George Piper is a bank teller worried about his meager finances, so he and his brother, Fred, concoct a "foolproof" plan to secure funds for the future.George Piper is a bank teller worried about his meager finances, so he and his brother, Fred, concoct a "foolproof" plan to secure funds for the future.George Piper is a bank teller worried about his meager finances, so he and his brother, Fred, concoct a "foolproof" plan to secure funds for the future.
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJoanne Linville and Robert Karnes appeared together years later in Candidate for Crime (1973).
- Quotes
[afterword - Hitchcock stands with the woman sawed in half]
Alfred Hitchcock - Host: I can now report that the operation was a huge success. Our patient now has what she wanted - perfect measurements: 36 - 0 - 36. So much for Operation: Operation. Now, a word from you-know-who, after which I shall toddle back.
[commercial break]
Alfred Hitchcock - Host: I'm sorry to say that, after further consideration, the girl on whom we operated became unhappy with the results. She learned that two cannot live as cheaply as one. For one thing, she had to buy a sidecar for her motorcycle, things like that. So, while she's pulling herself together, I would like to say that I shall be back next week with another play. Until then, good night.
- ConnectionsReferences This Is Your Life (1950)
- SoundtracksFuneral March of a Marionette
Written by Charles Gounod
"The Safe Place" is a very good episode. It is also a very good last one for Neilson, and while not quite "Mail Order Prophet" or "Reward to Finder" level it is one of his better outings. Some may prefer the more darkly suspenseful and creepier tales, including myself admittedly, but as said the series did a lot of good character studies and "The Safe Place" is not an exception. As far as Season 3 goes, it is not quite one of the best but it's quite high up in the high middle category.
So much is good. The acting is very good, with Harris proving once again why his reputation of being a series favourite was justified, doing sly and oddly charming very well. His character is an interesting one, one of those ones where you don't in any way approve of what is done but find that he is not hard to root for as well. Wendall Holmes is wonderfully overbearing too and Joanna Linville does vulnerable beautifully. Neilson directs in a controlled and taut manner, as well as fully allowing the cast to have fun. Hitchcock's bookending is as droll as ever and fits perfectly.
It's a nicely filmed episode and despite the location being simple it is not too basic. The series' main theme is wholly deserving of its iconic immediately recognisable status. It is also tautly and thoughtfully scripted while not taking itself too seriously, while the story always intrigues. Not as dark or as suspenseful as other entries in the series, but it never felt dull. Really liked the twist, it is true that it does come out of nowhere but it is also a complete surprise and cleverly staged.
Did feel however that some of the character decisions were unrealistically rash at times.
Also that Jerry Paris is somewhat miscast as the brother, too much of an implausible mismatch physically. Buyable as a best friend maybe, but not a brother.
Overall though, very good and nearly great. 8/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Mar 8, 2023
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1