"Perry Mason" The Case of the Sardonic Sergeant (TV Episode 1958) Poster

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8/10
Perry defends a Army Sergeant on charges of murder
kfo949416 April 2013
In this episode we get a little twist to the regular court proceedings as this case will lead us to an Army base in front of a court-martial system. When a man is accused of murder, Perry will need all his skill to clear his client of a mound of evidence on the grounds of Camp Grace.

The entire case hinges on some money from WW2 that was suppose to have been burned at Corregidor Philippines but now has been turned up on the grounds of the Camp. It seems that the money is traced to the payroll office on the grounds that Major Frank Lessing is in charge.

Major Lessing has had trouble in the office and when Sgt. Joseph Dexter discovers some odd bills he believes that it is some of the stolen money. Major Lessings asks Sgt Dexter to transfer immediately, which he does. That evening Major Lessings is found, by his wife, dead in his office. It appeared to be a suicide and in desperation the wife makes it look like a murder. That is before Sgt Dexter is arrested for the murder and asks Perry for help. When the wife confesses to the suicide everything looks like it will end nicely but the trial will continue when there is even more evidence that Sgt Dexter had the stolen money and set up the room to look like a suicide. Perry will have to be on his toes on this mystery.

With many suspects working in the payroll office, Perry will have to search each person for suspicious activity. It will come down to someone that seemed like the least likely suspect before Perry finally digs in the right area and bring the true murderer to justice. There is a lot going on in this episode and some of the names may get confusing but watch to the end and you will be rewarded for the action. Good Watch.
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7/10
I didn't have the courage to admit it! I did have a child in Minlia
sol121817 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
***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!
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8/10
Good Money After Bad
Hitchcoc16 December 2021
This case was interesting because Perry tries it in a military courtroom. A man dies and supposedly leaves a suicide note. But there is some money dating back to WWII. It's interesting how rigid the military court is.
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8/10
Newman Creates A Whole Cloth Plot
DKosty12325 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Sam Newman wrote 6 episodes of Mason. This one is pretty good. With John Dehner as Major Lewis prosecuting Mason's client, there is plenty of things going on here. Dehner is a very good actor and often plays the bad guy in a lot of television programs. He does okay here.

The plot is Frank Lessing is accused of murder and passing World War 2 money from Corregidor in a barracks poker game. The game is not shown which is a shame since the last time Paul Drake got a chance to get involved in a poker game was in episode 1.

The twist here is a crude identity theft. Mason twists and turns through facts to finally check on this. It's not easy to prove though Perry does prove it in court. A solid episode.
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8/10
Really ??
darbski6 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I'm giving this one an 8. Why? you ask?? Here goes; even though Della is beautiful, and Barbara Luna is hot, in a cheap tramp kinda way, (the best way for a tramp to look, by the way), they can't make up for a couple of serious points.

One: How did the Corregidor money get from the Phillipines to the U.S.? Two: Where was the killer supposed to spend it? Three: Why did the killer look so good after surviving the Bataan Death March, and two and a half years of brutal imprisonment by the Japs? Even years later their suffering showed.
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6/10
The Case of the Sardonic Sergeant
Prismark1015 June 2022
Perry Mason goes to a military tribunal to defend sergeant Dexter from a charge of murder.

Major Lewis (John Dehner) is the unlucky prosecutor who thinks he has a cast iron case against Dexter.

Major Frank Lessing attended Perry Mason's office about a sensitive family matter. His US army base has some suspicious money that was supposed to have been burned at an army base in Corregidor, Philippines. Only for some of the US currency was stolen.

Major Lessing is in the frame regarding the currency coming over to the US. However he is later found dead by his wife with a suicide note.

His widow wants Perry Mason to defend Dexter because she initially believed that it is suicide but the Major Lewis reckons that the note was typed later.

There is an interesting and a slightly complicated story but one suspect is easy to guess. There is a lot more meat to the bones by the time Perry Mason has finished his cross examination.
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5/10
Corregidor Money
bkoganbing12 August 2014
It's quite a tale that Army Major Frank Archer tells Perr Mason one night as he drops $1500.00 in cash on Raymond Burr's desk for a retainer. Later on that night Archer is found shot to death with a suicide note. But he's found by his widow Lori March who destroys the note and then it looks like murder. And it's Sergeant Paul Picerni who worked in the finance office who looks good. But the widow March thinks there's no way Picerni could have done the deed and she insists that Burr keep the money and defend Picerni.

What this is all about is money that should have been burned before the surrender at Corregidor is showing up and being circulated. It's not counterfeiting as such, but it still brings the Treasury Department to investigate. Several people in the cast were at the island fortress in the Phillipines when General Wainwright surrendered. Makes for an interesting pool of suspects.

John Dehner plays the army prosecutor at the court martial. He fares no better than Hamilton Burger.

Interesting, but a bit too far fetched.
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