User Reviews

This episode is told from the point of view of a precocious little girl. While she has parents, she has embarked on her own career as a chronic buttinski, messing with people's lives and carrying on her own fantasies. She decides that a fairly rich older man, new to the town and living alone will be her project. She basically blackmails him into hosting a garden part (although rain sends it inside). It is thought that this man is a retired judge, who has a reputation for handing out cruel, though appropriate, justice. It is her feeling that he is unhappy and she needs to change his life for him. I know in the eyes of most, she is cute, but after a while she becomes pretty insufferable. It's certainly a worthwhile episode and it has a bit of a twist.

This episode of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' benefits from good casting here with Cedric Hardwicke, Robert Culp, Edith Barrett, and Evelyn Rudie as the narrator, a small girl with a lot of cheek and curiosity.

Hardwicke is a stranger in town - but is he who Rudie thinks he is? The tone of this episode is quite light and having the little girl narrating gives it some interest. This is an amusing and engaging episode with its tongue firmly in cheek, and is all the better for it.

So with secrets, séances, and dotty character actors, 'A Man Greatly Beloved' tackles the way we sometimes see what we want to see, and accept appearances as they are. It's a decent episode, well filmed and well cast.

The style of "A Man Greatly Beloved" is most unusual for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". It begins with little Hildegard Fell (Evelyn Rudie) talking directly to the audience and introducing her family! This makes sense, as she's supposed to be extraordinarily precocious and bright! And, through the course of the episode, she demonstrates a most unusual personality...and a very charming one!

In the show, tiny Hildegard has set her sights on her misanthropic neighbor, Mr. Anderson (Cedric Hardwicke). He loves to be alone and dislikes folks....but that doesn't stop Hildegard from introducing herself and insinuating herself into his life. She simply won't take NO for an answer and is able to bring Anderson out of his crusty shell. As far as what's next....well....I don't want to ruin it and you should just see this cute episode for yourself. Well written and terribly likable due to the marvelous character, Hildegard Fell!

By the way, little Evelyn Rudie was actually this precocious in real life! According to IMDB, "In 1959, at age 9, she disappeared from her Los Angeles home and was feared kidnapped. But it turned out she had booked a flight to Washington, D.C., herself, and boarded the airplane unaccompanied. When she was taken off the plane at Baltimore, she said she'd wanted to visit First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, whom she had met previously, at the White House to ask her help to "get me a part in a TV series"."

How well you like this entry may depend on how much you like precocious 7-year old girls. Little Evelyn Rudie is one strong personality, her gap-tooth grin totally self-assured as her Hildegard messes with the lives of adults around her. Seems the mysterious John Anderson (Hardwicke) is a new-comer recluse to little Hildegard's town and thus invites curiosity. So Hildegard decides to find things out in her own inimitable way.

The plot generates little suspense, some interest, but maybe quite a few chuckles. It's really little Rudie's forceful personality that carries the show. It's also an interesting supporting cast. I suspect Hardewick took a secondary part as a favor to fellow Britisher Hitchcock, while Robert Culp gets an early role as the handsome Clarence. But for old movie fans, there's bird-like Edith Barrett from Val Lewton's great horror series from the early 1940's (e.g. I Walked with a Zombie, {1943}). Here she does a rather amusing bit. All in all, it's an offbeat Hitchcock with an upshot more thought- provoking than ironic.

My main reasons for watching "A Man Greatly Beloved" were me watching all the episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and for Cedric Hardwicke (so unforgettable as Frollo in 1939's 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'). James Neilson's previous 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' outings were mostly good and more, though none of his episodes are season or series high points, though he is not one of my favourites of the series' recurring directors. Did like the idea for the episode.

Just wish that the execution was better and lived up to this idea. As far as Season 2 goes, "A Man Greatly Beloved" is not one of the best ("One More Mile to Go", "Conversation over a Corpse", "The Manacled") but also not one of the worst ("Wet Saturday", "Nightmare in 4D", "Mr Blanchard's Secret"). After being so impressed by the previous 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episode "The Hands of Mr Ottermole", another one of the season's best, it was disappointing to see an episode with the potential it had be one of the season's lesser outings.

