Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "Arthur" (Season 5, Episode 1)

Laurence Harvey as Arthur

(This blog post is part of the 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon, hosted by A Shroud of Thoughts)

Aside from The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents might well remain the most famous American anthology television show ever made. Like many famous shows, various misconceptions have developed about Alfred Hitchcock Presents over the years. The first is that Alfred Hitchcock had nothing to do with the show beyond hosting it. The second is that he was deeply involved in the production of the show. The truth is actually somewhere in between. Indeed, Alfred Hitchcock directed the occasional episode. Among the best of the episodes directed by the master himself was "Arthur," which opened the show's fifth season.

"Arthur" centres on Arthur Williams (Laurence Harvey), the operator of a thoroughly modern chicken farm where he even makes his own chicken feed. Arthur is engaged to a beautiful woman named Helen (Hazel Court). Unfortunately, Helen wants to see the world beyond the chicken farm and ultimately marries another man,  a rich gambler named Stanley Braithwaite. As it turns out, life with Stanley isn't as enjoyable as Helen thought it would be, and she comes back after about a year. As it turns out, Arthur has no desire of welcoming Helen back into his life and has a rather novel solution to her return. In addition to Laurence Harvey and Hazel Court, the cast also features Patrick Macnee, later famous for The Avengers, as Police Sgt. John Theron and Robert Douglas as Inspector Ben Liebenberg.

"Arthur" was based on the 1948 short story "Being a Murderer Myself" by Arthur Williams. The episode "Arthur" follows the story fairly closely, although there are some differences. Arthur Williams's original story is set in South Africa, while the episode is set in New Zealand. Another difference is that in the story the protagonist's former girlfriend is named Susan, while in the episode she is named Helen. Both the story and the episode are narrated in first person, although in the story the narrator is unnamed. Of course, given "Being a Murderer Myself" was written by Arthur Williams, it is safe to assume the narrator's name is indeed "Arthur Williams," the name of the episode's protagonist.

As to Arthur Williams himself, "Being a Murderer Myself" was the only story he ever wrote. Legendary British crime writer Julian Symons included "Being a Murderer Myself" in The Penguin Classic Crime Omnibus, which he edited. He figured out that Arthur Williams was Peter Barry Way, a South African born in 1917,

As to Peter Barry Way's inspiration for "Being a Murderer Myself," according to Jack Seabrook in his excellent write-up on "Arthur" on the bare•bones e-zine, Peter Barry Way may have based the story on an actual murder case that took place in Sussex, England in 1925. Norman Thorne was a chicken farmer who was engaged to Elsie Cameron. Thorne started seeing another woman and decided that he no longer wanted to marry Miss Cameron. In an attempt to force Thorne to marry her, Miss Cameron claimed she was pregnant, even though the two of them had never consummated their relationship. Elise Cameron went to visit Norman Thorne on December 5 1924, after which she was not seen again. The police launched an investigation and ultimately found her overnight bag and other items on Thorne's farm. Thorne ultimately admitted he had dismembered her body, but claimed she had committed suicide by hanging, although the police found no evidence of such. In the end, Throne was found guilty by a jury and hanged for murder. Both "Being a Murderer Myself" and "Arthur" resemble the Norman Thorne case to a large degree, the biggest differences being that it is Susan/Helen who cheats on Arthur,  Arthur had a much more original means of disposing of the body and, at least in the short story he apparently gets away with his crime.

"Arthur" would not be the first time that Alfred Hitchcock and the short story "Being a Murderer Myself" crossed paths. It was one of the stories that was included in the anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories They Wouldn't Let Me Do on TV, published by Simon & Schuster in 1957. In the preface, Hitchcock claims that this collection includes stories that "cannot be produced on the home screen." Of course, "Being a Murderer Myself" obviously found its way to the small screen or else I would not be writing this blog post.

