Well, if there was ever a better payback in the way of revenge, I'd love to see it. I'm a little conflicted about that opening scene though, in which Riley McGrath (Robert Emhardt) defended himself against the out-of-control Stoney Likens (Robert Barrat). Maybe shooting Stoney was too harsh an action, but Riley did have a right to defend himself, and it looked like Stoney was coming at him to deliver a beating with those beer bottles. He could have done some damage of his own. But the moneyed politician had enough good old boys on his side to prevent any meaningful disruption to his life and business.
When we first see Verge Likens (Robert Fonda) and his brother Wilford Sam Reese), they're engaged in a game of mumblety-peg. I had heard of the term before but never knew what it was. Actually, they were in a much tamer variation of the game, which generally called for opposing knife wielders to get as close to sticking a pocketknife as close to the opposing player's foot as possible, or until one of the players bowed out.
The six-month time lapse in which Verge went away to barber school seemed like an awful long time to spend away from his dependent brother. But if Verge was going to concoct a foolproof plan, I guess it was necessary. I thought the story was over when Verge cast a vengeful smile to shop owner Sigafoose (Charles Seel), but then it continued after the station break. One would be hard pressed to call Verge's revenge murder, but only on the basis of the visible facts. Knowing Riley had a heart condition played right into Verge's plan to deliver his own brand of retribution, so good in fact, that even Hitchcock wouldn't comment on it in his closing remarks.
When we first see Verge Likens (Robert Fonda) and his brother Wilford Sam Reese), they're engaged in a game of mumblety-peg. I had heard of the term before but never knew what it was. Actually, they were in a much tamer variation of the game, which generally called for opposing knife wielders to get as close to sticking a pocketknife as close to the opposing player's foot as possible, or until one of the players bowed out.
The six-month time lapse in which Verge went away to barber school seemed like an awful long time to spend away from his dependent brother. But if Verge was going to concoct a foolproof plan, I guess it was necessary. I thought the story was over when Verge cast a vengeful smile to shop owner Sigafoose (Charles Seel), but then it continued after the station break. One would be hard pressed to call Verge's revenge murder, but only on the basis of the visible facts. Knowing Riley had a heart condition played right into Verge's plan to deliver his own brand of retribution, so good in fact, that even Hitchcock wouldn't comment on it in his closing remarks.