The Case of the Woeful Widower

This episode is a re do of ESG's Case of the Fiery Fingers and a poor one it is. Confusing,excess characters, a plot that as a slight semblance to the original and even Perry lacks any real interest in the plot and plight of the characters. lThe missing ingredient was the beautiful Barbara Hale. According to the Perry Mason Case Book her absence was due to unexpected surgery thus missing 4 episodes. As small as her part it was a vital one without it the 4 episodes definitely seem lacking. She brought out the best in Raymond Burr.when she is not around it shows.

Last of four episodes without Barbara Hale as Della Street. Why was she gone? Where did she go? That's irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial. Plus I haven't found out yet.

A couple of intriguing look-alike character actors in this one. The scary housemaid Nellie Conway is played by the multi-named Joan Banks (Lovejoy). She plays it like a haunted Virginia Christie, who later boldly proclaimed herself the Folgers Coffee Lady I.

I yearn tragically across the decades for the stunning Ann(a Lee) Carroll, playing Georgiana Douglas. She's a belle ringer for Arlene Martel. These women are so beautiful they can only exist in Hollywood.

I like this episode. I don't mind that they picked the ubiquitous Harry Townes to play Newton Bain, a middle-aged Lothario. Most Perry Mason episodes involve old geezers lusting after ladies young enough to be their granddaughters. That was the way they played it back then. Good thing that doesn't happen nowadays.

And lay off Jerry van Dyke. I think any final laugh-with-a-fade-out benefits with 59 percent more banjo.

The point of the review is get someone either to watch the episode, or not watch the episode--and I'd watch this because the unusual plots twists which have you suspecting all roles having motives to kill Elizabeth Bain, with only her voice appearing. More could be written, but not with revealing a spoiler. At one time, you too would empathize with the "Woeful Widower," until you realize that the character was written to have had sex with at least four women described in this episode. Watch, and the re-watch to enjoy what the producers accomplished.

Some of the paradigm that govern Perry Mason stories if they're not broken they get twisted a bit in this episode.

Raymond Burr gets two clients to defend in this story. The stepsister of the future victim Nancy Gates asks for his services to help housekeeper Joan Banks who has been accused of theft. Later on it's Gates who becomes the client when she's arrested for poisoning her stepsister.

We never see the murder victim only hear her voice as she asks for this and that from her bedroom.

There's a nice performance from Jerry Van Dyke as an intrusive in-law. William Talman's examination of him on the witness stand is devastating.

You'll have to watch to see how the paradigm is twisted.

As stated by other reviewers, this is a re-write of the Case of the Fiery Fingers from season one, which was not one of my favorites to begin with. In this version, the writers added in more characters and subplots which simply muddied the story and made it even more implausible. It was a nice change of pace to see a different actor for a change, in this case Jerry Van Dyke ("Burford" from his brother's show and the goofy coordinator on "Coach"). Overall, there's nothing much to get excited over here, it's about as milquetoast as the title character. A common theme for the later seasons, a poorly done rewrite...