Indeed, Alfred Hitchcock obviously loved the story, as it is one of the 17 episodes of the show that he directed. The teleplay was written by James Cavanagh, who wrote 15 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In addition to having been directed by Alfred Hitchcock himself and having been adapted by one of the show's more prolific writers, "Arthur" also featured one of the show's best casts. Laurence Harvey had already made a name for himself, having appeared in such films as Romeo and Juliet (1954) and Room at the Top (1958). Hazel Court had appeared in several television shows and movies, among them The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), which transformed Hammer from a minor studio to one of the greatest makers of horror movies of all time. Patrick Macnee was only a year away from becoming John Steed on The Avengers and had appeared in Scrooge (1951), Les Girls (1957), and other films.

While both Alfred Hitchcock's direction and James Cavanagh's teleplay are excellent, it is largely the cast that makes "Arthur" one of the best episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Given he narrates the episode, "Arthur" would not have worked if Laurence Harvey had not given a pitch-perfect performance. Fortunately, he does, from the very opening narration in which he addresses the viewer directly. Arthur is convinced he is clever and even claims to be "quite normal." Despite Arthur's claims otherwise, Arthur is hardly normal and possesses so much self-confidence that he is clearly an egomaniac. Fortunately, he also possesses a good deal of charm, which drives the episode forward.

Viewers familiar with Alfred Hitchcock Presents know that many episodes end with a culprit apparently getting away with their crime. "Arthur" is no different in this respect. Of course, this would violate the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters' Television Code, which prohibited criminals from getting away with crimes. It was then in his outro that Alfred Hitchcock would explain how any perpetrators of crimes got their comeuppance, often humorously. "Arthur" features what might be the best and most hilarious comeuppance visited upon a criminal in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode ever, made all the better by Hitch's delivery of it.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents and its continuation The Alfred Hitchcock Hour produced many fine episodes and it is honestly difficult for me to choose only one as my favourite, but "Arthur" definitely numbers among them. I have always loved dark humour and the cast delivers superb performances across the board. Alfred Hitchcock's outro makes it all the better. Arthur Williams may have only written one story, but it made for a great Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode.

The 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon Has Arrived

The 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon has arrived. As in past years, this year's blogathon features several entries on episodes from classic television shows.

For those of you who are participating in the blogathon, I ask that you link to this page. I will be updating this page with links to the various blog posts that are part of this blogathon throughout the weekend. If you want a graphic for your post, I have several on the announcement page here.

Without further ado, here are this year's posts.

Realweedgiemidget Reviews: "TV… Playbacking One of Gena Rowlands’ Television Roles in a Detective Series"

Hamlette's Soliloquy: "'The Avenger' (Bonanza) 1960"

From Beyond the Time Barrier: "A Rolling Reporter Gathers Some Moss: 'The Spanish Moss Murders'"

Smoke in the Library: "Mayberry RFD: New Couple in Town"

Make Mine Film Noir: "The Dick Van Dyke Show: 'The Big Max Calvada' Episode (November 20, 1963) is Film Noir Played for Laughs"

Another Old Movie Blog: "Eve Arden in 'Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance' on Ellery Queen"

Liberal England: "Rising Damp: Rigsby burning love wood outside Miss Jones's hut "

A Shroud of Thoughts: "Alfred Hitchcock Presents 'Arthur' (Season 5, Episode 1)"

18 Cinema Lane: "Sally Watches…Highway to Heaven"

Moon in Gemini: "All in the Family: 'It Was a Freak Accident!'"

A Scunner Deeply: "Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon 2025 – 21 Jump Street – 'Mike’s P.O.V.'"

Whimsically Classic: "11th Annual Favorite TV Show Episode Blogathon–Mama’s Family, 'The Big Nap;"

The Midnite Drive-In: "Life After Life"

Godspeed Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods

Jesse Colin Young, founding member, lead vocalist, and bassist of The Youngbloods, died on March 16 2025 at the age of 83. Their version of Chet Powers's song "Get Together" has become an iconic and identified with many with the decade of the Sixties.

