The Case of the Garrulous Go-Between

I thought this was very well paced in the way the usual complications were introduced and resolved. The beautiful young innocent accused is seeing a fortune teller, but it is telegraphed early on that she has designs. What are they? Then the involvements of the several players, including the victim, are also revealed, step by step. Finally the big picture takes shape at the usual "preliminary hearing", and we are put on tenterhooks with the subpoena of the very attractive surprise witness. I have to say I was quite taken with Madame Zillia, and her part gave her full play. Also, one of the best red herrings ever, if that's not too much of a spoiler. I was surprised to see that Lori March, as Madame Zillia, has a very thin filmography, although this is the last of her five Perry Masons, which is certainly enough to make her familiar to a devotee. Finally I must mention that Paul Drake had a lot of interesting involvement in the case, particularly in one unusual scene, and then a memorable closing vignette with Perry. I have to say I felt quite engaged for the entire hour.

This is a better-than-average offering from the later seasons. The acting is superb, the directing is more than adequate (a welcome change) and the plot isn't muddled, as some recently have been. The highlight of this episode are the three lovely competing actresses, Sue Randall, Merry Anders and Lori March. All three play their very different parts with flair, and the emotional courtroom confession is one of the better played roles in the series. There are enough suspects to keep the viewer guessing, and the side plots are good reinforcements of the plot and not distractions. I'll recommend this one.

Sue Randall portrays the "Garrulous Go-Between" out to find the truth about her father's suicide--which drives the plot--and finds herself the defendant in the the murder of someone she believes to the "sweetest, kindest, gentlemen." This is well-written episode were there doesn't appear to be any of shortness of time for all the motives to fall into place--where the surprise isn't a surprise at all, but the process of elimination of characters--and there's the appropriate amount of characters in this episode. Lori March--who looks much better as a witness than in psychic weeds--and that is a good thing for the viewers. Much of the episode is attempted to be filmed outside, with ample sounds of birds mixed in--as opposed to its sullen inside opening scenes.

The Perry Mason client for this episode is Sue Randall who is trying to nail fortune teller Lori March for bunco as her father put his trust in her and lost control of his company, the one that Randall and her brother Tommy Stiller would have inherited.

Only it's Jacques Aubuchon who winds up murdered. Randall was renting a room from him. As it turns out March and Aubuchon have history.

In the end you feel sorry for the perpetrator, hopefully Raymond Burr will take her as a client. Good investigative work from William Hopper helps a great deal here.

Where's Della? The same people have been together for so long, it might have been a good idea to infuse a little newness into the mix. These plots are so much the same. Once again, big business is involved. A young woman works to trick a clairvoyant for whom she blames her father's death and specifically suicide. Lots in the works. Once again, a fireplace poker is used.