The birth mother of a little girl shows up at the home of her adoptive family, hoping to extort money from them. When they prove incapable of producing the money, she decides to kidnap their little girl, whom she has not met (except at birth, of course). It has an interesting conclusion which fits well with the Hitchcock stamp.
5 Reviews
"I've had nothing but short wave diathermy for years!"
classicsoncall20 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Claire Trevor was portraying gangster molls and alcoholics as far back as the Thirties and Forties, and even won a Best Supporting Oscar combining both traits in the 1948 classic "Key Largo". Here she's got blackmail on her mind as she tries to shake down a family who took in Mrs. Meade's (Trevor) daughter as a baby. Now of school age, Meade wants the child back, but only with a price tag that the Birdwell's refuse to pay. Enter a shyster private detective who offers Meade an idea that sounds foolproof while demanding a twenty five thousand dollar ransom from the couple after Meade kidnaps her own daughter. Meade should have thought better of it, because even if everything went according to plan, there were too many what if's to the scheme. I loved the twist in this one, as Ralph Birdwell (Robert Sampson) was one step ahead of the rude lush. The PI was a plant, and because Meade didn't know what her own daughter looked like, was steered toward kidnapping Phil Ames' (Biff Elliott) same age daughter instead of her own. Complementing the novel strategy, young Margaret Ames (Sally Smith) loved every minute of it!
Who am I I'm only the child's mother!
sol-kay3 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Having been left at the steps of an orphanage within hours after being born little Eileen was later adopted and giving a loving home by the Birdwells, Ralph & Jane, who raised her as if Eileen was their own biological daughter. Now that's about to come to an end when seven years later Eileen's boozy and looking for a free ride, at the expense of the Birdwell's, mom Mrs. Meade shows up looking to take her back home, the nearest ginmill, with her. With the Birdwells refusing to give into Mrs. Meade's demands she goes out hunting for a shyster, lawyer, to legally get Eileen back to her. It's not long when lawyer Phil Ames show up at Mrs. Meade's apartment with a proposal to get Eileen back that would involve breaking the law. That's in kidnapping the little girl and holding her for a $25,000.00 ransom from the Birdwells.
It takes a while for Ames to get Mrs Meade to go along with his plan by convincing her that it's fool proof. In that even by some impossible chance she get's caught it wouldn't be kidnapping since Eileen is her real daughter! Picking Eileen up outside of school and telling her that she, Mrs.Meade, is her parents new cleaning lady the little girl goes along with her not really suspecting what her real mother,Mrs. Meade, has in store for her. But what's even more surprising is what Eileen as well as Phil Ames have in store for the by now feeling quite confident that she on her way to get a cool 25 G's Mrs. Meade!
***SPOILERS*** Like she left little Eileen at the steps of the orphanage seven years ago Mrs. Meade felt the same way about her now. All that she wanted from Eileen was a meal or booze ticket and nothing else. She wasn't going to spend time and money,like the Birdwells,in bringing up her seven year old daughter. That money was to go for the tab that she runs up in the local bars and liquor stores. But what she did was get a lesson in true motherhood from non other Mrs.Ames and little Eileen themselves. That taught her that motherly love has very little to do with money but almost everything to do with commitment!
It takes a while for Ames to get Mrs Meade to go along with his plan by convincing her that it's fool proof. In that even by some impossible chance she get's caught it wouldn't be kidnapping since Eileen is her real daughter! Picking Eileen up outside of school and telling her that she, Mrs.Meade, is her parents new cleaning lady the little girl goes along with her not really suspecting what her real mother,Mrs. Meade, has in store for her. But what's even more surprising is what Eileen as well as Phil Ames have in store for the by now feeling quite confident that she on her way to get a cool 25 G's Mrs. Meade!
***SPOILERS*** Like she left little Eileen at the steps of the orphanage seven years ago Mrs. Meade felt the same way about her now. All that she wanted from Eileen was a meal or booze ticket and nothing else. She wasn't going to spend time and money,like the Birdwells,in bringing up her seven year old daughter. That money was to go for the tab that she runs up in the local bars and liquor stores. But what she did was get a lesson in true motherhood from non other Mrs.Ames and little Eileen themselves. That taught her that motherly love has very little to do with money but almost everything to do with commitment!
Claire Trevor is great as a drunk mother with a heart of stone.
planktonrules15 April 2021
When the story begins, Mr. And Mrs. Birdwell are visited by their young daughter's biological mother, Mrs. Meade (Claire Trevor). Meade gave up her child seven years ago and has literally drunk most of her life away. But this alcoholic is a malevolent woman...and she swears to make the Birdwell's lives hell unless they pay her to stay away and leave them in peace. In other words, she wants to blackmail them and bleed them of every dime she can get.
After consulting with many lawyers who tell Meade she hasn't got a case and could never regain custody of her daughter, a stranger arrives and offers her a suggestion...to kidnap the kid and charge the Birdwells ransom! What could possibly go wrong?!
This is a great episode....made even better by Trevor's wonderfully vivid performance. She's thoroughly despicable and you hate her...which demonstrates what a fine actress she was (as well as being an Oscar-winner). Well worth your time...and well made in every way.
After consulting with many lawyers who tell Meade she hasn't got a case and could never regain custody of her daughter, a stranger arrives and offers her a suggestion...to kidnap the kid and charge the Birdwells ransom! What could possibly go wrong?!
This is a great episode....made even better by Trevor's wonderfully vivid performance. She's thoroughly despicable and you hate her...which demonstrates what a fine actress she was (as well as being an Oscar-winner). Well worth your time...and well made in every way.
Not Exactly Motherly Love
dougdoepke8 May 2010
A slender but satisfying episode. Claire Trevor was always good at playing slatternly types as she does here.
The Birdwells are a nice young couple with a young daughter Eileen about to celebrate her birthday. Then without warning, up pops Eileen's real mother Mrs. Meade (Trevor) demanding that the adoptive parents return the girl to her real mother. Worse, Meade is to motherly types what Lindsey Lohan is to polite society, so naturally the Birdwells refuse. Undeterred, Meade demands a payoff instead. However, the young couple can't afford that amount. So what's the luckless Meade to do. Then up pops PI Phil Ames at Meade's door saying he's got a "can't miss" plan for shaking down the young couple. Naturally, the ethically challenged Meade is interested. But what happens next?
The 30 minutes is essentially a Trevor showcase. It's probably a credit to her that she would take on such an unflattering role at this later career stage. No chills or mayhem here, but there is genuine curiosity at how this unusual premise will end, and a neat, unexpected twist it is. Be sure also, to catch Hitch's funnier than usual wrap-around. This is not a front-rank entry, but remains entertaining nonetheless.
The Birdwells are a nice young couple with a young daughter Eileen about to celebrate her birthday. Then without warning, up pops Eileen's real mother Mrs. Meade (Trevor) demanding that the adoptive parents return the girl to her real mother. Worse, Meade is to motherly types what Lindsey Lohan is to polite society, so naturally the Birdwells refuse. Undeterred, Meade demands a payoff instead. However, the young couple can't afford that amount. So what's the luckless Meade to do. Then up pops PI Phil Ames at Meade's door saying he's got a "can't miss" plan for shaking down the young couple. Naturally, the ethically challenged Meade is interested. But what happens next?
The 30 minutes is essentially a Trevor showcase. It's probably a credit to her that she would take on such an unflattering role at this later career stage. No chills or mayhem here, but there is genuine curiosity at how this unusual premise will end, and a neat, unexpected twist it is. Be sure also, to catch Hitch's funnier than usual wrap-around. This is not a front-rank entry, but remains entertaining nonetheless.
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