Good Evening: An Alfred Hitchcock Presents Podcast

In this Hitchcock-directed episode, Vincent Price plays one Charles Courtney, a Sherlockian detective with a sterling investigative reputation and an ego to match. But when local defense attorney John Gregory shows up on his doorstep late one night, Courtney finds he’s in for the shock of his life. Will Courtney’s pride—and more importantly, Gregory himself—be able to survive this tense evening? And will Courtney’s infamous hubris be the cause of his downfall? Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 8.25 special vases

When Gerry Daniels, a man on death row, is given his last request, he attempts to set the record straight regarding his actual crimes by writing a sensational letter to the editor. But as this edgy, brilliantly crafted plot progresses, the viewer begins to question: Is Gerry condemning the city’s district attorney or himself? Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 9.25 last requests

Annie and Kathryn cover this infamous, star-studded episode about a Vegas gambler who agrees to some most unusual terms in a bet with a stranger. The prize if he wins? The keys to a brand new convertible. The cost if he loses? The pinky finger on his left hand. Tension mounts as the gambler places his fate in the hands of an everyday cigarette lighter’s reliability. But could it be that the terms of this bet are not quite so straightforward as they seem? Burn-o-Meter: 9 Overall Rating: 8.5 pinky fingers

In a Good Evening first, Annie and Kathryn differ wildly in their opinion of this darkly comedic, Hitchcock-directed installment. When mystery writer Babs Fenton begins spying on her next-door neighbor, she latches onto many true crime theories in quick succession: Mr. Blanchard is a murderer. A controlling partner. A long-suffering husband hiding away a kleptomaniac wife! Or . . . none of the above? Only time—or the Blanchards themselves—will tell. Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 6 silver lighters TOP FIVE EPISODES SO FAR: ANNIE Conversation Over a Corpse The Motive The Deadly Lamb to the Slaughter Murder Me Twice KATHRYN The Motive The Deadly You Got to Have Luck An Open Window Mail Order Prophet

Charles Cavender can’t sleep. It’s not an unbearable heat of 92 degrees, and it’s not a noisy neighbor. It’s the fear that Jack Fletcher, the brother of his dead wife, is set on revenge. Determined to put an end to his insomnia, Charles tracks down Fletcher before he can be tracked down himself. But in the end, will that elusive good night’s sleep prove to be Charles’ downfall? Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 7.5 faulty old heaters

Everyone knows the story of Lizzie Borden, immortalized in the famous children’s rhyme. Or . . . DO they? In this week’s episode, we revisit the famous Lizzie Borden case—this time with a twist that involves a nosy reporter, a not-so-secret compartment, and, naturally, an older sister named Emma. Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 8 axes

When Mr. and Mrs. Kendall move into their dream home in Salem, Massachusetts, their one concern is that their daughter Kate won’t have a playmate for the summer. But when Kate makes friends with “Lettie,” her parents become increasingly concerned that the little friend who rides in a gig and wears buzzard bone necklaces might only be imaginary. . .or, possibly, something far more sinister. Burn-o-Meter: 5.5 Overall Rating: 7 buzzard bone necklaces

When college student Perry (not Mason) gets into hot water with Professor Jarvis, he decides to pay a visit to the prof’s house to make amends. But a chance discovery of a discarded hatbox in Jarvis’ trash can leads to quickly escalated speculation. Is Professor Jarvis a murderer? And will the enlisted Lieutenant Roman get to the bottom of a case involving a biology prof, a nosy small town, and one ugly hat? Burn-o-Meter: 4.5 Overall Rating: 4.5 hatboxes

When Miss Fox is attacked in a dark alley, she is convinced that her dog Vanessa has as good as identified her assailant. But could Miss Fox’s personal bias be getting in the way? And how will true justice be served? Annie & Kathryn discuss an episode featuring rhinestone collars, leopard muffs, and the incomparable Bette Davis. Burn-o-Meter: 7.5 Overall Rating: 7.5 dog walks

