The Case of the Bedeviled Doctor

A psychiatrist's secretary has a brother who claims to owe four thousand dollars to gamblers who are going to kill him if he doesn't pay up. He says he can get five thousand dollars for a tape of a particular patient of the doctor's admitting to an affair, the soon to be ex-wife being the one willing to pay. The patient, Peter Heywood, has lots of money and it would mean big alimony for his wife. The sister is conflicted between loyalty (and love) for the doctor and her desire to help her brother out. Eventually, blood wins out. But the brother is lying about the gamblers and just needed a story to get his sister to help him with this inside job.

Soon after the tape is stolen the brother is found dead. Instead of a medal ceremony, believe it or not the police are looking for the murderer. The doctor is charged although, of course, there are a multitude of suspects. The wealthy patient who was being blackmailed could have been the killer as well, since he was not so intent on protecting his money as he was his secretary, with whom he is in love. Della must be jealous of all of this interoffice romance.

No courtroom confession here. This time Perry sets up a situation to entrap the real killer. As usual his insight into human behavior and eye for detail serve him well.

Dr David Craig is a psychiatrist who tapes his patients sessions. Barbara Heywood wants the tape of the sessions Dr Craig has had with her husband Peter.

In his sessions Peter Heywood has confessed to an affair with his secretary. This would lead to a lucrative divorce settlement for Barbara.

She hires a mobster to retrieve the tapes. In turn the mobster goes to Mark Douglas. His sister Edith is Dr Craig's secretary.

Mark puts the right amount of pressure on his sister. That he is being pursued by some heavies over some gambling debts.

After the tapes are stolen Dr Craig goes to see Perry Mason. He soon becomes a suspect when Mark Douglas is found dead.

I did think actor Barry McGuire was hammy as Mark Douglas, the sneering victim.

Refreshingly Perry Mason traps the villain but not in the courtroom. Having guessed the means and motive.

I was surprised why the judge wanted to lock up Barbara Heywood for her outburst in court. If she publically claims that her husband's alibi is false. Maybe he would had wanted to do some more probing.

The actor playing Mark, the brother of the nurse is completely awful and almost ruins the entire episode. First of all, he's way too young or the actress playing the nurse is way too old. She looks 50 and he looks to be about 17. Something wrong there. But it's his acting that's really the problem. He is overly dramatic and makes many amateur mistakes. It reminded me of a 30s B movie. If someone knocks on the door, he jumps as though he was shot out of a cannon. He gives this ridiculously exaggerated grin when he successfully cons his sister. It doesn't help matters that he's got a face for radio so isn't easy on the eyes. I watch a lot of old movies and I don't think I've ever seen him before. Maybe he was only on TV? He's just awful and very hataeble but not for the reasons written into the script. All 50s actors exaggerate their movements to some extent. It was just the style of the time. But this kid behaved like he was a mime in a silent film. Waving his arms, tiptoeing dramatically, and trying to keep audience attention on him even if he wasn't supposed to be the center of attention. Very glad when he got killed but it wasn't soon enough for me.

Even though the mystery surrounding the stolen tapes is very interesting, I just do not understand the human element in this story. When a secretary betrays your livelihood, it would be hard for any normal person to forgive such an act. But it seems, in this story, that the person that aided the criminal will be back working in the same location previous. That does not seem like good business sense.

It involves the practice of Doctor David Craig. As a psychologist the good doctor hears many personal and confidential stories that is part of his regular practice. Dr Craig makes a tape of these sessions for further review. When a notable businessman, Peter Haywood, finishes his session the doctor's nurse, Edith Douglas, places the tape inside the safe.

But the doctor's nurse has a different plan for the tape. It seems that the nurse's brother, Mark Douglas, is in trouble with some roughs. If he does not come up with about $4000 of scratch then they are going to hurt him. Edith makes a copy of the safe's key and gives to her brother so that he can steal Peter Haywood's tape and sell to his wife in a divorce case.

After the theft, Dr Craig finds out that Mark is the one that stole the tapes. He confronts Mark and gets his tapes back. But little does the doctor know that Mark has make copies and is trying to sell the tapes to the highest bidder of either Peter Haywood or his wife Barbara Haywood.

When Mark is found dead all the evidence points to Dr Craig as the murderer. From his fingerprints on the victim's telephone to saying that he was going to kill Mark, Perry will have a difficult time bring the suspicion of doubt away from the doctor.

There really is nothing wrong with the story. It was a good plot surrounded by a nice mystery as who was the true murderer of the victim. The only fault in the episode was the casting of Barry McGuire as the person with the stolen tapes. First his appearance as the tough guy just did not seem believable with the boyish face and straight lace attire. Second his acting ability proved that he should have been cast in an nonspeaking part than given a near lead in the show. But because of the fine mystery this flaw is quickly overlooked.

A good story with an entertaining ending. Good watch.

This is an ordinary episode with little happening. A punk kid claims to be in trouble with gamblers and hits up his sister to help him steal personal tapes from a psychiatrist. Not much there.