ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: YOU GOT TO HAVE LUCK (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock.
High-profile criminal Sam Cobbett escapes from prison, inspiring a great deal of media attention and a much-publicized manhunt for him. He was serving four consecutive life sentences for a number of crimes, including armed robbery and murder; he is distinguished by the letters “MA” tattooed on the back of his right hand. Cobbett infiltrates a suburban home and holds Mary, a housewife, hostage just after her husband leaves to get supplies in town. He hears a radio news report describing him and a carjacking perpetrated by him earlier. He makes Mary make him some eggs and warns her that since he has already received a life sentence and capital punishment is not practiced in the state, he has nothing to lose and has no compunctions about killing her. He goes on to describe his escape from prison, attributing its success solely to luck. Cobbett also tries to obtain a gun and cash, but Mary and her husband have no firearms and little in the way of cash on hand.
When Mary’s phone rings, Cobbett has her answer it and instructs her on what to say, threatening her with a knife. It is her mother and she has a brief conversation with her before hanging up. Mary’s neighbor Maude and her young daughter pull up to the house, and Cobbett instructs her not to let her in while he hides. She tries to dissuade Maude from coming in, trying her best not to make her suspicious. However, Maude believes that Mary is acting rude and leaves feeling insulted. After she leaves Mary tries to lock Cobbett out of the house but he gets back in by cutting through her screen door. He chases her through the house and she panics; he tries to calm her by sheathing the knife and asking her for a new set of clothes. By the time Cobbett cleans up and changes clothes, it is evening and he makes plans to hitchhike away. He plans to take Mary along with him, believing that it will throw off his pursuers. He also admits that he is attracted to her and promises things will be “easy” with her around, but she refuses to accompany him. He strikes her when she resists and tries to take her away but the police intercept him at the door and arrest him. Cobbett is curious to know how the police found him, and they reveal that Mary is completely deaf and adept at lip-reading, and that her mother became suspicious over the phone when it seemed that Mary could understand her. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: January 15, 1956 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:25:41
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:71726
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1955-1960; 1962-1964 / NBC - 1960-1962; 1964-1965
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Joan Harrison … Associate Producer
- Robert Stevens … Director
- Eustace Cockrell … Writer
- Francis Cockrell … Writer
- S.R. Ross … Based on a story by
- Alfred Hitchcock … Host
- John Cassavetes … Cast, Sam Cobbett
- Marisa Pavan … Cast, Mary Schaffner
- Lamont Johnson … Cast, David Schaffner
- Ray Teal … Cast, Warden Jacob
- Vivi Janiss … Cast, Maude
- Hal K. Dawson … Cast, Secretary
- Bob Patten … Cast, Willis
- Steve Clark … Cast, Pilot
- Bill Pullen … Cast, Prison Guard
- Wendy Winkleman … Cast, Suzy