The Case of the Lurid Letter

This episode shows both the talent and creativity of Arthur Marks, director and senior producer of the show for most of its run. May have picked up a few hints from the iconic biker film, THE WILD ONE, starring Marlon Brando.

True, another fishing trip for Perry going south. Enter a widow and mother named Jane Wardman (played by Mona Freeman), a high school teacher rumored to have been having an affair with a few students. Obviously an outright lie, but tell that to sly old judge Edgar Buchanan, having fun with role as you will see. He asks Jane to simply resign and leave town, but she ain't going nowhere, thus bringing in some angry teen bikers, lead by school bully Pat Mangan, played by John Durren.

However, there's more to the story when murder strikes, a connection to illegal liquor and the bikers. Perry has his hands full in a small town mystery, a la PEYTON PLACE. Marks handles the cast exceptionally well, particularly young Mark Murray, playing Jane's son. Mark is best remembered for having appeared on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER.

Mona Freeman, the consummate actress, formerly a model who appeared in several film classics, like NATIONAL VELVET. Look for veteran actress Ann Doran in a fine dramatic role.

FYI: Drake (or William "Bill" Hopper) plays it tough with the wise guys, more shades of THE WILD ONE. Why we all were fans of his.

Recommended. SEASON 6 EPISODE 10 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2. Thanks much to METV for running these oldies twice daily.

Perry Mason is in a small town to do some fishing, but that never seems to work out.

In the same small town where Perry is vacationing, Jane Wardman is being asked to resign her teaching position at the local high school because she has been accused of having an improper relationship with a student after a troubled boy she had tried to counsel and befriend committed suicide. It's more than small town wagging tongues though, because the boy she allegedly had the relationship with testified to the school board about their kissing and drinking together, also an anonymous note was sent to the board accusing the same thing.

Wardman, a widow and the mother of a young son, decides to stay and fight and defend her reputation rather than resign. Perry, a witness to some of the cruel and abusive treatment she receives from the townsfolk decides to represent her at the school board hearing, where it turns out that this smear attack against her is much bigger than just small minds wanting to believe the worst.

There does turn out to be a murder involved in this episode, but it comes near the end and Perry's client - for once - is not the accused. There's quite a bit of Paul Drake in this episode, as he is needed to both investigate and deal with some of the town bullies who don't care for his presence.

This episode brings in some features of films that were popular in the early 60s - troubled youth and motorcycle gangs bullying citizens on lonely roads at night.

This was a very unusual episode. For one thing, there are no actual courtroom scenes; a school board hearing takes the place of the court, so Perry is not actually acting as a defense attorney. Still, a murder does eventually take place (45 minutes into the episode!) and at the end a murderer does confess, so that all falls into line. This episode, however, feels a little bit like Rebel Without a Cause meets Harper Valley P.T.A. Plus there is no appearance of Della Street, but maybe that is just because Barbara Hale needed a vacation!

Only by chance was Perry Mason vacationing in a small Sierra Mountain town did schoolteacher Mona Freeman obtain his services. It seems as though she's been the target of a poison pen campaign alleging her involvement with some of her students and the women of the town are up in arms.

It's no coincidence that this started after the death of one of her kids in a motorcycle crash before the events of this story begin. That student is described as a James Dean type. The rest of his cycling crowd are a bunch of losers and they're contributing to the rumors.

The local judge Edgar Buchanan is also the head of the school board and he lets Perry know right away that this is informal and by informal he means to run it his way, none of this objecting stuff and evidentiary rules. It's an unusual venue, unusual story, but within the Perry Mason parameters.

Unusual or not and even with the death of another of the principal persons of this drama, Raymond Burr gets to the truth at this school board hearing. After the murderer confesses, a trial is just a formality.

Unusual venue, unusual story, but

When Mrs Wardon drove Perry to the summit and when they arrived at the summit, and when she had the accident the night with her son in the car, it was always the same kind of car, a 1962 full size Mercury. I. always make a point of noticing car details, and I will tell you the car was never a full size Ford, and it certainly was never a Corvar. I have no idea where that came from.