Two strangers in a train station waiting room. It's a cold night, and neither of them are quite content to be there. The periodical wailing of the siren refuses to let them forget: a maniac has escaped the local mental hospital. How long before he comes in? Or, even worse, since he may have killed someone and taken their clothes... maybe he's already here, one of the two men? This is what Hitchcock stood for... the simple premise with several elements(the heater and the poker are used marvelously) that are then used to create tension, and it builds throughout until it reaches fever pitch. In the audio landscape, there is also the seemingly incessant clicking of a telegraph - music is only sparsely used, its effect thus increased. The use of voice-over to allow us to "hear thoughts" highlights the paranoia, in addition to telling us exactly how far it has progressed, how fearful one of them is. Characterization is careful to provide just enough that you feel like you know anything about them, without giving so much that you completely trust them. The acting is fantastic and serves aforementioned purpose well. I recommend this to any fan of the master of suspense. 8/10
11 Reviews
I had this episode completely wrong
CoastalCruiser27 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This review is really for people who already have viewed the episode.
You know, I thought this story was going to turn out completely different. It was mentioned to the audience up front, by the clerk at the train station, what a split personality is; a person with two personas that are unaware of each other.
Then we have two men in the train station eying each other as the possible mental hospital escapee. I thought what we were going to learn at the end of the show that indeed there had been only ONE man in the station, arguing with his other side.
But no, they played it quite differently.. exploring the paranoia of so-called "normal" people. I actually like my idea a bit better. Or does this episode illustrate the difference between Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone??
You know, I thought this story was going to turn out completely different. It was mentioned to the audience up front, by the clerk at the train station, what a split personality is; a person with two personas that are unaware of each other.
Then we have two men in the train station eying each other as the possible mental hospital escapee. I thought what we were going to learn at the end of the show that indeed there had been only ONE man in the station, arguing with his other side.
But no, they played it quite differently.. exploring the paranoia of so-called "normal" people. I actually like my idea a bit better. Or does this episode illustrate the difference between Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone??
"They just go off sometimes."
classicsoncall31 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
As the siren of a mental hospital in the background signals an escaped inmate, two men waiting in a train station begin to suspect each other of being the lunatic on the run. Their suspicions are aroused even further by the prospect of the other guy having a weapon. This episode sort of parallels a first season Hitchcock episode titled 'The Gentleman From America' which also told the story of an escaped mental patient, with an outcome that resembled the one here, whereby the actual escapee is eventually detained by authorities from the hospital. The tension in this one is provided by the voice over narration of each man's thoughts in suspecting the other of wreaking havoc. Albert Salmi was a good choice for the character Jones, he had the kind of look that would make him a likely criminal, and while Robert H. Harris had a more innocent looking appearance as lawyer Bellefontaine, it could have reasonably hidden a sinister motive. This was a well crafted story with which to bring the second season of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' to a close.
Hitchcock Does Minimalism
dougdoepke19 April 2016
Psychological study with a one-note plot, a single set, and two players. It's a pretty spare setup, but manages to hold interest. So which of the two ticket-buyers in the empty train station is the escaped lunatic. At first we hear in voice-over Bellefontaine's (Harris) growing suspicions about the unkempt, unfriendly Jones (Salmi) sitting across from him. He certainly looks menacing, big, burly, and toying with a poker above the wood stove. Then we begin to hear Jones's suspicions about the little, bald-headed guy across from him with his mysterious satchel that could be hiding anything. And we wonder which of the two is the real escaped nutcase.
Salmi and Harris are well chosen for their parts and deliver two versions of a possible lunatic. Can't say I think the payoff equaled the buildup, but that's just my reaction. This has to be one of the least expensive productions of the series, but does manage some suspense thanks to two fine actors.
Salmi and Harris are well chosen for their parts and deliver two versions of a possible lunatic. Can't say I think the payoff equaled the buildup, but that's just my reaction. This has to be one of the least expensive productions of the series, but does manage some suspense thanks to two fine actors.
