The Case of the Married Moonlighter

Eileen Harrison comes to Perry about getting a divorce from Danny who is working two jobs but still going under. In his diner job, Danny encounters a drunk former high school buddy Frank Curran, who has just won $2k in a poker game at the Mayberry Hotel. $1k of this is in the form of two $500 bills (Mckinleys, last printed in 1945). Curran ends up dead and Danny is charged. Curiously, the police have no evidence that Danny has or had the money. Perry is on the case, tho unlikely he will make money on this. Perry gets Tragg to do some legwork, and Paul's people hit paydirt following a suspect, where a $500 bill arises. The attraction of Linda Kennedy for Frank Curran is inexplicable. Palmer gives the line about television and they did not even have MeTV in 1958 (and most tv signed off late at night). Although this is season two, this is still the rough edged Perry of season one.

Ann Sargent approaches Perry about divorcing Art Franz due to financial problems in spite of still being in love with him. Schoolteacher Franz is moonlighting waiting tables at a struggling diner owned by Jesse White. Stacy Harris , drunk and obnoxious, calls old acquaintance Franz a loser while being served a bowl of chili by him then passes out during a fight with Jesse. Franz overlooks Harris' behavior and takes him home. But not before Jesse finds Harris has a wad of cash while looking to get paid for the chili. Harris' neighbor Tom Palmer complains of noise when Franz is helping Harris get into his apartment. Palmer lost a packet to Harris playing poker a few hours earlier. Francis Helm and business partner Doug Evans were sitting in the car for an hour waiting for Harris to come home. Helm wanted Harris to marry her even though she hated him! The next morning Harris is found dead in his apartment and Franz is accused. Perry gets Burger and Tragg distracted as he zeros in on the killer. Good but not great Perry.

First of all, no one is mentioning what the teaching salaries were in those days. This guy's family was really in rough shape. And a little girl who may have polio or something like that. This issue is never dealt with after the arrest. Then there's the utter stupidity of taking that guy back to his apartment. Why? The police should have put him in the tank overnight. He was young. He could think of his family and get a job in industry. Go back to teaching when his family was stable. I've never seen a 500 dollar bill! Was there such a thing. Then what about that gun? By the way, I'm sure that Paul Drake was going to get paid. Perry's tearing up his check was just a joke.

Another bad episode due to the director. Poor casting and terrible direction.

This episode follows the life of a family man Danny Harrison that is trying to hold down two jobs to support his family. It appears that his daughter has large medical bills since she has to wear a brace on her leg. His wife, Eileen, is about at wits-end and ready to file for divorce.

One evening at Danny's second job at Luke Hickey's café, he runs into an old friend named Frank Curren. Frank has been drinking and is causing a problem at the café. When Luke wants to call the police, Danny intervenes and says that he will take the drunk back to Frank's apartment. Frank has a small bill at the café and Luke goes into the drunk's pockets to get his one dollar and pulls out a wad of cash. He takes his dollar, putting the rest back in his pocket, then Danny drives him home.

The next day Frank is found dead and the evidence points to Danny killing Frank for the money. Even with some suspicious evidence, Danny will need Perry to defend him on the murder charge filed by Hamilton Burger's office.

The episode was full of twist and turns that keep the viewer off their feet. From a woman that wanted to marry Frank to a man that had outstanding IOU's held by Frank, there was many red-herring situations to following in this show. But when the true murderer confesses on the witness stand, it will be one that will tie all loose ends together and make for a nice mystery.