The Case of the Glittering Goldfish

If you are prone to motion sickness, take some Dramamine before watching The Case of the Glittering Goldfish, because you are in for some very abrupt and constant camera motion - in particular, some rather intense close-ups. But before the dramatic direction goes into full effect, we are shown a monumental innovation: the cure for gill fever! Tom Wyatt has spent the better part of his recent years perfecting the formula. What he doesn't know is that, in order to fund the experiments, his employer (Gage Clarke as Frederick Rollins) has sold the fish store to a man named Huxley.

Huxley's purchase made him sole owner of Wyatt's cure for gill fever, because it was done in Huxley's store with Huxley's lab equipment. As you can imagine, both Wyatt and Rollins are pretty cheesed with Huxley and they do the intelligent thing by consulting Perry Mason, who promises to look over the contract and find a loophole that will restore ownership of the fish medicine to Wyatt and Rollins. Unfortunately, Wyatt's blood is found all over the scene of the crime when Huxley's corpse is found- he's been poisoned with morphine. Wyatt is arrested and the search for the killer begins, a search complicated by the fact that everybody hated Huxley. Including Huxley's wife.

Cecil Kellaway plays Huxley's drunken scientist (Darrell Metcalf), assigned to break down the formula for the gill fever cure. Kellaway is hilarious as the drunken genius. One scene has Kellaway and Mason trading fish metaphors during a discussion of the murder, and even the stone-faced William Hopper can be seen trying to stop himself from laughing.

The aforementioned direction is a bit jarring and not to my taste, but it adds to the general feel of campy late-50s noir. All in all, this is not up there with the best of the Perry Mason episodes. It's corny, complicated, and predictable if you're an avid Mason fan. But Kellaway's performance is every bit as contagious as gill fever, and for that, it's a fun hour of television.

Tom Wyatt has developed a treatment for gill fever, a disease that afflicts tropical fish. His boss Frederick Rollins had agreed to share the invention together.

Only Rollins had sold his business to Jack Huxley. He now owns the intellectual rights to the formula. This angers Wyatt, even making threats against Huxley.

The arrogant and greedy Huxley asks his intoxicated chemist Darrell Metcalf to analyze the formula to it can be replicated.

The next morning Huxley is found dead and Wyatt is arrested.

There are a whole host of suspects. This include secretary Sally Wilson who is engaged to Wyatt. She was forced to work late that night by Huxley. His wife Norah who disliked her husband and has a flaky alibi herself. Huxley's business partner who also wants a piece of the formula.

There is a nice bit of cut and thrust in the courtroom as Perry Mason looks to hone in on the alternatives. At the end you have a modicum of sympathy for the actual culprit. I thought the story was a cut above but still too run of the mill.

What we have here is a tale of two episodes; the one with the milquetoast, boring script, and the one with Cecil Kellaway as a guest star. The writers were definitely not going to win an Emmy on this one -- it just never really went anywhere and wasn't anything we hadn't seen before (just with different characters and situations). Then there is Cecil Kellaway's portrayal of Darrell Metcalf -- a brilliant actor that can even make a badly written part sparkle like a fine diamond. And that's exactly what we have here. This episode is worth watching just for that -- just don't expect much else. But I'd sit through an average show just to see Mr. Kellaway anytime...

First of all, I thought it was a lively yet dark story, great casting, even the dead fish did well. A very believable performance floating vertically. However, I've watched this show for many years and have never seen a zoom used for a close-up. I don't like that awkward handheld look that's popular on Parks and Recreation ecreation and The Office. I don't know if it was ever used again as a technique. But maybe that was just Mr Oswald. Any feedback? Thanks.

Attempting ID the murderer here is not an EZ task, though I agree, few tears are genuinely shed for the victim as well. Erle Stanley Gardner was a lot like Hitchcock; both enjoyed villains getting their just desserts. Case in point.

Interestingly, a bit of science to this whodunit, centered around Mr. Rollins' (Gage Clarke) tropical fish store. He sells the place to one bad apple called Huxley (Mervyn Vye), who also manages to steal a new medicine for bacterial infections in tropical fish. Employee Tom Wyatt (John Hudson) is the inventor, Huxley managing to gain control of the medicine to make him a bundle. What a rat!

In reality there was, in fact, a medicine developed to cure fish gill infections (defined as Gill Fever) that unless treated, generally lead to death.

Huxley is promptly killed and, sure 'nuf, an interesting parade of suspects... Perry obviously has to defend Wyatt, however the list of folks who have an axe to grind is lengthy, including a bitter ex-gal friend. A woman's wrath? No surprise with this work of art.

Wonderful cast, lead by veteran actors Cecil Kellaway (Melcalf) and Gage Clarke, famous for the BAD SEED and a ton of tv westerns. Good role for May Wynn (Donna), known for the CAINE MUTINY.

If John Hudson looks familiar, he was the brother of William Hudson, co-star of cult sci fi films. Not too long after this episode May retired to sell real estate in Hollywood.

Of honorable mention, written by Milton Krims, co-screenwriter of ANTHONY ADVERSE.

An even 10 Stars for getting even! Splendid whodunit. SEASON 2 EPISODE 14 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2. Ultra fans will enjoy the mega series box set, all nine seasons on dvd.