Perry goes to Mittlenacht to check out the girlfriend of the son (an army lieutenant) of a client/good friend, as a personal favor. The son's superior, a captain, is found dead, with the son holding a gun at the scene, by girlfriend and Perry. A Swiss inspector (played by Klemperer, aka "Colonel Klink") is instantly on the scene, but only wants son to come to "his place." Klemperer wants the US Army to take over the killing of one American by another American. Perry believing the son truthful suspects something else. We have a bad crook scamming greedy people. Perry reasons the situation out. Episode ends with Klemperer asking Perry for help in a different case.
A truly period piece with the girlfriend being what would be called a displaced person.
This "Mittlenacht" is in Switzerland, as inferred in a late scene at the Mittlenacht train station in which Perry tells girlfriend her passport is bad, but girlfriend says she needs work in (West) Germany where the jobs are.
Reviews
122 Reviews
Perry defends in 2 murder trials and dances with Della at the end
17 February 2021
Perry defends Fuller's mother via lack of mental capacity; Burger agrees and the case is dismissed. The conniving "bad guy" accountant/junior partner of the episode Clement is murdered and Fuller is charged. In the background, it seems that Fuller's mother wss shortchanged in a partnership dissolution and Perry, acting as an estate lawyer, goes after Dickinson, the crooked lawyer for the partnership, with a show cause order, knowing this will stir the pot. One non-courtroom scene shows the bad behavior of the Brownes and Dickinson. Another non-courtroom scene, an entrapment engineered by Perry, fingers the killer. Fuller never appears in court. Francis X. Bushman (of the 1925 Ben Hur) is about 80 playing the role of the about 70 Philip. There is an over-the-top Burger coming down hard on Fuller, who had many reasons to kill the conniver. But this episode plays out as greedy and greedier.
The re-broadcast on January 30. 2021
31 January 2021
In an odd coincidence, this episode, with a theme of society's indifference to older people, was re-broadcast on January 30, 2021, the same day that the New York Post ran a cover story about the "Who cares" remark of Governor Cuomo. Within the episode, the nursing home manager says "Who cares" as to the deaths of the residents. The scene in which life in the nursing home is likened to life in prison is priceless. The struggles "Donald Baxter" faced to get someone to listen evoke the 2021 issues in Covid vaccination. Some things never change.
Establishing times
24 December 2020
Andrews (played by John Anderson) goes to see Perry about a car accident in which a woman may have been injured. Andrews did not report the accident to the police because it happened outside the home of a political fixer, whom Andrews had just seen. Andrews sensed something amiss in the accident, because the woman he first saw on the ground had been replaced.
The fixer is found dead and Andrews is charged. Perry works through the various people, and the viewer can easily see which one of them is lying to Perry. Much courtroom time is spent on timelines and Perry presents a sur-rebuttal. The murderer's motive is not revealed until the epilog. Ralph Moody plays the hardware store owner from whom the murder weapon was stolen. There were no fingerprints on the weapon, which magically appeared in Andrews' glove compartment. Not one of the more interesting Masons. You sort of know who the villain is but not why. As for calendar girls, photography is a hobby of the fixer and his last roll of film has relevance to the timeline. Later Masons involve more advanced photography issues.
Perry does not present a hearing defense
22 December 2020
Hamilton concludes the hearing prosecution with a line that Perry will present his usual calculated confusion of facts. But Perry presents no defense. The murderer of Ralph Pearce (who is uncredited even though appearing as a corpse) is revealed in a cold room before the actual trial commences. The episode title is of interest, because the viewer does not learn the hateful or hero part until very late. Perry's initial appearance is as corporate attorney for Wilson Plastics, and in this episode that role is important. The set-up places experienced officer Otto Norden (actor Boyett, later a police sergeant in Adam-12) with young officer Jimmy Anderson, the cousin of Lt. Andy Anderson. They drive by Wilson Plastics. Norden immediately notices watchman Ralph Pearce is not outside (pay attention to how Otto speaks of Ralph). There is a robbery. Otto is killed. Jimmy seems to have been derelict. Ralph Pearce later is found dead. Jimmy is found guilty in a Board of Rights hearing under a preponderance of evidence standard. Jimmy is charged with the death of Pearce. Lt. Andy Anderson asks Perry to defend Jimmy.
