
- SoundtracksFuneral March of a Marionette
Written by Charles Gounod
Very true, a story about human nature at its very worst, and one delicious slice of dark comedy.
The superb casting of two genuinely gifted actors, Oscar Homolka and Jo Van Fleet, put this over the top. They play a relatively poor couple (who look like they live in a barn!) whose life suddenly changes.
Homolka (as Carl) just happens to pick up a lost wallet containing over five thousand dollars --over 50,000 dollars today.
In short, he has special plans for it and his wife (Anna) has special plans for it. The proverbial question is who wins the Hitchcock challenge?
The other question, which I have asked for years... who designed their home? The utterly depressing apartment is, perhaps, Hitchcock's biggest laugh of all. Also, with all the yelling, you'd think neighbors would have heard their whole sordid story to begin with! You be the judge.
Good support from Claude Akins as a cop. Interestingly, this episode was not written by one of the series writers, rather Frank Gabrielson, who was the long time writer for MAMA in the 50s. He wrote one other episode for the show.
Watching Homolka and Van Fleet play off each other is absolutely amazing. A gem. From SEASON 3 EPISODE 6 remastered Universal dvd box set. 2007 release.
- tcchelsey
- Mar 28, 2024
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1