The Case of the Crimson Kiss

Perry still has some rough edges, including grabbing a witness in court. Seeing the same evidence in the beginning, Berger and Mason come to opposite conclusions. Even Paul suggests Parry drop the case, but cannot overcome the inconsistencies noted by Perry. Berger, Tragg and Mason have lunch at a grille, presumably for a plea deal (you won't see that in later years) but Perry has pre-arranged a phone call from Paul to throw his adversaries off. A problem with the story is the dearth of suspects. One knows that the bad actor the viewer sees in the beginning will not be the murderer. Although Perry keeps suggesting the crimson kiss might be from a man, there is no traction. Some other logic holes also exist. Not the most intricate Mason. Also, did Della call Perry "chief"?

This was a pretty decent episode as a woman about to be married is arrested for murder. Articles of her clothing were found in the dead man's apartment as well as a fingerprint. There is also a big lipstick kiss on the man's forehead. There are some things that one must question, however. First of all, for come reason the lipstick was never used by forensics, allowing Mason to use it later. Very careless of Berger. The other thing is a dramatic ending which has people running all over the courtroom. In a real trial, these people would have been subdued and the trial resumed or put in recess. Also, Mason uses some invasive techniques. Still, it's a decent mystery.

My opinion of this episode has never changed over the years. This is without doubt the best of the episodes made from one of Erle Stanley Gardner's books. The Case of the Crimson Kiss was not a full length novel, only a novelette and it was for that reason it was of the perfect length to make a one hour episode.

It remains, for me, the best episode during the entire run of the series.

Even if the first of this episode is not to your liking you will not be disappointed in the last half. The last half is filled with Della on the witness stand, a room-mate giving false information, two women admitting to having a relationship with a married man, a witness threatening to jump out the court house window, a person lead away to be charged with attempted murder, Perry getting some evidence by some rough means and another person lead away to be charged with murder. Talk about being jammed packed with excitement the last half is overflowing.

The story involves two room-mates. Anita Bonsal (Jean Willes) and Fay Allison (Sue England) that live on the sixth floor of the Mandrake Arms. Ms Allsion is a few days away from being married to Done Grover (Douglas Dick) who just happens to be an ex-boyfriend of room-mate Anita Bonsal. Needless to say Ms Bonsal is not overwhelmed at the marriage.

Ms Bonsal is secretly seeing this man, Carver Clements (John Holland) on the seventh floor of the Mandrake. And when things turn cold with the relationship Ms Bonsal seems to turn from upset about the marriage to furious about how things are going in her life.

The next day both Anita and Fay are found poisoned by barbiturates and Mr Clements is found dead. And it just so happened that Perry and Della are at the Mandrake Arms and are the first to find the murdered victim and call Lt Tragg.

When Lt Tragg starts investigating all evidence points to Fay Allison as the murderer of Carver Clements. So now Perry enters the courtroom where all heck breaks out in the last half of the show.

The only problem I had with the show was too many characters that were introduced in haste. When you see a apartment neighbor in one scene in hair curlers and a bathrobe- and then a later scene she is in a sexy dress- well I had to ask myself, who is that? Anyway a good watch for all Perry fans.

Note- There is one situation that puzzled me about this episode. When the true murderer is found then how in the world did Fay's fingerprint get on a glass in Carver's apartment? Oh well, either I missed it or it was TV magic.

... because that is the real mystery here. The first scene even shows this guy's obvious pedestrian style that - for the only time in the episode - actually and understandably repulses a young woman sitting in an apartment house lobby.

Anita Bonsal and Fay Allison are roommates in an apartment building with pretty good security. You can only get into the building with a key or by being buzzed in by a resident. Pretty modern security for 1957. In a matter of days Fay is going to marry a wealthy young man that Anita once dated. Anita says she isn't bothered by this, but she obviously is. She says she is going out, but instead she goes up a floor to see the previously mentioned worthless womanizer, Carver Clement. Married not single, not smooth, and definitely not handsome, I can't see what Anita sees in this guy. She gets angry that he won't go out with her and returns home.

Later that night Perry Mason gets a call from a friend of his, Louise Marlow (Frances Bavier). She is Fay's aunt, has come into town for the wedding a day early, and has found the two girls in their beds and unconscious. Perry and Della investigate. It turns out that the two girls are unconscious from an overdose of barbiturates, but that medical intervention arrived in time. That's one mystery. The other mystery is that Carver Clement is found murdered in his apartment with a red lipstick kiss on his forehead, some of Fay's clothes in his closet, and a key to his apartment in Fay's purse. What goes on here? Watch and find out.

Like I said initially, the real mystery here are the multitude of women who are just mad about Carver Clement. Since there are a couple of mysteries here, maybe related and maybe not, I thought this episode was a very good one. And you have Perry doing some things that are out there even for him, such as walking up to women, taking out a handkerchief, and grabbing an imprint of their lips to compare to that one found on Clement's head. Why doesn't Hamilton Burger ever think of these things?