Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) Mr. Blanchard's Secret (1956) User Reviews

Greatly Under-Rated Hitchcock with Delicious Ending

[poetcomic1 · 8/10 · 30 August 2014]

The suspense is mild and the Rear Window vibe is tongue-in-cheek,this is not a lazy 'copy'. The angular expressive and very memorable actress chosen to play Mrs. Blanchard was Meg Mundy. She was a former English model and you may remember her as Mary Tyler Moore's uptight mom in Ordinary People.

Mrs. Blanchard keeps coming back from the dead and the last 'reappeareance' of the spookily unkillable wife is one of the most subtle and delicious endings of any of the Hitchcock Presents. A perfect example of Hitchcock's dry sense of humor.

Hitchcock surely picked out the heavy silver lighter with its unique curved shape to impress it on our memory. Knowing Hitch, he probably spent as much time choosing the silver lighter as he did directing the whole teleplay! The kooky mystery writer is like the film director who keeps taking us along on wild adventures of the imagination and then pulls the rug out from under us again and again. (spoiler alert) Not only does the unkillable wife come back at the end, in the hand is the lighter we 'know' she stole! In the end we laugh because we know NOTHING at all. Greatly under-rated.

Nosy about the neighbors

[Archbishop_Laud · 6/10 · 15 July 2013]

This is the second straight episode about a mystery writer. The lead actress gives me a young Shirley MacLaine vibe of sorts. She's a bundle of energy with a "vivid imagination" who suspects her male neighbor of killing his wife. She's tolerated by her more grounded husband (Robert Horton, in his 3rd of 7 appearances in the series). But he doesn't seem to want to step in and save her from her own mistakes.

Another reviewer is correct to note the similarities to Rear Window. We inevitably get the scene where the putative villain gains the moral high ground on our protagonist. Hitchcock directs, and gives us a scene where the writer's imagination is played out as alternative reality.

Alas, the ending is soft.

some great Hitchcock moments

[info-4515 · 8/10 · 15 June 2007]

One of the few episodes directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Not one of the most clever of stories but was interesting to see a voyeuristic plot line a few years after he made 'Rear Window'. This episode has Hitchcock's storytelling style written all over it:

1. Classic gag in opening scene, the woman is rattling on like a manic about the neighbors, while husband is lying in bed motionless. She kisses him and he doesn't react. By the end of the scene she leaves the room and we are forced to wonder "is he dead?" Then at the last minute husband snaps up and reveals he was pretending to sleep.

2. Another great moment while she sneaks into neighbors house and is snooping through closet, man walks up behind her. All in one wide shot first we see a hand, then arm, as he walks into view toward us. She doesn't see him yet -- trademark helpless shock moment for the audience, very similar to 'Psycho' shower approach.

Message to Babs-- "Get a Life"

[dougdoepke · 12 February 2009]

Talk about nosy neighbors. Babs Fenton has got the mania in spades. But then, she's a mystery writer, so the over-active imagination comes naturally. The trouble is her imaginings dwell on the dark side. So, when neighbor Mrs. Blanchard doesn't appear for a few days, it's not something mundane like visiting family. Instead, it's likely the poor woman has been murdered by that cold-hearted, professorial husband of hers. That would be just like him. Mary keeps her nose glued to the window, except when she's caught investigating the neighbor's closet—a good, satisfying scene. Husband John needs to put a leash on her, but instead he takes it all in patient stride.

Hitchcock was never happier than when portraying dark deeds behind a respectable façade. This Hitch-directed entry is no exception. It's a good one that kept me guessing right up to the unusual climax. However, I'm still puzzling over Robert Horton's minor role. It's one that really calls for a utility actor, not a hunky, leading man like Horton. My guess is he was called in to boost marquee-appeal since the other principals were largely unknown. Anyway, the entry remains a suspenseful one with a good moral to think about.

"Oh, sometimes I don't know how you put up with me."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 13 August 2021]

A woman (Mary Scott) with an overactive imagination drives her husband (Robert Horton) crazy with a suspicion that their new next door neighbor has done away with his wife. It doesn't matter that the neighbor woman (Meg Mundy) pops up from time to time, but in each instance, Babs Fenton (Scott) reverts back to her skeptical nature as soon as the woman is out of sight. Her sideline as a writer of mystery stories is only partly an explanation, in any other person's estimation she would be a busybody.

