In 1961 deWilde appeared in the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". He portrayed Hugo, a mentally impaired youth who could not separate fact from fantasy. After seeing a magician saw a woman in half at a carnival, Hugo emulates the trick and kills a woman by sawing her in half. The episode never aired on NBC because the finale was deemed "too gruesome" by 1960s television standards. The episode was included in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" syndication and was released in public-domain VHS, DVD and video on demand releases.