The Case of the Prankish Professor

We start with an exercise in a college classroom, where a gunman comes in and fires at the professor. It's the old bit where the students need to show how observant they are. The gun had blanks, but we find out there is more to it. Our professor is a lowlife who has divorced his wife because it's a way of making big bucks. Of course, she ends up sitting to Perry's left at a trial because she was on the scene when a letter opener was found stuck in the prof.

A Robert C. Dennis original, lead writer for Hitchcock's tv show, and I wouldn't be surprised if this slick story (or an outline) wasn't considered for the master of suspense. Rich with possibilities.

Barry Atwater (looking a bit more wry and sly with a moustache) portrays "playful" Professor Hewes, a modern approach type teacher with many tricks up his sleeve, such as staging a mock murder in his own class? Among other interesting sidelines, he's about to get divorced from his wife, Laura (Patricia Breslin) and stands accused of stealing a manuscript, which eventually became a best seller for him. What a trickster.

You can well see how Dennis developed this despicable character, likely to interest Hitch. Most definitely, the professor is doomed (and should be), however it's his poor wife who is charged with cold blooded murder. Breslin well cast here, a role not uncommon for her. The tantalizing list of suspects mounts, yet another entertaining guessing game as to whodunit. And remember, the solemn faces always rule, or is the most content face? Director Jesse Hibbs' closeups and angles are first rate, an inspiration to many tv dramas and cop shows.

Movie buffs will appreciate Kent Smith guest starring, remembered for the ultimate noir slash soaper, NORA PRENTISS. Comedian Barbara Pepper, a few years before GREEN ACRES, appears. Originally considered to play Ethel on I LOVE LUCY. Look for Joyce Van Patten, perfect match for the good professor while he's alive.

SEASON 6 EPISODE 15 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2. Thanks to METV for running these oldies twice daily.

About the midpoint of this episode ( S6, E15), Della Street walks into a hotel lobby and then disappears into the telephone room. Paul Drake walks in from a different door. He is seeking info on a person of interest. It is never explained in the story line why Della Street was at the hotel, or if Paul Drake even knew she was there.

The episode begins inside the college class room of Professor Hewes English class. During an staged experiment, the Professor comes very close to being murdered when someone replaces blank bullets with the real ones. Professor thinks someone is trying to kill him.

The Professor is right to be suspicious since he plans on getting a divorce from his wife and also has stolen a manuscript, from a former female student that has recently died, and published a book, 'L'Affaire Annabelleas' as his own. And now the dead student's sister, Sally Sheldon, has found out that the Professor has claimed he wrote the book and used a false name as the author. Sally is putting the squeeze on Professor Hewes.

When Professor Hewes ends up stabbed to death much evidence points to his wife, Laura, as the suspect. It was just days before the divorce became final and now Laura is set to receive a large amount of money that was going to her ex-husband. And with her fingerprints on the murder weapon, it does not look good for Perry's client, Laura Hewes.

An entertaining mystery that was well written and well acted by the people involved. A notable thing in the show is that we actually get two gallery spectators that stand up during the trial making confessions to testimonial evidence- both are standing at the same time. The episode was interesting from beginning to end which always makes for a good watch.

Patricia Breslin is Perry Mason's client in this episode. She's the wife of the late Barry Atwater a professor of English at the college where Kent Smith is the president and it seems as though he's written a novel that's a real Peyton Place kind of Sexpose. It's making a lot of money now and if Atwater had lived three more days a divorce from Breslin would have been final. Now as his widow she inherits all those book royalties and that makes her look good for the murder according to William Talman and Wesley Lau.

Of course Breslin left him because Atwater was a rat and he manifested rat like behavior in his dealings with others, in fact writing the book itself. The suspects are a plenty. But I have to say even Raymond Burr feels sorry for the real perpetrator offering to take the case when it comes to trial.

Nicely written and nicely performed.