Anniversary Gift 

Myra Jenkins has quite a menagerie in her home: birds, a turtle, a monkey, a chameleon and on and on. She is quite devoted to them, usually at the expense of her husband Hermie. Their ... See full summary »

Director:

Norman Lloyd

Writers:

John Collier (story), Harold Swanton (teleplay)

Stars:

Alfred Hitchcock, Harry Morgan, Barbara Baxley

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Himself - Host
Harry Morgan	...	Hermie Jenkins
Barbara Baxley	...	Myra Jenkins
Jackie Coogan	...	George Bay
Michael J. Pollard	...	Hansel Eidelpfeiffer
James Field	...	The Doctor
Maurice Manson	...	The Mailman
Steve McAdam	...	Boy with Bat (as Steven McAdam)

Storyline

Myra Jenkins has quite a menagerie in her home: birds, a turtle, a monkey, a chameleon and on and on. She is quite devoted to them, usually at the expense of her husband Hermie. Their neighbor, George Bay,is always telling Hermie how much he misses his late wife and that since since she's died, all he ever does is travel, go fishing and drink beer. All of this sounds pretty good to Hermie who hatches a plan to get his wife a new pet that may not be very cuddly and lovable but may give him the way out that he desires. Little does Hermie realize the predicament he is getting himself into.

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Plot Keywords:

pet | poison | menagerie | monkey | turtle | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1959 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions, Shamley Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To help make the sale of a coral snake, Hansel Eidelpfeiffer shows Hermie Jenkins a copy of Reptiles and Amphibians: A Guide to Familiar American Species. The book, by Herbert S. Zim and Hobart M. Smith with full-color illustrations by James Gordon Irving, was an early entry in the long-running series of Golden Nature Guides, published by Golden Press, under the general editorship of Zim.

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Connections

Remade as Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Anniversary Gift (1987)

User Reviews

The snake bites back with deadly fear!

This "AHP" episode from 1959 called "The Anniversary Gift" is one that's entertaining and it takes a twist and turn in the end as like many episodes the plan twist and turns on one central character. Myra Jenkins is a woman a married lady who's an animal lover with a house full of pets, like birds, dogs, cats, and even a monkey. Now the husband Hermie is tired of her ways and he wants to surprise her in a manner that could be deadly in the form of a snake that's full of poison. However this episode takes a twist and turn that's strange and different a surprise outcome that proves fear and doubt is often the thing in the end that is the final wrap. Overall well done episode with a twist.