Perry goes to Wilson Plastics and suggests one of them is the killer and is told "you are out of your mind." Perry responds: "That's been said many times." Once we see that the SEC is investigating for insider trading, we know there is more than meets the eye. There are two overlapping schemes (actually 2 and a half), which did make this a tough oone for Perry. It is not common for Perry to get physically involved, but here Mama Norden (Nolan) actually attacks Perry.
Showcase for Buono and Martel?
4 December 2020
One wonders if the one person/two identity storyline was stitched together merely to allow us to see the characters of Buono and Martel. Buono had played Bongo Bennie in 77 Sunset Strip (Fanatics) in 1960, got fame in 1962 with Baby Jane, and went way over the top as Tut in Batman. Here, Perry is drawn into the case on a contract matter and immediately spots issues. But Perry's lines with Buono's beatnik character are the ones to remember. Of separate interest, Perry gets physical in breaking up a fight. There is even a tangential intellectual property issue related to the comic strip.
Fancy, or fanciful, figures?
4 December 2020
As the episode begins, the folks at the investment firm Hyett, Brewster and Hyett have received evidence that a former employee Ellis, currently in prison for embezzlement, is innocent and partner Brewster, son in law of the senior Hyett DID DO the crime. They do nothing. Mrs. Ellis receives evidence, takes it to Perry, who works with Berger to get Ellis out. (Perry has good words to say about Berger's honesty). Ellis has bad things to say about Brewster. Although Brewster is arrested, Brewster makes a deal with Squires of the bonding company (which paid out for the $ taken by Brewster): return half the stolen money ($150k) in return for posting bail. Squires suspects Brewster wi9ll skip but does the deal. But someone kills Brewster. Ellis is charged. Perry defends. There was more to the embezzlement than just Brewster. Further, various "figures" in thw episode are engaging in "fanciful" views of reality. Perry makes some comments on libel and slander. Della notes that a cynic sees things that aren't there and Perry adds that one who looks for things that aren't there and finds them is called a detective.
The senior Hyett (played by Frank Silvera) knew all along that Brewster was guilty but allowed Ellis to take the fall. Silvera played the title character "Sheriff of Red Rock" in Wanted: Dead or Alive (episode released in late 1958), another ethically-challenged character.
Perry to client "you're not in jail yet"
2 December 2020
Before anyone is murdered, Susan Fisher, secretary to Endicott Campbell of Corning Mining, comes to Perry about a shoe box with about $200k in cash that Endicott's son brought into the office as his "treasure," while screaming the pirates are coming. Amelia Corning, the company owner, arrived a day earlier than planned from South America, and Susan tells Perry that she had discussed the shoe box and certain issues about the Mojave Monarch mine with Amelia. Amelia goes missing but a different Amelia Corning arrives the next day. Paul interviews Ken Lowry, the Mojave manager, and learns that something odd is going on. Ken is asked to report time for numerous non-existent workers, get paid by Campbell, and return said money to a po box. Lowry goes along with this (!). The amount of money involved is around $200k. Susan gets some very odd instructions, including a car rental. Lowry ends up dead and Susan is charged. Now, there is no Amelia Corning to be found. Paul implies to Perry that the second Amelia had a passport (and thus was real), but the second Amelia was merely using the passport of the first (real) Amelia. During the hearing, an investigator of Paul/Perry named Abert (really Hebert?) gives damaging testimony and Perry really badgers a different witness. Perry asks for a recess and the "reveal" happens out of court.
There is an interesting line earlier, Perry to Tragg: this time you've gone too far.
"When I'm all wound up, I watch tv"
1 December 2020
Eileen Harrison comes to Perry about getting a divorce from Danny who is working two jobs but still going under. In his diner job, Danny encounters a drunk former high school buddy Frank Curran, who has just won $2k in a poker game at the Mayberry Hotel. $1k of this is in the form of two $500 bills (Mckinleys, last printed in 1945). Curran ends up dead and Danny is charged. Curiously, the police have no evidence that Danny has or had the money. Perry is on the case, tho unlikely he will make money on this. Perry gets Tragg to do some legwork, and Paul's people hit paydirt following a suspect, where a $500 bill arises. The attraction of Linda Kennedy for Frank Curran is inexplicable. Palmer gives the line about television and they did not even have MeTV in 1958 (and most tv signed off late at night). Although this is season two, this is still the rough edged Perry of season one.
