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Arthur Marks, perhaps to give himself some variety in directing a fairly formulaic show, gave us some nice camerawork here. There is a wide shot of Paul's office (perhaps the most inclusive of the series). Note especially the overhead and moving crane shots in the courtroom. See also the nice closeup on Mason as he makes the final turn to confront the killer. The final reveal is a bit of an overly-dramatic reading for the character, but overall this is a nice show to view. cgraul 7.23.12
+ I think the "reveal" in this show is one of the funniest things in all of Perry Mason. I burst out laughing the first time I saw it. 65tosspowertrap 8-8-13
+This is my favorite overacting reveal also. I always make sure to watch it when it comes around. bob61571 15 Feb 2019
About those glasses: Those eyeglass frames Frank Wells sports are typical of those worn by actors in early TV; there's no glass in them -- the better to avoid glare from the studio lights -- but they're so fake looking they detract from the believability of the character. And in the case of Mr. Wells, their exaggerated size doesn't help. Submitted by francis, 9/29/14.
+ I just noticed that Frank’s glasses DO have lenses in the scene where Paul barges in on Amory and Frank in Amory’s office. Kilo 9/25/2020.
+ It also doesn't help believability any when actors wear glasses with flat pieces of glass, especially when those studio lights are reflected in them. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 11/30/14.
Same Mistake: Paul didn't learn anything in episode 75 (Paul Drake's Dilemma). Again he thought he was being played for a sucker and went to confront Amory Fallon. This time there wasn't a murder. Submitted by H. Mason 11/11/14
The Storm Before the Calm country music fans are probably familiar with the current song I Got the Boy, in which is expressed the sentiment "I got the hot head...she got the cool and steady hand": much the same can be said in comparing Wesley Lau's performance here with his later long-running role as "Andy" Andersen (the killer here, meanwhile, manages to demonstrate both calmness and hysteria...maybe all those paint fumes got to them both). Good though he was in the later role - and I don't think much more than one episode of this kind of emotional volatility would have been tolerable - it's nevertheless pleasing to see Lau given a part with a little more range. Submitted by Notcom, 121815.
This episode borders on self-parody. We get some over-the-top histrionics, (sorry, Mr. Lau), Perry deduces an elaborate scenario with virtually no clues, and, wow, is that a dramatic confession! DODay 9/27/17
Actually, this is one of the relatively few episodes that I was able to zero in on the killer well before Perry explained everything right at the end. It's not much of a leap to put together doctored books, a visit to the apartment of the victim told in court, and the presentation of a false alibi several minutes before Perry puts it together for us. There is a nifty red herring bit of putting another witness on the stand, but overall I found the episode to be pretty good. The over-the-top confession was the cherry on the cake. Submitted by Kenmore 09/10/2023