"Alfred Hitchcock Presents"
The Legacy (1956)

Director:

James Neilson

Writers:

Gina Kaus (teleplay) &
Andrew Solt (teleplay) ...

TV Series:

"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955)

Original Air Date:

27 May 1956 (Season 1, Episode 35)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

When a prince who is well known as a playboy takes a sudden romantic interest in a shy, plain housewife, everyone is baffled and fascinated.

Plot Keywords:

Romantic Rivalry | Actress | Prince | Writer | Palm Beach Florida

Cast

Leora Dana	...	Irene Cole
Jacques Bergerac	...	Prince Burhan
Enid Markey	...	Cecelia
Alan Hewitt	...	Howard Cole
Walter Kingsford	...	Col. Blair
Ralph Clanton	...	Randall Burnside
Roxanne Arlen	...	Donna Dew
Rudolph Anders	...	Cafe Host
Joan Dixon	...	Waitress

Runtime:

USA:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Company:

Shamley Productions

An Interesting Story of Psychology & Relationships

Something of a change-of-pace for the series, this episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" primarily concentrates on psychology and relationships instead of suspense and fear. Gina Kaus's story takes several unexpected turns, as did so many episodes in the series, but this time with a rather different style. It has some of the show's familiar elements, plus an interesting psychological angle (in his closing remarks, Hitchcock adds some amusing satirical remarks to keep you from taking the psychology too seriously).

Set in a high-class Palm Beach resort, the story has Jacques Bergerac as a renowned playboy who takes a romantic interest in a seemingly plain, shy married woman whose husband is neglecting her. The script effectively blends in the story developments with sequences of the other characters marveling over this odd development. It creates a believable atmosphere of life among the 'idle rich' while also arousing the viewer's own curiosity about what is going on. The story is narrated by one of the characters who is writing a book about the playboy, and this device works well.

Bergerac is well-suited to his role, and Leora Dana gives quite a good performance in an unusual kind of leading role, as the plain-Jane housewife. Her make-up artist(s) also deserves praise for the effective change in her appearance between the beginning and the end, which also helps to make the story believable.

One of the things that made the series so interesting was that you were never quite sure what tone an episode would take. This one holds onto the strengths of the show, and makes things interesting by adding a slightly new mood of its own.