While these episodes focus on jurisprudence for the most part, they also have a sense of humor. Burger is deadly serious but Tragg is more of a big picture guy. Here a man is put in an asylum on the word of a couple of sleazy relatives who stand to gain from getting rid of him. But his history eventually comes into play after he escapes from the facility. I really enjoyed this one and I'm sure that there are many more to come.
8 Reviews
Beaten Down
darbski31 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I agree with with other reviews, with a couple of small points. Alan Lee, who played Dave Kemp, did an excellent job of portraying a crooked sleazebag detective (slimey cigar, and all). Mostly, Arthur Space who was Willard Scott, browbeaten husband of Arlene; the incessant shrew who would not give her husband "A minute's rest" for sixteen years. When he was trapped, on the stand by Perry, his acting made it seem like the gas chamber would be not punishment, but relief from punishment.
Della was beautiful, as usual, and one thing that I should say is that these stories can be complicated. That is true; so is life. I get a little frustrated myself with how stupidly some of Perry's clients behave, but I think that Gardner and the screenwriters had decided to show silly behavior can quickly spin into bad results.
Della was beautiful, as usual, and one thing that I should say is that these stories can be complicated. That is true; so is life. I get a little frustrated myself with how stupidly some of Perry's clients behave, but I think that Gardner and the screenwriters had decided to show silly behavior can quickly spin into bad results.
Mason crew has fun in last episode of season one
ebertip20 November 2020
Perry's client is 71 year old Daniel Reed, a man with some money coveted by his nephew Willard Scott. The nephew's first ploy is to get uncle Daniel deeclared senile. This leads to a humorous habeas corpus proceeding involving arcus senilus, Judge Treadwell, and Dr. Norris. A long-ago partner of Reed's, Maury Lewis, shows up, ends up dead, and Daniel is charged. Perry makes two Berger witnesses (Kowalski and Tragg) look like fools. There is a bug in Perry's office, that is initially bad for Perry, but then used by Perry. Throughout season one, there were assertions of unethical behavior. In this finale to season one, Perry makes clear to Paul that he does NOT suspect Berger and the matter gets cleared up in the epilog. How Paul could have missed the bug is implausible, but Paul did not do well in Baffling Bug either. This plot is simple; few characters and few real suspects. The value is more in how Perry casually destroys opposing witnesses and plays the bug. A light end to season one.
Two great performance in small roles
ColonelPuntridge20 November 2020
The principal actors are fine, but other reviewers have written about them, so I'll just talk about two the comprimarios (bit-parts).
Richard Gaines, the character-actor playing the judge (Judge Treadwell) who grants Perry's Writ of Habeas Corpus and orders that Daniel Reed be released from the psych-ward, does a fantastic job in his small role. His intense, prickly irritation with the doctor who committed Reed, when Perry points out that the judge himself has one of the signs which the doctor cited as part of his basis for committing Reed, is a treat. Just a few minutes of screen-time, but the few minutes are super-entertaining, and a great demonstration on how to play bit-parts.
And Alan Lee, the unhealthy-looking actor with the breathy voice who plays the sleazy private detective Kemp, does excellent work portraying the unscrupulous creep.
Richard Gaines, the character-actor playing the judge (Judge Treadwell) who grants Perry's Writ of Habeas Corpus and orders that Daniel Reed be released from the psych-ward, does a fantastic job in his small role. His intense, prickly irritation with the doctor who committed Reed, when Perry points out that the judge himself has one of the signs which the doctor cited as part of his basis for committing Reed, is a treat. Just a few minutes of screen-time, but the few minutes are super-entertaining, and a great demonstration on how to play bit-parts.
And Alan Lee, the unhealthy-looking actor with the breathy voice who plays the sleazy private detective Kemp, does excellent work portraying the unscrupulous creep.
Good watch
kfo949411 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This episode could have been one of my favorites had it not been for the poor acting of the guest characters. It begins when an older rich man is put into a mental facility by his family. Seems the older man is giving away money to people that he does not know.
