The Case of the Ill-Fated Faker

An interesting scheme, a failed conclusion to it, and some real betrayals make this one a lot of fun. We have a slime ball, a doe-eyed innocent, a wife who has been ignored and reaches out to the slime ball, and a missing bullet that causes consternation. We also have Kenneth Tobey handling the prosecution instead of Burger. He probably had to take some time for incredulous anonymous meetings. I love how Tragg is so smug every time Perry makes a discovery (Got Ya!!) even though it never works out for him..

A surprise ending has this ranking among the top shows of the fourth season. With Paul Drake's help, Perry finally finds a missing bullet that could not be found during the court trial. And this bullet will prove a surprise for the viewer.

The episode begins as a regular mystery as Carl Gorman is having an argument with his wife, Alice, concerning Carl's free-loading nephew Jim Farris. Jim Farris is a person that lives his life on everyone's money but his own -so Carl believes he is back in town to beg for money.

What Carl does not know is that his wife has been having a little love affair with nephew Jim. And now Jim has come up with a scheme to become $80,000 richer as he and Alice will blackmail Carl.

Jim comes up with a plan that there are thugs holding Alice hostage. And Carl is to bring money to a cabin where Alice would then be released. Per the thug's order (Jim's order) Carl gets his secretary, Betty Wilkins, to take the money to the cabin. See does as asked and we see her throw the money on the cabin porch.

However inside the cabin, Jim also has another plan- He has arranged another scheme where a friend of his will break into the cabin and steal the $80,000 then he will not have to split the money with Alice. But things go wrong when a kerosene lantern gets knocked over and sends flames throughout the cabin. Also Alice, during the commotion, accidentally shoots Jim and she flees leaving Jim's body and the friend inside the cabin.

Meanwhile, Betty Wilkins sees the flames returns to the cabin and finds a gun near her car. She has the gun in her hand when the fire department vehicle arrives.

Through a series of strange events linking Betty to Jim Farris, Perry will defend her in court against a murder warrant. Lt Tragg will provide damaging testimony that will lead even the most seasoned viewer believing that Betty could have been involved.

Even though the mystery seemed simple and the courtroom confession even cheesy, the show ending with the viewer feeling satisfied for watching the episode. Make sure you stay till the complete ending or you will miss a thrill.

NOTE- First episode with a new opening. When Perry gets the file from the Judge and smiles- it cuts away to the picture of Lady Justice while giving the main cast credits.

Wealthy businessman Carl Gorman has a neglected though loved wife, Alice. Enter stage left Carl's snake in the grass nephew Jim Ferris (Jack Cassidy). He makes Alice feel desired, and he makes plans to run away with her but first he needs - eighty thousand dollars. Jim has been nickel and diming the people who work at Carl's company - twenty dollars here, a hundred there, free drinks, a room for the night, etc. But Jim is tired of the penny ante pan handling and wants a big score. Jim and Alice come up with a plan to fake a kidnapping plot in which Alice might be harmed if Jim's fictitious gambling debts are not paid. Carl sends his secretary, Betty, to the remote cabin to deliver the eighty thousand dollars, but things go wrong. Somebody bursts into the cabin after Betty leaves and tries to rob Jim and Alice. A fire breaks out, a gun goes off, Jim falls to the floor dead.

Alice flees the scene. Betty returns to the cabin when she sees the flames over the treetops from her rearview mirror, and she picks up the gun, just in time for the police to appear. Normally this could be easily cleared up, but Betty had a past relationship with Jim, and so she is arrested for his murder with the police believing she was in on the fake 80K ransom plot.

Normally on Perry Mason, you see the set up and the possible murderers, you are pretty sure you know who the victim is going to be, then you see said victim dead on the floor as the body is discovered. You have no idea how the murder happened or who did it. Here you see everything, and you know who did it. You get to see the killer wrestle with her conscience as she sees an innocent person, somebody whom she likes, accused of what she did. That and one final twist in this case make it special.

One final issue - You might wonder why Kenneth Tobey is standing in for William Talman as the prosecuting attorney this week. In 1960 Talman was caught up in a scandal involving lewdness at a wild party. He actually had nothing to do with it, but Tallman was absent from a few episodes because CBS executed their rights under the morals clause of his contract until the entire incident was cleared up. A bit ironic considering how Hamilton Burger often went off half cocked in many of these murder cases.

As a devoted Perry Mason fans of many decades, I have to say this is one of the most enjoyable episodes.

It has the scheming nephew, conniving wife, blackmail, fire, a not too devoted secretary a side trip to Cuernavaca and a bar called The Pink Lady.

You'll see some familiar faces as usual, but it's fun to see Sue Randall, Miss Landers on Leave it to Beaver, step out of that role.

Look out, the ending is not what you think!