***SPOILERS*** Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, episode that has not only to do with the usual murder but the stealing of some 400 G's in US currency during the battle of Corregidor in Milila Bay in the spring of 1942. The currency that was to be destroyed before the Japanese stormed the island ended up showing up in bars on Camp Grace in California some 16 years later. It's the Camp Grace finance officer Major Lessing, John Archer, who's suspected of stealing the currency until he's found shot to death, an apparent suicide, by his wife Helen, Lori March, in his Camp Grace office! Destroying a suicide note that she found on him Helen makes it look like her husbands death was the result of a murder. That's until Major Lessing's assistant Sgt. Paul Dexter, Paul Picerni, was arrested and charged with Lessing's murder when she suddenly came clean in what really happened. Or so she thought!
With Perry Mason hired by Helen to take Sgt. Dexter's case things are soon uncovered that Maj. Lessing was indeed murdered and his killer was responsible in stealing instead of burning the US currency on Corregidor in 1942. It was him who murdered Maj. Lessing in order to keep him quite! There's also civilian employee on Camp Grace Walter Haskell, Robert Armstrong, who's been paying this young Eurasian girl Rikki Stevens', played by Barbara Luna in a non speaking but crying role, rent money that turned out to be part the missing currency. As we soon find out under Perry's cross examination is that Rikki is actually Haskill's illegitimate daughter from the Philippines whom he had recently brought into the US to take care of right under his wife's Agnes', played by Helene Heigh in an also non speaking but crying role, nose!
***SPOILERS*** A very confused Perry Mason can't quite figure out who's connected to Lessing's murder until he uncovers a link in who was responsible in destroying the US currency back in 1942 who despite being declared dead by the US Army was still alive and well now in 1958! And not only that in him still being in the US Army in Camp Grace now but using another soldier's identity! Explosive final sequence as Perry unmercifully let loose with both barrels on Lessing's killer on the witness stand where Perry is momentarily actually attacked by him. It's then that Lessing's killer finally realizes that the jig is up and the cat's out of the bag as he breaks down, after strongly declaring his innocence, crying and is finally forced to admit his guilt!
With Perry Mason hired by Helen to take Sgt. Dexter's case things are soon uncovered that Maj. Lessing was indeed murdered and his killer was responsible in stealing instead of burning the US currency on Corregidor in 1942. It was him who murdered Maj. Lessing in order to keep him quite! There's also civilian employee on Camp Grace Walter Haskell, Robert Armstrong, who's been paying this young Eurasian girl Rikki Stevens', played by Barbara Luna in a non speaking but crying role, rent money that turned out to be part the missing currency. As we soon find out under Perry's cross examination is that Rikki is actually Haskill's illegitimate daughter from the Philippines whom he had recently brought into the US to take care of right under his wife's Agnes', played by Helene Heigh in an also non speaking but crying role, nose!
***SPOILERS*** A very confused Perry Mason can't quite figure out who's connected to Lessing's murder until he uncovers a link in who was responsible in destroying the US currency back in 1942 who despite being declared dead by the US Army was still alive and well now in 1958! And not only that in him still being in the US Army in Camp Grace now but using another soldier's identity! Explosive final sequence as Perry unmercifully let loose with both barrels on Lessing's killer on the witness stand where Perry is momentarily actually attacked by him. It's then that Lessing's killer finally realizes that the jig is up and the cat's out of the bag as he breaks down, after strongly declaring his innocence, crying and is finally forced to admit his guilt!