Alfred Hitchcock Presents The Hands of Mr. Ottermole (1955–1962) watch online HD

The Scene is nighttime London in 1919. A serial killer is terrorising the streets, strangling his or her victims apparently at random.

It's a little difficult to say too much about this story, because so much contributes to the clever ending, when we may or may not get answers to the two important questions: Who is the killer, and What is his/her motive? British actors contribute to the London setting, although the police sergeant's phony Scottish accent is a little unpleasant.

The characters are very well played, especially the two main roles (Theodore Bikel and Rhys Williams), and the imagery is very clever, giving us genuine clues and red herrings alike.

I found this episode engrossing.

This is one of those Jack the Ripper stories that were often filmed in the 1940's. It is set in the foggy London nights with all manner of personage lurking in the shadows. What we have is a strangler who can't control himself. The police are up a tree and are being hounded by reporters, one in particular that is sort of hard on them. While the story doesn't offer much, it has quality performances and fits well in the genre. The scene at the police station is nicely done and in typical Hitchcock fashion throws a few red herrings in our path. Theodore Bikel, a great actor, is at his best here. I recommend this one.

Fairly suspenseful episode. We wonder who's behind the hands of a strangler throttling the latest victim, hands and head being all we see from the camera set-up. That way the anguished grimaces of the victim fill the screen in riveting fashion. Meanwhile, London bobbies have no clues to the strangler, even as public panic mounts. The crimes seem unrelated and motiveless. And darned if this isn't about the foggiest studio set on record. No wonder the cops are having a hard time.

It doesn't help the stoical precinct sergeant (Bikel) that annoying reporter Summers keeps riding him and his men about their lack of progress. Then too, why does the nosy newspaperman keep turning up at the murder sites before the cops. Clearly, there's more to the case than meets the eye. Of course, there's the London fog on- screen. But now, there's a mental fog kicked up by the story since we can't be sure where it's going. I like the solution. It's a little on the philosophical side. Sill it's an interesting idea that raises, in its own way, the conundrum of mind versus matter. All in all, a thought-provoking Hitch entry.

****SPOILERS**** Post WWI 1919 England is being terrorized by this "Jack the Strangler" serial killer with the London Police totally helpless to stop him or possibly, "Jill the Strangler", her. It's Sgt. Ottermole, Theodore Bikel, who's on the hot seat in him being held responsible in not having this homicidal lunatic caught and put behind bars. It's the nagging and pesky reporter Summers, Rhys Williams, who's really getting under Sgt. Ottermole's skin in not being able to solve the string of murders by the "London Srangler". And the besieged sergeant doesn't like it one bit and lets him known his feelings about him in no uncertain terms.

What we and reporter Summers soon get from Sgt. Ottermole's opinions about the killer makes us wonder if he in fact knows far more about him then he's letting on. Sgt. Ottermole's psychological profile of the elusive strangler is so on target that it's a wonder that he couldn't have had him identified and captured before he committed his first murder! As the killings or stranglings kelp going on the sergeant gets more and more weirder as if he knows who the killer is but somehow can't bring himself to have him captured or arrested.

****SPOILERS****It's later when the strangler pops up in the London fog and this time targets reporter Summers not only is his cover blown but he himself captured. And it was Summers who who figured out who he was in what Sgt. Ottermore unknowingly and unconsciously told him about his mental mind-set. Early psychological study of serial murders before the phrase was even coined. And it's right on target about them and how they can operate and murder in plain sight of their victims back then like they do now.

Hitchcock sends us to England for a Jack the Ripper type tale. I think they overdo the Britishness a bit for the sake of American audiences ("Wonder what she's got for Tea? Kippers.")

The killing(s) are shot from the perspective of the strangler, which is a nice directorial touch. However, it's tough doing a whodunit in 25 minutes, because there's no time to introduce many characters. Of course, it also may be that the killer isn't someone we see.

But this isn't primarily a story of suspense (the title kind of hints at that). Instead, it is atmospheric and somewhat talky, with some philosophical discussions added in. I thought the ending was OK.

A solid, rather modest Hitchcock entry, The Hands Of Mr. Ottermole delivers the goods in its own solid way, rises to the occasion, of being an engrossing "Ripper tale" thanks to its slow, steady presentation and some first rate acting. Somehow, for all the pussyfooting around in the London fog, the ending manages to feel shocking. The Hitchcock crew knew how to make something out of what might have at first glance seemed like nothing. It's how the tale was told that makes this one work more than the tale itself.