Gene Wang Movies

Tom Wyatt (John Hudson) might have become rich by inventing a cure for a rare fish disease called gilled fever, but for the fact that his boss Jackson Hurley (Murvyn Vye) took credit for the invention. Thus, when Hurley is murdered, Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins) charges Wyatt with the crime. In his efforts to prove Wyatt's innocence, Perry (Raymond Burr) has a fascinating interview with the dead man's curvaceous secretary. Featured in the cast are such Hollywood favorites as Cecil Kellaway and May Wynn, the latter best known for playing a character named May Wynn (!) in The Caine Mutiny (1954). This episode is adapted from The Case of the Gold Digger's Purse, a novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A man claiming to be Australian Bishop Arthur Mallory (Vaughn Taylor) arranges a reunion between orphanage alumnus Carol Delaney (Rebecca Welles) and her millionaire grandfather Charles Burroughs (Carl Benton Reid. Shortly thereafter, Burroughs is murdered and Carol is arrested for the crime. While preparing Carol's defense, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) unearths some disturbing information about the so-called Bishop. This episode is based on a 1936 novel by Earl Stanley Gardner, which was previously adapted (and considerably rewritten!) as a 1937 theatrical feature with Donald Woods as Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

On probation for car theft, young Jimmy Morrow (Peter Miles) tries his best to "go straight", only to be accused of stealing a priceless Spanish cross. Worse still, Jimmy is charged with the murder of the relic's owner, Curtis Runyan (Donald Randolph). Out of sympathy for Jimmy's beleagured parents, Perry (Raymond Burr) agrees to handle the boy's defense. (Trivia note: Peter Miles is the brother of actress Gigi Perreau, who'd played Perry's client in the first-season episode "The Case of the Desperate Daughter".) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Perennial loser Larry Benton (Wynn Pearce) is convinced that he has killed a guy named Mike during a poker-game argument. Actually, Larry is the victim of a blackmail scam, perpetrated by a shady customer named Johnny Clay. After Larry forges his brother Steve's name on a check to Johnny, the blackmailer is murdered, whereupon Steve (Dick Foran) tries to cover for his ne'er-do-well sibling. In his efforts to save Steve from the gas chamber, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must prove that the "late" Mike is still alive--if indeed he IS still alive! This episode is based on a short story by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Art dealer Milo Gerard (George Macready) convinces wealthy Rufus Vanner (Rhys Williams) that he has a valuable Van Hooten painting, "The Purple Woman", for sale. In truth, the "masterpiece" is a fake, painted by alcoholic artist Aaron Hubble (Robert H. Harris). Worried that Milo will try to shift blame for the fraud on her, his wife Evelyn (Bethel Leslie) goes to Perry Mason for help. She's going to need it: Milo is subsequently murdered, and Evelyn is the number one suspect. (Ironically, in real life actor George Macready was a noted art collector and co-owner, with Vincent Price, of a prestigious Hollywood gallery). This episode was originally slated to air on November 22, 1958. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

There's no shortage of suspects when vitriolic society columnist Mary K. Davis (Marian Seldes) is murdered. Even so, the police charge the dead woman's nurse Leona Walsh (Josephine Hutchinson) with the crime...mainly because Leona has given a full confession to DA Hamilton Burger (William Talman). Inasmuch as Leona's lawyer is Perry Mason (Raymond Burr), she is of course not guilty, but Perry has a tough time proving it--and to make matters worse, Burger intends to discredit Mason in court by calling his secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) to the stand to testify that her boss has tampered with the evidence! This episode is based on a 1957 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Charles Brent (Grant Withers), owner of the building where Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) keeps his offices, is being blackmailed by Arthur Binney (Richard Erdman), who threatens to expose the sordid past of Brent's young wife Anne (Mari Aldon). When Binney turns up dead, Brent takes the rap, believing that Anne is the guilty party. Complicating the situation for Brent's attorney Perry is the fact that Brent's secretary Enid (Barbara Baxley) had earlier attempted suicide when Anne married her boss. This episode is based on a 1956 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Perry (Raymond Burr) would rather not get involved when he finds out that his childhood friend Eileen Harrison (Anne Sargent) plans to divorce her overworked husband Danny (Arthur Franz), a schoolteacher who moonlights as a restaurant worker to pay for his baby daughter's operation. But Perry is more than willing to handle Danny's defense when the poor man is charged with murdering his old acquaintance Frank Curran (Stacy Harris), after a rather unpleasant disturbance at the greasy spoon where Danny works. "Maytag repairman" Jesse White is appropriately abrasive as Danny's nighttime boss. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When her purse is stolen, Claire Olger (Patricia Hardy) is forced to hitch a ride from Michael Greeley. Unfortunately, Greeley (John Hubbard) has been drinking--and when he plows his vehicle into a truck, killing the other driver, he runs away, leaving Claire to take the rap. In his efforts to save Claire from charges of manslaughter and grand theft auto, Perry (Raymond Burr) locates the elusive Granger--who happens to be stone cold dead. Now Perry must defend his client on a charge of first-degree murder! A second killing further complicates this episode, which is based on a 1941 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The greedy relatives of wealthy Daniel Reed (Edgar Stehli) want to have him committed to a mental institution, using as evidence the fact that he has been issuing $20,000 checks to strangers. Perry is hired by Reed's girlfriend Millie Foster (Kitty Kelly) to prevent the old man from being put away. Before long, however, Perry is defending Reed on a murder charge--and the victim is the recipient of all those checks, a slimy blackmailer named Maury Lewis (King Calder). In the course of events, Perry is amazed that each and every one of his legal moves has been anticipated by DA Hamilton Burger (William Talman); can it be that Burger has ordered Mason's office to be bugged? This final episode of Perry Mason's first season is based on a 1939 novel by series creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Perry (Raymond Burr) receives a phone call from Arlene Dowling (Susan Morrow), who claims that she was robbed of all her belongings (including her clothes!) while sunbathing. Among the missing items is Arlene's trailer, in which was hidden a diary. Shortly thereafter, Perry finds himself defending Arlene on a charge of murdering George Ballard--and on a more disturbing note, he is nearly brought up on perjury charges by DA Burger (William Talman). This episode is based on a 1955 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide