The Case of the Petulant Partner

Business partners Chuck Clark and Harry Bright were good friends as well as successful in business together.

When the older Clark marries young bride Margaret. The two men drift apart. Harry regards her as a gold digger and he goes to Perry Mason for advice.

Perry tells Harry to dissolve the partnership. He goes to see Clark and talks to Margaret. She jokes that she only married Clark for his money. However her brother seems to be hanging around like a leech.

When Margaret is found dead, Harry is arrested as the main suspect. He had come into some vital information that Margaret and her brother were not siblings.

There are no shortage of suspects. There is a sympathetic look at Margaret the victim, maybe she really did want to settle down with the older Clark.

The ending was surprisingly rushed. I had a good idea of the likely suspect but the motive and everything else had to be explained in the epilogue.

In the desert an elderly service station owner spreads the word that somebody named Chuck Clark is back in town. Old timer Harry Bright goes out to find Chuck and demand his half of their partnership money. Harry Bright runs into Chuck's new wife Margaret who looks like she is being entirely too chummy with someone who is supposed to be her brother, Howard Roper. Harry is offered only one hundred thousand dollars from Chuck versus the two million Harry estimates that he is due So Harry enlists the help of Perry Mason to help him get his true half of the money. Perry calls on Chuck to try and work out this disagreement that initially erupted over Harry saying that Chuck's wife is no good.

While Perry is there, Margaret and Harry leave to make their weekly all day trip to visit their ailing "Aunt Jenny". So that's what they called it back in the day. Later, Harry gets a report from a PI saying that Margaret and Harry are definitely NOT brother and sister. Harry is angry, Chuck is angrier. Later that evening Margaret is found shot to death. Harry is arrested for the crime and Perry Mason has yet another dull contracts case elevated to first degree murder.

The murderer doesn't even confess here or have something happen that indicates he might as well confess. The episode simply ends in the epilogue where Perry explains everything and who was guilty. The entire ending felt rushed.

This was entertaining as a couple of old fellows who were partners, coming up with millions, find themselves at odds. There is also another senior character and a couple of gold diggers. The character actors make this happen reasonable well.

Here is one of those mysteries that was going so well you are on the edge of your seat to actually find out the true murderer and the situation leading up to the crime. But then like a 1912 ship disaster, we are forced into the cold water of reality when the show's ending is less than desirable and we never really get a confession until Perry wraps the show up in the epilogue. Such a nice story that was rudely ruined by the quick ending.

The story centers around a partnership of Harry Bright and Chuck Clark. The older Chuck has just married a very young woman named Margaret who actually confesses to marrying him for his money. Harry is none to happy thinking Margaret is after the money in the company and accuses Margaret of trying to steal from a old man.

Anyway when Harry gets information that Margaret is married to another, he runs to tell Chuck. What transpires next is unknown since nearly everyone in the cast is lying but we do know that Margaret was shot and killed by a bullet that was fired from Harry's gun. And Perry will defend Harry outside the confines of LA for the murder of Margaret Clark.

The writers gave the viewers many suspects to choose from in this episode. From a upset gas attendant to the supposedly brother of the victim, everybody seemed like the killer. But it will not be till the very end when we get a semi confession that the situation is clearer.

Such a great mystery that seemed thrown away by a fast and confusing ending. It had nothing to do with the acting in this show since the actors were all veterans and preformed their characters with great skill. It all came down to the writing for the one hour format. So much good material- then not enough time for the ending.

The episode did have some good moments as we get to see Perry in an all white suit while performing his duty in the rural court house. And anytime we have Jamie Forster as the Judge, we know we are in for justice country style.