Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Contest for Aaron Gold (1960) Reviews

A short story by best-selling novelist Philip Roth (Goodbye Columbus, Portnoy's Complaint) is the basis for this sensitive -- and remarkably non-lethal! -- episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Unlike his fellow kids at summer camp, Aaron Gold (Barry J. Gordon) wants nothing to do with athletics, but does enjoy attending the ceramics class taught by frustrated artist Bernie Samuelson (played by future film director Sydney Pollack). Despite efforts from the camp's swimming instructor Lefty James (William Thourlby) to "toughen up" the spindly Aaron, Bernie encourages the boy's artistic gifts. Even so, Bernie cannot hide his disappointment when Aaron makes a clay figure of a knight with only one arm. Convinced that the neurotic Aaron simply doesn't want to finish the figure, Bernie secretly adds a second arm himself -- which proves to be a major blunder! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi