User Reviews

Big eyed Connie Cezan returns to the series as Mason's receptionist Gertie after a three year absence, in this case pinch hitting a bit for Della Street. It's not explained why Della isn't around, but Cezan does a fine job in her stead.

The scientific team of Bradshaw and James looks like they are about to make a breakthrough with a vaccine that could earn them millions. Only Natalie James (Marian Collier) threatens to sell her controlling share in the company while thinking about running away to Hawaii with surfer hunk Andy Wilcoe (William Smith). When Natalie is killed by a hit and run driver evidence points to her husband Randolph James (Lee Fair) as her killer.

Smith is always good at playing arrogant,cold womanizing creeps and he is in the zone here. Barlett Robinson does an interesting character as the "fishin' physicist" (okay, he's a chemist, but that's not as much fun to write as "fishin' physicist") and Ilse Taurin as his daughter is easy on the eyes.

The setting is the Malibu beach colony and we get to see Perry demonstrate his fish as well as legal expertise. However, the reveal of how the murder was committed raises some questions. Without giving away the murderer, this person steals/borrows James' car while he's fishing, then gets the victim to drink a lot, insisting they stay for another round. However, not knowing when James will come back to his car, that seems fairly risky. If he comes back and finds his car gone, the jig is up. Better to get it over and done with quickly--the victim after all does not have to be plastered for the plan to work...which it doesn't anyway, thanks to Perry!

***SPOILERS*** I sure would've hated to see them bang up a sweet Woody station wagon just to run run down a cheating, lying, double-crossing, good-looking snake like Natalie James; so it's good that they didn't show any damage. The story about the Woody being damaged and then fixed the next day is pure "Twilight Zone" bull, though. Nobody can get an old car fixed that fast; then or now.

So, at the risk of sounding presumptuous and preposterous (I just love those words) I'm gonna say that I suspected Helen as soon as I saw how reluctant she was to "loan" her diamond pin to Natalie. I wasn't sure about the hat part, until Perry brought it out in court. Another thing about Woodies, is that Surfers would, and still do, use a roof luggage rack to hold (down) their boards. NOT inside the wagon, where it would be difficult to tie down. I'll bet that a bunch of Surfers noticed this when the episode first came out, but there was NO IMDb back then, was there?

I'll also bet that they had to run a bunch of Surfers, and bunnies off the beach when they shot those scenes. Night or day; show me a Surfer, I'll show you a party. I speak from experience. Which brings up another question: WHERE were the surf bunnies? I mean, this is Southern California, isn't it??? A beach without SurferGirls must be in Iowa.

All that said, Mala Powers (Helen Bradshaw) is looking sultry hot, as a person who HAD to dispose of an extortionist. She rightly explained why in her confession, and also, her anger at Devlin for messing up her plan. In doing so. Of course, she eliminated any chance for mercy. See, she was quite willing to hang a frame on Perry's client, and let him face San Quentin.

One other small thing. The last scene is just dumb. Paul has been fishing with Perry a number of times, so his statement "I'm not a fisherman" rings hollow. There's no reason for it, either. and the reason for keeping an eye on other fishermen? NOT because you wonder what they caught, but to make sure your lines don't get tangled. I was gonna say, just like this plot, but I decided not to at the last minute.

I enjoyed this episode very much, as I do most Perry Mason episodes. Thanks to MeTV.

This episode is smooth, clean, and thoroughly enjoyable. As is often the case, the killer is sympathetic, in this case more sympathetic than the hateful but beautiful "victim", or other of the episode's characters, including the killer's own ruthless businessman husband who would never have forgiven her affair, thus forcing the murder of an insatiable blackmailer.

True, the killer would have let an innocent person take the fall (they had the death penalty back then, as we often hear mention of "the gas chamber") so that eases the conclusion in this case.