Truth serum and triggered cameras
28 November 2020
Perry gets a call from Dr. Blane, who is being blackmailed by his son-in-law Jack Hardisty, who is married to Sue. Jack has stolen about $100k from the bank of which Blane is chairman. An audit is coming. The deal: Jack will return $75k if Blane makes up the rest and everybody keeps quiet. Although Blane was wise to call Perry, Blane also tells his neighbors the Stragues and nature photographer Beaton. Before Perry gets there, Jack is shot, and Paul finds Blane with the body. Perry defends Blane against a pleasant prosecutor Hale (played by Paul Fix). Perry suspects the $75k is the motive, and the hidden clock/camera relate to an alibi that does not pan out. Beaton's camera has an f3.5 lens and he shoots at f4.5 with flash triggered by a tripwire. The culprit takes one picture and then resets the aperture to f22 to f33 allowing a second (blank) shot, tiggered by the trip cord connected to a mechanical clock winding key, to be taken at a later time. Of course, the culprit would have to return to disconnect from the clock and reset to f4.5. Here, the culprit was running a badger game (a frequent Mason theme) and decided the $75k was more lucrative. The idea that scopolamine was a truth serum was largely discredited by the time of the episode. It was being used for motion sickness. Because it causes the victim to lose focus (and possibly hallucinate), it would not be the drug of choice to get a quick reveal of money location. In more current times, scopolamine has been a date rape drug. Toward the end, Perry notes that cross-examination is like prospecting. When you find a vein, you go with it. In this episode, Della gets to show off her reasoning abilities.
Too many characters; too little story
26 November 2020
The origin of the conflict here go back to around 1871. There was a shipping company involving two people named Farraday, the older Jonathan and the younger cousin Thomas. While in the vicinity of the Malay states, one Farraday saved the son of a Malay king and great wealth was bestowed. There was supposed to be a Farraday partnership, but Thomas died and Jonathan ended up with the benefits. Flashforward to the 1960s, and the descendants of Jonathan (Ben and Edward) are running things and those related to Thomas (Evelyn and Carter) are not. There have been past disputes about the partnership issue, one involving Phil Andrews (boyfriend of Evelyn). Phil wrote a magazine article favoring the Thomas clan claim, which turned out to based on fake documents. Phil was fired. Now there is a Malay medal from 1871 supposedly depicting the Farraday who saved the king's son. Most of the episode revolves around the stealing of the medal. Perry's involvement stemmed from his role in a Farraday trust, but he comes to represent Phil who is charged with murdering Ben. (The initial contact of Evelyn with Perry concerned possible smuggling.) In analyzing the plot, one must remember that many Masons turn on blackmail.
The viewer has many characters to keep track of and they are all scheming. (...) As to implausibilities, all the Farradays knew of the relevance of the medal since 1871, but it took till the 1960s to take action? How did a third party end up with the medal? Of the "medal as proof" idea, the Farraday depicted has a moustache, as did Thomas, but otherwise depicts an older man (Thomas died young) looking more like Jonathan. An amalgam of the two? (...) Of Perry's mention of Coopman's newsletter on Malay medals and the inscribed deathwatch beetle, one woders if this was real or merely a ploy to force the killer's hand? Expert Trevelian did not ackowledge having read such information but did state Coopman was an expert. (...) This was a hearing not a trial, and Berger got testy when Perry seemed to be prolonging matters. The judge noted the court is not interested in personalities.
The initial few minutes are not what they seem to be
24 November 2020
Some reviewers noted they were let down by seeing the apparent crime unfold in the first few minutes. But of course that was an illusion. That is one aspect that makes this episode different. Another is the court ruling against Perry on double jeopardy. Perry cites a real case, State v. McDaniels, 137 Cal. 192 (1902), that is right on point and controlling precedent. The judge did not have discretion. In almost all Mason episodes, the judges are dead on right in their rulings, and neither Mason nor Burger wins via a bad call. But this ruling adverse to Perry, but wrong, sets up the pivotal scene between Perry and "Evil Steve," the Balfour family fixer, who is the embodiment of an anti-Mason. Steve wants Perry to present no defense for Ted Balfour and win on appeal, which will minimize exposure to the Balfour family and to "Evil Steve." Steve has made it clear to Perry that Ted is innocent and recounted to Perry what the viewer saw in the first few minutes. Perry tells Steve that Perry does not suborn perjury but relies on truth. He hands Steve a subpoena. Steve gets Addison Balfour to fire Perry but Perry continues to represent Ted. Perry wonders why Lawrence Balfour, the killer in Steve's version, has not shown up. Paul helps Perry to learn why. To viewers of shows like CSI and NCIS, the mistakes made by the State in this episode are unbelievable. Curiously, for the plan of the culprits to succeed, the culprits had to rely on the State making these mistakes.