Jesse Colin Young was born Perry Miller in Queens, New York City on November 22 1941. His mother was a violinist, while his father was an accountant who loved music. He learned to play piano while still very young. He attended He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he studied classical guitar. He later attended Ohio State University and still later New York University.While attending college he performed as a musician and he eventually left school to perform professionally full-time.

It was in the early Sixties that Jesse Colin Young met pianist, vibraphonist, and  music producer Bobby Scott. This lead to Jesse Colin Young's first solo album, The Soul of a City Boy in 1964. A second solo album Young Blood followed in 1965. Jesse Colin Young met folk singer Jerry Corbitt in the mid-Sixties. In January 1965 the two of them began touring Canada as a duo. Eventually they started billing themselves as "The Youngbloods," after Jesse Colin Young's second album. They eventually added Lowell "Banana" Levinger and drummer Joe Bauer.

The Youngbloods signed to RCA Victor and their self-titled, debut album was released in January 1967. Their future hit, "Get Together," was on that album and was released as a single, but it only peaked at no. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their debut album was followed by the albums Earth Music in 1967 and Elephant Mountain in 1969. It was after"Get Together" was used in public service announcements for the National Council of Christians and Jews that the song was reissued and reached no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969.

The Youngbloods would release two more albums, Good and Dusty in 1971 and High on a Ridge Top in 1972 before breaking up. Jesse Colin Young then returned to his solo career. His first solo album after The Youngbloods, Together, was released in 1972. He saw some success in the Seventies with the albums Song for Juli (1973), Light Shine (1974), Songbird (1975), and Love on the Wing (1977). From 1979 to 2019 Jesse Colin Young released ten more studio albums. Jesse Colin Young also released six live albums and several compilation albums.

While "Get Together (originally titled "Let's Get Together")" had been recorded a few times before The Youngbloods did so in late 1966, it was theirs that became the quintessential version. There was perhaps good reason for this, as the band and Jesse Colin Young suited the song perfectly. With his rich tenor vocals and his skill as a musician, as well as the skill of the other Youngbloods, it was a superior rendition of the song. And while Jesse Colin Young did not write "Get Together," The Youngbloods' version of the song was similar to songs he wrote himself. His songs were characterized by socially conscious lyrics, his warm vocals, and superior guitar work. If Jesse Colin Young continued to have success after The Youngbloods broke up, it was because he was very talented.

Warner Should Restore the Classic Looney Tunes to Max Immediately

This morning I awakened to some bad news from Deadline that the classic Warner Bros. theatrical cartoons, collectively called "Looney Tunes" by most people, have been removed by Warner Discovery's streaming service Max. Now I have been subscribed to Max for years without interruption for three reasons: first, classic movies; second, the DC Comics content; and third, the classic Warner Bros. cartoons. To say I am not happy would be an understatement.

Indeed, I am not the only one who is angry. According to the Independent, many Looney Tunes fans have complained about Max's decision to remove the cartoons from the service. I know this to be true myself scrolling through Bluesky, where the posts can be summed up by one person in particular who said, "I hate Max for removing Looney Tunes." Quite a few people have pointed out that this is yet another argument for buying physical media.  Jeremy Smith on Slash Film went so far as to declare in an editorial, "Max Removing The Original Looney Tunes Shorts Is An Act Of Cultural Vandalism."

According to Deadline, the removal of the classic Looney Tunes from Max is part of a plan whereby the streaming service is focusing more on adult and family programming than children's programming. If that is indeed the case, then Max's decision to pull Looney Tunes from the streaming service is, to put it bluntly, stupid. The classic Warner Bros. theatrical shorts, whether they were part of the Looney Tunes series or the Merrie Melodies series, were made for general audiences. In fact, cartoons often contain jokes, innuendos, pop culture references, and even situations that probably go over the heads of many children even today. I daresay that the Looney Tunes probably appeal more to most adults and general audiences than much of the content that remains on Max.

