Dead Weight story
Courtney Masterson and his secret lover Peg are robbed in Lover's Lane by a thug. Unwilling to go to the police, Courtney kills the thug so that he will not reveal their affair. Afterward, Courtney learns that his wife has had a private detective following him for the past week, and he saw everything. Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg. Story by: Herb Golden, Jerry Sohl.
11 total · 3 major · 8 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| extramarital affair | major | Courtney was cheating on his wife with Peg. |
| man and mistress | major | Courtney and his secret lover Peg. |
| murder | major | Courtney and Peg discussed murdering the robber. Courtney later did just that. |
| blackmail | minor | The story concluded with the commencement of Courtney being blackmail by the detective that had seen the murder. |
| getting a taste of one's own medicine | minor | The robber told Courtney to get in the trunk of the car, but later had to get in there himself. |
| husband and wife | minor | Courtney explained the events to his wife after the murder. |
| law enforcement | minor | Courtney was interrogated by a police investigator. |
| mugging | minor | Courtney and Peg were set upon by a robber. |
| private investigator occupation | minor | It turned out that the private detective Lester Elleridge had been following Courtney all along. |
| sociotechnological issue | minor | In his monologue, Alfred Hitchcock made a point about the impact of road signs in society, a side effect of the ascent of the automobile. |