By all means, "A Man Greatly Beloved" has things that are good. The best thing about it is Hardwicke, who is excellent. Without him actually, the episode would have been close to a series low point. Hitchcock's bookending is deliciously ironic as usual.

There is some nice atmospheric filming and lighting and the theme music is as inspired and haunting as ever.

"A Man Greatly Beloved" has a lot of things that let it down. For me Evelyn Rudie was hard to take due to her badly overdoing her character's precociousness, to the point where the character becomes irritating. With so much of her as well that alone brought down the episode quite significantly. The narration is overused and has a really annoying tendency to over explain and tell too much rather than showing, this would have benefitted without any narrating.

Plot wise, there is nothing noteworthy. The story is very slight and over-stretched to the point where the episodes drags badly at points. What there is is predictable, especially the can be seen from miles off ending, is suspense-free. The dialogue is too talky and the flow is not always natural.

Concluding, very mixed feelings here. One of Neilson's weaker episodes. 5/10.

This was not the usual Alfred Hitchcock show story, it was different and unusual but interesting, especially the ending. This was aired in May 1957, so likely filmed in late 1956 obviously several years before Robert Culp had his teeth fixed. Hugh Marlow is very good as the Minister and Rebecca Wells as his wife and parents of precocious Hildegard. By the way, Robert Culp does a very good job in his part also

This is perhaps the my least favorite episode to date. The main character (who narrates straight into the camera) is annoying in the way little girls so often were back in the day. She missing a front tooth or two (how cute!) and has ridiculous curls and won't shut up. If this isn't bad enough, we get a second bad character, a nervous old lady neighbor.

The main story is about how the girl befriends an older male neighbor who is new to town. Given this series, I expected dark things to cut through the super cutesy girl. I was disappointed as the ending is a dud.

I liked this episode, you can see the twist coming a mile away, but a great story on the effects perception can have on a person's life. You do have to get past the somewhat annoying narrator, but that will be pretty easy unless you are one of those crabby old people (looking at myself, lol).

Overall I liked it more than the other reviewers. If you don't want it spoiled, stop reading now.

SPOILER: Mr. Anderson notably never denies the allegations as to his true identity. And I like the way the reverend handled the revelation about Mr. Anderson's true identity.

A major criticism I have with modern society is the destruction of an individual's reputation and often profession over the one comment or one action they took that is out of lock step with the vocal minority of trolls. Respectful disagreement with others seems to have been greatly diminished. Of course, in the case of this story, murder is much more than a disagreement, but we are never given the full circumstances of that event. And, in the actions of Mr. Anderson, he proves that he does have a lot of good in him.

Far and away the the worst episode of the series: a formless, plotless mess. The great Sir Cedric Hardwicke looks understandably embarrassed throughout much of the proceedings, and the seven-year-old girl who dominates much of the action is one of the most insufferable and repulsive child actors I've ever seen. A complete waste of time. It's amazing that Hitchcock even put his name to this.

Appreciated Alfred Hitchcock's different beginning. (Expected logical dialogue. )

Enjoyed girl characters honesty (especially scene about girl character revealing thought transfer known as telepathy)

Enjoyed girl characters intelligent but stubborn personality.

On occasions I'm sickened by urban & slang grammar. Also diagnosed with two mental health conditions with test/ screening for third pending, A Man Greatly Beloved has concisely written dialogue with screenplay competency which stabilized me mental state (Bravo brilliant). My occupation is directorate management, with ethical principles. An Former minor, which experienced behavioural issues from others cause's will for more Alfred Hitchcock presents or Alfred Hitchcock presents type shows .

Bravo, Bravo, Encore.

Beautiful props, costumes, settings, screenplay, dialogue!

I'm a huge fan of Mr Hitchcock and generally give his AHP episodes a 7 or 8. There's a few that I've rated 9 or 10 out of 10. Very few have received a 5 rating or less, but this particular episode gets a 3 ... but only because of Sir Cedric Hardwicke, otherwise I'd rate it 1/10.

I won't go into detail here so as not to spoil the episode but the kid is unbearable to watch, talk about getting on your last nerve!

Evelyn Rudie is Hildergarde Fell, the "main" character. I hate to be negative toward a child but it's almost painful to watch this story thanks to this child actress. Annoying from start to finish!