Ep 9. The Black Curtain

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour was a television anthology series that aired from 1962 to 1965 and featured suspenseful and often chilling stories. Season 1, episode 9, titled "The Black Curtain," follows a man named Frank who suffers from amnesia and has no memory of his past life. With the help of a psychiatrist, Frank attempts to uncover his previous identity and discovers that he may be involved in a murder case.

The episode opens with Frank waking up in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He soon learns that he was found wandering the streets with a head injury and that he has been diagnosed with amnesia. Desperate to regain his memory, Frank seeks the help of a psychiatrist named Dr. Murchison. Dr. Murchison suggests that they try a radical new treatment called "the black curtain" in which Frank is placed in a dark room with no sensory input to encourage his memories to resurface.

As Frank undergoes the treatment, he begins to have flashes of memory - glimpses of his past life that are fragmented and unclear. He remembers a woman named Sally, but he's not sure if she was his wife or his girlfriend. He remembers a man named Rollo, but he's not sure if he was a friend or an enemy. The more memories that resurface, the more confused and anxious Frank becomes.

Meanwhile, outside of the hospital, the police are investigating a murder case. A man named Slade was found dead in his apartment, and there are no leads on who the killer might be. But when the police discover that Frank's fingerprints match those found at the crime scene, they become convinced that he is the culprit. Frank, however, has no memory of the murder and insists that he couldn't have done it.

As the investigation heats up, Frank becomes increasingly desperate to uncover the truth about his past. With Dr. Murchison's help, he sets out to piece together his fragmented memories and uncover the events that led up to Slade's murder. But as he gets closer to the truth, Frank begins to realize that the truth may be too terrible to bear.

"The Black Curtain" is a gripping and suspenseful episode that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. As Frank struggles to regain his memory and clear his name, the tension builds to a shocking and unexpected conclusion. With its expert storytelling and memorable performances, it's no wonder that The Alfred Hitchcock Hour remains a classic in the world of television horror and suspense.