Shrike in a prior Hitchcock episode titled 'Shopping For Death', or a gold digging shrew like Herta Crowell in 'The Derelicts'. She certainly wasn't anywhere near as obnoxious as that Mrs. With friends over to wish them the best on their trip to America, she was a perfect hostess and didn't really come across as overbearing throughout the program, even if she did want to tend to her priority before going down into the cellar at Herbert's request. One can point to her fastidious, first things first and everything in order nature, but those weren't necessarily bad things, and to me, she didn't seem to be all that pushy about it. My main problem with this story was that it never reasonably established the reason for Herbert Carpenter (John Williams) to murder his wife (Isobel Elsom). Once in sunny California ready to start a new job he hopes will keep him away from England forever, he gets a bill for 75 pounds - a secret Christmas present from his wife and realises he will be back for Christmas!!! Herbert has already dug his wife's grave, noting her measurements carefully but his wife thinks he is digging a wine cellar. Yes, Hermione was controlling but in Hitchcock's capable directorial hands it was all about Herbert with some striking camera angles. I thought this was one of the better episodes of Season One, not whimsical or allegorical, just plain "malice domestic". But he is not down and out, he has plans afoot for a new life in America and a new job which, unfortunately, don't include his wife. 9) he was a con man masquerading as an English gentleman but in "Back For Christmas" he played the part of a henpecked husband - something I would never have associated with him!!! He plays Herbert Carpenter who is battled scarred and weary after a life spent with dominating and fussy wife, Hermione. Forever the stuffy police inspector (he was terrific in "Dial M for Murder") Hitchcock also gave him the chance to play a wealth of character roles in his superb series. Many of the actors Alfred Hitchcock used in his movies had a way of turning up in his series (Vera Miles, Patricia Collinge, Joseph Cotton) but John Williams had a good reason to be thankful to Hitchcock. Williams is excellent in a different type of role to usual, very different from his role in 'Dial M for Murder'. Really liked the character complexity, the characterisation of the wife is interesting and the over-bearing-ness is not overdone. The ending is entertaining and didn't come over as too predictable. The story on the most part absorbs and has some nice tension. Script isn't perfect, but it provokes thought and doesn't take itself too seriously, while also not treating it as too much of a joke. Hitchcock directs pretty impeccably and his bookending continues to entertain. The use of sound is ominous and the main theme (Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette") is memorably haunting. The photography particularly has a good deal of atmosphere and style, as does the eerie lighting. It is though a well made episode, with better production values than the previous couple of episodes. Also felt that it was a little lacking in the suspense and chills factors that made "The Case of Mr Pelham" and especially "Breakdown" so memorable. Will agree that there is a little too much talk, which does bog down the momentum at points in the middle. While not a unique episode, "Back for Christmas" is well executed in almost every way and is very good. Which was pretty mixed on the whole, with some fine episodes but also with a few lacklustre ones. Despite not being one of my favourite 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' outings and despite it not being in the same ballpark as "The Case of Mr Pelham" and especially "Breakdown", "Back for Christmas" to me is still one of the better episodes of Season 1. Great to see John Williams in another one of his ten appearances on the series. Expectations were high, seeing as Hiitchcock is one of my all time favourite directors and because of his previous episodes "Revenge", "Breakdown" and "The Case of Mr Pelham" are among the best episodes of Season 1, "Breakdown" in fact being one of my favourite episodes of the whole series. "Back for Christmas" is the fourth episode of the series to be directed by the "master of suspense" himself.
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