The Case of the Singular Double

The episode begins as we see Lucy Stevens delivering a suitcase with $60,000 of bribe money into an unoccupied car at the airport parking lot. She calls Hugo Burnette all distressed saying that her involvement with money is over.

Meanwhile Marjorie Ralston picks up the car at the airport and delivers the suitcase to Whitney Locke. When Mr Locke opens the suitcase there is only cut up newspaper and no money. Mr Locke calls Mr Burnette to tell him that he has been double-crossed.

Lucy Stevens is so distressed that she fakes her suicide by writing a note to her cousin, Carol Morgan, and then drives her car into the ocean. She left the door open so that the police would think that the ocean's current move the body out into the deep water.

Lucy changes her hair color and changes her name. She is present when the police lift her car from the ocean and to her surprise there is a dead body inside. And after Lucy's identity is found out- Lt Tragg believes that Lucy killed the women in the car and covered it up by faking her suicide. Perry agreed to take the case as charges of murder are brought up against Ms Lucy Stevens.

During the course of the trial, we not only have to find the true murderer but we also get into the situation of the missing money. And the money will finally lead to a courtroom gallery confession that ties all the loose ends up and ends nicely for Perry's client.

This episode is another good watch for any mystery buff. Perhaps not as exciting as the last few shows- but it leaves us feeling satisfied with another 'Perry Mason' episode. Good Watch

This episode of Perry Mason took us into the realm of politics, bribery, and corruption and basically saying that's how things get done if someone has a big interest. Raymond Burr's client here is Connie Hines later of the Mister Ed show who tries a real dumb play when the bribe money she was supposed to deliver winds up missing.

It turns out some other woman whose relationship to the various characters in this film I can't reveal or else it would completely spoil the show for a future viewer. But she steals the money and she winds up dead. And Hines figures that she should pose as her own cousin and identify the dead woman as herself. This after retaining Burr to find out about the missing money.

At one point during the hearing which in the Mason shows and I assume in California at the time takes the place of a grand jury here. They decide whether to bind over for trial. Anyway during the course of the examination of one witness, he gets caught in a really clumsy lie about his time of arrival in Los Angeles. I'm surprised that the writer's let that one go.

Highlight of the episode however was the unmasking of the real killer when the ADA Harry Townes put the wife of one of the suspects on the stand. Andrea King basically cleared everyone, but the murderer. After that it was the inevitable confession.

Some holes in this story prevent it from being top drawer Mason. Still the fans of the series will like it.

Fun episode with lots of location shoots in old Los Angeles.

"Lockheed Air Terminal" is still operational today (2024) as Hollywood Burbank Airport, and still looks largely the same - minus the '50s cars and the phone booth so important to this episode's plot. If you like to visit old Perry Mason film locations, hurry up! This classic terminal is slated to be demolished in 2026.

***TO AVOID SPOILERS STOP READING NOW*** ***SPOILER:*** Several reviews here incorrectly state that the episode fails to explain how the body gets into Perry's client's car. That is actually explained by Perry in the final scene: The real killer and his conspirator (Marjorie Ralston) went to a car belonging to Perry's client (Lucy) to plant evidence to throw suspicion on Lucy for stealing $60,000. Once there, the killer killed Marjorie and put her body in the back of Lucy's car, to throw suspicion on Lucy for the murder as well.

With a big, old 1940s car like Lucy had, it seems plausible she wouldn't notice the petite secretary's body in the back seat.

Several scenes were shot at the edge of the San Pedro Harbor.

This episode features the drop-dead gorgeous Connie Hines in the role of Mason's client, about three months before she became famous as Carol Post on "Mr. Ed." So we get to see her a lot.

The end.