| Show Small) the but lr This Week I I MAO A t N ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS k In response to a reader's question to write a special Sunday morning photo-thrill- er for us His only condition: that he be allowed to play eight of the nine roles himself QUESTION: "On his TV show 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' Hitchcock does stories by others writes Mr Valentine McGovern of Long Island N Y "Has he ever written a story himself T" We asked Mr Hitchcock and he said "No" "But would you ?" tee pursued His answer appears below ANSWER: I have been asked by the Editors or This Week Magazine to brew up a mystery story according to the priceless formula I use for the shadow plays which you are privileged to view in the better cinemas and on the flickering screen of your television sets I consented to this brash request only on condition that I be permitted to play each part myself since even the most talented of producers is at the mercy of insensitive actors There is one exception in the casting: An accident of age and profile makes it impossible for me to counterfeit the charming young lady The plot of my little fable contains all the ifigredients of a chilling jtale and those of weaker constitution are warned that they may not survive the exquisite horrors about to be perpetrated It is a tale of Merrie England in one of its less merrie moments and you are to imagine that you have been transported to the edge of Dartmoor and are approaching Windblown Towers a manor house situparticularly repulsive ated near the village of Chipping Windblown Quite understandably 1 have caused a mist dripping with cold rain to hang over the setting a device which is useful in all tales of suspense For characters I have selected those indispensable though often expendable regulars in this type of classic drama The leading role I have assigned to myself is that of Police Inspector Cranston without whose interference no murder story can be successfully mucked up ' 16th-centu- ry i jT UrMiwwifrtircri-a- Next is a noble lord who had regrettably become a corpse before our first picture was taken The victim is none other than Lord Windblown himself poor fellow Then there is his widow Lady Agatha Countess of I Windblown with her personal maid Withers Sir Roderick Gaines an eccentric London solicitor becomes involved in the proceedings because he is a weekend guest at Windblown Towers In addition we have Small the butler Cripps the gardener and Police Constable Bootle Finally the one ray of sunshine in our somber tale Sheis the Honorable Lavender Mopeland whose estate has been so reduced by Lord Windblown's greedy peculations — poor child he has been her guardian — that' she has been forced to find employment as a barmaid at the Hare & Harebells a local pub So with these preliminaries out of the way let us get qn with our story It is known as ‘The Great Hitchcock 1 Murder Mystery” Now study ths oast above ttio tons scan (right) and start ths story below As Police Inspector Cranston my first task on arriv- ing at Windblown Towers was to get the immediate situation in hand I was admitted by Small the butler Continued on page II and I found Police Con- - BAD DAY AT WINDBLOWN THIS WEEK TOWERS: MogolnAvfltf t 4 Lord t)7 I |
