The Case of the Simple Simon

Cheers to frequent guest star Virginia Field, replete with thick British accent, who plays a distinguished stage actress (Ramona), searching for her long lost son. It gets complicated when a drama critic is killed, and just who pulled the job? Fields shows off her talent, and with good reason. She was one of the best, fondly remembered for her appearances in such classic movies as WATERLOO BRIDGE, including the CHARLIE CHAN and MR. MOTO movies. She also had some historical talking points as she was a cousin of Civil War general Robert E. Lee.

This episode is a standout with another fine performance by Victor Buono (as Fossette) wearing heavy makeup, playing a much older and mysterious gentleman. I agree with the last reviewer that he was a contemporary Sydney Greenstreet. Veteran actor Tom Conway, who worked with Barbara Hale and Raymond Burr at RKO Pictures in the 40s, is also on the witness stand, and in one of his last appearances.

Conway at the time had health and financial problems (losing thousands in a business scam), also suffering from poor eyesight due to an operation not long after this episode.

This is an excellent mystery, especially geared for us movie buffs, and Virginia Field shines ... with a great closing line.

SEASON 7 EPISODE 24 CBS dvd box set.

This is a good Perry Mason episode, with a great supporting cast and a memorable last line.

Victor Buono plays his usual role as a smug, egocentric fat man, and there is hardly anyone better at it, except maybe Sydney Greenstreet. It's hard to believe he was only 25 years old when he played this part, he always looked much older than his real age. It's a shame that he died of a heart attack at 43.

Tom Conway, in one of his last appearances, does a great impression of his younger brother George Sanders. I would have thought it was Sanders if I had not seen the credits.

The actress who played Ramona Carver was unknown to me, but she played the part well. All in all a good solid episode of this classic show.

This episode offers a rare opportunity to watch (and hear) the great Victor Buono reciting a speech from Shakespeare (the "Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing" speech from MACBETH). What a pity we don't have any films of him actually performing any real Shakespeare roles: judging from this brief snippet, it's obvious that he would have been utterly fantastic.

Perry Mason and Della Street get a summons from noted stage actress Virginia Field an old friend and possibly an old flame as Barbara Hale deduces. Seems as though she's decided to unload Doug Lambert who's attached himself to her touring troupe by claiming he's her son. She did years ago give birth out of wedlock. But dropping Lambert is only the beginning for Field who then winds up accused of the murder of an old Broadway critic and enemy of her's who's now teaching in Santa Barbara where the troupe is now playing.

There's a nice cast of suspects that also include the three other members of the troupe, Tom Conway, Victor Buono, and James Stacy. In fact Stacy is doing a lot of hinting that he's the lost son of Fields.

It's the time of death that is the key here. It helps that Raymond Burr together with young David Macklin discovered the body. It helps Burr trap the murderer on the stand.

It's a good episode in which Virginia Fields stands out as a diva among divas.

This particular episode was a bit of a dud for me. I didn't find any of the characters in it to be worthy of any empathy whatsoever. Virginia Field's diva actress character is the epitome of a spoiled elite, and Victor Buono's isn't far behind. I am personally not a fan of Shakespeare, but I'll just lay that down here and let it rest. The plot and related subplot were just not very interesting, and story not very well paced. To me, it was like a few other entries in the series -- started nowhere, ended nowhere, and passed nothing along the way. I felt that this was one bus tour to be avoided...