User Reviews

***SPOILERS*** One of the better master's, Alfred Hitchcock Presents,episodes involving this faceless killer dubbed by the local media as "The Butcher" who's been on a tear murdering, with a butcher knife, three people over the last two weeks. As things turn out Joe Drake's, Paul Comi, wife Madeline,Peggy Ann Gardner,has been working on the night shift at a local diner and is late from work making Joe very apprehensive to say the least.

There's also Madeline's old flame successful businessman Ralph Morrow, John Lupton, who just happened to show up unexpectedly at her and Joe's shabby apartment to shoot the breeze about old times before Madeline dropped him for Joe. With Madeline late from work and a killer on the loose both Joe and Ralph decide to go but and try to find her before she becomes his next and forth victim!

Very spooky story with the frantic search for Madeline by Joe & Ralph before the killer gets to her first with a very unexpected and shocking ending makes it one of the best of the show's, Alfred Hitchcock Presents,episodes. It was also shot, at the Master's insistence, in a very overcast and dark style making it look more like a dream sequence instead of something out of real life.

***SPOILERS*** In the end Joe finally finds his wife Madeline aimlessly walking in the streets but Ralph isn't around to see it. He instead of Madelibne ended up becoming "The Butcher's" forth victim! And as we soon see it wasn't a random act of murder on "The Butcher's"" part! It was a misguided act of self defense in "the Butcher's" sick and deranged mind!

A serial killer called "the butcher," has been hacking people up. An invalid is waiting for his wife to come home. Meanwhile, her old lover shows up, ready to move in on the poor guy with the bad leg. Things are set up. Unfortunately, things are too much to believe from that point on. I have a question. Did Hitchcock hate young people. They are alway portrayed as cruel and heartless.

The show occurs as a serial killer is lurking about the town. The killer, nicknamed, 'the Butcher', has already killed three and one night a husband thinks his own wife might have become the fourth victim when she doesn't come home on time.

The story has a flashback scene that is supposed to explain the ending. I didn't buy it...it seemed pretty contrived and the story fell pretty flat for me. I just thought the identity of the killer wasn't very convincing.