Editorial Review
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
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Customer Reviews
Hitchcock is finally here -these were big$$ on ebay before. 
2008-08-21
This along with The Untouchables are 2 great classic TV shows that are now offered on DVD. Both are too pricey, that is why a 4 not a 5.
Endless supply of little dramas. 2008-08-14
This compilation contains bite-sized television dramas from the 1950s.
The compilation deserves FOUR STARS on the basis of the huge quantity of dramas found within, as well as the fact that six of the episodes are truly excellent. There are 39 stories. All of the stories begin with a creepy, deadpan introduction by Mr. Hitchcock. For example, in one introduction, he has a fake knife driven into his back.
This concerns the packaging. The package is sturdy. There is a separate plastic insert for each of the three discs. The discs are two-sided. This means that there are no charming pictures on one side of the disc. But in the Superman T.V. series, the five discs bear photographs of Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White. The Hitchcock package has large photographs of some of the actors. But this is a waste of space. In contrast, the Superman package contains a synopsis of each of the shows, in addition to the title. This is helpful in determining if you've seen the show already or not. The Hitchcock package contains only a list of titles, and no synopsis.
A few of Amazon.com's reviewers complained about problems with the discs, for example, spontaneous stopping. None of my discs had any problems. They all performed smoothly and without any glitches.
This is about the Hitchcock dramas. The actors are first rate, for example, one of the shows features John Forsyth, a familiar face to all baby-boomers. Also, a few of the Hitchcock actors have also appeared on the Twilight Zone series, for example, that elderly man with the facinating face, Ceril Delevanti.
Out of the 39 dramas, I found found a half-dozen shows that are solid FIVE STAR shows. The first concerns an automobile trip from New York City to San Francisco, where two men share thoughts about England. The second concerns a man in England who buries his wife in his basement, and travels to a new job in America. The third concerns a young couple living in a trailer park, where the wife imagines that she was attacked (this one has plump actress Frances Bavier, a.k.a. Aunt Bee). The fourth concerns a belligerent woman who likes to give shopkeepers a hard time. The fifth concerns a man who believes his housekeeper is trying to poison him, but it turns out to be his wife (oh no, I gave away the ending). The sixth, the one with John Forsyth, contains a classic surprise ending.
This is about my favorite story, the one about the belligerent woman. It is called SHOPPING FOR DEATH, by Ray Bradbury. Mr.Hitchcock introduces the story by opening and closing a door. There is no squeak. Then he applies something from an oil can, and opens and closes the door. There are very loud squeaks. He says, "There, that's better, much better. Loud-squeaking fluid! On dark nights, you can spray it in the air if the wind isn't whistling loud enough. It can make old shoes squeak like new again." Then the story begins.
SHOPPING FOR DEATH features Jo Van Fleet, an actress who performed in over 50 movies and T.V. shows, e.g., East of Eden, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, 77 Sunset Strip, Cool Hand Luke, Bonanza, The Trip to Bountiful, and others. In a nutshell, the woman likes to give shopkeepers a hard time. She is always on the verge of anger, for typical reasons. These reasons include, lack of money, an apartment that is too noisy, a husband who drinks too much, and concern for getting too old. The plot involves two retired life insurance men, who show concern for the woman's excess belligerance (especially in view of the hot summer weather), from safety hazards in her apartment (frayed electric wires), and from her failure to refrigerate meat from the butcher. The two men try to warn the woman that she shouldn't be so quick to anger, since this might provoke retaliation. But the woman responds with paranoia, and send the two men away. The story ends when we see the husband returning home from an hour of drinking. Surprisingly, this is the only Hitchcock story without any actual violence--but there is a ton of implied violence. This is what makes SHOPPING FOR DEATH a work of dramatic art.
