The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Series 3, Episode 1    Arnold Laven    James Bridges (teleplay); Davis Grubb (story)    Peter Fonda, Robert Emhardt    05 October 1964    48:33 (total) • 46:02 (film) • 1:38 (Hitchcock)    7/10

Return Of Verge Likens

Fred's Hideout Cafe is the setting for the murder of Stoney Likens who is shot dead by Riley McGrath following an altercation one evening. Sheriff Reynolds delivers the bad news to Stoney's two hillbilly sons, Verge (the sensible one) and Wilford (the not-so sensible one). Fred Starcher, the owner of the establishment tells the sheriff that Riley shot Stoney in self defence but Verge is unconvinced, and smells a cover-up. Verge later spends a night in jail after taking out his frustrations with the windows of Fred's cafe by hurling his father's truck load haul of peaches through them. Verge consults a Bible and then has the audacity to use its words to justify his revenge (don't you just love religious nuts?) to kill Riley McGrath. For the next month Verge stalks Riley to find out his movements. After Verge tells Wilford of his intentions, Wilford travels into town to find Riley McGrath, who is just done having a shave. Wilford tells McGrath that he is the son of the murdered Stoney Likens and that his brother Verge has been talking constantly about killing McGrath. This momentarily stops McGrath dead in his tracks who then gives Wilford $500 as a good will gesture towards the cost of his father's coffin. That night Wilford tells Verge what he has done and hands him the money. Verge takes the cash and declares he is going to use it to go to school to learn how to kill McGrath the way he wants to. He tells Wilford he is leaving for Charleston and their two aunts will be looking after Wilford in his absence, but he is not to tell McGrath. Six months later a large "Rest In Peace" wreath is delivered to McGrath's office, courtesy of Verge. Naturally this doesn't go down well with McGrath, who sends one of his goons to pick up Wilford and bring him over to the cafe for some questioning. Wilford tells McGrath his brother is in Charleston and sends him regular picture postcards but doesn't reveal Verge's reasoning for being there. McGrath seems satisfied that Wilford is telling the truth but secretly he is fuming and gets his right-hand man to rough Wilford up outside the cafe. One day McGrath goes to the barbers for his routine shave, and finds a new guy working there. He doesn't know that the man about to shave him is Verge Likens. Verge tells the barber that some supplies are needed for the store so that when the barber goes out to get them Verge is left alone in the shop with McGrath.... and the razor. As Verge gets to work on McGrath's face he begins to explain to his customer who he really is. TRIVIA •It is pretty ludicrous for the sheriff to inform the two men that their father has just been shot dead in mysterious circumstances and then to add that they ought to go home and "get a good night's sleep"! •Peter Fonda throws the peaches left-handed, and his first throw that hits the window of the cafe is a pretty good shot! •It's probably my imagination but the location of the farm seems very similar to the one used in a previous episode, "The Jar"? •Hitch's mid-episode comments run for only eleven seconds.

HITCH'S PROLOGUE (1 minute 08 secs + 11 secs): [Hitch is sitting behind a drum set and then puts on a wig, resembling Ringo Starr from The Beatles] "If you see three young men with electric guitars please send them back. They seem to have wandered off. They can't be far however, for they're still plugged in. All evidence to the contrary. [Hitch removes the wig] I'm convinced that music have charms to sooth the savage breast. For example this set of drums was made by a tribe of aborigines; a people complete uncivilized yet they built every one these lovely instruments out of human skin. Of course when it come to drumsticks they were rather unoriginal. [Hitch produces two enormous bones from under the drum kit and holds them up] They make these out of plastic which we supply them at a modest profit. Unfortunately we keep running out of salesmen. This evening's programme is not completely musical. We also bring you a play. It concerns violence and revenge in a small mountain town. The time: one minute from now." "We have not come to the end of our play. There is much more. But we thought it wise to stop here in order to ease tensions and break stations." HITCH'S EPILOGUE (19 secs): "By the way I know the secret of these wigs: they are actually ear muffs. SO you don't have to listen to your own music. Next week we shall be back with another story. And perhaps by then my companions will have returned. Until then good night." SPOILERS When Wilford visits McGrath at his office McGrath tells him that he lost both of his parents due to heart troubles. Wilford relays that information to Verge. Verge also uses the $500 to school himself in the profession of being a barber. Later when Verge is shaving McGrath he uses the knowledge into scaring him into thinking Verge is going to kill him with the razor. McGrath gets so wound up that he dies in the chair from a heart attack, thus meaning Verge cannot be blamed for the death.

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION... Robert Emhart is back as 'Mr. Nasty' in his seventh and final appearance in the show as the man guilty of killing Verge Likens' father. Emhart is nasty throughout, though shows a brief bit of compassion for Wilford's character in his office. It's a clever twist to end it, and particular credit must be acknowledged in the performance by Sam Reese as the not-quite-bright Wilford Likens. Peter Fonda isn't particularly magnificent by any means and the rest of the cast are just padded extras. Prior to reviewing this, I had seen and read several comments regarding the high quality of this episode with at least one source claiming it to be in the top three episodes in the entire three seasons of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Whereas the story certainly has its merits, it is also lacking significantly in attention span for its almost 50 minutes of screen time. I think my rating of 7/10 is being fair, albeit slightly generous if I am honest. It's good, yes, but not brilliant.

THE CAST (click any image to enlarge)

Verge Likens... PETER FONDA Riley McGrath... ROBERT EMHARDT D.D. Martin... GEORGE LINDSEY Sheriff Reynolds... JIM BOLES Fred Starcher... WILLIAM BRAMLEY Stoney Likens... ROBERT BARRAT Rush Sigafoose... CHARLES SEEL Aunt Ida Maye... NYDIA WESTMA Aunt Mary Jane... JUNE WALKER Mary Masterson... CATHIE MERCHANT Wilford Likens... SAM REESE

GALLERY (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0394080/ [IMDb] This page was last updated on: 13 September 2020