The Case of the Unwelcome Bride

Those familiar with vintage TV will recognize Deforest Kelly from Star Trek and Alan Hale from Gilligan's Island. You don't even need the video to recognize Gerald Mohr as the announcer who said "Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. The Lone Ranger rides again!"

Mason Observation #1: The wrong person gets killed. Place your bets (with due caution) on this show.

Mason Observation #2: Perry's time table is one of the BEST props ever. Very clever.

Torin Thatcher plays Walter Frazer, the atypical wealthy, sand-papery Perry Mason-type businessmen (we all love to hate) who has had it with his carefree son, Greg, married to a young woman (Diana Millay) beneath his dignity. Good Grief.

Proposition: Greg must divorce her (she'll get a settlement of 50 grand!) and Walter will give him the keys to the business.

End result: It's Greg who gets nailed (of all people?) and Sue is the prime suspect.

Excellent mystery, definitely a must see, just fascinating to watch the mechanics behind this murder. And what a cast. Diana Millay (who passed in 2021) fondly remembered by all us DARK SHADOWS fans. Can't miss DeForrest Kelley, a few years before STAR TREK and Alan Hale, Jr (as Lon). Many forget Hale was a dramatic actor, taking after his famous father, before sitcom fame. Brooding Gerald Moore has a good part.

Runyenesque character actor George E. Stone (alias Georgey) plays the court clerk.

Always thought George should have gotten a larger role on this show, his career dating back to silent films, many classics, notably the BOSTON BLACKIE series.

Written by Helen Nielsen, writer for Hitchcock's tv show. Yes, both shows kept tabs on each other, because you could easily find a bit of Hitch on Perry Mason and a bit of Perry in Hitch's series.

Also Hitchcock "borrowed" the idea of camp story titles from Earl Stanley Gardner. It all fits.

SEASON 5 EPISODE 14 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2. Thanks METV for running these oldies twice daily.

Some very recognizable people populate this episode. Others have pointed them out. The case revolves around the murder of the jerk son of a millionaire. The odd thing is this guy was his father's favorite and had the world by the butt, even though he had no good qualities. Poor Bones McCoy was productive but dull and was married to a veritable shrew. But enter a series of other players, like Alan Hale from Gilligan's Island. The high point of the episode is Perry's professionally done chart.

The cream in this soup is of course Diana Millay. She plays her part well, despite a lot of good actors in this cast. Dr. Bones McCoy is in a very different kind of role here, and he's very effective. The same goes with the Skipper. The plot is a little far-fetched and full of confusion, but along comes Perry with a complicated time chart that clears up everything and points directly to the murderer -- did I say far-fetched..? Another weak link is the insanity of a father entrusting part of his successful business to a no-goodnik son that can't do much more than park cars at a nightclub. Plot holes galore, but there is Diana Millay...

A really fine list of familiar character players graces the cast of this Perry Mason. The Unwelcome Bride referred to in the title is Diana Millay and she becomes Perry Mason's client after her husband who is the son of wealthy Torin Thatcher is found dead.

Truth be told her husband was a pretty worthless guy who does burglaries on the side, has a job parking cars for Gerald Mohr in his club and has some other side businesses, none to savory. With that kind of background the list of alternative suspects populates the whole cast which also has TV icons DeForest Kelley and Alan Hale in the cast. They and others are prime suspects.

For this episode Raymond Burr uses a chart to illustrate the times of the comings and goings of the various people called as witnesses. Burr was quite right in saying that the time element was crucial. So he has this visual aid to show judge and jury. Like a Mason case ever got to a jury.

What was funny was that William Talman not only didn't object, but said the chart would just bolster his case. Silly man.