Mason crew has fun in last episode of season one
20 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.
A complicated character set
18 November 2020
Perry and Della are about to close up shop for the night when Della announces the arrival of a potential client. Della tries to entice an uninterested Perry: she's a blonde (no dice); she's not fully clothed (no dice); she has a black-eye (bring her in). In what may pass for a 1958 product placement ad, Perry tells Della to get the camera (a Polaroid Land one minute developer) and the black eye is documented. Mason shows were trendy in the use of infrared cameras, and in 1958 this Polaroid model was being pushed by such personages as Steve Allen, Perry Como, and Don Ameche. As to the plot, this black-eyed blonde is charged with murdering her blonde roommate and Perry defends. Tied in is a rich man (played by B.G. Armstrong) and his daughter-in-law (played by Superman's Phyllis Coates) and her son.
The motive is to get Armstrong's money but not quite the way you think.
Thermocouples and federal courtmake appearances
16 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Painter Culross, the murder victim, has a history of fraud. One of his victims (Hutchings) bought a fake painting from Culross on behalf of a third party, ended up doing a five year stretch in Huntsville prison , but is now out and in LA. Another victim (Kenyon) bought a fake Matisse ("Blue waters") on behalf of a third party and is being blackmailed by Culross. Culross's latest scheme is to fake his own death so that the value of his own paintings go up. Oddly, this includes using unfinished works, finishing them after his "death," and selling them as finished works soon after his death. He does not tell his wife, who recognizes this later issue and immediately goes to Perry. From the wife's view (not knowing that the death is a fake at that point in time), she is seeing Perry about an art forgery matter. Given the short time involved in the appearance of the completed works, Gideon suggests using a thermocouple. More recent painting would have a different temperature. The idea being that more recent painted parts would still be evaporating solvent and would be cooler than older parts. Trouble is Perry and Gideon just quickly wave a thermocouple over the painting (already at thermal equilibrium in the gallery) and Perry concludes that a portion of the painting (three witches) was completed six days after Culross died. Doubtful that Perry's wave would have detected much temperature difference. But the conclusion may have been correct. Later, looking for the missing $80k, Perry asks Della for phone numbers of judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. He ends up with orders from a federal district court judge (Newman) on the basis that stolen money has been sent through the mail. Perry suggests that the addressee on the package is the murderer. Via the order of the federal district court judge, an assistant postal inspector delivers the package to the party during a state court trial. In the epilog, the Perry gang reviews all the people hurt by virtue of disclosures made in the trial. Della asks about the buyers of the "dead" Culross paintings. Perry says they got authentic psintings but glosses over the fact that they paid an inflated price based on intentionally created falses pretenses. And if these misrepresentations were made in the mail, maybe a federal case too... One wonders about Culross's understanding of his wife, in that he told her of the fraud afterwards, but not before; if he thought she would disapprove before, why a different expectation after?
Perry works through Hamilton's courtroom diagram to Perry's advantage
14 November 2020
Perry's client is Lucille Faxon Allred, accused of murdering her husband (played by Neil Hamilton later of Batman). Her daughter Patricia Faxon (later Batgirl) is the step-daughter of Mr. Allred. Despite a rather polished air, Mr. Allred is a scumbag, and two characters (other than the wife) have motives to kill Mr. Allred. This episode is somwhat unusual iin exonerating Perry's client while lacking a courtroom confession of the culprit. Hamilton thought he had the case solved with an elaborate diagram relying on "tracking" evidence but Perry brings up the time/sequence element. One not credible part of Hamilton's case relied on escape from a clised trunk. 1950s cars did not have inside trunk releases. Also, the tracking evidence did not evaluate shoe size. Why Fleetwood's ID was on Allred's body is not explained by Hamilton. Perry moves to dismiss but is denied. Perry is allowed to recall witnesses with the judge noting no legal gymnastics at the expense of the equities. There is some humor. Tragg asks if Perry is acting as emcee (MC). Relying on Fleetwood's "amnesia," Della pretends to be his wife. Of the tracking, Perry notes Paul solved the case tho Paul has no idea. In the "epilog," Perry confuses Hamilton about who the culprit is ( recall no confession here) and Perry notes he does want to set a precedent of helping Hamilton. In a different episode, Perry would explicitly say that's your job.
