The Case of the Provocative Protege

A renowned concert pianist, David Carpenter, had his left hand destroyed in an accident and has just found out that medicine can do nothing for him. He leaves his studio and later that day his car crashes into a canyon, presumably a suicide. But the 150000 dollar policy on his life was less than two years old so it would not pay out on suicide.

A little weasel of a man, George Worthington, comes to Mrs. Carpenter and tells her that he witnessed her husband's death, and that it was murder. It turns out that Worthington is lying, but it gets the police looking into the death of David Carpenter in more detail, and they determine that the death was indeed murder. And the guilt gets laid at the feet of Mr. Carpenter's protege, Donna Ross, only twenty. At first Donna does not want Perry to defend her because she cannot afford him, and she says she is tired of others paying her bills.

But the situation haunts Perry. The case bothers his digestion when he is at a lunch counter and he sees the headlines. The same when he is at work and he sees more headlines about the story. Ultimately Perry does handle her case, but still she stays mum about many things. Could it be guilt? Or maybe something else hidden in the title of a piece of music?

I'd say this would have been a pretty average episode if not for the final unexpected twist at the end and the hints towards Perry being perhaps a secret Renaissance Man, and that pulled it to an 8/10. Recommended.

When a concert pianist is injured, he loses everything. He puts his hope in a beautiful young phenom and falls in love with her. But he seemingly commits suicide. It is later ruled a homicide and in go Tragg and the police. The young woman is accused based on cockamamy evidence. At the center is a life insurance policy.

The famous love triangle of William Randolph Hearst, Millicent Hearst, and Marion Davies might have been the basis for Perry Mason story. Gregory Morton is a world famous concert pianist who sustains a career ending injury to his wrist.

Morton has a nice entourage who make their living off of him. They want him to start promoting his protege Kathie Browne on the road to keep the money flowing. He who has fallen in love with her and is ready to let go his marriage of 25 years to Virginia Field is adamant about keeping her his own.

One night his car goes over a cliff and Morton is killed. Browne is Raymond Burr's client as the case goes to court.

This one I kind of saw coming. Nevertheless a good story.

Here we have a nice refreshing story that is played well by the actors. Comes across very well on the screen and will have the viewer interested till the end.

David Carpenter was concert pianist that was involved in an accident that left one of his hands damaged beyond repair. He was so despondent that he drives in car over the cliff in what the police call suicide.

Before he dies, he calls his young protégé Donna Ross and advised her that he loved her. Seems Donna and Mr Carpenter was having an affair even though Mr Carpenter was married and at least 25 years older.

A few days later a man claims that it was not suicide but instead murder. He says he witnessed someone pushing the car off the cliff. But his story is filled with holes when Lt Tragg discovers that the man was in another state when the accident occurred. But with more investigation the claim of murder was just as the man had stated. So it seems that someone gave the man the story to lead police to murder but not enough to actually be a suspect.

Evidence gather by Lt Tragg points to the young protégé Donna Ross. And with the help of Anita Carpenter, wife of dead man, she retains Perry Mason to defend Donna in court.

This episode is a breath of fresh air for the viewer. A good who-done-it mystery that will have you guessing throughout the show. A good watch with an interesting plot.