I will admit to not paying close attention to the first few minutes of last night’s episode of Perry Mason. I eventually realized that the crew of a USN submarine is under suspicion for the murder of a Long Beach bar hostess. Two commanders are talking and one must have expressed concern over the bad publicity that the Navy is getting.
Commander/Pending Victim #2: It’s a pretty big Navy. And I understand that girl knew a sailor or two.
The camera takes us to the berthing quarters where a few sailors are speculating on how many of the crew actually knew the woman.
Chief: Nobody’s admitting anything, what with her murder and all. But you could say I was a close friend.
In Perry's office a businessman tries to browbeat PM into taking him as a client so he can sue the Navy. It’s in connection with a device made by a company he owns which he is hoping to sell to the Navy. He's been told Mason is the only attorney in Southern California qualified to take on such a lawsuit. He writes out a check and gives it to PM with air of a man who has just paid some guy to do his dirty work. Perry doesn't care for the cut of his jib.
PM: The Navy has never knowingly refused to rectify an injustice.
When Mason and Drake go to the ship the next morning, they learn the man they came to interview has just been murdered (the rare screwdriver-to-the-chest assault). PM is hired to defend the accused sailor. The murder weapon was his screwdriver and he has a connection with Victim #1, too.
Yeah, I knew her. Maybe not as well as some of the others. I was only her husband..... You just don’t brag about that kind of wife.
The court-martial was held in a narrow room with no spectators. The panel hearing the case sat between the presiding officer and the witness stand. Behind them was a huge 48-star U.S. flag. I could only see the bottom two rows of eight stars each and a wide swath of stripes. It served as a big distraction for me.
In the final scene, the three Mason-keteers are at the Navy pier with the officer from the beginning of the show (the one who wasn't murdered). Paul Drake is in a series of close-ups as he stares at the ships while Della has her questions answered by Perry.
PD: One of these days I’m going to take a nice long sea voyage.
PM: Any place in particular?
PD: No (or words to that effect).
PM: The commander knows a slogan that might help you.
Cmdr: Join the Navy and see the world.
William Hopper was a frogman during WWII, saw action in the Pacific (underwater demolitions) and won a Bronze Star.
Commander/Pending Victim #2: It’s a pretty big Navy. And I understand that girl knew a sailor or two.
The camera takes us to the berthing quarters where a few sailors are speculating on how many of the crew actually knew the woman.
Chief: Nobody’s admitting anything, what with her murder and all. But you could say I was a close friend.
In Perry's office a businessman tries to browbeat PM into taking him as a client so he can sue the Navy. It’s in connection with a device made by a company he owns which he is hoping to sell to the Navy. He's been told Mason is the only attorney in Southern California qualified to take on such a lawsuit. He writes out a check and gives it to PM with air of a man who has just paid some guy to do his dirty work. Perry doesn't care for the cut of his jib.
PM: The Navy has never knowingly refused to rectify an injustice.
When Mason and Drake go to the ship the next morning, they learn the man they came to interview has just been murdered (the rare screwdriver-to-the-chest assault). PM is hired to defend the accused sailor. The murder weapon was his screwdriver and he has a connection with Victim #1, too.
Yeah, I knew her. Maybe not as well as some of the others. I was only her husband..... You just don’t brag about that kind of wife.
The court-martial was held in a narrow room with no spectators. The panel hearing the case sat between the presiding officer and the witness stand. Behind them was a huge 48-star U.S. flag. I could only see the bottom two rows of eight stars each and a wide swath of stripes. It served as a big distraction for me.
In the final scene, the three Mason-keteers are at the Navy pier with the officer from the beginning of the show (the one who wasn't murdered). Paul Drake is in a series of close-ups as he stares at the ships while Della has her questions answered by Perry.
PD: One of these days I’m going to take a nice long sea voyage.
PM: Any place in particular?
PD: No (or words to that effect).
PM: The commander knows a slogan that might help you.
Cmdr: Join the Navy and see the world.
William Hopper was a frogman during WWII, saw action in the Pacific (underwater demolitions) and won a Bronze Star.