The Case of the Dead Ringer

One of the more interesting aspects of the Perry Mason character in the television show is the scope of his practice. Though primarily known as a criminal defense attorney, his cases range from incorporations to patent cases. It's the latter that he's engaged in at the start of the episode, as he has taken on two clients suing over a patent. And as usually the case, Perry Mason is crushing it in the courtroom.

Desperate to turn their failing case around, the defendants try a desperate gambit by dredging up a drunken sailor who happens to look like the legendary lawyer. This gives Burr a rare chance to play a dual role in the show and he embraces it with gusto. His Grimes is a raspy and disheveled mess, played so over the top that the ham in Burr's makeup is on display. It's fun, but at times it gets in the way of one of the better plots in the show's final season, one that features a fun amount of intrigue on all sides.

All I will say about this is, I'm a Brit, and I admit that there are American actors who can pull off British accents, not many, but some. So, why do American actors who definitely CANNOT do British accents insist on trying to do the impossible? Raymond Burr's British accent made my teeth ache.

... but in fact it was very well done and an unusual showcase for Raymond Burr's versatile acting talent as he breaks out of his attorney persona.

The son of a man being sued over the theft of intellectual property from a now deceased boss decides to frame Perry for bribery by getting his look alike, a sailor on a fishing boat (Burr in a double role as Mr. Grimes), to dress up and imitate Perry and have him very publicly toss a witness in the case an envelope with ten thousand dollars in it along with instructions as to how to answer any questions put to her on the stand. The witness breaks down on the stand and testifies of his bribery attempt, and she has the ten thousand dollars to prove it. This undermining of Perry's credibility causes the rare occasion of Mason losing a case. But now he could be indicted for suborning perjury, so he must get to the bottom of what happened.

When I say that Grimes is a Perry Mason look-alike, that is a very loose description. Grimes is aptly named as he doesn't look like he's bathed in a month of Sundays and has a cockney accent and a very rough way about him.

An interesting factoid - One of the supporting players in this episode is Henry Beckman who you may remember, if you are old enough , played old salt Captain Clancey on Here Come the Brides from 1968 to 1970. His portrayal is so close to that of Raymond Burr's rendition of Grimes in this episode that I have to wonder if he used that performance as an inspiration for his own in that TV series.

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?

In an unforgettable Perry Mason production, Mr. Raymond Burr gives what is nothing less than the performance of a lifetime. A dual role is always challenging but this is an actor who meets it with all the power and art of his craft. This is simply an unforgettable viewing experience and an hour of incredible acting that should be a monument to a truly fine actor and one that demonstrates his range and skill. This, indeed, is one for the ages and will stand for all time as Mr. Raymond Burr's lasting legacy as an actor.