10 Stars.
Author Marian B. Cockrell may have been inspired by MARY POPPINS (the books before the movie!) in writing this over the top story, all about a "new kind" of governess. Marian took it up to the next level, and with a wink and a nod from Hitchcock. By the way, Marian also wrote for BATMAN.
Who else to play this role than one of the great comediennes and stage actresses, Hermione Gingold. She is missed. All of us kids grew up watching her on tv talk shows, and she was a gas, if not x-rated senior citizen. She had a distinguished stage career, later jumping into movies, beginning with appearances in two classic films, GIGI (1958), singing with Maurice Chevalier and acting opposite Kim Novak in BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE (1958), which probably caught Hitchcock's eye.
Hermione is the whole show, playing Charlotte Hope, a most unusal governess who enters the lives of a distinguished family (the Wellingtons) and proceeds to turn it upside down. The definition of a dark comedy. There's also a question about the title, the Schartz Metterklune Method, which is Miss Hope's way of teaching children --an artistic approach at child rearing. Actually, the Method could be a re-working of other very real experiments. But the real focus is Miss Hope. A work of art as you will see.
Notable supporting cast with famous sisters Angela and Veronica Cartwright and Pat Hitchcock playing Rose, and making her dad proud. Pat was a good actress. I have said it before, watch her in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951). Many other familiar faces here, like Celeste Holm and debonaire Tom Conway. What a memorable cast.
An unforgettable episode (perhaps ahead of its time) not to be missed. From SEASON 5 EPISODE 35 remastered Universal dvd box set. Two box sets, each containing 5 dvds. Released 2015 and 2022 according to Amazon.