The Dusty Drawer

A Hitch Christmas episode, if there is such a thing?

I have watched this story for decades, and just love it. The reason is you get TWO prize Hitchcock regulars, Dick York, playing Norman, and Philip Coolidge, as Tritt. These two over the top characters live together in a boarding house, and what's worse, work together at the local bank.

The problem; Tritt is one of the officers and Norman claims he short-changed him of two hundred dollars -- so he could cover a banking error. Norman refuses to forgive and forget, and believes in the "revenge is sweet" theory... and he's out to nail his adversary.

A sly game of cat and mouse, and Dick York and Philip Coolidge compliment each other. They are so much fun to watch, especially for some smug expressions. Coolidge the same year this episode was released appeared as a doctor in Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST. He was a long time stage actor and director and had quite a distinguished career.

Dick York, originally a radio actor, will always be remembered as Darren on BEWITCHED, but his various roles for Hitchcock are not to be forgotten. This is one of them.

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Once in a while, the series just launched into silliness. This plot involves a supposedly wronged man played by Dick York, later of the show "Bewitched." York's character launches a full frontal assault on a fellow boarding house bank teller whom he feels cheated him out of two hundred dollars. The mans failure to acquiesce leads to a series of efforts by York to destroy him. His set ups result in the poor man embarrassing himself time after time. We never know if there ever was an inciting incident (the two hundred dollars) but we are expected to sympathize with York's Captain Ahab. I just couldn't do it. The bank teller is so badly treated that I couldn't overcome the tongue in cheek portrayal. Is two hundred dollars enough incentive to destroy a man's life and cause him to live in fear. Of course, I'm overreacting to an old TV show.

A youthful Dick York,later of "Bewitched" fame, plays a professor residing in a boarding house. One of his fellow boarders is a stuffy bank teller (Coolidge) whom the professor is convinced cheated him on a deposit some months before. The professor keeps after the teller to own up to it and return the money. The teller refuses and the professor decides to ratchet matters up a notch, which involves a toy gun and a forgotten desk drawer at the bank. Since the episode was less than a half hour in length, events are compacted, such as the initial deposit snafu, which takes place before the episode begins. So when the curtain goes up, the professor is already trying various means to get the teller to fess up. This is a relatively lighthearted story, although pulling out a toy gun in a crowded bank won't go over well in our violent modern times. York is charming and affable and the prissy Coolidge makes the perfect foil.

This is Dick York's second appearance on AHP (three more to come). In his first, he played a wise guy. This one seems a little more natural for him. I have to say, he really gives me a Jim Carrey vibe.

In a bit of period detail, we have two men (with jobs, nonetheless) living in a boarding house. York wants to get his vengeance on a stuffy bank teller. We only hear about and don't see the original transgression, and I think this is what made me sympathetic to the bank teller. The revenge goes too far, but we are also made to see that York's character has no selfish motive beyond that. The story also seems unrealistic, the way the gun is handled.

Ultimately, it plays for kicks, and is fairly effective at that. By Season 4, AHP risked repeating itself, and this episode at least isn't guilty of that.

'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' "The Dusty Drawer" (1959)

Opening thoughts: Herschel Daugherty was responsible for some exceptional 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes, standouts being "The Creeper", "Little White Frock" and "The Last Dark Step". He was though also responsible for the disappointing "Father and Son" and the big time miss "Sylvia" (one of my least favourites of the series). He really excelled in the creepier episodes and he also excelled in the few that had more of an emotional impact, less so in the slighter plotted, more soapy ones.

"The Dusty Drawer" is good, though does fall short of greatness. It is not one of Daugherty's very best 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes and is not in the same league as the mentioned exceptional episodes. It is also nowhere near close to being one of the disappointments. As far as Season 4 goes, "The Dusty Drawer" is not one of the high points. Instead it is somewhere around solid middle. It is also not one of the low points. It is not exactly for those who don't like characters being treated or behaving too cruelly, but it is interesting to see a lighter side to Daugherty.

Bad things: The weak link is the ending, which for my tastes is rather too cruel and doesn't really resolve (almost anti-climactic).

As a result it is very difficult to feel much sympathy for the person we are supposed yo feel sympathy for because of how far the cruelty goes.

Good things:It, the epsode that is, does have in its favour though a lot of intrigue and suspense. And further elevated by the wonderfully sly lead performance of Dick York. Daugherty's direction never tries to do too much while keeping the drama tight.

Furthermore, the production values are slick and atmospheric enough and Hitchcock's bookending is suitably droll. Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" is a great choice for the theme music. Most of the writing is thought provoking and intrigues, nothing coming over as superfluous. Hitchcock's bookending is typically droll and fun, in perfect keeping with the episode's tone. Moreover, the story always compels and the light heartedness is done amusingly and charmingly.

Closing thoughts: Good if not great.

7/10.