The Case of the Grinning Gorilla

OK. This is light fare, but passes a snowy Iowa afternoon well...

Sit back, enjoy, rest your weary head. Perry yells. Della screams. It's a real hairy show with a fake ape & lotsa silliness...

In an effort to be original within the Perry Mason parameters the writers came up with a rather scenario for a plot. I fear it was all a bit much for my poor old head to take in.

Barbara Hale who buys some memorabilia at an auction belonging to super model Charlene Holt brings Victor Buono in his most unctuous manner to Raymond Burr's office. Holt was reported drowned after falling off the yacht of an eccentric millionaire and Buono works for him. After being rebuffed by Burr, Buono leaves in a huff and soon afterward another of the man's retainers Gavin McLeod contacts him and Perry and Della are at the man's house.

Before long the millionaire is killed, first thought to be by a gorilla he kept on the estate and later by former cleaning lady Lurene Tuttle. She becomes Mason's client.

I won't say more, but the solution to all of this is a truly bizarre one and for once there is more than one murderer involved. It doesn't quite come together in this episode.

Really, Perry Mason episodes have the worst bandages of any show on television. The cast and crew must have gotten some really great laughs over the bandages they used in the shows. I can't believe that any make-up people worth their salt could possibly construct such silly things.

Offbeat episode (defined), especially for all us big kids who liked something different. We got our wish. A ratings grab for CBS, perhaps, but worth a look for a most unusual addition.

Victor Buono appropriately guest stars, playing a lawyer ( Nathan) who wants --at any cost! -- a diary that Della bought at an auction. What's in those pages, hmmm? Very intriguing, and a loose gorilla enters the picture as a "phony" suspect when there's a gruesome murder. But you know a very real person wanted someone dead. Just who?

Let's do the math too. Nathan offered Della 5000 dollars for the book. In today's market, that would be close to 50,000 dollars. Amazing.

Some familair faces, Gavin MacLeod plays Mortimer. Long before his comedy days, MacLeod portrayed many villains, and his eyeglasses here (for some reason) make him look even more suspicious. Lurene Tuttle, familair face in classic tv shows, plays the maid, Josephine. And in a very emotional role.

Jackson Gillis wrote this mystery, an adventure writer, credited with shows like TARZAN and SUPERMAN. The original story came from none other than Erle Stanley Gardner. He was picky about material, so it had his approval.

Jesse Hibbs directed, and as usual, captured all those suspicious glances we know and love. Let's put it this way, by the end of this unusual mystery... the gorilla is long out of the picture.

Hollywood stuntman and animal impersonator Janos Perhoska plays the gorilla, often turning up in sitcoms. He was the guy under all that fur. There are some camp CBS photos still in circulation with Raymond Burr and the gorilla, also a monkey. Collectors items to be sure.

Sit back and enjoy something different, however you will be impressed with the outcome. FROM SEASON 8 remastered CBS dvd box set. Thanks much to METV for running these oldies twice daily.

I've said it before; I don't understand why people pan these episodes. Nostalgic series, great cars, terrific chemistry among the three regulars, plus Tragg (sadly gone by this episode) and Burger (not in this one) adding sarcasm and dry wit, as well as impertinent temper tantrums (Burger, of course), what more do you want? Tightly written plots, realistic court scenes? C'mon, lower your expectations, and I don't mean that in a negative way. This was a 50-minute show that entertained, simple as that. I love trying to (1) determine who the killer is, and (2) figuring out how Perry solves the case, the latter the more difficult exercise.

This episode was decent if only because of its off-the-beaten-path nature, i.e., Della acting like a silly schoolgirl, Perry actually being irritated, first at Della then at Victor Buono's character, showing emotion, pounding his fist, no court scenes or judge, and no Burger baby acting. And the music was terrific. Oh, and I didn't have to watch ever tense, tightly wound, never smiling detective Andy who would always say "...yes, that's my mark..." while being utterly incompetent and grumpy. I don't think he ever smiled in any episode. Not the best, most tense episode, but certainly entertaining.