Two observations pertinent to the era bear mentioning. First off, the Fenton's sleep in separate beds at a time when showing a married couple together in one bed was considered too risqué for viewers. Can you imagine that considering what passes for entertainment today. The other has to do with how cavalier it was for people to enter each other's home unannounced and unexpected. I was taken aghast when Babs did it the first time going into the Blanchard home, but then both Charles (Dayton Lummis) and Ellen Blanchard (Mundy) just casually sauntered into the Fenton home when they felt like it as well.

The story ends with an unanticipated but casual twist when the Blanchard's return just as Mary is about to act upon yet another suspicious idea. For Hitchcock fans expecting murder or mayhem just around the corner, the denouement here leaves Babs in mild astonishment rather than the viewer.

Just about worth sharing

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 25 May 2022]

The mystery writer type of story is not a new concept for 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'. Not that that mattered though, as there are plenty of films and episodes with premises that are seen a good deal but are still handled quite well. What immediately drew me into watching "Mr Blanchard's Secret" was that it was directed by Hitchcock himself, his previous episode being the disappointing Season 2 opener "Wet Saturday", who is one of my favourite directors.

Hitchcock is not at the very top of his game here in "Mr Blanchard's Secret". It is definitely worth a look and worth sharing, and it is certainly much better than "Wet Saturday" (not that that would have been hard). Hitchcock though did direct far better episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', that showed off his distinctive style more, namely one of my favourite episodes of the series "Breakdown". Neither one of the series' best or worst episodes and middle of the pack for Season 2.

"Mr Blanchard's Secret" does have good things. It looks good, with some slick and atmospheric shots. Hitchcock does direct more than competently and as ever his bookending is deliciously dry in a way that only he could do. The audio is ominous when necessary and the theme tune for the overall series has lost none of its eeriness.

Did like the ending, which was not expected and different in that it is not the going out with a bang sort of endings but rather the quieter and more ironic kind. The moral isn't laid on too thick. Despite not caring massively for her character, Mary Scott does do a good job and gives it everything, not a subtle portrayal but it is committed and unsettles. Although his role isn't as big as his billing indicates, Robert Horton also gives a committed performance.

On the other hand, "Mr Blanchard's Secret" for my taste is too talk heavy, with too much of the ranting and monologuing feeling too much in that it comes over as rambling and like we are being told too much at a dizzying rate. Did find the monologuing too over-explanatory, it didn't need to explain as much as it did.

Although Scott does fine, the character of Babs is just too neurotic and her motivations are all over the place and not developed particularly well. To the extent that it comes over as annoying. The pace could have done with a tightening at times, the final act does require some credibility straining and there would have been more suspense if Babs' character had been toned down and that motivations were clearer.

In conclusion, above average but not great. Considering who the director was, an opportunity for something greater was missed. 6/10.

It Just Left Me Cold

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 11 November 2008]

I noticed that this was directed by Hitchcock himself. It's the story of a nosy writer who begins to believe that foul play is at work at the neighbors' house (sound familiar?). She starts snooping around, driving her husband crazy with her blundering machinations. Of course, there is evidence of foul play but her overzealous actions really turned me off. The principle character is so tiresome and so loud, I can see why the husband pretends to be asleep. If there were to be a murder, it should probably be in this house, not the one next door. Of course, it all comes to a head when she invites the woman next door for coffee and a silver cigarette lighter disappears. Now it is kleptomania that she believes. Oh, well. It gets resolved. I found the whole thing a pretty forgettable, early sixties sort of comedy.

Tell, don't show?

[scheffel · 6/10 · 4 April 2019]

I'm not sure what is worse. The inner monologue or the protagonist talking out loud to herself (lips moving, even when inner monologue would make more sense)? It's really unusual for for Hitchcock to be the director of something this unimaginative.

I think Babs was onto something...

[glitterrose · 10/10 · 4 July 2022]

Okay, our characters in this story are centered on Babs, John (her husband), and the Blanchards (neighbors). Babs is a mystery writer and her mind is in complete overdrive when it concerns her neighbors. She's never seen the wife. She sees Mr. Blanchard and knows he's not the kindest man in the world.

Babs is driving her poor husband nuts coming up with all sorts of bizarre theories for why she never sees Mrs. Blanchard. Is she locked up somewhere, did he kill her? Speaking of Babs husband, he's played by Robert Horton and it makes me giggle he's playing a character with a legitimate marriage in this episode. There's quite a few times in a few of his episodes that feature him having a sugar momma. I particularly enjoy the episode where his wife threatens to cut off his allowance for a week.

