Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4052 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-10-04
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 1003 minutes

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

Some great episodes, but most fall flat
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
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 !!
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 !!