The only friend the older man has is Millie Foster, played by Kitty Kelly, who gets Perry to have a court hearing on the mental condition of her friend. And as we know when Perry wants something he can usually get want he seeks. SPOILER AHEAD
The man is freed. However he is seen at the scene of a murder just a few hours after his freedom. This leads to Perry defending the man against an almost mountain high amount of evidence to hopefully free the man again - this time for the murder.
This episode has a good and bad complex. Lt Tragg, played by Ray Collins, gives one of the best performances of the Perry series. His action on the witness-stand and the arrest of Daniel Reed makes you proud to have a man like that on the streets of LA. Plus the ending makes Lt Tragg look like a regular human rather than a cop after only facts. And the doctor at the mental facility plays a good stooge as a clumsy doctor ready to put anyone away if the price is right.
However there are some poor acting jobs that make this episode, at times, laughable. Daniel Reed (Edgar Stehli) the main guest character, appears to be lost in the words. More like he is reading than acting. This makes me wonder if perhaps the mental facility may not have been a restful stop-over for the actor. And then Kitty Kelly, that played Daniel's friend Millie, was about as bad as one can get. Some of it had to do with the lines she was given. But one cringes when this 60 year old delivers a line meant for a teenager when we hear "I've got to spring Daniel out of that coop". I actually had to rewind the tape to make sure what she uttered was what I heard. The director must have thought the same thing because the second half of the show she was given the role as a court spectator rather than a main player.
This episode has a lot to offer. From bugging an office to airplane trips to Reno we get the full package. Even Lt Tragg makes a stop over in Reno for a little visit with friends. This episode, from the first season, has all the good things that make "Perry Mason" a great series. A good watch.
The only friend the older man has is Millie Foster, played by Kitty Kelly, who gets Perry to have a court hearing on the mental condition of her friend. And as we know when Perry wants something he can usually get want he seeks. SPOILER AHEAD
The man is freed. However he is seen at the scene of a murder just a few hours after his freedom. This leads to Perry defending the man against an almost mountain high amount of evidence to hopefully free the man again - this time for the murder.
This episode has a good and bad complex. Lt Tragg, played by Ray Collins, gives one of the best performances of the Perry series. His action on the witness-stand and the arrest of Daniel Reed makes you proud to have a man like that on the streets of LA. Plus the ending makes Lt Tragg look like a regular human rather than a cop after only facts. And the doctor at the mental facility plays a good stooge as a clumsy doctor ready to put anyone away if the price is right.
However there are some poor acting jobs that make this episode, at times, laughable. Daniel Reed (Edgar Stehli) the main guest character, appears to be lost in the words. More like he is reading than acting. This makes me wonder if perhaps the mental facility may not have been a restful stop-over for the actor. And then Kitty Kelly, that played Daniel's friend Millie, was about as bad as one can get. Some of it had to do with the lines she was given. But one cringes when this 60 year old delivers a line meant for a teenager when we hear "I've got to spring Daniel out of that coop". I actually had to rewind the tape to make sure what she uttered was what I heard. The director must have thought the same thing because the second half of the show she was given the role as a court spectator rather than a main player.
This episode has a lot to offer. From bugging an office to airplane trips to Reno we get the full package. Even Lt Tragg makes a stop over in Reno for a little visit with friends. This episode, from the first season, has all the good things that make "Perry Mason" a great series. A good watch.
Habeas Corpus
bkoganbing19 October 2018
The only civil right guaranteed in the body of the Constitution and not in the Bill
of Rights is the subject of this Perry Mason story. Raymond Burr's client is Edgar
Stehli whose nephew Arthur Space has put him in an asylum. On behalf of
Stehli's girlfriend Kitty Kelly, Burr gets him released on a habeas corpus writ. But
that is short lived as Stehli is arrested for the murder of King Calder.
Again fascinating because Stehli thought he had killed Calder thirty years ago in Fairbanks, Alaska. But Calder was bak and trying a little blackmail.
Intruding himself in on this case is the very oily ex-private eye Alan Lee who just makes your skin crawl. He's busy peddling information to both Perry Mason and Lt.Tragg. His is the performance you won't forget.