Now it is true that there are Looney Tunes available on Prime Video, but it appears one has to rent them by cartoon, and some can be found on YouTube, but that is not the same as having several hundred Warner Bros cartoons on Max itself. Indeed, it is one of the reasons I have subscribed to Max all these years and I know it is one of the reasons that others have as well. I don't think it would be unreasonable for the average person to expect Warner Bros.' own classic cartoons to be on their own streaming service. In not having Looney Tunes, Max is then falling short of what many people expect of the service and failing its users. Of course, here I must point out that if it were up to me not only would Max have all the Looney Tunes cartoons, but the many classic TV shows Warner produced as well, from Maverick to F Troop.

I think it's safe to say that as far as the general public is concerned,  Warner Bros. is best known for their classic cartoons. Bugs Bunny is probably more famous than the studio's biggest stars. I have to think that much of the reason Warner Bros. has survived over the years is in part because of those cartoons. I have to think that in removing the Looney Tunes from Max they will see an enormous drop in subscriptions, one that could endanger the streaming service's survival. It is then wise for them to restore the classic Warner Bros. shorts as soon as possible. I know I might not continue to subscribe if they don't.

(Postscript: If you want to complain to Max about removing Looney Tunes from the service, the fastest way to do so may be to simply type "Max feedback" on Google or another search engine. The very first result (at least on Google) should be the Max Feedback page. Once there you either choose for your topic Programming Feedback or Programming Request. Programming Feedback actually lets you type in your own comments, so you can complain about Looney Tunes missing from the service there (please do be polite though). On Programming Request you'll want to choose Additional shows/movies, then for the title type in "Looney Tunes" or "Merrie Melodies. Anyway, I urge my fellow Max subscribers to leave feedback. If they get enough of it, it's possible they could return Looney Tunes to the service.

The 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon is Coming!

This is a reminder that the 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon is next weekend, starting on Friday, March 21. For those of you unfamiliar with the blogathon, you can read all about it here.

The 85th Anniversary of Road to Singapore (1940)

It was 85 years ago today that Road to Singapore, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, premiered in New York City. It was the first of the seven "Road to..." movies, each of which starred Bing Crosby and Bob Hope and most of which starred Dorothy Lamour. While Bing Crosby and Bob Hope played different characters in each movie, the characters were all pretty much the same. They were generally con men who wanted to make a lot of money, and often found themselves getting in trouble doing so. Dorothy Lamour played the love interest in most of the films. The films were known for satirizing various movie genres, as well as their frequent pop culture references.

While Road to Singapore (1940) was the first movie in which Bing Crosby and Bob Hope appeared as a team, they had worked together before. In December 1932 Bob Hope was the master of ceremony at a show held for two weeks at the Capitol Theatre in New York City. Among the performers at the show was Bing Crosby. Bob Hope and Crosby came up with various comedy bits that proved to be a hit with the audience. Bob Hope would later be a guest on Bing Crosby's radio show The Kraft Music Hall. Still later, when Bing Crosby hosted a special Hollywood night at  Del Mar, he and Bob Hope performed some of the bits that they had done at the Capitol many years before. Both men were signed to Paramount, so it was natural that the production chief of Paramount, William Le Barron, who suggested that the two make a movie together.

Given all of this, it might seem like a surprise that Road to Singapore was not originally intended as a movie starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. The origins of Road to Singapore are obscure, but it apparently originated as a script for Mr. Crosby entitled Follow the Sun. Follow the Sun was redone as a vehicle for George Burns and Gracie Allen called Road to Mandalay. Burns & Allen turned the film down, whereupon it was rewritten for Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie. The two of them allegedly turned it down, although neither of them could remember doing so. It was after the script was reworked one more time and renamed Road to Singapore that it was offered to Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

Road to Singapore starred Bing Crosby and Bob Hope as ne'er-do-wells Josh Mallon (Bing Crosby) and Ace Lannigan (Bob Hope). Romantic complications in their lives lead the two men to flee for Singapore. As it turns out, before they can reach Singapore their money runs about the time they reach the fictional island  of Kaigoon. They they meet Mima (Dorothy Lamour), with whom they both fall in love.