THE ACTING NAILS THIS ONE HANDS DOWN.
tcchelsey10 June 2022
One of the best psychological episodes of the series. This is a gem, starring two seasoned actors, Albert Salmi and Robert H. Harris, who play their parts with conviction. You will be amazed.
The story is simple, all about an escaped lunatic from an asylum --and to watch these two men, all alone, waiting for a train --and what they're thinking about each other as the clock ticks away. Talk about a captive audience. Thanks to the teaming (once again) of director Robert Stevens and ace writer Francis Cockrell, who could really crank out a fascinating story. They were favorites of Hitch and now you know why.
The most clever trick of all, both men have obvious faults and phobias, played to the hilt. The wild siren from the asylum that goes off every now and then elevates the paranoia a notch, also the mysterious background music. The music may sound familiar as it was originally from the Republic Pictures library, used in many of their B films, later inherited by Revue Studios and Universal Pictures.
Robert H. Harris has never been better, the nervous, peculiar short man with a briefcase? Popular character actor Harry Tyler has a small role as the quirky ticket collector.
A treat from start to finish and recommended for Hitch completists. The shabby, single room set seems to always hit the bullseye, reminiscent of all those campy black and white noir films. SEASON 2 EPISODE 39 remastered Universal dvd box set/ 2006.
The story is simple, all about an escaped lunatic from an asylum --and to watch these two men, all alone, waiting for a train --and what they're thinking about each other as the clock ticks away. Talk about a captive audience. Thanks to the teaming (once again) of director Robert Stevens and ace writer Francis Cockrell, who could really crank out a fascinating story. They were favorites of Hitch and now you know why.
The most clever trick of all, both men have obvious faults and phobias, played to the hilt. The wild siren from the asylum that goes off every now and then elevates the paranoia a notch, also the mysterious background music. The music may sound familiar as it was originally from the Republic Pictures library, used in many of their B films, later inherited by Revue Studios and Universal Pictures.
Robert H. Harris has never been better, the nervous, peculiar short man with a briefcase? Popular character actor Harry Tyler has a small role as the quirky ticket collector.
A treat from start to finish and recommended for Hitch completists. The shabby, single room set seems to always hit the bullseye, reminiscent of all those campy black and white noir films. SEASON 2 EPISODE 39 remastered Universal dvd box set/ 2006.
Near the dangerous maniacs' asylum
Cristi_Ciopron31 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This funny, admirably paced episode with surrealist touches, has a lot of goodies to offer—being so atmospheric and funny and intriguing and suspenseful, plus the cast, plus the Fredric Brown connection. It's a delightful sketch, with the ideal setting—a train station, in the cold waiting room, with picturesque characters and crisp approach.
THE DANGEROUS PEOPLE, with Albert Salmi and Robert H Harris, a Teleplay by Francis Cockrell, registers as one of the craziest and uncanny episodes of the show, not surprising since it was based on a story by Fredric Brown, the poor man's surrealist; two men meet in a railway station's waiting room, it is cold and they hear the intermittent alarm from the nearby asylum for dangerous maniacs, sign that one such insane patient has escaped, and the two chaps begin suspecting each other of being that escaped maniac. One of the two passengers is blonde, unkempt, dizzy due to a severe hangover, he looks like a Russian anarchist, I guess he was cast as the murderous servant in the '50s American KARAMAZOVS (--as Smerdyakov, you know the fellow--)—his character here is the bookie Jones; the other passenger is small, anxious, older, looking Meridional, slightly funny, but he carries a revolver—and a cornered rat can kill a man, as you are aware of . The episode alternately follows the stream of thought of each of the two passengers—at first the funny oldster fearing the blonde, dizzy Jones, then the bookie suspecting the small guy, and trying to get hold of the poker. As they're about to kill each other, a third passenger comes in, wearing a policeman's uniform . In Hitchcock's show, this one registers as a surrealist, feverish comedy, conventionally atmospheric, crisp, funny, without the regular moralizing conclusions. In a word, another jewel of a TV play.
