The great Lillian Gish, one of the legends of the silent screen, was a superlative actress throughout her life. This fantastic episode of ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR from 1963 showcases Miss Lillian as good as anything she ever did in the sound film era. Miss Gish stars as a cranky, nosy old gal in ill health who has long feuded with her neighbor and blames her for the death of an elderly man who plummeted off a cliff thanks to a fence the neighbor put up. Lillian's niece Maggie McNamara lives with her in her large farmhouse and Maggie tries to make peace with the neighbors, particularly with the woman's mild mannered hen-pecked husband Peter Lind Hays. Gossip-loving Lil takes in all of Peter's private confidences to Maggie, that his wife once attempted to murder him and he fears she will try again should he ever leave her. And when Peter shows up missing and the days turn into weeks and months and the woman refuses to give any information about his whereabouts, Lillian is convinced after spying on the woman with binoculars that something fishy is going on at her barn.
This fantastic mystery/suspense has echoes of REAR WINDOW - and HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE, although the latter film hadn't even been made yet - and Miss Gish is simply superb in this film, cast against type as a not always very likable woman. The whole cast is good but this is Lillian's show. "Body in the Barn" is one of THE ALFRED HITCHOCK HOUR's finest hours.