|
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season One | 
 enlarge | Directors: Alfred Hitchcock, Arnold Laven, Don Medford, Don Weis, Francis M. Cockrell
Actors: Alfred Hitchcock, John Qualen, Lorne Greene, Madge Kennedy, Ruth Swanson
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.98
Buy New: $27.23
You Save: $12.75 (32%)
New (48) Used (12) Collectible (1) from $21.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  114 reviews
Sales Rank: 5001
Format: Box Set, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 3
Running Time: 1003
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.6 x 0.9
MPN: MCAD22270D
ISBN: 0783270798
UPC: 025192227028
EAN: 9780783270791
ASIN: B000AL733G
Theatrical Release Date: October 2, 1955
Release Date: October 4, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 10/04/2005 Rating: Nr
Amazon.com
When it premiered on CBS on October 2, 1955, Alfred Hitchcock Presents was an instant hit destined for long-term popularity. The series' original half-hour anthology format provided a perfect showcase for stories of mystery, suspense, and the macabre that reflected Hitchcock's established persona. Every Sunday at 9:30 p.m., the series began with the familiar theme of Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" (which would thereafter be inextricably linked with Hitchcock), and as Hitchcock's trademark profile sketch was overshadowed by the familiar silhouette of Hitchcock himself, the weekly "play" opened and closed with the series' most popular feature: As a good-natured host whose inimitable presence made him a global celebrity, Hitchcock delivered droll, dryly sardonic introductions and epilogues to each week's episode, flawlessly written by James Allardyce and frequently taking polite pot-shots at CBS sponsors, or skirting around broadcast standards (which demanded that no crime could go unpunished) by humorously explaining how the show's killers and criminals were always brought to justice... though always with a nod and a wink to the viewer. This knowing complicity was Hitchcock's pact with his audience, and the secret to his (and the series') long-term success. It's also what attracted a stable of talented writers whose teleplays, both original and adapted, maintained a high standard of excellence. Hitchcock directed four of the first season's 39 episodes, including the premiere episode "Revenge" (a fan favorite, with future Psycho costar Vera Miles) and the season highlight "Breakdown," with Joseph Cotten as a car-accident victim, paralyzed and motionless, who's nearly left for dead; it's a perfect example of visual and narrative economy, executed with a master's touch. (The fourth episode, "Don't Come Back Alive," is also a popular favorite, with the kind of sinister twist that became a series trademark.) Robert Stevenson directed the majority of the remaining episodes with similar skill, serving tightly plotted tales (selected by associate producers Joan Harrison and Norman Lloyd) by such literary greats as Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Cornell Woolrich, Dorothy L. Sayers, and John Collier. Adding to the series' prestige was a weekly roster of new and seasoned stars, with first-season appearances by Cloris Leachman, Darren McGavin, Everett Sloane, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Barry Fitzgerald, John Cassavetes, Joanne Woodward, Thelma Ritter, and a host of Hollywood's best-known character players. With such stellar talent on weekly display, Alfred Hitchcock Presents paved the way for Thriller, The Twilight Zone, and other series that maximized the anthology format's storytelling potential. Packed onto three double-sided DVDs, these 39 episodes hold up remarkably well, and while some prints show the wear and tear of syndication, they look and sound surprisingly good (although audio compression will cause many viewers to turn up the volume). The 15-minute bonus featurette, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Look Back" is perfunctory at best, but it's nice to see new anecdotal interviews with Norman Lloyd, assistant director Hilton Green, and Hitchcock's daughter Pat (a frequent performer on these episodes), who survived to see their popular series benefit from the archival convenience of DVD. --Jeff Shannon
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 109 more reviews...
 At last! July 30, 2005
311 out of 317 found this review helpful
After releasing only selected episodes in volumes (4 episodes in 1 DVD), it is good to see that Universal Home Entertainment is finally releasing this show in season box sets (and hope that they continue to release the remaining seasons in the future).
Premiered on October 1st, 1955, this wonderful series ran for seven seasons, and afterwards for another 3 seasons as "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour". This set contains the first 39 episodes of Season 1, told by the `Master of Suspense', Alfred Hitchcock. The episodes include:
01. Revenge
02. Premonition
03. Triggers in Leash
04. Don't Come Back Alive
05. Into Thin Air (aka The Vanishing Lady)
06. Salvage
07. Breakdown
08. Our Cook's a Treasure
09. The Long Shot
10. The Case of Mr. Pelham
11. Guilty Witness
12. Santa Claus and the 10th Avenue Kid
13. The Cheney Vase
14. A Bullet for Baldwin
15. The Big Switch
16. You Got to Have Luck
17. The Older Sister
18. Shopping for Death
19. The Derelicts
20. And So Died Riabouchinska
21. Safe Conduct
22. Place of Shadows
23. Back for Christmas
24. The Perfect Murder
25. There Was an Old Woman
26. Whodunit?
27. Help Wanted
28. Portrait of Jocelyn
29. The Orderly World of Mr. Appleby
30. Never Again
31. The Gentleman from America
32. The Babysitter
33. The Belfry
34. The Hidden Thing
35. The Legacy
36. Mink
37. The Decoy
38. The Creeper
39. Momentum
Along with the above episodes, this DVD also contains a featurette called "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Look Back" on the show. Compared to the Season Sets of "The Twilight Zone" (which ranges from $75-100), I feel the price for this DVD is very decent and is worth buying.
All in all, this is a great release and I hope Universal will continue releasing more seasons of this show in the future.
