The Case of the Fanciful Frail
- Episode aired Mar 27, 1966
- 1h
Ethel Andrews thinks she is about to be married but finds herself accused of stealing $50,000 from her company. On the run, she changes identities with another woman, who dies in an accident... Read allEthel Andrews thinks she is about to be married but finds herself accused of stealing $50,000 from her company. On the run, she changes identities with another woman, who dies in an accident. When Ethel's fiancé is killed, she is charged.Ethel Andrews thinks she is about to be married but finds herself accused of stealing $50,000 from her company. On the run, she changes identities with another woman, who dies in an accident. When Ethel's fiancé is killed, she is charged.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Bruce Strickland
- (as Hunt Powers)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
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Featured reviews
I've never seen them use handheld cameras like they do here. Am I mistaken about that?
Anyway, while watching I kept getting impressions of moments in David Lynch's movies and twin peaks. The whole random meeting and switching identities and tone of the entire episode of it being so ridiculous that even the characters can't believe it. It really makes me wonder is Lynch was a Perry Mason fan as a kid.
Raymond Burr always appears in a top-of-the-line , brand new convertible (or retractable hardtop). He seemed to get a new car every year. Their use conveyed his character and successful career in the series. Yet, on the other hand, the cars used in this production, almost seem to steal the camera (and perhaps some of the limelight from supporting cast.) The camera seems to dwell at times on the action of the sheet metal, instead of the actors, as it makes it's sometimes graceful way and sometimes dramatic way across the little screen in numerous scenes here and there again. Thus, it's not rocket science to figure out that one or another of the Detroit " Big 3 " sponsored Perry Mason at one time or another. Their sponsorship influence upon the screen play is obvious and cannot be overstated : to promote a popular consumerism with their product viewed fashionably and favorably. One can pick up on this easily, in "The Case of the Fanciful Frail".
I'm not spoiling it for you !
You tell me who was the commercial sponsor of Perry Mason at this particular point in time, or any of numerous other points in time, of this fabulous, behind-the-scenes, television history.
It only takes a glance.
It's like they took twenty plot lines, threw them out onto a table and said, "Pick ten, splice 'em together and We got us a show...".
Ethel Andrews is a secretary in a financial company that is set to marry a co-worker named Bruce Strickland. The day before the wedding, Bruce skips town and they find out that $50,000 is missing from the company by authorization of Ethel. Ethel is so distraught that she gets into her car and starts riding.
Meanwhile another woman named Peggy Sutton gets a call advising that a mob hit from Chicago is out for her. She has no other option but to clear town as soon as possible. Peggy gets into her car and starts riding for the Mexican border.
Now comes the part that seems odd. The two women, by chance, meet up at a coffee shop and decide to change identity for a week. So they change ID's and vehicles then set off in different directions.
Ethel then finds over $50,000 in the trunk of Peggy's car and then changes direction to head back in Peggy's direction. Down the road there is a serious wreck and it just so happens Peggy Sutton has been killed. Ethel then takes the entire situation to Perry for advise.
When even more strange things happen, even Perry has a hard time believing Ethel's story. When Bruce Strickland is found dead. Ethel is charged with the murder and Perry is reluctant to defend Ethel. We can only hope that in the courtroom things become more clear.
This is so bizarre that you just have to watch till the end. If you can take all the odd situations then this is not a bad show. Perry will have to clear the heavy fog in order to get his client off on this strange case.
Did you know
- TriviaThe last episode broadcast to have been based on a novel by Erle Stanley Gardner.
- GoofsWhen Bruce Strickland is shot, the gun shown is a revolver with a silencer attached, and the sound of the shots is quite low. However, silencers are not effective with revolvers, as the sound escapes from the cylinder too, not just the barrel.
- Quotes
Bruce Strickland: Mr. Mason, I don't know how much you know about women.
Perry Mason: As much as any man... nothing.
Details
- Runtime
- 1h(60 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1