A believable and chilling story about a selfish, arrogant and very mean country salesman named Ed Fratus. Right off the bat, he spoils a little girl's day. She is playing with a butterfly and minding her own business. Fratus seems like an okay salesman, but a good one knows his customers and treats them fairly. Not Ed Fratus. He's just out for himself and to make a quick buck selling trinkets that people haven't seen before. He keeps saying that he won't come back unless they buy more from him. Later, we witness an accident to a local farmer's son with their bull. The father and two sons are driving the third son to a doctor, but they come upon Ed driving leisurely to another location. There was no need for Fratus to do what he did, but he ends up being true to his character just caring about no one but himself. It was no skin off his nose as he says. Thus, what happens to Fratus towards the climax is just desserts. Robert Emhardt does a great job playing Fratus so that we end up hating him. We end feeling relieved and justified to see what happened to mean Ed. The audience wants to see justice done and they are rewarded.
9 Reviews
His just desserts.
planktonrules9 April 2021
Davey gored.
Salesman refuses to get over or speed up guy is driving 10! Then forces him off road. No dumb epilogue.
Early in the episode, a young man is badly gored by a bull and his father and brothers rush him to get medical treatment...or at least they try to. But on the way down the long dirt road to town, they get behind a horrible man...a traveling salesman with contempt for everyone. While they are in a huge hurry, the salesman (Robert Emhardt) takes his time and actually slows down to 10 miles per hour when they begin honking. Eventually, they are able to pull even with the guy...and yell to them that they are on the way to get a doctor and it's an emergency. Shockingly, the salesman uses that opportunity to run the truck off the road...and the young man dies because they couldn't get medical treatment in time. The father (Raymond Massey) vows revenge.
This is a very good episode for two main reasons. First, it's not a case of revenge where the father does anything to actually hurt the salesman. Second, at the epilogue, Alfred Hitchcock doesn't moralize or paste on a ridiculous comment about how folks responsible were caught and punished. Nope...it's just a nice case of the crime fitting the punishment! Well written and well worth your time.
Salesman refuses to get over or speed up guy is driving 10! Then forces him off road. No dumb epilogue.
Early in the episode, a young man is badly gored by a bull and his father and brothers rush him to get medical treatment...or at least they try to. But on the way down the long dirt road to town, they get behind a horrible man...a traveling salesman with contempt for everyone. While they are in a huge hurry, the salesman (Robert Emhardt) takes his time and actually slows down to 10 miles per hour when they begin honking. Eventually, they are able to pull even with the guy...and yell to them that they are on the way to get a doctor and it's an emergency. Shockingly, the salesman uses that opportunity to run the truck off the road...and the young man dies because they couldn't get medical treatment in time. The father (Raymond Massey) vows revenge.
This is a very good episode for two main reasons. First, it's not a case of revenge where the father does anything to actually hurt the salesman. Second, at the epilogue, Alfred Hitchcock doesn't moralize or paste on a ridiculous comment about how folks responsible were caught and punished. Nope...it's just a nice case of the crime fitting the punishment! Well written and well worth your time.
"Yes, I could have saved him."
classicsoncall25 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
How mean do you have to be to crush a monarch butterfly under foot right in front of a little girl? That established what a crank Ed Fratus (Robert Emhardt) was right from the outset. I always love watching these old programs from the Fifties to see who shows up in them. Emhardt and Raymond Massey already had a history as fine actors, so the surprise here was catching Richard Chamberlain a couple years shy of the role that broke him out as a major celebrity when he became Dr. Kidare. As Clay Pine, he appeared to be the hothead of the family when he wanted to take care of Fratus for the death of his brother by virtue of being held up on the way for medical treatment. But his father's (Massey) method was so much more effective, and it wouldn't have put any of the Pine's in jeopardy for their act of revenge. It would be just another case of a drunk at the wheel who ran off the road! For that clever bit of writing, I'd have to say this was one of the better Hitchcock episodes, one which didn't offer any sort of question marks lingering once it was over as so many of them did.
Road to Hell
hellraiser718 January 2019
This is my second favorite episode in the series, this story plays out like a E.C. Comics suspense story.
Like in any of those tales we get the bad guy whom is a salesman that is unfeeling and greedy, this scum sucker thinks and acts like he owns everything and everyone as if the world revolves around him. From the beginning he squashes a harmless beautiful butterfly with his dirty shoe, ruining a nice girls day whom was admiring it and he just laughs about it, you just feel instant disgust but that little detail not just shows his social regard for other people but also on the lives of others, destruction of life on both counts means nothing to him.
We even see him at that bar how he is trying to sell mainly erotic items (if anyone is into that), but even when he makes a sale or two, he is completely impolite to customers, as he expected customers to buy more. I guess the old saying, the customer is always right meaning nothing to him.
I really like the protagonists the Pine family, on a side note Richard Chamberlain plays one of the sons this was his debut so good start for him. Another side note the other son looks like actor James Brolin when he was that age, I honestly thought that was him, but it isn't. This family of farmers are sympatric characters that were hard working people that maintain a good business and don't look for trouble. We see the youngest son had an accident with a bull and like any good family they are just driving him to a hospital.
It then comes down to the drive where we see the Pine family is racing to save the youngest son's life. It's suspenseful cause your hoping the family will be able to pass the guy and save their son on time, but the damn salesman once again acts like he owns everything and everyone. He knows what is happening is an emergency, but he doesn't give a toss, as he just deliberately just blocks them and drives below the speed limit, even though he knows it's a road that can be for two cars and you can go faster, so it shows the law is meaningless to him. I remember thinking, "c'mon just give them some damn space" and then of course we see the salesman just crosses the line and it just made my guts boil to magma hot.
It's then a revenge story from here on out, I really like how it's handled just seeing the change in mannerism the son's and the farmer you know it's no more mister nice guy. I really love how crafty they are it their revenge scheme it shows that they're not stereotypical country folk but are people that are smart and should not be underestimated.
This is suspenseful because as we see this revenge scheme conducted, we already know the result, but we don't know how. But I'll just say the salesman is about to be lead on the road to hell.
Rating: 4 stars
Like in any of those tales we get the bad guy whom is a salesman that is unfeeling and greedy, this scum sucker thinks and acts like he owns everything and everyone as if the world revolves around him. From the beginning he squashes a harmless beautiful butterfly with his dirty shoe, ruining a nice girls day whom was admiring it and he just laughs about it, you just feel instant disgust but that little detail not just shows his social regard for other people but also on the lives of others, destruction of life on both counts means nothing to him.
We even see him at that bar how he is trying to sell mainly erotic items (if anyone is into that), but even when he makes a sale or two, he is completely impolite to customers, as he expected customers to buy more. I guess the old saying, the customer is always right meaning nothing to him.
I really like the protagonists the Pine family, on a side note Richard Chamberlain plays one of the sons this was his debut so good start for him. Another side note the other son looks like actor James Brolin when he was that age, I honestly thought that was him, but it isn't. This family of farmers are sympatric characters that were hard working people that maintain a good business and don't look for trouble. We see the youngest son had an accident with a bull and like any good family they are just driving him to a hospital.
It then comes down to the drive where we see the Pine family is racing to save the youngest son's life. It's suspenseful cause your hoping the family will be able to pass the guy and save their son on time, but the damn salesman once again acts like he owns everything and everyone. He knows what is happening is an emergency, but he doesn't give a toss, as he just deliberately just blocks them and drives below the speed limit, even though he knows it's a road that can be for two cars and you can go faster, so it shows the law is meaningless to him. I remember thinking, "c'mon just give them some damn space" and then of course we see the salesman just crosses the line and it just made my guts boil to magma hot.
It's then a revenge story from here on out, I really like how it's handled just seeing the change in mannerism the son's and the farmer you know it's no more mister nice guy. I really love how crafty they are it their revenge scheme it shows that they're not stereotypical country folk but are people that are smart and should not be underestimated.
