The Case of the Crying Comedian

Charlie, the accused, much too over-done emotionally. Too hammy for my taste, not very believable for adult behavior.

Plot is interesting, but Rowena as the "dumb blond" persona is so stereo-typical that it's hard to listen to her dialogue. Surely the creative writers could have come up with a better character.

One of the better Perry Mason episodes has Raymond Burr representing as a client Tommy Noonan who plays a nightclub comedian who would like nothing more than to get back with his old girlfriend Gloria Talbott. But she's slightly married to Liam Sullivan and he's got her in a sanitarium for alcohol abuse from which she's busted out of.

So when Sullivan is stabbed to death the police in the person of Ray Collins think Noonan is looking real good for the homicide. Noonan's alibi is that he was passed out on Sue Ane Langdon's coach from a real bender. By the way Langdon playing a cut rate version of Marilyn Monroe has some really good lines in this episode.

You will also enjoy Jackie Coogan playing Noonan's GoFer and Coogan does have a few other sidelines that are very relevant to discovering who the killer is.

Noonan is just great with a fabulous 'laugh clown laugh' performance. Don't miss this one.

PM Note; Catch the eerie music bits, thanks to composer Fred Steiner, who immitated Alfred Hitchcock's "moody" interludes from his tv show. Extremely similar.

A first where Perry defends a nightclub comedian, a fairly clever change of pace.

The comic is played by Tommy Noonan, who in real life did comedy bits with partner Peter Marshall, before hosting HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. Turns out Noonan (Charley) has an old gal friend (played by Gloria Talbott) who has run into some difficulties. She's married to a not too pleasant guy called Gilrain (Liam Sullivan), also drinking and landing herself in a sanitarium. However, there's a little more to the story (money?).

Worst thing Charley does is confront Gilrain, threatening to kill him -- yes, he's found dead a short time later. The rest is up to Perry in what turns out to be a neatly woven whodunit.

Suspicious faces coupled with Steiner's music is camp for all us mystery buffs. Jackie Coogan lends great support, the ultimate poker face, also Sue Anne Langdon (Rowena), who did everything from drama to comedy. Stacy Harris (known for DRAGNET) plays Ed.

For Hollywood buffs, catch a nice shot at the opening of the famous Sunset Towers on Sunset Boulevard, which glows at sundown, still there after all these years.

Written by Robert C. Dennis, dean of cop shows, also lead writer for Hitchcock's tv show. SEASON 5 EPISODE 5 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2. Thanks to METV for running this unforgettable series twice daily.

I believe the drive-in restaurant that Paul Drake and Anne Gilrain (Gloria Talbot) have a short scene at was Hody's Drive-In on Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood. Good pictures can be found on Google.

This one didn't do much for me. First of all, that comedian was about as tiresome as one can be. He couldn't take anything seriously. Then we have the woman he loves who married a jerk but who definitely was an alcoholic. When she tells Charlie that's why she's in the sanitarium, he says, "Is that all?" Then there's Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan) who has some idiot job for the guy, who way oversteps his bounds. Oh well, as usually, the big jerky guy ends up dead.