Nothing But The Best

Ellin wrote some of the best and mostchilling short stories ever, including the famous "Specialty of the House" that was made into an eerie Alfred Hitchcock half-hour. He is not given his due in this spotty adaptation by Raphael, who is usually much better than he is here. Bates is a lower-class real estate clerk who aspires to move up the ladder. He will stop at nothing to achieve social status and hires Elliott, a degenerate character, to teach him manners and deportment suitable for the upper-crust society that Bates means to crack. Elliott instructs Bates (the way Higgins did with Eliza) in all the niceties, and Bates moves in on his boss's daughter, Martin. He...