This is suspenseful because as we see this revenge scheme conducted, we already know the result, but we don't know how. But I'll just say the salesman is about to be lead on the road to hell.
Rating: 4 stars
memorable & chilling
mer_mer0627 November 2006
I remember seeing this episode about 15 years ago, but not too much specific information about it.What I remembered, was a car going really slowly down a road, & some people in a truck wanting to pass because they were in a hurry for some reason.And I remembered being completely blown away by the ending.I knew that someday I would see it again.A few years ago, TV Land ran an Alfred Hitchcock Presents marathon, & I recorded the whole thing, over that whole weekend. I love everything Hitchcock has ever done, so I knew I'd see so many episodes that I would be so exciting to see for the first time, or the tenth time.While watching the tapes, "Road Hog" began, & as I sat there watching, I thought, "Oh my god! I think this is it!" I thought I was going to die from happiness! I was freaking out!Robert Emhardt is one of those actors who always gives an incredibly intense, chilling performance.You just can't take your eyes off him.Now I have the first two seasons on DVD (Road Hog is from a later season), & can't wait to get all the rest. Naturally,when I watch a Hitchcock episode that I haven't seen before, seeing certain actors names,whether it's Barbara Baxley, Russell Collins, Robert Emhardt, or so many others, I get happy & I know that I'm in for another special treat!If there is someone reading this who has not seen "Road Hog", I promise you, if you see it, you won't ever forget it.I certainly didn't!
Heck i always pull over.
grfrey28 April 2021
Especially now that i am 66 & will be 67 on 9/8/21, i have NEVER liked when cars come up fast on a road where u have so much room 2 pull over. Different on the big highways. I ride the Right lane @ the speed limit. U never know what is happening in the other car. My lady friend when i take her with me gives me HELL when i do that. Some roads here in Maryland it can be impossible. So if i have to, i will wave them by me. Unfortunatly i don't have people that will do this 4 me. But i don't honk my horn. I wouldn't be here 2day because u never no what that person is thinking.
A Tale of Justice and Sadness
Hitchcoc28 April 2023
Robert Emhardt made a great villain. He emanates slime in this one. He is a traveling salesman who sells trashy stuff to bars (I remember these guys from when my family ran bars when I was a kid). I always felt a little sorry for them, but they were generally honest and hard working. This guy is awful. It's one thing to not pull over, but when the kid yells at him that they have an emergency, that fixes it. It was interesting to see Richard Chamberlain as one of the sons. Around the time that Dr. Kildare gave him a boost into TV immortality and beyond. This is one of those episodes where they play with the guy's mind. It's like the Harry Morgan one where he never really was bitten by the snake.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH DRIVING SLOOOW?
tcchelsey31 October 2023
Robert Emhardt, the master of mean and arrogance, pulls it off again in one memorable tale. Another Hitchcock "you get what you deserve" story that we all grew up on.
ROAD HOG was written by Bill Ballinger, who did seven episodes for the series, best known for the ultimate chiller, THE STRANGLER (1964), based on the Boston Strangler murders. The film also brought wide acclaim to Victor Buono as the killer. Ballinger, in all probability, encountered one or two "artistic" drivers himself and thus came this story.
Emhart plays a man named Fratus who is a dang roadhog, the definition. There's really nothing too surprising about that, except when he blocks desperate farmer Mr. Pine (exceptionally played by Raymond Massey), who is trying to get his dying son to a hospital ASAP.
Mr. Pine eventaully plots a sweet revenge for this creep. Perhaps one of Massey's greatest tv performances. He is the perfect match for Emhardt, the guy you love to hate.
Not to be missed, expertly directed by Stuart Rosenberg, who had a distinguished career such film classics as COOL HAND LUKE and WUSA.
Look for silent screen comedy star Snub Pollard, who invented the long moustache, as a bar patron.
A must for Hitch followers. SEASON 5 EPISODE 11 remastered Universal dvd box set. Thanks much to METV for this running this gem.
ROAD HOG was written by Bill Ballinger, who did seven episodes for the series, best known for the ultimate chiller, THE STRANGLER (1964), based on the Boston Strangler murders. The film also brought wide acclaim to Victor Buono as the killer. Ballinger, in all probability, encountered one or two "artistic" drivers himself and thus came this story.
Emhart plays a man named Fratus who is a dang roadhog, the definition. There's really nothing too surprising about that, except when he blocks desperate farmer Mr. Pine (exceptionally played by Raymond Massey), who is trying to get his dying son to a hospital ASAP.
Mr. Pine eventaully plots a sweet revenge for this creep. Perhaps one of Massey's greatest tv performances. He is the perfect match for Emhardt, the guy you love to hate.
Not to be missed, expertly directed by Stuart Rosenberg, who had a distinguished career such film classics as COOL HAND LUKE and WUSA.
Look for silent screen comedy star Snub Pollard, who invented the long moustache, as a bar patron.
A must for Hitch followers. SEASON 5 EPISODE 11 remastered Universal dvd box set. Thanks much to METV for this running this gem.
You know all about it don't you Fratus!
sol-kay7 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Like the saying goes "Revange is best served on a cold plate" so does what happened to road hog Ed Fratus, Robert Emhardt. in this "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode.. Fratus is a man who's obnoxious and purposely slow driving cost the life of farmer Sam Pine,Raymond Massey, young son Davey, James Easton. Being gored by the Pine's prized bull Comanche Davy was being rushed to the local doctor, Gordon Wynn, with his big brother Clay played the future the Dr.Kildare Richard Chamberlain behind the wheel.
It was Ed Fratus who kept Clay and his brother Sam Jr, Brad Weston, from passing his station wagon on the road and even side-swiped Clay's pick-up truck causing him to almost overturn with a bleeding to death Davey lying in the back. Never regaining consciousness Davey dies at Doctor Wynn's office due to loss of blood. Blood in a transfusion that the Doc would have been able to save his life with if he just got their 15 minutes earlier!
****SPOILERS**** With the hot headed Clay and Sam Jr. wanting to do in Fratus, as soon as they found him, in the good old fashion way, with a bullet in the gut, it was wise old Pop Pine who had other ideas of fixing his wagon or station wagon in a far more peaceful and bloodless way. As well as fixing Ed Fratus himself. Have him break down on the road, by siphoning off his gasoline, and put him into the very same life and death situation that Davey was in and and see how he likes it! As things soon were to turn out Fartus didn't like it one bit! But as it turned out the joke was on him in thinking he was in danger of dying when in fact he wasn't. Like he did to Davey Pine it was Fartus himself who ending up doing himself in! Thanks to Sam Pine tricking him into thinking that his life was in danger as well as Clay keeping him, by hogging the road, from him getting help in the nick of time!
It was Ed Fratus who kept Clay and his brother Sam Jr, Brad Weston, from passing his station wagon on the road and even side-swiped Clay's pick-up truck causing him to almost overturn with a bleeding to death Davey lying in the back. Never regaining consciousness Davey dies at Doctor Wynn's office due to loss of blood. Blood in a transfusion that the Doc would have been able to save his life with if he just got their 15 minutes earlier!
****SPOILERS**** With the hot headed Clay and Sam Jr. wanting to do in Fratus, as soon as they found him, in the good old fashion way, with a bullet in the gut, it was wise old Pop Pine who had other ideas of fixing his wagon or station wagon in a far more peaceful and bloodless way. As well as fixing Ed Fratus himself. Have him break down on the road, by siphoning off his gasoline, and put him into the very same life and death situation that Davey was in and and see how he likes it! As things soon were to turn out Fartus didn't like it one bit! But as it turned out the joke was on him in thinking he was in danger of dying when in fact he wasn't. Like he did to Davey Pine it was Fartus himself who ending up doing himself in! Thanks to Sam Pine tricking him into thinking that his life was in danger as well as Clay keeping him, by hogging the road, from him getting help in the nick of time!
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