My second favorite story is THE LONG SHOT. Mr.Hitchcock begins the monologue by working a gambling machine. He says, "My last quarter. I've been lucky this evening." Mr.Hitchcock steps to the side, and we see that actual fruits have come out of the gambling machine--oranges, grapes, lemons. The drama features Peter Lawford, a gambler who bets on horses. But he has a gambling debt of $4,200 that is owed to "Dutch." He spots an ad from a driver to accompany an Englishman across the country, from New York to San Francisco. His goal is to get out of town and to hide from Dutch. During the motor trip, Peter Lawford and the Englishman talk about places in London--Soho, the Algerian Cafe on Dean Street, cafes on Fleet Street, and the Queen. During the trip, Peter Lawford snoops in the Englishman's brief case and finds a letter promising a $200,000 inheritance from "Uncle Gerald." Peter Lawford decides to impersonate the nephew, and so in continuing the motor trip, he murders the Englishman in the Nevada desert, by running over him with the automobile. In a day or so, Peter Lawford shows up at the attorney's office in San Francisco to claim his inheritance. But then, the viewer is treated to a remarkable surprise ending.
Most of the plots are not really first rate. For example, BACK FOR CHRISTMAS is an average show. Far superior versions of the same sort of plot can be found in MIRACLE ON 34th STREET, which features Natalie Wood as a child, and NIGHT OF THE MEEK, a charming Christmas drama in the Twilight Zone series featuring Art Carney.
Also, too many of the Hitchcock shows have old people. There are just too many damned old people in the Hitchcock stories. In contrast, Twilight Zone features mostly middle-aged persons, for example, two excellent dramas with a youthful William Shatner, as well as several dramas where the main actor is a little boy or girl.
Nearly all of the Hitchcock dramas show somebody getting whacked on the head, run over by an automobile, shot, knived, poisoned, or bludgeoned. Is this the kind of program that I'd want to watch more than once? No.
Some great episodes, but most fall flat 
2008-06-25
The best episodes of season one are: (Don't worry, I won't give away the ending)They are:
1. "The Creeper" A woman lives in fear of a murderer who is terrorizing the neighborhood.
2. "Breakdown" An executive driving from Florida to New York is paralyzed in a car accident
3. "And so died Rabiachinska" A ventriliquist is accused of murdering a competitor...Great performance by Claude Rains, by the way
4. "Revenge" A man seeks revenge on the man who attacked his wife
As for the other episodes, sad to say, some are downright boring, consisting of people(usually with British accents)standing around talking, and talking, and talking, and nothing happens.
Another gripe I have are the menus. Instead of just setting up the premise, they give away the ending!
Marred by terrible sound and stupid episode decriptions 
2008-05-12
I can't speak for subsequent DVD editions of other seasons of this stellar series, but this 1st season collection has abominable sound on many episodes and when you view episodes using the episode option in the menu it is preceded by a description that usually robs the episode of any suspense it contained. I'm sorry I bought it because the flaws take all the enjoyment out of what should be an exalting entertainment.
"Slightly" disappointed !! 2008-02-10
I had never seen an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" before I purchased these DVD set.
I was probably expecting it to be like "The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits", so some of the episodes seemed very simplistic.
"Revenge" and "There was an Old Woman" were really silly, where as "Back for Christmas", "The Perfect Murder and "Place of Shadows were excellent episodes.
This will not discourage me from purchasing season 2 !!
Satisfied 
2008-02-08
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
Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Season Three 2008-01-13
a fine collection of the master's TV anthology, notwithstanding the occasional editing out of the mid-show "bumper".
Brings back memories! 2008-01-08
I used to watch these shows with my grandmother when I was younger. I have always loved Hitchcock, so I was thrilled to see these half hour episodes sold in a box set. I love this box set! Only have gotten through three episodes thus far, but can't wait to watch the rest! No commercials, makes watching these all the better! Sure wish we had shows like this around nowadays, but I don't see that happening! Anyone who loves Hitchcock would love to receive this as a gift!
I gave up. 2008-01-01
There isn't much about this travesty that hasn't already been said:
1) episode summaries that basically give away the twists (yes, built-in spoilers)
2) trimmed segments
3) little, if any, restoration so hissy sound and grainy picture
And that's WHEN the shows actually play. Skips, stutters, stops. I see from recent complaints that this is still the product that Universal is selling (no correction has been made to the faulty disks). Most of the episodes have gone unwatched because I just got too frustrated. And since this was a gift for my wife, there's a double frustration (I bought her a lousy gift!).
Unless you have several DVD players to test each disk on, I'd recommend that this box be avoided.
Alfred the master 2007-11-15
What a pleasure to be able to watch these quality shows from the master Alfred Hitchcock. I feel lucky to be able to get these television shows and really enjoy them. They are a great break from the junk that is on tv nowdays.
