"Perry Mason" The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (TV Episode 1959) Poster

(TV Series)

(1959)

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8/10
Good story and nice acting makes this episode entertaining
kfo949411 May 2013
Here we have one of the better stories with some fine acting that makes this episode above par for a Perry mystery. Even though the true murderer was obvious from near the beginning, it still made for a enjoyable watch and interesting plot.

The story centers around Carol Delaney. She has been informed by Bishop Arthur Mallory that she is the grand-daughter of the rich and powerful Charles Burroughs. But a few years ago Mr Burroughs was informed by an investigator that another woman named Janice was the missing grand-daughter and this entire time Charles Burroughs believes that the missing girl had been found. When Bishop Mallory gives the news to Mr Burroughs it does not set too well with him.

It seemed that Charles Burroughs was washing his hands of the entire situation and changing his will to state that Janice gets all his inheritance. This basically puts the claim of Carol Delaney to rest. But when Charles Burroughs is murdered the night before changing his will it appears very suspicious that someone did not want the will changed. When a knife belonging to Carol Delaney is found to be the murder weapon, Perry will be called to try to piece together the murder and the mystery surrounding the women.

I really like the way that the writer tried to place blame on one particular character and away from the most obvious person. This lead to second-guessing during the courtroom procedure until Perry finally brings closure and all the viewers breath a 'I-thought-so' sigh of relief. Even with the suspicious way the murder was to have taken place the episode was still entertaining. Nice story and a good watch.
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8/10
Stuttering?
slackersmom5 August 2020
Is it just me, or is this "bishop" mischaracterized? I've heard only a mild stutter in a couple of instances, but nothing that would lead me to describe him as a chronic stutterer.
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8/10
Well Developed
Hitchcoc30 December 2021
This is another one of those episodes where someone can inherit a bunch of money, but intent and identity are a problem. Here a supposed bishop has been given the task of finding a young woman who can then inherit (but it is not so simple because some bad guys show up). The young woman targeted, unwittingly gets in the middle of something she doesn't understand and sits, accused of murder.
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10/10
Aussie, my Koala
darbski28 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
**SPOILERS** Even if he was American, the Bishop would have picked up some strong Aussie mannerisms, dialect, and accent - even a little bit would have helped. He was a good guy, nonetheless, and was trying to help out an old friend. When he turned up gone, you KNEW he was dead. Too bad. The cheap thug (Ken Lynch) is an obvious goon who has his trained gorilla work the Bishop over; he doesn't give in. Instead, he perseveres, and with the person he says is the right heir, goes to see Perry. He was a honorable.

Burroughs, the man with the fortune, was right down the line as a murder victim for this series. He insults Perry for no reason, shows Perry that he's going to change his will in a hurry (for no real reason), Trusts a guy who is visibly a snake in a suit; an arrogant, preening, self-important snob with a lot more money than brains. Good riddance. Hello Frame Up for the Damsel in distress. In this case, it is refreshing indeed to see a client of Perry's who is a nice person that doesn't lie to him, tries her best, and is thrown on the railroad tracks by several perjuring rats; I love to watch Perry take them apart. I've always thought that Burger's cases (and sometimes Burger himself) reminded me of Beetle Bailey after Sarge was finished with him - you know, put back together; only the wrong way? The fraud is exposed, but all Perry's efforts could only point out an a believable alternate theory of the crime (Burroughs' murder), and get his client temporarily exonerated. The sleezebag on the stand didn't admit anything, even IF it looked like he could be guilty. Perry had a theory as to who murdered the Bishop, but where was his proof? Great courtroom proceedings and drama; yeah, Burger was excused from the disassembly of his career this time. Does anyone else ever wonder how he could stay in office after being wiped out so many times by Perry? Rebecca Welles, who played Carol Delaney (sweet Irish name), does a good job in her role as do all the others, it was an actor's delight, I'm sure; as there was plenty of meat on the table for these fine performers.

It was a satisfying ending which I liked. The normal "Happy Days Are Here Again" closure makes me wanna throw up sometimes. In a murder case, and in this case, where a nice guy who helped a young woman gain a valuable inheritance (and was killed for it), there are NO happy endings. You know, it just occurred to me - what happened to Carol's so-called boyfriend?
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6/10
a solid entry
lewis-512 November 2012
Good acting and a pretty reasonable plot make for a good episode. I liked the Carol Delaney character. Veteran character actor Ken Lynch gives a good performance as an almost sympathetic character. No Hamilton Burger; the assistant DA is OK. The murderer was a bit too obvious, though the way the murder was done was a nice twist. There is not much use of Della or Paul Drake.

It's based on one of the best PM books by Gardner, one of his early ones. It concerns a young woman who may be the long lost granddaughter of a millionaire, if a certain bishop can be believed. Or is he just an impostor, a crook of some kind?

