The story revolves around cargo that was jettisoned when a freighter was practically swamped by a storm at sea. The captain suffered a blow to the head when the ship was flailing about and he was delirious for a time.
Captain: Abandon ship! No, wait! Full speed ahead!
The First Officer takes the helm after the captain is incapacitated and makes decisions that determined the fate of the ship, crew and cargo. Once the captain is in full possession of his senses, he is irate to learn that the $1.5 million cargo has been cast overboard.
First Officer: I only did what had to be done.
Captain: That's your opinion. I'm going to make you sorry for it the longest day you live.
And the captain, naturally, is The Victim.
Collecting the insurance on the jettisoned cargo is a key factor in the case. Who's at fault? Perry and his intern, David Gideon, give us a quick lesson on maritime law. Perry knows everything! And believably so.
There were very few women in the show. Della, of course, and she had a new hairstyle. I should have taken a screen shot but we're in a string of episodes where the cinematography (televisionotography?) seems very dark. The other woman was some blond secretary and she seemed to be there chiefly as a love interest for the defendant. There were a number of familiar character actors.
Roy Roberts was the owner of the ship. He generally played some big shot -- banker, judge, admiral, CEO. He was also Captain Huxley in Gale Storm's sitcom in the 1950s.
Casey Adams/Max Showalter was something like the chief financial officer for the shipping line. Showalter is his real name and he switched to that in the 1960s. Trivia: He played Ward Cleaver in the pilot for "Leave It to Beaver." I cannot imagine. The show would have had an entirely different tone with him in it.
Sean McClory played a hard-drinking sailor who was the regular first officer for the captain who is murdered. When Paul investigates him, he gives a funny run-down of the man's habits.
PD: Right now he's working on a quart of lunch at a dive called Neptune's Cave -- and he's still sober.
Actually, Paul says a couple of things that today's screenwriters would never have written.
He's off to Yokohama to investigate the lading of the cargo and its retrieval by salvagers.
DS (in a soft, throaty voice): Sayonara.
PD: And sukiyaki to you, too.
He phones the office to say that the salvaged crates contain scrap iron rather than $1.5 million worth of textile equipment.
PD: If he's telling the truth, someone in Yokohama pulled a gypsy switch.
The defendant in the case is a generic, good-looking actor (Lee Farr). His brother is played by Edward Binns. By coincidence, Binns was in "The Twilight Zone" episode that aired just before last night's "Perry Mason" on MeTV.
Big brother was the ship's customer. He owned the equipment that his little brother jettisons. There is some sibling rivalry but when it comes down to cases, each stands up for the other in the courtroom. These quotes aren't exact but they're close.
Big Brother bristling at a question from Hamilton Burger: I'm on to your tricks. ... I'm not going to say anything that would help put my brother in the gas chamber.
Little Brother/Defendant jumps up in court at rails at Perry: If you're trying to get my brother charged with the captain's murder, I don't want that kind of defense.
As the case nears its conclusion, Perry asks the court's indulgence so that he can recall a witness. Burger is not happy with the maneuver.
HB: As usual Mr. Mason couches his answer in such fashion as to give me very little choice but to consent.
Captain: Abandon ship! No, wait! Full speed ahead!
The First Officer takes the helm after the captain is incapacitated and makes decisions that determined the fate of the ship, crew and cargo. Once the captain is in full possession of his senses, he is irate to learn that the $1.5 million cargo has been cast overboard.
First Officer: I only did what had to be done.
Captain: That's your opinion. I'm going to make you sorry for it the longest day you live.
And the captain, naturally, is The Victim.
Collecting the insurance on the jettisoned cargo is a key factor in the case. Who's at fault? Perry and his intern, David Gideon, give us a quick lesson on maritime law. Perry knows everything! And believably so.
There were very few women in the show. Della, of course, and she had a new hairstyle. I should have taken a screen shot but we're in a string of episodes where the cinematography (televisionotography?) seems very dark. The other woman was some blond secretary and she seemed to be there chiefly as a love interest for the defendant. There were a number of familiar character actors.
Roy Roberts was the owner of the ship. He generally played some big shot -- banker, judge, admiral, CEO. He was also Captain Huxley in Gale Storm's sitcom in the 1950s.
Casey Adams/Max Showalter was something like the chief financial officer for the shipping line. Showalter is his real name and he switched to that in the 1960s. Trivia: He played Ward Cleaver in the pilot for "Leave It to Beaver." I cannot imagine. The show would have had an entirely different tone with him in it.
Sean McClory played a hard-drinking sailor who was the regular first officer for the captain who is murdered. When Paul investigates him, he gives a funny run-down of the man's habits.
PD: Right now he's working on a quart of lunch at a dive called Neptune's Cave -- and he's still sober.
Actually, Paul says a couple of things that today's screenwriters would never have written.
He's off to Yokohama to investigate the lading of the cargo and its retrieval by salvagers.
DS (in a soft, throaty voice): Sayonara.
PD: And sukiyaki to you, too.
He phones the office to say that the salvaged crates contain scrap iron rather than $1.5 million worth of textile equipment.
PD: If he's telling the truth, someone in Yokohama pulled a gypsy switch.
The defendant in the case is a generic, good-looking actor (Lee Farr). His brother is played by Edward Binns. By coincidence, Binns was in "The Twilight Zone" episode that aired just before last night's "Perry Mason" on MeTV.
Big brother was the ship's customer. He owned the equipment that his little brother jettisons. There is some sibling rivalry but when it comes down to cases, each stands up for the other in the courtroom. These quotes aren't exact but they're close.
Big Brother bristling at a question from Hamilton Burger: I'm on to your tricks. ... I'm not going to say anything that would help put my brother in the gas chamber.
Little Brother/Defendant jumps up in court at rails at Perry: If you're trying to get my brother charged with the captain's murder, I don't want that kind of defense.
As the case nears its conclusion, Perry asks the court's indulgence so that he can recall a witness. Burger is not happy with the maneuver.
HB: As usual Mr. Mason couches his answer in such fashion as to give me very little choice but to consent.