Karen Adams' infidelity drives her husband Carl to attempt suicide by jumping from a high window ledge at a hotel. Can police officer Barrett stop him?Karen Adams' infidelity drives her husband Carl to attempt suicide by jumping from a high window ledge at a hotel. Can police officer Barrett stop him?Karen Adams' infidelity drives her husband Carl to attempt suicide by jumping from a high window ledge at a hotel. Can police officer Barrett stop him?
Photos
- Officer Barrett
- (as Mark Richman)
- Man Talking to Cab Driver
- (as Victor Tayback)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe rear projection in the hotel ledge scenes shows N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, particularly the Allerton Hotel and a sign advertising Wanzer milk, a local Chicago dairy.
- GoofsThe characters make numerous references to Manhattan landmarks, indicating the story takes place in Manhattan N.Y. But the skyline is of Chicago. The hotel manager says "Why didn't he pick on some hotel near Penn Station?" The police officer asks the manager to call Bellevue and have them send over a psychiatrist. Bellevue is a hospital in Manhattan frequently associated with the treatment of mentally ill patients. Charles Adams' suitcase contains a Manhattan phone book. When Carl Adams is on the hotel ledge the officer says "Got quite a view, huh? There's a better one from the top of the Empire State." The officer then points in the direction of Chicago's Allerton Hotel and beyond the Allerton, the Palmolive Building is visible.
- Quotes
[introduction - Hitchcock is in a chair giving someone exercises]
Self - Host: One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Now raise your hands above your head. Higher. Higher. I wish to take this opportunity to welcome you latecomers to "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Someone suggested I go to a slim & trim class and I decided to go even further and start one of my own. Here to encourage you beginners is an illustration of what hard work and determination can do.
[pull back to reveal a skeleton next to Hitchcock, which resumes exercising]
Self - Host: One, two, three, four. This is Mr. Webster, who I'm certain is the envy of all of you. When Mr. Webster first came to me, he weighed nearly 300 pounds. He was sluggish and run-down and was the object of ridicule because of his obesity. Furthermore, his wife had threatened to walk out on him. Now all that has changed for the better. He has his old energy back, he's quite popular socially and his wife has left him. He also has a pleasant job marveling in the anatomy department of one of our largest universities and, in evenings, is ink man in a minstrel show. And now, ladies and gentlemen, a special low-calorie story. However, first, for those of you who aren't dieting, we have this bit of treacle.
- ConnectionsRemade as Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Man on the Edge (1987)
- SoundtracksFuneral March of a Marionette
Written by Charles Gounod
"Man with a Problem" to me was an excellent episode with only one real problem. Even that one real problem wasn't enough to stop it from being one of the best episodes of Season 4's first half and one of Stevens' best Season 4 outings. When ranking it with his other 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes, "Man with a Problem" is in the top tier. Maybe not one of my very favourite 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes, but it is a very strong example of how good the series is when on form.
For me, the only issue with "Man with a Problem" is the epilogue, which felt too much like an unnecessary cop out and one of the epilogues to feel tacked on.
However, a lot is excellent. Everything else is absolutely splendid. Especially the acting, Merrill is perfectly cast and is suitably unsettling in an unnerving and oddly moving way. Mark Richmond is a sympathetic contrast and their chemistry is dynamite, with a large part of the suspense being whether the jumper would go through with it. Stevens' direction is some of his most accomplished and inspired, in full control of the material and with full understanding of it.
It helps too that the material is so good. The dialogue is thoughtful and haunting, not coming over as too rambling and it doesn't come over as melodramatic. The story is darkly suspenseful and has emotional impact, with great tension between Merrill and Richmond and a shocking mind-blower of a twist that was pull-the-rug-from-under-the-viewer quality. Personally didn't think it was far fetched. It is a well made episode, with some very stylish and haunting close ups standing out. It is suitably eerie audibly too and "Funeral March of a Marionette" continues to be an inspired choice for theme music.
Concluding, wonderful. 9/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- May 17, 2023
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1