On the intro, Hitchcock is blindfolded and set against a wall, in front of the firing squad.
THE DANGEROUS PEOPLE, with Albert Salmi and Robert H Harris, a Teleplay by Francis Cockrell, registers as one of the craziest and uncanny episodes of the show, not surprising since it was based on a story by Fredric Brown, the poor man's surrealist; two men meet in a railway station's waiting room, it is cold and they hear the intermittent alarm from the nearby asylum for dangerous maniacs, sign that one such insane patient has escaped, and the two chaps begin suspecting each other of being that escaped maniac. One of the two passengers is blonde, unkempt, dizzy due to a severe hangover, he looks like a Russian anarchist, I guess he was cast as the murderous servant in the '50s American KARAMAZOVS (--as Smerdyakov, you know the fellow--)—his character here is the bookie Jones; the other passenger is small, anxious, older, looking Meridional, slightly funny, but he carries a revolver—and a cornered rat can kill a man, as you are aware of . The episode alternately follows the stream of thought of each of the two passengers—at first the funny oldster fearing the blonde, dizzy Jones, then the bookie suspecting the small guy, and trying to get hold of the poker. As they're about to kill each other, a third passenger comes in, wearing a policeman's uniform . In Hitchcock's show, this one registers as a surrealist, feverish comedy, conventionally atmospheric, crisp, funny, without the regular moralizing conclusions. In a word, another jewel of a TV play.
On the intro, Hitchcock is blindfolded and set against a wall, in front of the firing squad.
Pretty good...not great
planktonrules8 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Two men (Albert Salmi and Robert Harris) are waiting for a train at the train station. While they are waiting, you keep hearing a siren because apparently a homicidal maniac has escaped from a nearby hospital. And, after a while BOTH passengers begin to assume that the other is the escapee. The tension builds until they nearly kill each other...and then something happens to break the tension and the real maniac is discovered.
This is a good but not exactly a great episode. It's not great because you can hear the thoughts of both men and you know that neither is the escapee...so all sense of tension is greatly reduced. It's still good...but not as good as it could have been. Still, it is worth seeing.
This is a good but not exactly a great episode. It's not great because you can hear the thoughts of both men and you know that neither is the escapee...so all sense of tension is greatly reduced. It's still good...but not as good as it could have been. Still, it is worth seeing.
I Know What You're Thinking
TondaCoolwal24 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I always appreciate a two person head to head drama set in a single enclosed location. If it is done well it usually holds your attention with a vice-like grip. This was just such a one and ,I can imagine that Hitch was well pleased with the efforts of director Robert Stevens.
It is a simple story; a wailing siren periodically reminds the district that an inmate has escaped from an asylum for the criminally insane. Two men are sitting in the waiting room of a lonely railroad station. One claiming to be a lawyer, the other a bookeeper. The lawyer is nervous and fidgety, the bookeeper silent and morose. He keeps rubbing his head and drinking copiously from the water fountain. Using voiceover we hear the men's thoughts as they observe one another. "Jones. That's just the name he would choose". Muses the lawyer. "Bellefontaine. A silly made-up name.". Thinks the bookeeper..Since the action takes place in real time, during the 25 minutes until the train arrives, the suspense and tension build inexorably as the siren keeps reminding them of the possible lurking danger. The men keep noticing little details about each other. Why are Jones' clothes muddy and torn? Why does Bellefontaine guard his briefcase so intently? Things reach fever-pitch when Bellefontaine slips a gun into his pocket ; an action observed by Jones who sidles round to the stove and picks up a poker. As they confront each other the door opens and in walks - a police officer. Crisis over? Hmmmm!
Having just read CoastalCruiser's review I have to agree that it would have been delicious if, at the confrontation point, the men in white coats had burst in and subdued the SINGLE occupier of the room, who could even have been a completely different actor. Confirming that the whole scenario was the product of schizophrenia as flagged by the ticket clerk. Remake anyone?
