The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle

This was a pretty good episode about a seemingly penniless seaman, Dickie, who is actually entitled to a rather large fortune. Due to my dark, suspicious mind, I was able to guess, fairly early on, the long hidden family secret, that is ultimately revealed to Perry Mason. I was happy to see the old curmudgeon character actor, Howard Smith, who portrays Frank Warden, Dickie's brother Russell's associate, in the oil business. You'll, no doubt, remember him as George Baxter's very wealthy, gruff client, Mr. Griffin, on Hazel. If he was anything like that character, it's good thing he wasn't Perry's client... he would've terminated his legal services at the slightest provocation and Perry's only hope of being rehired would be Della, because she reminded the old coot of his dear, sainted mother(God rest her soul), and loved her home cooked meals!

This is another one of those episodes, that if given the option, I'd rather pass over than sit through. The plot was a bit of a stretch, the pace slow, and the ham-fistedness of the direction even worse. What's sad is that with such an able cast of actors, the results were rather underwhelming. I realize a lot has to come together to make for a good watch, but this one just didn't measure up...

I am viewing this episode for the second time. It's well-acted by a very good cast. It strains credibility that the successful brother (Ford Rainey) would give $18,000 to his ne'er-do-well, frankly sleazy brother (Liam Sullivan), to get rid of him. But it's certainly possible. The episode flows smoothly and isn't too convoluted to enjoy. The cast all performs well. The only still living cast member (as far as I know), as of July 2025, is Barbara Parkins.

To be honest, I despised the sleazeball "victim" and did not mourn his untimely passing from the usual, and in this case most decidedly, non-natural causes. However, the killer's indirect admission of guilt in open court (usual PM anticlimactic moment) especially when there was a clear self-defense component to the killing, was rather foolish.

Yet another fine Mason entry, "The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle", could be rated several ways. You could give it a low rating if you're a stickler for dialects that are 100% perfect or if you grew up as an only child. If you can ignore those things and being a Perry fan always wins over ANYTHING that could detract from your enjoyment of the show, In this case, you'd give it a high rating. Okay, I'll admit it - I'm a Perry Mason Fan. But I'll be the first to tell you that not all of the 281 shows produced for CBS in the 1950's and 60's are gems. However, in my humble opinion, NONE of them are out-and-out BAD. Such as the title above from 1962.

A young woman has an uncle who is mostly absent. He' s in the oil business, like his brother... but maintains a life in the Merchant Marine, sailing around the world helping move manufactured goods from here to there. His brother, father of that young lady, makes a fine living in the oil business. But there's a mostly unknown, HUGE problem with the brothers' business... mainly the tiny little issue of WHICH brother owns WHAT? And, when we get to the Detectives Bureau, WHO killed WHO? Then WHO inherits WHAT?

Whether you liked it or not, this one IS worth watching. It had its share of the copyrighted PERRY MASON plot twists. And the ending may surprise you.

When the long lost uncle shows up, he brings pain to his brother and his family. He had opportunities along the way and threw them away, but legally he had a right to money and property. But his tenuous grasp on social being costs him and throws his best friend to the wolves. The whole issue of who owned what and when is a bit confusing.