ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS {A.K.A. NEW ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, THE}: FOUR O'CLOCK (TV)
Summary
One in this revival of the dramatic anthology series of the same name, based on the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Judge Paul Magrew becomes suspicious that his wife Karen is having an extramarital affair. He hires a private detective to follow her around, and he takes photographs of her kissing another man, whom he identifies as a recently paroled ex-convict. The detective estimates that the man is to visit his house that afternoon at four o' clock. Paul presides over a case involving an insurance scam, in which the defendant is accused of having constructed an improvised incendiary device with which to burn down a warehouse. The defense attorney demonstrates the construction and function of the device, and Paul gets the idea to use it against Karen and her lover, prematurely dismissing the case due to "insufficient evidence" so that he can get home early. Once there, Paul goes into the basement and hastily constructs a similar device, setting it to go off at four o' clock. Meanwhile, two robbers break into his home and start looking for valuables. When Paul goes upstairs to investigate they knock him unconscious and tie him up in the basement directly in front of the incendiary device. He awakens about a half hour before it is set to go off and desperately struggles to escape as Karen speaks upstairs with Ben, the fellow pictured in the photographs. Karen and Ben discover that the house has been robbed and Karen phones the police, but cannot get in touch with Paul. Paul continues struggling to untie himself as a rat gnaws on one of the wires of his device, and a gas inspection man nearly discovers him before being chased away by his guard dog. Ben leaves before the police arrive to go to a job interview. As the police are investigating the crime scene, Karen activates the microwave oven and causes the power to short-circuit seconds before the device is to go off and kill Paul. She and the police discover him in the basement and take him to a psychiatric hospital as he screams and raves. Unbeknownst to Paul, Ben is not Karen's lover, but is actually her older brother whom she was trying to surreptitiously aid. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: May 4, 1986 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:50
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:46895
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1985-1986; USA Network; 1987-1989
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Christopher Crowe … Executive Producer
- Andrew Mirisch … Supervising Producer, Director
- Alan Barnette … Producer
- Daniel Sackheim … Associate Producer
- Steve Bello … Writer
- Cornell Woolrich … Based on a story by
- Michel Colombier … Music by
- Kenneth McMillan … Cast, Judge Paul Magrew
- Ellen Tobie … Cast, Karen Magrew
- Richard Cox … Cast, Ben
- Raymond Singer … Cast, District Attorney Baker
- Nicholas Pryor … Cast, Ryan
- Robert Dryer … Cast, Thief #1
- Dennis C. Stewart … Cast, Thief #2
- Ernie Lively … Cast, Policeman #2
- James Ingersoll … Cast, Policeman #1
- Grant Owens … Cast, Defense Attorney
- Michael Yama … Cast, Japanese Gardener
- Joe Colligan … Cast, Gas Man
- Buzz Borelli … Cast, Paramedic
- Alfred Hitchcock