Figure out who has the most to gain by Stehli's plight and you will know who the murderer is.
Again fascinating because Stehli thought he had killed Calder thirty years ago in Fairbanks, Alaska. But Calder was bak and trying a little blackmail.
Intruding himself in on this case is the very oily ex-private eye Alan Lee who just makes your skin crawl. He's busy peddling information to both Perry Mason and Lt.Tragg. His is the performance you won't forget.
Figure out who has the most to gain by Stehli's plight and you will know who the murderer is.
The Case of the Rolling Bones
Prismark1022 May 2021
Daniel Reed is an old man who has just given $20,000 away to some stranger.
His nephew and his wife wants him declared incompetent and have him locked in an asylum.
An old love of Reed contacts Perry Mason who applies for a writ of habeas corpus. Only for Reed to escape and is then charged with murder.
Now Perry has to defend Reed for murder. The dead man had past links with Reed that might have resulted in murder.
This is a nice story of lost love, passion, greed and murder. Reed does not come across as senile or incompetent. There is a shady private eye who was double crossed and seemingly wants to help Perry Mason.
There is a suspicion of disreputable conduct from Hamilton Burger as Perry thinks his office is bugged.
It is another case let down by a sudden confession in the courtroom.
His nephew and his wife wants him declared incompetent and have him locked in an asylum.
An old love of Reed contacts Perry Mason who applies for a writ of habeas corpus. Only for Reed to escape and is then charged with murder.
Now Perry has to defend Reed for murder. The dead man had past links with Reed that might have resulted in murder.
This is a nice story of lost love, passion, greed and murder. Reed does not come across as senile or incompetent. There is a shady private eye who was double crossed and seemingly wants to help Perry Mason.
There is a suspicion of disreputable conduct from Hamilton Burger as Perry thinks his office is bugged.
It is another case let down by a sudden confession in the courtroom.
Rolling bones make no sense as well as gather no moss
kapelusznik1811 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS**** With barley a year in its nine year run on TV this Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, episode has to be one of the most confusing as well as mind twisting episodes of its entire series. It takes us from L.A to Alaska and back in a round robin series of events that has nutty old millionaire Daniel Reed, Edgar Stehli, giving away his money to, what were at first told, total strangers and then being committed to a sanitarium to keep him out of trouble. What the reason are for Reeves strange behaviors is even stranger then his behaviors themselves.
This all has to do with a murder in 1927 that Reeves was involved with that he was in fact covering up for his lover whom he hasn't seen for some 30 years Millie Foster, Kitty Kelly,that lead to a murder now, in 1957, who in fact turned out to be the person that Kitty was supposed to have murdered! What's even more bizarre is the person who was murderer in 1927 wasn't really murdered, he was nursed back to life by a bunch of friendly Eskimos, who then ended up being murdered in 1957 ,who had since changed his name, that Reeves ended up getting framed for!
***SPOILERS*** Perry as usual figured the whole mess up in that it had nothing at all to do with what we, the audience, were lead to believe but with material problem's by a member of the cast. In trying to get his nagging wife off his back the killer chose to murder a total stranger not her thinking, in his confused mind, that it would end his troubles. Which ended with him taking a one way trip to the San Quentin gas chamber!
This all has to do with a murder in 1927 that Reeves was involved with that he was in fact covering up for his lover whom he hasn't seen for some 30 years Millie Foster, Kitty Kelly,that lead to a murder now, in 1957, who in fact turned out to be the person that Kitty was supposed to have murdered! What's even more bizarre is the person who was murderer in 1927 wasn't really murdered, he was nursed back to life by a bunch of friendly Eskimos, who then ended up being murdered in 1957 ,who had since changed his name, that Reeves ended up getting framed for!
***SPOILERS*** Perry as usual figured the whole mess up in that it had nothing at all to do with what we, the audience, were lead to believe but with material problem's by a member of the cast. In trying to get his nagging wife off his back the killer chose to murder a total stranger not her thinking, in his confused mind, that it would end his troubles. Which ended with him taking a one way trip to the San Quentin gas chamber!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
