MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SCREENING SERIES, THE: MURDER IN THE LIVING ROOM: HITCHCOCK BY HITCHCOCK, PACKAGE 1: UNVEILING VERA MILES
Summary
"Unveiling Vera Miles"
"Pepsi-Cola Playhouse: 'The House Where Time Stopped'" with Vera Miles, Josephine Hutchinson, Ian Keith; directed by Herschel Daugherty; written by John McGreevey (1955; 25 minutes) Cool and blonde, Vera Miles first caught Hitchcock's eye playing a woman of mystery in the potboiler "The House Where Time Stopped." Within days the director had signed the former beauty pageant queen to an exclusive five-year contract and set about remaking her as "the girl who is going to replace Grace Kelly" (who, to his disappointment, had given up Hollywood for Monaco). "I think the reason I was so impressed with her to begin with was that I saw her in black and white on television," he later told costume designer Edith Head, whom he instructed with an obsessiveness fully documented in "Vertigo," on all the minute details of Miles's makeover, including a complete wardrobe in shades of gray to emulate his initial vision of her on television.
"Alfred Hitchcock Presents: 'Revenge'" with Vera Miles and Ralph Meeker; written by Francis Cockrell from a story by Samuel Blas (1955; 25 minutes) Hitchcock officially unveiled his protege in this premiere episode of his new series. Miles's role as the fragile spirit driven to madness was only a curtain-raiser for the trauma she would face in "The Wrong Man"; thereafter she was to star in "Vertigo," but had a falling out with Hitchcock after she became pregnant and turned down the part. "After that I lost interest; I couldn't get the rhythm going with her again," recalled Hitchcock.
"Ford Startime: 'Incident at a Corner'" with Vera Miles and George Peppard; written by Charlotte Armstrong (1960; 50 minutes) Preceded by the original promo. Hitchcock later fulfilled Miles's contract by casting her as the daughter of a man accused of an unspeakable crime. Newly remastered from a 35mm interpositive, it is presented here for the first time since its original broadcast in 1960. This is the only one of Hitchcock's telefilms shot in color.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 1997
- RUNNING TIME: 1:44:50
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: T:48666
- GENRE: N/A
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Vera Miles