It is a simple story; a wailing siren periodically reminds the district that an inmate has escaped from an asylum for the criminally insane. Two men are sitting in the waiting room of a lonely railroad station. One claiming to be a lawyer, the other a bookeeper. The lawyer is nervous and fidgety, the bookeeper silent and morose. He keeps rubbing his head and drinking copiously from the water fountain. Using voiceover we hear the men's thoughts as they observe one another. "Jones. That's just the name he would choose". Muses the lawyer. "Bellefontaine. A silly made-up name.". Thinks the bookeeper..Since the action takes place in real time, during the 25 minutes until the train arrives, the suspense and tension build inexorably as the siren keeps reminding them of the possible lurking danger. The men keep noticing little details about each other. Why are Jones' clothes muddy and torn? Why does Bellefontaine guard his briefcase so intently? Things reach fever-pitch when Bellefontaine slips a gun into his pocket ; an action observed by Jones who sidles round to the stove and picks up a poker. As they confront each other the door opens and in walks - a police officer. Crisis over? Hmmmm!
Having just read CoastalCruiser's review I have to agree that it would have been delicious if, at the confrontation point, the men in white coats had burst in and subdued the SINGLE occupier of the room, who could even have been a completely different actor. Confirming that the whole scenario was the product of schizophrenia as flagged by the ticket clerk. Remake anyone?
At the train station
TheLittleSongbird17 August 2022
Although Robert Stevens was the most frequent 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' directors, with 44 episodes to his name, he was also one of the most inconsistent. As far as his previous efforts go, he was responsible for winners such as "Premonition", "Our Cook's a Treasure" and "The Manacled". He also however was responsible for a few not so good episodes, like "Shopping for Death", "The Hidden Thing" and "Toby". A vast majority of his episodes are worth watching though.
"The Dangerous People" is one of those episodes. It is not one of Stevens' best 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes and it is also not one of his worst. It is instead a solid middle effort, which was the category most of his episodes fell in. "The Dangerous People" is an uneven episode (not uncommon with Season 2) and ends a lot weaker than it started, which was a real pity considering how well it began, but there are still a lot of things that come off very well here. When it comes to a very solid Season 2, it is a worthy last episode while not being one of the best episodes of the season (as well as a long way from being among the worst).
It is a long way from perfect. The ending is a bit too much of a damp squib, it is predictable and easily foreseeable too early and could have been revealed later. What could easily have had a lot of tension felt rather bland and slightly dragged out as a result, especially compared to that seen in the first half. Actually felt that the twist wasn't really much of one.
Furthermore, it is not one of the best looking episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'. Sure, to set it in a spare location was a deliberate choice and it is one of those scenarios where very few locations would have been very appropriate. Just not very much is done with the cheap looking set and despite some moody lighting there is not much inspired or stylish about the way the episode is shot.
However, there is a lot that works. Absolutely loved the first half, great idea in the first place given very suspenseful execution. The lead up has real tension and suspense and the way it builds is effective, that it is sad it doesn't carry all the way through to the end. The episode also benefits from great performances from the whole cast, with Robert H Harris being particularly good. The chemistry blisters when necessary.
Moreover, the script is tight and thought provoking, avoiding being too talky and written in a way that's accessible. The story loses its way later, but two thirds of it is hugely absorbing and not over obvious or too complicated. Nothing feels routine about the way the story is told. Stevens directs with an assured touch, a good feel for atmosphere and command of tension, before running out of gas towards the end. Hitchcock's bookending is wonderfully droll and "Funeral March of a Marionette" is still a genius choice of theme music.
Overall, uneven but pretty good. Actually could have been close to great if the final act was much stronger than it turned out. 7/10.
"The Dangerous People" is one of those episodes. It is not one of Stevens' best 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes and it is also not one of his worst. It is instead a solid middle effort, which was the category most of his episodes fell in. "The Dangerous People" is an uneven episode (not uncommon with Season 2) and ends a lot weaker than it started, which was a real pity considering how well it began, but there are still a lot of things that come off very well here. When it comes to a very solid Season 2, it is a worthy last episode while not being one of the best episodes of the season (as well as a long way from being among the worst).
