As a 'Perry Mason' fan, when I watch an episode one of the things I look for is if I am interested in the characters in the show. Even if some of the circumstances are poorly written or poorly performed by the actors, I want to feel apart of the show. In this episode we have some situations that are not believable, however I found myself interested in the outcome.
The show begins with David Pelham (Tom Lowell) with friends, one friend named Michael Da Vinci (Mark Shade), to see his parents .David's father, Gregory Pelham (Peter Hobbs), and his mother, Susan Pelham (Marilyn Erskine), are in a terrible argument and do not even notice the kids outside the house.
Later David and his friend, Michael, end up getting very drunk (I would have checked the ID's) and end up on a old rusty cargo ship in a vacant harbor. Michael gets this wild idea that he will sent a kidnap note to David's father so that he will appreciated the fact that he has a son. The note is seen by the mother who takes it upon herself to go out to a vacant harbor, in the middle of the night, and board an old rusty ship to find her son.
While on the ship she gets into a scuffle and someone falls over a rusty rail to the boardwalk below. She believes she has killed the person and runs home to tell her husband.
Now from watching Perry we all know this is a good time to lawyer-up and call the police. Instead the father runs out to the ship and pushes the body into the water. And tells his wife to lie to everyone including Perry. Only problem is a crusty old ship captain happens to be looking through his binoculars and sees the body pushed into the water and the father Gregory, is charged with murder.
From then on we are introduced to more characters and end up in a long court scene to tie all the loose string together. One of the people we meet is John Lathrop (Burt Metcalfe producer from MASH).
Yes there is some silly writing that is not believable. Here are some- A housewife, by herself, goes to a vacant harbor and boards an old cargo ship.
A person falls off a freighter type ship that looks more like a fall from a houseboat.
A old man just happened to be looking through his binoculars, at night, and can identify who he saw but never heard the scuffle that happened earlier.
A very odd production in court where a person reads an item though a reflected image.
And a confession that the person should have just kept quiet because no one would have ever known.
Now with all that said, I cared and was interested in the characters. The family was interesting and the sub-plot, involving Michael, was something one cares about in a young man's life.
The episode is dated since it involves kids in the early 60's with their music, dance and means of expression but it was watchable. A middle of the road show for Perry.
The show begins with David Pelham (Tom Lowell) with friends, one friend named Michael Da Vinci (Mark Shade), to see his parents .David's father, Gregory Pelham (Peter Hobbs), and his mother, Susan Pelham (Marilyn Erskine), are in a terrible argument and do not even notice the kids outside the house.
Later David and his friend, Michael, end up getting very drunk (I would have checked the ID's) and end up on a old rusty cargo ship in a vacant harbor. Michael gets this wild idea that he will sent a kidnap note to David's father so that he will appreciated the fact that he has a son. The note is seen by the mother who takes it upon herself to go out to a vacant harbor, in the middle of the night, and board an old rusty ship to find her son.
While on the ship she gets into a scuffle and someone falls over a rusty rail to the boardwalk below. She believes she has killed the person and runs home to tell her husband.
Now from watching Perry we all know this is a good time to lawyer-up and call the police. Instead the father runs out to the ship and pushes the body into the water. And tells his wife to lie to everyone including Perry. Only problem is a crusty old ship captain happens to be looking through his binoculars and sees the body pushed into the water and the father Gregory, is charged with murder.
From then on we are introduced to more characters and end up in a long court scene to tie all the loose string together. One of the people we meet is John Lathrop (Burt Metcalfe producer from MASH).
Yes there is some silly writing that is not believable. Here are some- A housewife, by herself, goes to a vacant harbor and boards an old cargo ship.
A person falls off a freighter type ship that looks more like a fall from a houseboat.
A old man just happened to be looking through his binoculars, at night, and can identify who he saw but never heard the scuffle that happened earlier.
A very odd production in court where a person reads an item though a reflected image.
And a confession that the person should have just kept quiet because no one would have ever known.
Now with all that said, I cared and was interested in the characters. The family was interesting and the sub-plot, involving Michael, was something one cares about in a young man's life.
The episode is dated since it involves kids in the early 60's with their music, dance and means of expression but it was watchable. A middle of the road show for Perry.