The Case of the Cautious Coquette

This episode starts out with a case that has nothing to do with murder. Perry has a client who has been badly injured in a hit and run automobile accident. He puts an ad in the paper asking anyone who has information on who did this to contact his office. He receives a perfumed envelope in the mail. In it there is a housekey and a note saying that the license number of the car that hit his client can be found in the back of the address book of one Elaine Barton, whose housekey was in the envelope.

Perry goes there, but finds Elaine there and knocks rather than use the key. He asks Elaine about the accident - she knows nothing about it. When she is in the kitchen getting them both coffee he looks for the address book, finds it, and finds the license plate number. The car involved in the accident belongs to the wealthy Steven Argyle. And guess who his chauffeur is - Elaine's estranged husband, Harry Pitkin. Harry is blackmailing Elaine over the fact that they never got a proper divorce and now she's dating a man who wants to marry her, Ross Hollister. Murder comes into the picture when Elaine comes home one day to find Harry dead on her bedroom floor, shot with her gun.

Is this just a case of the smallest world you've ever seen and a bunch of coincidences, or is something else afoot? In this case, help comes from one of the suspects with a most interesting twist at the end that I never saw coming. Highly recommended.

These season one Perry Masons are a bit different. Perry has a flirtatious way about him when it comes to Della Street and is much more open to bending the laws to protect his client. Also, this first season uses material direct from Stanley Earl Gardner, thus the plots are easier to understand and not so serpentine as those in later seasons.

In this episode we get a beautiful Elaine Barton (Kipp Hamilton) that falls in love with business man named Ross Hollister. The only problem is that Elaine is already married to a really peachy person named Harry Pitkin. He is refusing to give Elaine a divorce so that she can marry Ross. Harry is blackmailing Elaine and states many times that he will get a divorce if only she provided enough money.

Ross also has a business partner named Shelia Cromwell (Virginia Gregg) that is in love with him from afar and does not seem to happy with the idea of Ross and Elaine possibly getting married.

Anyway the cad Harry Pitkin ends up dead in Elaine's apartment and was killed by a gun owned by Elaine. She just happened to meet Perry when he was investigating a hit-and-run case and calls him for help. Thus we go to the courtroom with Perry defending Elaine for the murder of Harry Pitkin, her estranged husband.

There are a couple of sub-plots that are keen to the story like the hit-and-run investigation. And we also have a problem with the books at Ross and Shelia's company. This will prove most helpful in finding the actual killer.

Even though this show was interesting and I considered a good watch, there is so over-acting in the show that could have been turned down a few notches. In one scene a person is on the witness stand and was asked a simple question. The next thing I know is that person is so upset that they cannot continue and court is postpone till the next day. I am sure that was written in the script but the actor seems to be taking it to new heights with the long shaking and crying.

One scene I thought was funny was when Elaine is waiting for Perry to come to her apartment. Perry asks why she feels the need to talk with him. Elaine says, "I'm in trouble". To which Perry says, "What do you call trouble?" Then she opens her bedroom door to reveal the dead body of Harry. Folks, that is trouble.

I considered this a good watch for everything that a Perry fan wants in an episode. Interesting story and a need to watch the entire episode because of the interest in the characters.

I won't enlist spoilers here. I will say I rather enjoyed this one. There are numerous plot twists that keep on engaged and wondering. When the writing is good, it is fun to try to anticipate who the murderer was. We only know that it is never the one sitting next to Perry at the trial. The great thing here is we are given numerous possibilities. Always look to the entire cast (exclusive of the regulars, of course), but even that doesn't always work. Once again, Tragg and Burger seem intent on bring Mason down almost as much as the logical suspects.

Perry Mason is iconic for a reason, it's one of the best television series ever. This is one of my favorite Perry Mason episodes.

Like most episodes, Perry and Della Street (his secretary) work to all hours of the night and there's plenty of interesting twists.

Also, like most episodes (maybe all of them), there's a closing scene. This one's exceptionally satisfying. Alone worth watching the entire episode.

Perry Mason picks up a client while investigating a hit and run that's left his other client in the hospital. It was caused as investigation by Harry Jackson who is the husband of Kipp Hamilton. He's a real bottom feeder, he wants some unofficial alimony from Hamilton before letting her go to marry James Seay whom she loves.

Later of course when Jackson is found dead in Hamilton's place good thing she already made the acquaintance of the best lawyer around.

Jackson worked for the affluent Donald Randolph as a chauffeur and had considerable leeway in using the car. Tracking his movements is the way Raymond Burrs solves the crime and also the hit and run he was originally investigating.

Chet Stratton plays another bottom feeder an insurance adjuster. The climax concerns him and it is hilarious.