Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Miss Paisley’s Cat (S3.E12, 1957)

In Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Miss Paisley’s Cat (S3.E12, 1957), a lonely woman avenges her cat’s death by killing the neighbor she blames.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American TV anthology series that aired from 1955 to 1965 on CBS and NBC. Hosted by the legendary filmmaker himself, the show often explored themes and narrative styles that were in line with his cinematic work. However, Hitchcock’s involvement went beyond hosting since he directed 18 episodes himself.

Written by Marian B. Cockrell and Roy Vickers, the episode “Miss Paisley’s Cat” originally aired on December 22, 1957. It centers on Emma Paisley (Dorothy Stickney), a lonely, older woman who lives a quiet, uneventful life with her beloved cat, Stanley (played by Orangey, the famous feline movie star known for starring in over 30 productions and winning two PATSY Awards). She spends most of her time doing household chores and doting on her pet. Her neighbor, Mr. Rinditch (Fred Graham), threatens to kill Stanley because the animal often sneaks into his apartment to steal food.

One day, Miss Paisley comes home to find her furry companion missing, only to find it dead in a bin a day later. Devastated and enraged, she takes matters into her own hands and murders Mr. Rinditch with a knife. 

Miss Paisley tries to confess to the crime, but the police do not take her seriously, believing she is just a harmless, confused older woman. Instead, her friendly neighbor, Mr. Jenkins (Harry Tyler), is wrongfully accused and eventually executed for a crime he did not commit.

This review on Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Miss Paisley’s Cat was previously published in the book Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies.

A few other movies starring Orangey to add to your watch list

Where to watch Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Miss Paisley’s Cat

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Complete Series (including “Miss Paisley’s Cat”) is currently available from Amazon.

About the author

Vanessa Morgan is the editor of When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampires Movies, Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children, and Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies. She also published one cat book (Avalon) and four supernatural thrillers (Drowned Sorrow, The Strangers Outside, A Good Man, and Clowders). Three of her stories became movies. She introduces movie screenings at several European cinemas and film festivals and is also a programmer for the Offscreen Film Festival in Brussels. When she is not writing, you will probably find her eating out or taking photos of felines for her website, Traveling Cats.