The Alfred Hitchcock Hour - Final Performance

Introduction

"Final Performance" was originally broadcast on 18/Jan/1965 as part of the third season of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Synopsis

Cliff is a television writer who is on his way to Hollywood. On the way, he picks up a pretty hitchhiker named Rosie. A police officer pulls Cliff over, and Rosie accuses him of kidnapping her. Cliff denies everything, but the officer makes him go into town. On the way, Cliff's car breaks down and he is forced to stay the night at a run-down hotel run by washed-up vaudeville actor Rudolph Bitzner, who dreams of a comeback. At the motel, Cliff runs into Rosie, who not only works at the motel, but is also part of Rudolph's act. Rudolph apologizes for what she did and tells him that she only did it to get away from Rudolph, who is planning to marry her. She tells Cliff that she still wants to leave and asks him to take her. He agrees and when his car is fixed, he heads for Rosie's. There, he finds Rudolph who tells him that Rosie changed her mind. After Cliff insists on hearing this from Rosie herself, Rudolph takes him to his rehearsal hall where Rosie sits waiting. Rudolph sits by her and she tells Cliff that she does want to stay. A shocked Cliff leaves, not realizing that it was a deception: Rosie is dead and Rudolph used ventriloquism to get Cliff to leave. (TV.com)