I'm finding that with many of Alfred Hitchcock's television offerings, the resolution often comes with a sense of irony for one of the principals, but if one applies a bit of common sense or research, the basis for the story begins to unravel. My ears perked up in this one when the reading of the will stated that the conniving nephews would inherit the bulk of the uncle's estate upon the death of his surviving wife. Not wanting to assume anything, I looked up what the law called for during the era of the 1950's and discovered that according to the Married Women's Protection Act of 1870, women were allowed to control real and personal property, and among other things, execute wills on their own behalf. Why couldn't Aunt Rosalie (Mildred Natwick) have her own will drawn up if she wanted to exclude the wastrel nephews? It seems a major incorrect assumption was made in regard to this story which was allowed to stand in the final product. Be that as it may, the story has a fitting ending in accordance with the series thrust into the ironic and bizarre. Although again, I would question why Paul (Hurd Hatfield) would partake of an egg soufflé so chronologically close to the one that was intended to kill his aunt. Talk about not keeping one's eye on the ball.
Review of The Perfect Murder
