Alfred Hitchcock Presents S01E01 Revenge

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired 10/2/55

Revenge fuels a husband looking for the man who raped his wife

Good evening.
I'm Alfred Hitchcock.

And tonight, I'm presenting the
first in a series of stories...

of suspense and mystery,
called, oddly enough...

Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

I shall not act in these stories,
but will only make appearances.

Something in the nature of an
accessory before and after the fact...

to give the title to those
of you who can't read...

and to tidy up afterwards for those
who don't understand the endings.

Tonight's playlet is really
a sweet little story.

It is called Revenge.

It will follow...

Oh, dear. I see the actors won't
be ready for another 60 seconds.

However, thanks to our
sponsor's remarkable foresight...

we have a message
that will fit in here nicely.

Hey, worthless.

Breakfast's ready.

So soon?
Sure.

I don't know how long it takes
to get to this plant...

and I don't wanna be late
the first day.

You will make a spoiled
do-nothing out of me.

I'll give you
every assistance possible.

Come on, time's a-wasting.

Look, baby,
I gotta go to work.

Hi.
Hi.

It smells good.

You know, it seems strange to
be sitting down to breakfast...

and have nothing ahead of me
all day long.

I wish I didn't have to go. I
hate to leave you here alone.

Don't worry about that.
I'll be all right.

Probably get a little bored,
though, without you.

The last three days
have been so wonderful.

But otherwise,
I'll be all right.

Why shouldn't I?
No reason.

It's just that I don't know anything
about the people around here.

Would you like me to tell you
about the people around here?

Yes, tell me
about the people around here.

Well, they're friendly, and kind, and
generous, if you expect them to be.

And most of them would be very quick to
help someone they thought was in trouble.

There'd be a sprinkling of
sourpusses, but only slight, a soupcon.

In short, they'd be like most
people everywhere. Very nice.

Practicing nine hours a day,
from the age of ten...

may make a great ballerina,
I suppose.

But I'm afraid it cuts you off
from the rest of the world, sweetheart.

You are much too cynical.

I can't believe that your world
is any more real than mine...

and I know that mine is much
the nicer. Yeah, I guess it is.

And some of it spills over into mine,
and makes it nicer, when I'm with you.

And what're you
gonna do all day...

in this lovely,
imaginary world?

Well, I'll go for a walk on the
beach, as the doctor prescribed.

And I'll rest a lot, and I'll sunbathe
a little, as the doctor prescribed.

And then I think
I'll make you a surprise.

You know, I may be
a woman of hidden talents.

And some not so hidden.

That's a very nice thing
for a husband to say...

even a somewhat new husband.

It was never said
with better reason.

Hey, I've gotta
get out of here.

I'll be back as soon as I can,
around 5:00, I guess.

Okay.

Bye.
Bye, bye.

Good morning, Mr. Spann.
Good morning, Mrs. Fergusen.

You off to work so soon? Well,
it's a little early, I know...

but, I don't know how long it
takes at this time of the day...

with parking and everything.

Would you like me to look in
on your wife while you're gone?

That'd be very nice of you. And
I'm sure she'd be glad to see you.

I'm going in
to market after lunch...

I could take her along
if she'd like.

Well, maybe not today, I've
got the shopping list with me.

But I'm sure she'd like it
another time.

And I know she'd like it
if you'd come over.

I'm afraid she might get a
little bored with nothing to do.

She's not used to it.

Well, I've gotta get going.
I'll see you this afternoon.

Hello.

Mrs. Fergusen. Won't you come
in? Well, just for a minute.

Please excuse the mess.

You might think an army of
vandals just passed through.

All that actually happened
is I baked one small cake.

Well, it takes a little while to
get used to working in a trailer.

Won't you have a glass
of apple juice with me?

Well, just half a glass.

You and your husband have just
come out to California, haven't you?

Are you here for your health?

Yes I had a small "breakdown,"
they called it.

So the doctor prescribed
lots of rest, and sun and sea.

Luckily, my husband,
who's an engineer...

He could transfer to his plant
out here for six months...

and everything
worked out just fine.

Won't you come sit down?

Well, it won't take you long
to recover, I'll bet.

You look fine, right now.

I'm strong in the muscles. I
trained as a dancer in the ballet.

This was just nerves.

I was dancing my first part
as a ballerina...

and Carl and I were married
at the same time.

I guess it was just a case of
too much happiness at one time.

Does that sound foolish?
No, of course not.

And this life will be
just the thing for you.

There's nothing so soothing
as that sea.

Both the sight of it and the sound
of it. I'm growing to love it, too.

I'm going to market.
Would you like to come along?

I'd love to,
but I have to watch the cake.

It's a surprise for Carl. He
doesn't know I can bake a cake.

Well, for that matter,
I don't know it either.

It may be
more of a surprise to me.

Well, cakes can be
kind of tricky.

I guess I'd better be
getting along...

and I'll let you know
the next time I go down.

Please do.

Well, I think I can take a
little sun now. It isn't too hot.

Well, I can believe
you're a dancer.

And a lovely one, too.
I'll bet.

Thank you.

Well, goodbye.
Bye.

Elsa. Hey, I'm home.

Hey, let me in.

What're you trying to do,
Elsa? Burn up the joint?

Elsa. What happened?
It's Carl. What happened?

Mrs. Fergusen!

Mrs. Fergusen!

He killed me.
What, darling?

