Next to playing Emmett on the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Paul Hartman is also fondly remembered for this campy episode that is a must see.
Henry Slesar, behind nearly 3000 episodes of the EDGE OF NIGHT, wrote this gem, and possibly based on fact. There are many documented cases where the "best and brightest" criminals are (legally) recruited by companies to test their products to see how safe and protective they actually are.
Case in point, Hartman plays easy-going former safe cracker Sammy, hired by Harrison Fell (Robert Webber) and Mr. Bliss (Whit Bissell) --and note their characters' names! -- to literally try to open a new, revolutionary safe. His payment: IF Sammy succeeds, he can have the $50,000 dollars inside!
What do you think about that? This is fun, over the top stuff for Hitch, and well directed by one of the best, John Newland. John directed four episodes for the series, long associated with creepy ONE STEP BEYOND. He also directed four episodes for Boris Karloff's tv show, THRILLER. He and Hitchcock had to have some laughs over this one.
See how it all ends... it's addictive! From SEASON 7 EPISODE 21 remastered Universal dvd box set.