Who cannot resist anything with a title such as that? On paper, "The Creeper" definitely did sound like it would be a creepy episode. And 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' had proven in some previous episodes that it could do creepy and even chilling very well, especially in "Breakdown". This is Herschel Daugherty's second episode after "The Belfry", which was very good and one of the better episodes of Season 1 despite its too low rating.
"The Creeper" manages to be even better than that episode, and is one of the best episodes that Daugherty directed for 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents'. Along with "Breakdown", "The Case of Mr Pelham" and "And So Died Riabouchinska", "The Creeper" is one of the best episodes of Season 1 and also one of the creepiest. Definitely living up to the episode title. A truly wonderful penultimate episode to the season and would have been just as fitting as a final one.
So much is done right and brilliantly so. It is one of the best looking episodes of the season, with some genuinely eerie lighting in particular standing out and the photography has a noir-ish quality. The main theme is still wonderfully devillish and Hitchcock's bookending goes down a treat, proving that the man of suspense was as good at ironic droll humour as he was at suspense.
Daugherty ensures that the suspense does not slip. The dialogue is lean and thoughtful, without rambling or being melodramatic. The story is very suspenseful and full of truly creepy atmosphere, the ending is chilling. Personally did not see it coming, due to it doing so well at diverting suspicion at more than one character.
Constance Ford gives a most persuasive performance, with her breakdown being harrowing and moving. Personally didn't think it was overdone, even if the performance is not a subtle one which fitted her character. Harry Towne manages to make something nuanced and complex out of a character that doesn't sound easy to like and even easy to downright hate. His facial expressions are very telling.
Overall, brilliant. 10/10.