The Case of the Mythical Monkeys

This is one of my favorites. First of all, it has elements of deception and intrigue. A young woman (Louise Fletcher) is the secretary for a crime novelist. She is sent by her employer to pick up a package in a remote cabin on a dark and stormy night. When she arrives, drenched to the bone, she fall into more than she had bargained for. Including the body of a man. Sadly, for her, the female novelist, Beverly Garland, doesn't back her up. Says she is a liar and jaded and overly-imaginative. The case rests on some believable yet intense scrutiny of stories.

Gladys Doyle (Louise Fletcher) is tasked with driving to a remote cabin and picking up a package for her boss. Her car breaks down in the pounding rainstorm and she seeks shelter at the nearest cabin she can find. The man does not want to let her in saying he has "neither a heart or a phone". But then he suddenly changes his mind, lets her in, and tells her to go in the next room if she wishes to take off her wet things and that he will take a look at her car when it gets light? Is this about to become the case of the lecherous log cabin guy? No, because said log cabin guy leaves while Gladys is changing. When she emerges she looks for the man, and in another bedroom finds a different man dead on the floor, a gun next to his body. She leaves the cabin and returns to LA.

When Gladys gets back her boss, author Mauvis Meade, discusses the situation with her and absolutely DOES indicate that there was a package and Gladys was there to pick it up at her direction. But when the police apprehend Gladys for killing this guy she says she has never seen before, Mauvis Meade is all - Package what package? Gladys is a person with a great imagination and she's a liar! Even without Perry on the case, a lesser lawyer would have to ask why Mauvis kept somebody in her employ that she held as having such poor character.

This episode of Perry Mason goes in a most unusual direction, and it was interesting how the district attorney AND the judge were OK with sacrificing Gladys' possible acquittal in the interest of keeping government secrets. Only Perry objected, which I'd expect.

I'd recommend it.

***Released 2020. The entire series on dvd in a mega box.

72 discs for ultra mystery buffs.

Director Gerald Mayer (MANNIX, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE) earned his stripes here, displaying a keen talent for keeping audiences engaged. Also helps with two dynamic actresses.

Future Oscar winner Louise Fletcher plays Gladys, secretary for novelist Beverly Garland, who has written an expose on some criminals. Fearing she may be a target, Mauvis (Garland) sends Gladys on an errand (during a stormy night) to a remote cabin (of all places) to retrieve smoking gun material.

Predicting the outcome is not too difficult; Gladys caught with a dead body. However what makes this whodunit so intriguing is the fact there's evidence to ALSO implicate Mauvis (Garland). The million dollar question; Were both ladies set up at the same time? Splendid mystery, Fletcher and Garland impressive in their respective roles, again thanks to Gerald Mayer. Should have been an Emmy contender for writing and acting.

Norman Fell plays Caspar, the brother-in-law of the victim.

Fell generally turned up as cops or businessmen before switching to comedy. Lawrence Dobkin, who went onto a second career as a tv director, plays Dunkirk. You don't want to overlook anyone in this gem.

Best of SEASON 3 EPISODE 17 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2. Thanks METV for faithfully running this series twice daily.

Don't get me wrong with the title -- this IS a good episode. Not great, but good. Perhaps an aside to her character's nervousness, Beverly Garland, an author tied up in some illicit dealings smokes like a chimney in all but her courtroom scenes. There are plenty of red herrings to sort through, and a few twists and turns and cagey characters are more than enough to keep the viewer interested. Throw in Government agents, gamblers, deceptive relatives, crooked lawyers, hired guns and a "monkey scarf" and you have all the makings of a pretty good mystery without much fluff to slow it down. Worth your time.

I've now read the first 60 Perry Mason novels, and more than half of them give the reader enough clues to solve the murder without "being told". I call those "fair mysteries".

The novel on which this episode is based was not one of the fair mysteries, and neither is this episode, although it did have the same murderer as the novel, which is not ALWAYS the case.

The episode possibly went too far in trying to recreate the novel's plot, as the novel had a very complicated plot which had too many moving parts for a one hour TV episode, which lift many scenes in this show hanging without a firm foundation.

That left the denoument in the courtroom a bit abrupt, and sadly, a couple of the best lines from the novel didn't make it onto the screen.