Good Evening, Mr. Hitchcock! August 1, 2005
169 out of 179 found this review helpful
I haven't seen "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" since it was last shown on TV Land quite a few years back. This show is one of the best anthology series ever and deserves to be shown and enjoyed. Thankfully Universal has seen fit to release season one on DVD. All 39 episodes (yes, 39!) of this incredible show.
The one constant element throughout the series is the presence of Alfred Hitchcock with his dry, macabre sense of humor. This show made the well-respected film director a huge TV personality of the 50s and 60s. It was part of his deal with CBS that he would direct many of the episodes but as it turned out he directed only 17 segments during the series entire run.
Many well-known actors from film and television made appearances on the show during it's run. In this season one set you can expect to see Aunt Bea (Frances Bavier), John Forsythe, Cloris Leachman, Joseph Cotten, Peter Lawford, Barry Fitzgerald, Carolyn Jones, John Cassavetes, Charles Bronson, Claude Rains and many others. There was also a bit of nepotism afoot as Pat Hichcock made numerous appearances on her dad's show. Fortunately, she was a pretty good actress.
The episodes are based on great short stories by writers such as Alexander Woollcott, Ambrose Bierce, Cornell Woolrich, Frederic Brown, Henry Slesar, H.H. Munro (aka Saki), John Cheever, John Collier, John Wyndham, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch and Roald Dahl. Yes, that's the same Roald Dahl who wrote those entertaining children's stories (you've heard of Willy Wonka, I presume). He wrote one of the series most famous episodes "Lamb to the Slaughter."
I have read that Hitchcock actually filmed two openings and closings for each episode. The ones Americans are familiar with feature Hitch sarcastically commenting on the show's sponsors and TV in general. The other openings and closings were created for the European market and featured Hitch poking fun at Americans. I don't know if any of these alternate scenes are included but they would be fun to watch.
A price tag of under $30 for 39 episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" is a great bargain compared to the ridiculously overpriced "The Twilight Zone" seasons. As much as I like "The Twilight Zone" I refuse to pay those prices. As for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," I'll be the first in line to drop my $30 for these great shows.
 A real shanda! October 11, 2005
87 out of 99 found this review helpful
$27.99 may seem like a good price for 39 episodes of a terrific show like this, but never forget that if it sounds too good to be true - it usually is. I've been looking forward to this show being released on DVD for such a long time, but not like this. Not on two-sided discs that freeze up constantly, and not with crucial footage cut out. And, though less importantly, not with a dearth of special features. Such a schlocky presentation is more worthy of a show like "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic," not a classic gem like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." Some people still seem to think this set is a bargain. Pleather shoes may seem like a bargain, since they're low-priced. The problem is, they're still pleather. I for one demand quality and am willing to pay for it. They could have done a much better job restoring the show and transferring it onto discs of higher quality. $27.99 is no bargain when the product is so poorly made. I've ordered this disc set but I'm returning it for a refund. I might rent it sometime since the episodes are mostly intact except for some of Hitchcock's concluding remarks, but I don't want to pay to own this show until they get it right. It is a major affront to Hitchcock and his fans to slaughter his show this way. Fans of other classic oldie shows such as "The Twilight Zone" or "I Love Lucy" are willing to pay more for high-quality DVD sets of those shows, and I'm sure fans of "AHP" are no different. I hope they will make improvements to this release sometime in the future. I want uncut episodes!
I would give five stars for the show itself, which is absolutely brilliant, but since I'm rating this item as a product, I give it only one.
Before you buy this set . . . August 3, 2005
48 out of 51 found this review helpful
First of all I want to state that ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS is a superbly entertaing program. Hitchcock himself did not want to host his own television program until 1955, when Lew Wasserman, then head of Universal Studios (then known as Universal International), convinced Hitchcock to market his name and his movies by hosting his own television series. Thus ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS was born.
Hitchcock himself directed four of the 39 episodes of the first season. There is a book, authorized through Universal, entitled THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS COMPANION by Martin Grams and Patrik Wikstrom, with a foreward by Patricia Hitchcock, Hitchcock's daughter. This book was published two years ago and is 660 pages thick and highly detailed covering everything you could want to know about the program.
This book is also available on Amazon so when you buy Season One of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, I recommend you buy the book as a companion piece. My only question is whether the DVD will feature the alternative openings Hitchcock filmed. You see, the program became so popular that three different openings and closings were filmed for most of the episodes. One in English, one in French (Hitchcock could speak French), and the other also in English but instead of making fun of the sponsors, he made fun of the Americans cause when the show aired in Britain, those alternative openings and closings were aired overseas. I only hope Universal features the alternative versions. Thankfully the book I described lists those alternatives.
Beware! Some episodes are edited October 9, 2005
39 out of 43 found this review helpful
It's very hard for me to type this, because I thought this was going to be a stellar set -- but alas some episodes are indeed edited.
Example: "Salvage" ends with Gene Barry shooting Nancy Gates. After he pulls the trigger, the next scene on the DVD is Hitchcock saying (after the usual comedy), "We'll be back next week." Then the end credits roll. I knew something was missing, so I went back to my 10-year-old VHS recording (syndicated TV version) of this episode and played it. There, Hitch does indeed come back BETWEEN the end of the show and the farewell till next week outro. It's about 30 seconds of footage with Hitch explaining, "He would have gotten away with murder, but ..." This is CRUCIAL footage! And since it's included in the syndicated TV version, Universal can't say it isn't included on the DVD because the footage is "lost."
Sigh. Why can't Universal get it right? Double-sided discs are one thing; releasing edited shows is another. What, exactly, is the problem?
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