In this Hitchcock-directed episode, William Botibol is in over his head—first in a gambling pool and then in a more literal body of water. Annie & Kathryn discuss yet another man-overboard installment of AHP. It’s a story filled with high stakes, abandoned drinks, and a deadly ironic twist. Burn-o-Meter: 7 Overall Rating: 8.25 estimated miles of the day’s run

Annie & Kathryn finish their brief Oscar Homolka series with a  letdown of an episode. On his ocean liner voyage to South Africa, Sir Richard Musgrave encounters a familiar face aboard. An increasingly anxious and paranoid Richard becomes convinced that the familiar man named Keyser is, in fact, Jan Vander Klaue—an old partner he thought he killed twenty long years ago. What follows is a hard-to-believe tale of news-clippings, drunken jumps, and seventy-five pounds. Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 4 useless life rings

When Carl Kaminsky discovers a wallet containing a whopping $5200, his wife Anna dreams of the generous reward they might receive for turning it in. Carl has ideas of his own, however. When Anna discovers Carl’s secret, what follows is a tale of spousal blackmail, fur coats, expensive manicure sets, and really good cups of coffee. Join Annie, Kathryn, and their growling stomachs as they discuss this second installment of their Oscar Homolka series. Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 7.5 good cups of coffee

In keeping with the topsy-turvy times, Annie & Kathryn wander off their usual course and cover a listener-suggested episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. A nurse-strangling serial killer is on the loose, but Stella and Nurse Ames are convinced they will remain safe if they keep all the doors and windows locked. But ARE all the windows locked? And will Stella’s forgetfulness turn out to be her undoing? Burn-o-Meter: 6.5 Overall Rating: 8.75 unlocked windows

A clingy son, an enigmatic woman, and a dead Jonathan are the ingredients for this listener-suggested episode. When Gil’s beloved father Jonathan dies, he suspects his wicked stepmother of foul play. But could a fun trip to Mexico and an expensive bottle of brandy be more sinister upon second glance? Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 6.75 giant bottles of poisoned brandy

The monsters are due in Milwaukee in yet another listener-suggested episode. Two strangers—one a squirrely fella and the other a victim of inertia—find themselves in a tense situation when they hear reports of an escapee from the nearby hospital for the criminally insane. Which of the two men is really dangerous? Or could it be that another danger entirely lurks just beneath the surface? Burn-o-Meter: N/A Overall Rating: 8 annoying sirens

Steve McQueen stars as a journalist visiting his favorite bar for an interview with an apparent “martian.” But is Yang the Martian for real? And is Steve really a journalist? All is not as it seems in this dialogue-heavy, unusually sci-fi installment of AHP. Burn-o-Meter: 5 Overall Rating: 6.75 targans

A ghostly legend. A high-stakes bet. A haunted British manor. All ingredients for a delicious Halloween tale. Will the eponymous Gentleman from America make it out of Hurstwood Manor alive? Or are there fates worse than an encounter with a headless ghost? Burn-o-Meter: 5 Overall Rating: 7 headless ghosts

A premonitory dream plagues Mary Summers in this week’s dread-filled episode. When an escaped patient from a nearby mental hospital appears in her home, will her nightmare come true? Or is there more than meets the eye to this final installment in our Phyllis Thaxter marathon? Burn-o-meter: N/A Overall rating: 7 clumsy cats

Annie & Kathryn return to their Phyllis Thaxter Appreciation Series for this adaptation of a 1954 John Cheever short story. Our gal Phyllis plays a woman with a pistol, opposite Zachary Scott’s cold Mr. Blake. But what will be the end result? Murder? Or a somewhat anti-climactic twist? Burn-o-Meter: 8 Overall Rating: 7 tense train rides

Annie and Kathryn are joined by special guest Chip Sebastian to discuss this eye-opening episode. The self-absorbed Seymour hatches a plot to stage the perfect murder, but could it be that he can’t see past the plank in his eye . . . er, nose? Burn-o-meter: N/A Overall Rating: 7.5 birthmarks