User Reviews

An excellent script by William Bast has Perry defending newspaper man Greg Stanley (Douglas Henderson) who is accused of killing his rival Danny Shine (John Lasell). Stanley's boss Alex Tanner (Gary Collins) and his wife Patricia (Anne Whitfield) can destroy the prosecution's motive for the killing, but they refuse to testify when their baby is kidnapped and they are warned not to. They insist Perry not get involved or bring in the police, lest the baby be killed.

Besides the good script, this show is helped by a number of good performances, including Gary Collins as the worried husband, and very subtly yet effectively, Anne Whitfield as his tortured wife. Cloris Leachman is good as Shine's jealous wife Gloria and Pat Priest (of "Munsters" fame) is gorgeous as Norma, the secretary Shine was having an affair with. However, despite her killer looks, somehow Priest is less than effective in "bad girl" roles. Either an essential goodness shines through or maybe I just keep seeing Marilyn Munster, I don't know. Walter Burke is very effective as the suspicious Adams.

After nine seasons, Paul still has a lot to learn about tailing someone. He tails Gloria Shines while wearing a white trench coat and sitting in a top down convertible. If that's not easy to spot, I don't know what is!

Spoilers A very good episode in spite of the obligatory roadblocks to Perry's expertise.First, the character of Norma played by Pat Priest is a fine remembrance of teenage crushes of long ago I agree that it's a stretch to see her as the other woman, unless you know people are strange. Anne Whitfield plays a very respectable mother who is off the rails.Gary Collins does a good job in his role, also. A real treat is Walter Burke as a private investigator for a law firm with aggravated interests in the case. He was one of the very best character actors of any age, and somehow, even though you know who he is, carries off the role with great skill. In this episode, as in so many, the minor parts are played to a fine point by real talent. I also agree with the reviewer who mentioned the Paul's undercover techniques leave something to be desired. I wonder if Magnum, P.I. studied under his tutelage (Driving around in a very expensive Ferrari - come on!). As usual, Miss Hale is rapturous as Della. I know, I rattle on about her beauty, don't I? SPOILER The problem I have is one of timing. Just WHEN did Lasell get shot? It seemed to me that there was almost no time for it to occur. I also found it refreshing that someone said he was glad that he killed a creep.

***SPOILERS*** In the next to last Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, episode after an almost ten year run on TV were in for a big surprise in not just who did it, murdered the obligatory murder victim, but who kidnapped the Tanner's Alex & Pat, Cary Collins & Ann Whitfield, 18 month old baby boy Bobby out of his crib. Despite the kidnapping a Perry Mason episode wouldn't be a Perry Mason episode without somebody, usually a low life dirt-bag, getting murdered so we have sleaze ball gossip columnist Danny Shine, John Lasell, get that dubious honor. Shine who's about to expose a secret that his boss on the newspaper Alex Tanner and his somewhat mentally unstable wife Pat have been keeping secret since they came back from Japan ends up being shot to death in his car outside the Tanner residence. The lucky or unlucky person who gets framed for Shine's murder is Tanner employee Greg Stanley, Douglas Henderson, who incredibly drove the dead Shine to his home without realizing that he was not only dead but murdered as well! Being the last person to be seen with Shine "alive" Stanley is arrested and indited in his murder!

It takes a while for Perry to realize that the kidnapping was only a cover for Shine's murder. With their son Bobby kidnapped and being told he'll be killed if they testify in court about what they really know about Shine's murder both Alex & Pat Tanner are neutralized in bringing out the truth about both Shine and their kidnapped 18 month old son Bobby. There's are all kinds of sub-plots and red herrings thrown into the story but the main reason for what behind all this bizarre actions stems from the Tanner's time in Japan. A time that Perry with the help of his friend and private investigator Paul Drake, William Hopper, uncover that shocks everyone's, in the cast or us watching on TV, socks off!

****SPOILERS**** What happened during their stay in Japan was something that the Tanners wanted to keep under wraps especially in the case of Pat Tanner who was already well on her way to be committed into a mental institution. It was Shine who was going to reveal the secret that the Tanners wanted kept secret that lead to his murder. But with Shine having so many enemies and people who wanted to do him in including Perry's client Greg Stanley it took a lot of leg-work and investigating by private investigator Paul Drak as well as Perry Mason to finally track down his killer.

P.S The Perry Mason episode didn't end with the usual scene of the killer breaking down in court and confessing to his crime. It ended as if the writers of the episode suddenly remembered that they had to finally end the by now utterly confusing story and have Shine's killer suddenly without any probing and out of court admits his crime to a both a confused as well as stunned TV audience! Who had no idea what he was talking about and took at least a few minutes when all of a sudden in his confusion he became excited wild and emotional to realize what exactly he meant!