User Reviews

**SPOILERS** Here's where you find out how far over the hill I am. I remember this episode from when I was a kid because I remember it was the first time I'd heard a parking ticket referred to as a "Citation". Just one of those quirky little words that sometimes find their way into your vernacular that trips a specific memory. I'd never forget this episode.

The only weird part of the scheme in this story is WHY did Captain Bancroft decide to straighten out and fly right; support first Officer Griffin? Whatever it was is lost on me, unless he thought he could profit from turning on his other cohorts. Or maybe his brother made him do it. It took a lot of close quarters detective work involving the Japanese Coast Guard (or Navy) to determine what had happened to the substitute cargo but they got it done. I wonder just where the crooks got ahold of the scrap iron? After all, their own manufacturing base was working 24-7-365 implementing the MacArthur/Deming Plan of rebuilding Japan's mighty industrial class. Scrap iron was in high demand. Now, supposedly, this was done by means of Japan's underworld society, and That's the only way THAT connection could occur - I think. Anybody that the Japanese authorities caught would face severe prison terms for industrial sabotage, if not for treason.

On OUR side of the Pacific, Perry Mason was getting cited for parking next to a standpipe. He probably had beautiful Della get records from the L.A. Port Authority, and he then followed the trail to the conspirators, and the first person murderer. Janeel's gonna take a fall for Second Degree Murder, and all the rest of the fraud and outright theft, but so is Griffin's brother. He can try to say that he only wanted to cash in on the original ripoff, but IT was connected to the murder. In California, that is causally linked to homicide, and is therefore subject to a murder charge, too. If I was Burger, I'd offer to separate the murder charge and then dismiss it in exchange for testimony against Janeel, and then have the U.S. Customs and State Department wring him out for information about his overseas accomplices. I ask you, it's NEVER simple, is it?

***SPOILERS*** In a Parry Mason, Raymond Burr, episode that could amply be called The "Janeel Trader Munity" has the ship's 1st Mate Jerry Griffin,Lee Farr, gets himself involved in an elaborate maritime insurance scam that lead to a double cross and murder that he ended up getting framed for.

With the cargo ship "Janeel Trader" hitting high seas and heavy winds as it sailed off the coast of Japan Griffin in trying to save the crew has the ship's cargo of expensive machinery dumped overboard. It's then that the ship's Captain Bancroft, Robert Armstrong, who was knocked out cold during all the confusion threatens to press charges against the heroic Jerry for taking over command of his ship, while he was in no condition to sail it, with mutiny. Just before Jerry is to go on trial Bancroft is talked into dropping the charges against him in order to cut the insurance losses of his ship. And just before he can testify Bancroft is found dead with his skull cracked open on his boat with Jerry, whom he's to exonerate of losing the ship, who just happened to be at the scene arrested as the #1 suspect in his murder!

Perry Mason who was to defend Jerry on the unnecessary sinking of the "Janeel Trader" is now defending him in the murder of the ship's Captain Bancroft. This soon has Perry through his in house PI Paul Drake, William Hpper,travel to Japan where he finds out that the expensive machinery that Jerry had dumped from the ship in order to keep it from sinking to the bottom with its crew was worthless junk! Now it becomes evident that all this was done in order to collect the insurance on the so-called machinery that would amount to 1.5 million dollars that no one would be able to recover!

***SPOILERS*** Perry really gets into this case and gets in good in order to keep Jerry Griffin a true hero from ending up getting strapped into the San Quentin gas chamber for a murder that he didn't commit! Perry using all his skills and courtroom tricks as a defense attorney finally gets the to the bottom of this very complicated and confusing murder case. What Perry eventually uncovered, besides who Capt. Bancroft's killer was, is this totally insane plan to pull off an insurance fraud that went kaput when the ones who planned it double crossed each other! That in order for them not to have to split the 1.5 million dollars in insurance money!