Harry Pope is lying in bed and discovers that there is a sleeping snake on his stomach.Harry Pope is lying in bed and discovers that there is a sleeping snake on his stomach.Harry Pope is lying in bed and discovers that there is a sleeping snake on his stomach.
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Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia21 years later, this same Roald Dahl story, appeared in season 2 episode 5 of Tales of the Unexpected.
- Quotes
[introduction, Hitchcock is sitting on a park bench reading a newspaper]
Himself - Host: Good evening. Here we are in orbit once again. Most of tonight's program will be taken up with a story called 'Poison'.
[a hissing is heard and the camera cuts to Hitchcock's back pocket that happens to be...]
Himself - Host: A rattlesnake. It's a new warning device I've instituted to sound an alarm when a pickpocket is at work. He comes in several sizes, including very small ones for ladies' purses.
[Hitchcock pokes at the rattlesnake making it hiss again]
Himself - Host: He's very alert. This is far superior to ordinary burglar alarms, for if the thief is foolhardy enough to put his hand in the pocket...
[shrugs]
Himself - Host: There are a few bugs in it. Once when a thief put a hand in my pocket, the snake became confused and struck in the wrong direction. The doctor had to put a tourniquet around my stomach. Unfortunately, that proved to be the wrong stomach. It was the snake who died. I see that it is now what my sponsor calls 'high time' and here is what he thinks it is high time for.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Trouble with Harry Isn't Over (2001)
- SoundtracksFuneral March of a Marionette
Written by Charles Gounod
One of the most suspenseful entries of the series, from that past master of the offbeat, Roald Dahl. It's a 30-minutes that certainly started off the 4th season with a bang, or should I say a bucket of sweat. As I recall, it was also one of those episodes that got talked about the next day, folks imagining what they would do in Harry's place. Harry's predicament is also reminiscent of Joseph Cotton's paralyzed businessman trying to stay off the coroner's slice-and-dice table in the classic Breakdown (1955).
Anyhow, it's superior Hitchcock and a candidate for classic status, so don't miss it.
- dougdoepke
- Oct 18, 2010
Details
- Runtime26 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1