Cannon as a bear-hugging chemist
13 November 2020
Jay Silverheels appears with dialog midway between Tonto and '70s street guy. X Brands is in the cast.
The bad guy is revealed early and does in Silverheels, among others. In the real world, Cannon would have been shot. Here, Cannon, gunless and wounded, does some chemistry and bearhugs the bad guy. Get real.
Great lines for Tragg
7 November 2020
Perry does not recognize Tragg's voice on the phone and Tragg says "Is this THE Perry Mason?"
Implausible story as to the important delivery by the Dr. A birth of a child to an incarcerated prisoner.
A social service person would be all over this and the Drs. method would not work. Also not clear how the postman could have delivered special delivery to Della. Another lawyer talks to Perry about the slimey rat race of criminal law and Perry says something about not running with the rats. The judge makes a comment about legal technicalities.
Some messages here for contemporary politics
6 November 2020
The actions of the episode revolve around compromising pictures of the daughter of a prominent politician Templeton Courtland. The episode begins with said daughter about to married to jazz musician Eddy King (played by James Drury, later to be the "Virginian".) Daughter runs away from ceremony, having seen evil George Sherman the blackmailer. One irony, understated in the episode, was that Sherman was motivated by a $25k bounty put out by gambler Jack Grabba (ably played by Walter Burke) for "dirt" on Courtland. But Grabba had scruples and would not use such material related to a family member. Sherman already figures he can get more than $25k on his own. Sherman is murdered; Eddy King is charged and Perry defends.
Another understated point is the lack of credibility assigned to the identification testimony of the old janitor Mr. Boysen as to Jonny Baker (played by Contance Towers). If Boysen were believed, the case would have immediately pivoted. Old people are presumed incompetent. Instead the judge (played by. Frederick Worlock) called Perry in for an ex parte chat. That chat led to some unusual evidence presentations later. Berger was not informed of this, which was improper. The chat did keep the pictures from being presented as evidence. One implausible part of the story was why the tape was not destroyed. The reason given was unbelievable. In the episode, Perry has a gun pulled on him by Bongo White, only to be saved by Paul. The David Gideon character is in the episode. Also the Jonny character tells Della that she should be in show business.
Berger to Mason: I'd have you sniffing brimstone through a keyhole
5 November 2020
In this season one episode, Berger and Tragg are still after Perry's ethics, and there are definite rough edges to work out in later years. The setup here is an oil company headed by Daniel Conway, but who is being challenged by Warner Griffith for control. Warner's marriage to Linda is on the rocks, because Warner is hanging out with Rose Calvert who is married to Fred Calvert (played by Jack Weston who will play a similar husband role in the Thomas Crowne Affair). Rose ends up dead and Dan Conway is charged. Perry was at a Bar dinner with the oil company counsel and Perry (wearing a tux) is brought in. This is a rare Mason with a jury trial, with the murder weapon (Smith & Wesson 38) passed among the jurors. The "star" of the episode is an elevator operator Mavis Jordan (played by Natalie Norwick, later in Star Trek's The Conscience of the King). Mavis can identify people by feet and shoes, and has been evaluated by researchers at Stanford and The University of Chicago (!!!). There are a number of great lines in this episode. When Perry asks what Mavis was reading, she responds "you could die laughing." These lines along with references to Stanford and the UofC give this episode high marks.
Too many characters for too weak a plot
4 November 2020
The episode begins with three men in trouble in white water somewhere in Canada: Adam York (publisher of LA Chronicle). Prentice York, and Tilden Stuart (played by Denver Pyle). Only Tilden survives. Perry comes into the case as a transactional attorney, reading the will and acting as a transitional trustee. When explaining a point, Perry spouts Section 296 of the Uniform Death code related to "simultaneous" deaths. Perry is corrected on a factual matter by Paul, who notes the Mounties believe Prentice outlived Adam, which changes the outcome of the will. The coherence of the plot relies on Tilden Stuart knowing the will and the law, which is not clear from the episode version I saw on television. As to the plot, Adam's nephew Joe Davies wants to continue the Chronicle after Adam's death and believes his fiancee Kerry Warden will help him. Kerry is the step-daughter of Prentice and will get some stock voting rights if Prentice outlived Adam. As to the newspaper, the Quintin side of the family wants to sell and the Davies do not. Throw in bad guy Boyd Alison (played by Theodore Marcuse, who looks like a slimy evil version of Gavin McCleod) and a good woman (Miriam Coffey played by Bek Nelson), and you have a complicated mess. The police work of the Mounties was sloppy. The culprit does confess in court, breaking down to a blubbering puddle.