Although "the Road to..." movies are often referred to as the "Hope-Crosby pictures," they would perhaps be better termed the "Hope-Crosby-Lamour" movies. Even in Road to Singapore, Dorothy Lamour was more than a romantic interest. She was effectively the third member of the team. She became even more a part of the team in the later "Road to..." movies. Dorothy Lamour learned on her first day on the set of Road to Singapore that it was useless to pay any attention to the script, as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby simply extemporised as they saw fit. Fortunately, Dorothy Lamour was a talented actress who was able to keep up with them.

Although today Bob Hope may be the most recognizable name of the three leads, he was billed third on Road to Singapore, beneath Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. It would be the only "Road..." movie on which he received third billing. With Bob Hope's film career taking off, afterwards the billing would always be "Bing Crosby," "Bob Hope", and "Dorothy Lamour".

Road to Singapore proved to be a success. It received generally positive reviews from critics. It also proved to be a hit at the box office. In the end it would make $1.6 million. Quite naturally, the success of Road to Singapore led to a sequel, Road to Zanzibar (1941), which lead to further installments in the series.

Of course, it was Road to Singapore that established the format for the future "Road to... movies." Each of the movies was a musical comedy, with Bing, Dorothy, and even Bob singing various songs. The songs in Road to Singapore included ""The Moon and the Willow Tree (sung by Dorothy Lamour in the film)," "Sweet Potato Piper (sung by Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, and Bob Hope in the movie)," and "Too Romantic (sung by Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in the film)." Bing Crosby recorded "The Moon and the Willow Tree,' "Sweet Potato Piper," and "Too Romantic" for Decca Records, with both "Too Romantic" and "Sweet Potato Piper" proving to be hits.

Road to Singapore (1940) also established the many in-jokes and pop culture references that populate the movies in the series. The "patty-cake" routine, which Crosby and Hope use as a distraction to the villains, also originated in Road to Singapore. Road to Singapore also established the personalities of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope's characters. Bob Hope's character was high-strung and filled with bravado, even though he was a naturally born coward. Bing Crosby's character was more calm an collective, the smooth one of the two, and it was he who generally came up with their various schemes. Although both were ladies men, it was Bing's characters who usually got the girl. And, of course, both Bob and Bing's characters were con men.

Like the other "Road to..." movies, to a degree Road to Singapore has not aged well. Racist and sexist attitudes that were prevalent during the era are to found in the film. At the same time it is clear that Road to Singapore was not meant to be taken seriously, and they weren't meant to be mean-spirited or hurtful. It must be kept in mind that Road to Singapore and the other "Road to..." movies were very much products of their time.

Road to Singapore would have a lasting influence beyond setting the pace for the other "Road to..." movies. Years before the term metafiction was even coined, Road to Singapore and the other "Road to..." movies were meta. Being metafictional, Road to Snigapore would have an influence on everything from The Monkees to Moonlighting to Airplane! (1980). Over the years there have been many homages to the film, from theatrical cartons like the Popeye short "We're on the Way to Rio" to the Danny Thomas Show episode "The Road to Lebanon" to a segment of Mel Brooks's film History of the World, Part I (1981). Road to Singapore (1940) occupies a place in film history that few comedies do.

"Time Has Come Today" by The Chamber Brothers

Since Sunday I have felt tired every single day. Of course, I know the cause. It is the change to Daylight Saving Time that took place Sunday. For me it's not simply a case of losing an hour of sleep, but the entire shift of the clock hands forward by an hour disrupts my sleep and my entire routine. Oh, I will eventually adapt to it, but I will never be as competent, whole, or happy as I am when we are on Standard Time. I really wish we would do away with Daylight Saving Time entirely and remain on Standard Time all year around.

Anyway, since I feel wore out, I will leave you with a song about time, "Time Has Come Today" by The Chambers Brothers. I do have to warn you, this is the eleven-plus minute album version.