The Case of the Dead Ringer

This is a great last season episode of Perry Mason and has been well reviewed and recounted by users. HOWEVER, I must say that it has NOTHING to do with robots, androids, a faked moon landing or the space race. Ignore big sky's rubbish. Frankly, I don't understand why IMDb would allow something so silly to be posted here! Have some respect!

So sad, but true. Considering the incredibly fun dual role Raymond Burr gets himself into here, you would think the producers would have given this a color sendoff. 10 Stars.

This story is a camp classic, and even if you are NOT a PERRY MASON fan, you will get a chuckle or two out of the proceedings. Certainly not meant to be funny, but it has that over the top feel that will keep you entertained. A lot of credit goes to director Arthur Marks, who skillfully crafted many episodes and got a winning performance from Raymond Burr.

One important thing to illustrate. Burr was so closely identified with the role of Perry Mason, you really didn't see him as anybody else. This outstanding episode shows off his talents, and after many years, since he began his career playing nasty villains. He was scary back in the day, much in the tradition of Laird Cregar, even Lon Chaney. Theoretically, Burr could have also become a horror movie star.

A very ingenious story, and it's a surprise it did not come about sooner. The defendants of a lost case (thanks to Perry), attempt to turn the tables on the famous lawyer by finding a scowling, boozing seaman, called Grimes, who is the spitting image of Mason! Note the curious name, as in Grimey? With a little makeup and suitable clothes, they dress him to look exactly like Perry, now accused of bribing a witness? That throws the whole case out the window, and watch what happens NEXT.

Raymond Burr as no-account Grimes is the whole show. This is one rare situation where the storyline takes a back seat, it's ALL about the acting.

Applause to writer Jackson Gillis, who like Arthur Marks, brought the very best of Perry Mason for years. Without too much surprise, Jackson went on to write several top episodes for COLUMBO and, of course, was a hero to us kids because he wrote for SUPERMAN.

Beautiful Indus Arthur plays Barbara, and in a very good role here. Indus was a busy movie and tv actress, though her career was cut short due to ill health and death at an early age. Cult actress Arlene Martel plays Sandra, who not too long after this episode would become famous as T'Ping, the Volcan princess in STAR TREK. Arlene appeared at dozens of STAR TREK and nostalgia tv conventions for the rest of her life. She had quite a career.

Don't miss this. From SEASON 9 EPISODE 26 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2.

A Cockney sailor who looks like Perry gets into the middle of a lawsuit that Perry loses. The guy is cleaned up and look just like Raymond Burr (of course, he is Raymond Burr). This filters into an eventual murder case where Perry's reputation is at stake. Ordinary except for Burr using his acting chops.

When I first saw that Raymond Burr was going to play two characters in this show, I thought that the writers had run out of scripts and was using anything off the floor. But this was actually a very fine episode and a nice mystery.

The episode begins with Perry in civil court representing Barbara Kramer in a patent suit against Otis Swanson. When one of the witnesses advise that Perry Mason had given her money and a list of answers to questions it appeared poor for Perry. In fact, there are witnesses that testify that they saw Perry give the witness an envelope inside a hotel lobby.

But what has happened is that people from the other side of the lawsuit have found an old sailor that looks much like Perry. They use make-up and hair-dye and sure enough the person named Grimes looks just like Perry Mason.

After Perry loses the civil case, Perry has to appeal. In the meantime, his client, Barbara, is found inside Otis Swanson's home next to his dead body. Now Perry will have to defend her in criminal court for a charge of murder. Perry will need a lot of help from Paul Drake's private detective team if he wants his client released of the charge.

I really have never like those two character episodes, especially when it involves the main character. Most of the time the show is just so unbelievable that it makes no sense. This show proved me wrong. Raymond Burr was believable as he separated both parts with fine acting. Instead of the stuffy lawyer type, he became a rough and salty sailor. The mystery was interesting and the characters interesting. Good watch.

Usually a show that has had a run as long as the Perry Mason series gets a bit stale by a 9th season. But I have a feeling that the idea of both Perry Mason losing a case and having Raymond Burr play a double role was something they must have saved until they knew the show was concluding its run.

Raymond Burr is bringing a civil lawsuit on behalf of Indus Arthur who accuses Oliver McGowan of stealing an intellectual property. Stewart Moss who is McGowan's nephew has a plan to discredit Perry Mason by having a lookalike British cockney sailor offer a bribe to key witness Arlene Martel in a most public place.

Witness tampering is serious business for any lawyer. Later on however in addition to defending his own reputation Burr has to defend Arthur when she's accused of murdering McGowan.

Burr looks like he's having a great old time playing the cockney sailor Grimes. It's the kind of part where he can overact outrageously and does. William Hopper and that Drake Detective Agency do yeoman service in clearing the good name of Perry Mason.

You don't think Perry Mason loses even a civil case without the other side cheating?