It is a long way from perfect. The ending is a bit too much of a damp squib, it is predictable and easily foreseeable too early and could have been revealed later. What could easily have had a lot of tension felt rather bland and slightly dragged out as a result, especially compared to that seen in the first half. Actually felt that the twist wasn't really much of one.
Furthermore, it is not one of the best looking episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'. Sure, to set it in a spare location was a deliberate choice and it is one of those scenarios where very few locations would have been very appropriate. Just not very much is done with the cheap looking set and despite some moody lighting there is not much inspired or stylish about the way the episode is shot.
However, there is a lot that works. Absolutely loved the first half, great idea in the first place given very suspenseful execution. The lead up has real tension and suspense and the way it builds is effective, that it is sad it doesn't carry all the way through to the end. The episode also benefits from great performances from the whole cast, with Robert H Harris being particularly good. The chemistry blisters when necessary.
Moreover, the script is tight and thought provoking, avoiding being too talky and written in a way that's accessible. The story loses its way later, but two thirds of it is hugely absorbing and not over obvious or too complicated. Nothing feels routine about the way the story is told. Stevens directs with an assured touch, a good feel for atmosphere and command of tension, before running out of gas towards the end. Hitchcock's bookending is wonderfully droll and "Funeral March of a Marionette" is still a genius choice of theme music.
Overall, uneven but pretty good. Actually could have been close to great if the final act was much stronger than it turned out. 7/10.
Could have been a bit better
searchanddestroy-122 July 2019
I won't make it long. But I think that the climax arrives a bit too soon in the story. After the audience got what it was about, what the use to continue...I searched for something more to discover, but there was nothing at all. I won't say more. But that remains a good episode.
So-so
stevenfallonnyc773 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Not bad but kind of predictable, "The Dangerous People" is acted well but you can kind of guess the ending, if not specifically who the escaped killer is.
Good premise - two guys waiting for a train in the middle of nowhere hear of a nearby escapee from the local loony bin (the constant siren going off is a good clue too), and wonder if each other is the guy. However, you hear the actual thoughts of the two men, both suspecting the other, and since they are both suspecting the other of being the escapee, neither of them can actually be the guy, right?
The show tries to work around that problem by having the ticket clerk at the station randomly mention split personalities, which is one of the problems dealt with at the loony bin nearby. This is supposed to plant in your head the idea that even though we are hearing the thoughts of both waiting men, one may still be the escapee.
It really doesn't work though, and despite the attempt to get the viewing audience to consider that possibility, it really never feels like either waiting man could be the bad guy. So with both of them out of the running, from there you can kind of predict what happens at the end, especially when a third party shows up in the waiting room.
"The Dangerous People" works so much better if you actually never suspect either man is the escapee, and simply run it as a study of how paranoid some people can be, despite the lack of evidence towards what theyre afraid of. Also, how their fears can pervert their minds and make them almost do drastic things on impulse that they'll regret.
Good premise - two guys waiting for a train in the middle of nowhere hear of a nearby escapee from the local loony bin (the constant siren going off is a good clue too), and wonder if each other is the guy. However, you hear the actual thoughts of the two men, both suspecting the other, and since they are both suspecting the other of being the escapee, neither of them can actually be the guy, right?
The show tries to work around that problem by having the ticket clerk at the station randomly mention split personalities, which is one of the problems dealt with at the loony bin nearby. This is supposed to plant in your head the idea that even though we are hearing the thoughts of both waiting men, one may still be the escapee.
It really doesn't work though, and despite the attempt to get the viewing audience to consider that possibility, it really never feels like either waiting man could be the bad guy. So with both of them out of the running, from there you can kind of predict what happens at the end, especially when a third party shows up in the waiting room.
"The Dangerous People" works so much better if you actually never suspect either man is the escapee, and simply run it as a study of how paranoid some people can be, despite the lack of evidence towards what theyre afraid of. Also, how their fears can pervert their minds and make them almost do drastic things on impulse that they'll regret.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
