The Case of Paul Drake's Dilemma

Yes, I rated this 10 of 10. I rarely do that. This episode is as worthy of the honor as are only a handful of other episodes from the entire nine-season run. Paul Drake is a victim of soicumstance, as Jerome Howard would have said (nyuk, nyuk!) and even the authorities seem apologetic for having to do their duty. It's up to Mason to unravel this Gordian knot of intrigue, and after having done so - Mason does what he rarely does, which is to tell a third party just exactly what he thinks of him.

One can see, in this show about three years into the series run, Mason's gradual evolution from an attorney who works on the edge of the law to that of greater respectability and acceptance by his fellow court officers. No more film noir, merely film grise. By Season Seven, he'd be wearing the white hat in full force. While I liked the first two seasons the most, Season Three still was full of shows worthy of the time to watch.

This episode has some interesting legal points. The case cited on results of the paraffin test being inadmissible (Brooke v State of Colorado) is real, and was decided June 1, 1959, just months before this Mason episode first aired. Perry won the legal point. The now outdated concept of res gestae also appears. Perry has to contend with a family patriarch who spends lots of money to hide some pertinent details, which details would help Paul. The last few minutes of the episode are worth waiting for.

This episode turns out to be a refreshing change of pace from the regular 'Perry Mason' mystery. The writers came up with a new way for Perry to defend a client who is accused of murder, even if the client is his old friend, Paul Drake.

The episode centers around a middle-aged wealthy man named Frank Thatcher. He has been having an affair with a saucy singer named Donna Kress. On a way back from one of their rendezvous, he kills a pedestrian and flees the scene.

He then hires Paul Drake, under false pretenses, to delivery money, under the disguise of winnings, to the widow of the dead man. It is not long until Paul realizes that he is being played and goes to confront Mr Thatcher.

A fight breaks out between the two men and Paul is knocked unconscious. When he awakes the police are at the door and Mr Thatcher has been shot. To make matters worse, the murder weapon was a gun that belonged to Paul.

From the jail house Paul calls Perry to defend him for charges brought by Hamilton Burger's office. So Paul is now the middle man in court sitting beside Paul and Della. Only bad thing is that he is charged with the murder.

The key to the case comes in a different situation from other Perry shows. It becomes a refreshing change from the other rehashed tales from other stories. The writers find another way to bring the case to an end while maintaining the series classic courtroom confession. -- A good episode to watch and enjoy. A good show from season three.

PS- make sure you watch the ending of this episode. After the trial Perry has some strong words for one character of the cast.

Definitely one of Jackson Gillis' best mysteries, and for all us fans of Paul Drake -- we want answers.

Drake basically is played for a fool, and yes, some of the most obvious cases nevertheless turn out to be complex for Perry, regardless of the client. A big shot named Thatcher (Bruce Gordon) is cheating on his wife and having an affair with a young singer (Vanessa Brown). As luck would have it, Thatcher accidentally runs over and kills a man, needing to cover it up ASAP. This is where Paul comes in, hired and used as a patsy to deliver money to the victim's widow. Paul without too much surprise has a run in with this crafty guy, he's knocked unconscience and wakes up a murderer -- his gun used to kill Thatcher.

If you're a cop show fan, you've seen this scenario played out a hundred times, however clever, it's a first here and rather intriguingly carried out. The cast deserves much credit, particularly Bruce Gordon, known for his tough roles on the UNTOUCHABLES. He fits the part. Pretty Vanessa Brown later appeared on GENERAL HOSPITAL. Simon Scott guest stars as Charles and veteran actor Robert Cornthwaite (Anders), a staple in sci fi films; WAR OF THE WORLDS and the THING.

Deep voiced, dead serious Kenneth MacDonald returns as the judge, one of our favorite barristers.

Did you catch it... Thatcher's Lincoln is in "park" while he is driving the car. Kind of surprising director William D. Russell would miss that, but still 10 Stars for atmosphere. Russell later directed most of the episodes for HAZEL.

A surprise courtoom ending, with some "thoughtful" comments from Perry. This case got under his skin. Again thanks to Jackson Gillis, writer for COLUMBO in the 70s.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 6 remastered CBS dvd box set. Vol. 1 and 2. 4 dvds. Released 2008.

There is a rich family in Los Angeles. The father is a whip cracker and 2 sons are troublemakers. Then, there's the son in law, who cheats on the old man's daughter. One fateful day, the son in law accidentally kills a man walking on the side of the road. But, rather than face the police, he drives off and hides the car. Then, he hires Paul Drake to deliver a lump sum of money to the widow, telling Drake a false story. Later, Drake realizes he's been used and goes to confront the bad son. But, someone knocks Paul out and while unconscious, the Son in law is murdered. Now, Paul is charged with murder and Perry rushes to defend him. What can be better than having Mason as your lawyer? This episode is one of the better ones of am outstanding show. Having Paul as the defendant in a murder case is a deft touch while the supporting cast is wonderful. Look for it.