While it’s been roughly seven decades since Alfred Hitchcock Presents first aired The Creeper, the manner in which this episode terrorizes its protagonist is timeless. Director Herschel Daugherty helmed this early, small-screen dose of female fright as opposed to the show’s namesake, but that was standard practice; Hitchcock rarely directed an episode and much rather stuck to the bookended sequences. And apart from the host’s quirky setup and finishing zinger, this story is free of any intentional humor. The dread which Constance Ford‘s character feels from end to end of this thriller is as serious as it is deadly.
While this episode’s title might suggest the perpetrator in question is simply a pervert, he is, in fact, a murderer. Dubbing him The Creeper runs that risk of mitigating his crimes, although softening the severity of this one madman’s urban killing spree shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. No one in the story apart from the lead even seems all that concerned. The characters around Ellen (Ford) are more bothered by the heatwave or job stress than her frazzled nerves and wellbeing. Everyone’s negligence and insensitivity is a touch overdone, but that frustration makes Ellen’s panic all the more forceful.
Predictability tends to run high in this series. However, The Creeper throws a handful of misdirects and red herrings at the audience. From Ellen’s misogynistic neighbor (also a woman) to the new handyman whose unnerving smile seems to be painted on, the episode does a better job of hiding the killer’s identity than most. Joseph Ruscoll‘s screenplay is so busy that there is next to no time to figure out who may or may not be after Ellen. There is even a point when the mystery seemingly comes to an end before the third act can begin. Of course, there is always more to the story when watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
For its thirtieth anniversary, the original series was revived under the same title. This new version began on NBC before being shipped off to USA Network for the remaining seasons. The titular star obviously could not be part of the production, but his original bumper segments were colorized and recycled. In addition, a number of past stories were remade and modernized, including The Creeper. Stepping into Constance Ford’s shoes was now Karen Allen, whose character was different in design than Ellen, yet, just the same, she was in a perpetual state of unease.
As to be expected, Christopher Crowe‘s take on The Creeper is not a verbatim retelling. This time around, the damsel-to-be is a single woman and fashion designer named Jackie (Allen) who wishes to be left alone. Not only by her ex-boyfriend (Timothy Carhart) but also every man who intrudes on her life. Steve Bello and Stephen Kronish‘s script emphasizes how creeps come in all shapes now, and they are more brazen than they used to be. Jackie’s daily trek through L.A. is nothing short of harrowing as she escapes the unwanted attention of multiple creeps before finally meeting the one everyone’s talking about. The occasional and effective use of liminal spaces adds to the overall surreal quality of this terror tale. When it seems like the remake is a departure in all aspects, the episode finally apes the original. It would have been foolish to not follow through, and the outcome here is no less grimly satisfying.
Watch The Creeper (1956):
Watch The Creeper (1986):
So the Story Goes spotlights notable anthology tales from both television and film, with an emphasis on the horror genre.
Tales from the Paulside 
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