This 1958 episode may have a message beyond Mason/Burger interplay
31 October 2020
Three men, Carr, Hocksley, and Lowell, were involved in business in China from the 1930s until 1956. This included guns. One of them (Lowell) betrayed the other two to Chinese Communists. Hocksley was killed. Carr survived and now wants to give money (MILLIONS) to Hocksley's daughter. There is a specific way the daughter can self-identify and it involves the "empty tin" of the title. The episode begins in San Francisco, with Doris Hocksley meeting with the proprietor of Lowell's Photo Shop, discussing an ad placed ny Carr seeking the daughter. Doris goes to LA and meets with Mr. Neal (Carr's nephew) who is screening respondents. Neal is a slippery character who basically offers Doris a deal. Carr ends up dead; Doris is charged and Perry defends. By rifling the tin box in court, Perry gets the evidence to exonerate Doris. Neal also ends up dead.
Perry fingers the killer, and then says to Berger I'll buy you a drink.
This episode may have a secondary meaning. The trio were kicked out of China in 1956, not in 1949. This would be right after the first Formosa Strait incident in 1955, wherein the US contemplated the use of nuclear weapons against Communist China. The second Strait incident involving the shelling of Quemoy and Matsu would occur in fall 1958. The speech of Loong in the Empty Tin might seem more relevant to this political crisis than to the details of the case.
Wife with gambling problem-1961 version
28 October 2020
Herman Albright (played by a 55 year old actor) has a wife (actress age 41) named Ida who has a gambling problem and an immediate debt of $5k. Herman reasonably wants out but delusionally thinks he can run away with Grace Halley (played by Myrna Fahey, age 28), who is the "face" of an ad campaign run by Herman. Grace tries to tell Herman "no way," and goes to see Perry about her contract. Note for 1961, part of the "morals" clause includes joining a subversive group. Meanwhile, Herman gets the $5k from his boss in return for doing a favor. Herman gets "picked up" at a bar by one Joy Lebaron (actress age 23) and the bartender Walter Clemmons immediately suspects something is amiss and "cards" Joy who provides her true drivers license. Herman later is shot to death at close range with a small caliber pistol. Grace is arrested and Perry defends. As the title suggests, the vest worn by Herman at his death is the pivot and Perry fills in the blanks. There is a later Mason involving a wife with a gambling problem (Gambling Lady), in which Myrna Fahey plays the wife ("Myrna") who is the decedent. There is an interesting inversion between the two. In "Vest," one element (Herman) is not what what one person thinks ("counterfeit"). In "Gambling Lady," what most peo
Some really great lines in a tale of two marriages
28 October 2020
The show begins with Mr. Kirby (played by Dabbs Greer) stopped by police while holding $92k, described by the policeman as ten years of a sergeant's pay. Kirby is doing a favor for his war buddy Doc Morris, who has an unhappy marriage to the woman who becomes Perry's client. Doc seems to have died in a private plane crash and Mrs. Morris may have slipped him a thermos with drugged coffee. But Kirby is missing and Perry pays a visit to Mrs. Kirby (Jeanette Nolan), who is running Kirby's Drive-in in Loganville. This gives rise to an interchange used in Mason promos: hamburgers 35 cents and that includes fries. No thanks I'm on a diet. To Perry: you guys are slick as okra. Tragg and Berger interview Mrs. Kirby who says to them. You guys afraid of her lawyer Mr. Mason?
Perry turns the case by careful assessment of traits of the characters. There is a guy with a photographic memory. You know the second license plate number will come into play. The initial line about life insueance will also come into play.
How much is a past debt for saving his life worth to Matt?
26 October 2020
The episode begins with a flashback of 17 years to an 18 year old Matt. A "couple of years" before the war might be 1859 or 1860, so "present time" for the episode might be 1876 or 1877.
As to the telegram, it might have been a ruse to trick York, as word of its contents filtered back to York. At the end, Matt had his badge in his pocket and pinned it back on.
The viewer did not get to learn of Matt's plan, unless Matt foresaw that York would behave the same way twice.
In the flashback, all the people with York seemed like Southerners. York claimed to have a pardon from General Grant. Not clear how that could be. President Grant could not "pardon" criminals for state law crimes, such as homicides. As to pardoning Confederate enlisted men, President Johnson did that December 25, 1868. Grant did not.
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