Barney Biro Movies
- 1964
Wealthy Sumner Hodge (Philip Ober) accuses erstwhile folksinger Con Bolton (Paul Carr) of taking a shot at him. It seems that Hodge had threatened to disinherit his stepdaughter Irma (Natalie Trundy) unless she broke off her romance with Con. Later, Hodge is killed in an automobile "accident" caused by someone tampering with the brakes. Inevitably, Con is charged with the crime--and in mounting the boy's defense, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) arrives at the conclusion that the murder was actually a case of mistaken identity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Producer Alex Chase (Jeff Morrow) hopes to persuade Broadway star Mona White (played by a young Ellen Burstyn, then billed as Ellen McRae) to headline his new musical by allowing her to preview the score. Instead, Mona angrily accuses Alex of stealing the music from her composer husband Damion White (David Hedison). The real song thief is two-bit tunesmith Phil Schuyler (James Forrest), who ends up electrocuted in his bathtub on Halloween night. Though Damion White was identified fleeing the scene of the crime, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) intends to prove that White is innocent by pointing out the heavy traffic in costumed trick-or-treaters--any one of whom could have been the real murderer. This episode was originally scheduled to air on October 25, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
After he is seen literally throwing his money away, eccentric businessman Gus Dalgran (Otto Kruger) is locked up in a mental instution. Dalgran's far from loyal employees decide to use his absence as an opportunty to double-cross him, whereupon he escapes--and then things really get out of hand! Can it be that Dalgran was merely feigning insanity to cover up the murder of his duplicitous nephew Kenneth (Don Dubbins)? And what clues will Perry Mason find while visiting the military base which also figures into the story? Featured in the cast is a young Burt Reynolds, as well as soap-opera veteran John Larkin, who had previously starred in the radio version of Perry Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Paint manufactuer Amory Fallon (played by Wesley Lau, who later joined the Perry Mason cast as Lt. Anderson) suspects his partner Ned Thompson of embezzling funds, setting the fire which wrecked their plant, and worst of all, cheating with Fallon's wife Vivian (Leslie Parrish). Intending to confront Thompson in the man's apartment, Fallon not only brings along a threatening letter, but also gets good and drunk to bolster his courage. Passing out before Thompson returns, Fallon wakes up to find his partner's dead body on the floor beside him. In defending Fallon on a murder charge, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must somehow get his client to remember exactly what happened on the fatal night. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
When the body of wealthy Peter Baxter (Anthony Joachim) is found in the charred ruins of his mansion, caretaker James Hing (Benson Fong), who'd been made Baxter's sole heir in his will, is accused of the crime. Hing admits to burning down the mansion, but insists that he did so on the orders of Baxter, who'd planned to fake his death in order to test the loyalty of his heirs. Can it be that someone else got wind of Baxter's scheme and decided to bump him off for real? That's what Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must find out before the final commercial. This episode is based on Erle Stanley Gardner's novel The Case of the Black Cat, previously adapted as a 1935 theatrical feature, with Ricardo Cortez as Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