He killed me.

Who?
He killed me.

Who was it? And when?

The cake.

I came in to see the cake...

and when I turned around,
he was standing there.

Before I... Yes, then? Can
you tell me more, darling?

He said he was a salesman...

and when he asked me
for money...

I refused him.

And then he grabbed me...

and I screamed...

and he choked me.

And then he killed me.

He killed me.

Hello. Shall I come in?
Is there anything wrong?

Is there anything I can do?
Will you call a doctor?

Something's happened. She's
been beaten, badly hurt. Hurry!

All right, I will, Mr. Spann.
I know one nearby.

Don't worry, darling. She's gone
for the doctor. He'll be here soon.

You'll be all right.

Don't worry.

Don't worry.

What time did you get home,
Mr. Spann?

About 5:00, maybe
a few minutes after.

Did you come straight from work? Yeah.

Except I stopped
to get some groceries.

Where do you work?
Minot Aircraft.

Did you hear anything, any call for
help, or scream? Anything like that?

No, not a thing.

But it must have been before she took
the cake out, because it was burned.

Then that would be before I
got back from town, you see.

Only one lady, a Mrs. Jones,
third trailer from the right.

She saw a man come into
the park, from the beach.

But she didn't get
too good a look at him.

She might be able to identify
him, but she isn't sure.

About six feet tall,
gray suit, dark hair.

Okay.

You need us any more?
No, I guess not.

Okay.

Thank you, Mrs. Fergusen.

I can get in touch
with you here...

if we wanna talk to you again,
can't I?

Yes, indeed.

I think I'll stay here and wait
until the doctor comes out...

and find out how she is.
Poor thing. Poor little thing.

Yes, ma'am.

I told Chris and Walton
to go on.

Good. You wanna
take a look inside?

I didn't find anything.
Sure.

You say the radio was on?
Yes.

And you turned it off as you
went inside? That's right.

Is the room now
exactly as you found it?

I opened the window...

and I took the cake out of the
oven, and then turned it off.

How is she, doc?

She'll be all right.

How is she?

Well, I don't think
her condition is too serious.

Physically, that is,
Mr. Spann.

Otherwise, well, she's been
through a very emotional shock.

And coming so soon
after the breakdown...

Well, I can't tell you
anything for certain.

Could we ask her
a few questions?

I don't think it would do any good,
Lieutenant. I just gave her a shot.

She wouldn't be able
to tell you much.

And it might do
a great deal of harm.

This could even result
in permanent damage.

No, I couldn't risk it now.
Tomorrow, maybe.

Shall I check in there? What for?

Just to see if he can find
anything that'll give us a clue.

We're working in the dark, you
know. He won't disturb your wife.

I advise you to get her out of
here. Just as soon as you can.

Take her to a hotel.
Anyplace.

I'd do it tomorrow.
Yes, I will.

Well, I'll check in,
in the morning.

See you later, doc.
Bye.

Any luck?
Nothing.

This makes it pretty
tough for us, Mr. Spann.

With nothing to go on
but a tired carnation.

Did she say
anything about him?

What he looked like,
anything like that?

Just that he was tall and dark
and wearing a gray suit.

You think you can catch him?
With no more than that to go on?

But he may still be nearby. He may be
in town, right now, walking the streets.

Sure. But we can't just pick up
every man wearing a gray suit.

Mr. Spann, until your wife can
give us something more definite...

there's really nothing we can
do. There must be something.

I assure you,
we'll do everything we can.

After all, that's the
business we're in, you know.

Yes, of course you will.
Thank you, Lieutenant.

Okay. Now contact us as
soon as your wife is better.

We should talk to her at
the earliest possible moment.

I'll call you.
All right.

If I ever find him, I'll kill him. Yes.

Yes.

Good evening, Mr. Spann.

Did you find out anything?
No, nothing so far.

We just dropped by
to check on...

how your wife
is getting along.

If maybe
she'd said anything else.

Anything that might possibly
give us some kind of a lead.

No, not a thing.

Well, we'll check with you
tomorrow.

Good night.
Good night.

They'll never find him.

Elsa...

the doctor said we should move
out of here as soon as we can.

Go to a hotel.

Would you like that?
Do you feel up to it?

Yes. That would be nice.

Tomorrow, perhaps.

You think you'd know him,
if you ever saw him again?

Yes. Oh, yes.

You wanna ride around a little,
before we go to the hotel?

Yes, that would be nice.

There he is. That's him.

That's him.

Wait here for a minute.
You'll be all right?

Yes.

Sorry. Yes, sir?
Room 321.

Here you are.

What floor for you?
After you.

Third's mine.
Same here.

Why don't we drive along the
coast to the next little town?

It'll be quieter, prettier.

Would you like that?

Yes, that would be nice.

If you get hungry,
we can lunch along the way.

Something terrible has
happened in 321. What?

A man...

There he is.
That's him. That's him.

Well, they were
a pathetic couple.

We had intended to call
that one Death of a Salesman.

But there were protests
from certain quarters.

Naturally, Elsa's husband was
caught, indicted, tried, convicted...

sentenced, and paid his debts
to society...

for taking the law
into his own hands.

You see, crime does not pay.
Not even on television.

You must have a sponsor.

Here is ours.
After which, I'll return.

That was beautifully put.

In fact, after hearing that,
there's nothing more I wish to add.

So good night,
until next week.