The book is a lot more complicated than this episode, and they changed some things about the bishop. If you can, read the book.
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6/10
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
Prismark1013 December 2023
Charles Burroughs is a rich old multimillionaire who has been trying to find his long lost granddaughter. She was put up for adoption.

Bishop Mallory from Australia thinks he has found the missing heir. She is Carol Delaney who doesn't believe a word of it, that she is in line to inherit several million dollars.

There is a thug called Wallace Lang who wants to stop the Bishop putting Carol forward. He has got a woman called Janice to pose as the granddaughter and Burroughs accepts her and is prepared to change his will in her favour. Not realising that Lang and Janice are connected.

When Philip Burroughs finds his elderly uncle stabbed to death. It is Carol Delaney who becomes a suspect. The police find the murder weapon in her house.

Perry Mason takes on the case and finds that the Bishop has gone missing. It seems Lang is in the frame to benefit the most from the old man's death.

Based on a novel by Erle Stanley Gardner. This has been diluted and it is refreshing that Perry has a defendant that has nothing to hide.
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4/10
From Jump Street
bkoganbing9 August 2012
This particular Perry Mason episode is based on one of Erle Stanley Gardner's actual mystery novels. Even with the Perry Mason parameter of his client in this case Rebecca Welles being innocent, it still proves interesting.

Vaughn Taylor is the stuttering bishop in this case who first gets worked over at the behest of Ken Lynch when he tries to make a claim that she's the actual legatee of millionaire Carl Benton Reid. Joan Vohs is already there and Lynch who works for Reid protects their position zealously, a little to zealously. When Reid is murdered Welles becomes the client and there are a lovely group of other suspects.

Can't say about the book, but I had this one figured from jump street and that's always my test for a Mason story.
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4/10
An Obvious Killer + No Burger = A Mediocre Episode
jqdoe28 September 2016
It's never good when you can tell who the murderer is going to be before the murder even occurs. That was the case for me with this episode - and I bet it will be the case with you.

It is a shame that this episode did not turn out better, as it is based on one of Earl Stanley Gardner's better books, which in fact was made into a movie 22 years earlier (starring Donald Woods, another Canadian-American actor like Raymond Burr, as Mason). This episode includes a lot of changes to the earlier version, and the changes do not make an improvement in my opinion. In addition to too many obvious plot clues, I think some poor casting choices and uneven acting played a part in sabotaging this episode by making the killer so obvious so early.

I also missed Burger. I have no idea why they did not use him - his character appeared in the book and the earlier film version.

The story held up logically - better than many other episodes, in fact. But in the end, I was left feeling like this entire story could have been told in half the time with twice the entertainment. Not the worst Perry Mason episode by any means, but far from the best.
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5/10
He's a nice fellow.. He has all the finer instincts of a scorpion.
kapelusznik1828 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS**** Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, has his hands full here with his client Carol Delaney, Rebecca Wells, charged in the murder of her, what's thought to be, grandfather Charles Burroughs, Carl Benton Reid, who left her , if she can prove to be his grand-daughter, his entire 5 million dollar estate! As it turned out the person behind this sham is the mysterious Australian Bishop Arthur Mallory, Vaughn Taylor, who for some unknown reason in very very interested in getting grand-daughter and grandfather together with no reward, as anyone can see, on his part.

As it soon turns out private investigator and full time hood Wallace Lang, Ken Lynch, has a keen interest in keeping the truth about Carol's blood relationship with old man Burroughs hidden in him going so far as to have him worked over by one of his goons, Big Leo, to keep him from talking! There's also the strange connection that Lynch has with Burroughs' private secretary and house keeper as well as daughter or is it grand-daughter Janice, Joan Vohs, who some eight years ago pops up at his mansion claiming to be his next of kin! Thus being in line to get his millions whenever he passes from the scene.

***SPOILERS*** The fact that Burroughs was murdered as soon as his so-called grand-daughter Carol showed up on the scene makes her a prime suspect in his murder in order to keep his entire estate from falling into Janice's hands. But there's another ingredient in this confusing murder case Burroughs weirdo & wimpy nephew Philip, Jonathan Kidd, who knows the truth behind the secret relationship between Carol and Lynch that can blow their get rich quick plans right out of the water! As for Bishop Mallory he hasn't long for this world anyway in sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and is himself murdered or killed off, in that he was starting to bore as well as lose the TV audience, before this Perry Mason episode is halfway over. Perry as usual sees through the killers plans as soon as he tries to use him as an alibi in Burroughs' murder and concentrates on his whereabouts at the time of his death. Something that Burrough's killer felt that he by using Perry as an alibi would have him get away Scot-free with Burrough's murder!
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