Anyway, I do think Mr. Blanchard had some sort of secret because he did act completely bizarre. Peering in through Babs and John's window to see if Mrs. Blanchard is over there. He throws a hissy fit when he catches Mrs. Blanchard visiting Babs. Yes, Babs does eventually get to meet Mrs. Blanchard and she's quite a nice lady. And I realize Babs probably got on a lot of peoples nerves with her nosiness but I also think Babs was a nice lady. She even asks Mrs. Blanchard if she's happy. It is quite a bizarre situation when you have to sneak out of the house as an adult in order to go shopping or go to a movie. And that's stuff she tells Babs, she does sneak out of the house to go places by herself. She also tries to smooth over her husband by saying he's a saint to put up with her.

Towards the end of the episode, we have the two ladies visiting again. Babs has a cigarette lighter that doesn't work and she says she just doesn't have the thumb to get them to work correctly. Babs is distracted and runs out of the room when she remembers she's got stew on the stove. Mrs. Blanchard pockets the cigarette lighter and leaves. Babs comes back and reaches for the lighter that's no longer there and that spins Babs off for another story. Mrs. Blanchard's a thief and that's why Mr. Blanchard acts the way he does.

Of course Babs imagination is running wild again. The end scene has both Blanchards visiting Babs and returning the cigarette lighter that now works.

Interesting story but I still say Mr. Blanchard was the one with the secret. I wouldn't be saying this stuff if it was established Mrs. Blanchard was a homebody, dealing with agoraphobia, etc. But the husband didn't want her to ever leave the house. I'm assuming things are gonna change if the ending was any indication.

I hope he IS a murderer....and decides to practice on Babs!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 20 February 2021]

The timing of "Mr. Blanchard's Secret" is interesting. This is because the previous episode, "The Rose Garden" is ALSO about a mystery writer! How very odd.

Babs Fenton is a mystery writer...and a total kook. Soon, with no real reason, she starts imagining all sorts of things about the next door neighbor. In fact, she comes to believe that he's killed his wife...though there really is no evidence for any of her weird ideas. But the woman is determined and even sneaks into the Blanchard house to see if she's dead...and later, she even goes so far as to call the police and report her murder. But Mrs. Blanchard is alive and well...and not the least bit dead.

Babs is about the most annoying and unrealistic character I can recall from any "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode. She monologues to herself a lot, makes crazy assumptions and drives her poor husband to the point where he just tunes her out because she seems to be constantly blathering! In fact, I was rooting that the Blanchards WERE murderers...and they'd start with Babs!

The episode plays like a very bad knock-off of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" and I think most of the reviews are pretty generous to this very limp episode. I was annoyed by it...possibly more so because my own wife IS a suspense writer...and if she acted like Babs, she'd be a divorced suspense writer!! Completely unrealistic and annoying...though some apparently thought it was a funny episode. I wouldn't agree.

Oustanding ep due to cutiepie Mary Scott

[bnelso-23793 · 10/10 · 14 November 2018]

And Hitch's own direction. This ep has a married writer named Babs who notices suspicious activity in the house next door. After the creep neighbor man glances in on her home she returns the favor by going over and sneaking into his house to search for his constantly elusive wife Babs has heard much about but never seen. A series of twists and turns happen after that leading to a happy ending.

Miss Scott carries what might as well really be a one woman show and with perk and sex appeal and brilliance. I do not understand the strange poster on here commenting about Robert Horton playing her husband and being hunky. He is a just plain fella!

Highly underrated

[rgxdzrybr · 10/10 · 14 December 2023]

I just love this episode!

Babs Fenton is a combination of L. B. Jefferies ( James Stewart in Rear Window) , Lucy Ricardo and Murder She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher . She writes mysteries and becomes suspicious of the neighbors especially the husband. She even snoops in their house! But in all fairness there is something off about the neighbors. The husband is standoffish but also peers into the kitchen window at Babs ! He's also keeping his sweet wife on a short leash . Babs come up with theories about them and uses them in her stories only to have all of them disproved. The wife adds to the mystery by seeming a little vague about their marriage.

Babs has a patient, amused and slightly frustrated husband who is a lawyer ( good for Babs!) I really like Babs and her husband they balance each other out. An episode I enjoy . This one is on the lighter side and while many think it's all Babs and her vivid imagination the neighbors give her more than enough reason to think wild thoughts about them.