There comes a time in a mans life when he has to realize that their mortal enemy is only an enemy because they know how to kick your ass. They dont take a personal glee in watching you lose. They just know that its better to win and it was your turn to be the loser. For two and a half seasons Perry Mason wiped the floor with District Attorney Hamilton Burger (William Talman). Youd think these two men hated each others guts like Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas. Perry Mason: Season 3, Volume 2 reveals they were more like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson – if Magics Lakers had lost every game to Birds Celtics.
“The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor” has a moment almost as unexpected as Mason losing a case. Hamilton Burger does the unthinkable when a friend gets nailed on a murder rap. He begs Perry Mason to take the case and spring his friend. Burger despises the high-priced defense lawyer in the courtroom, but he damn well knows hes the only man worthy of saving his friends life. He wants to unleash the monster on an unsuspecting District Attorney. The murder case involves figure skating shows. This proves that years before Tanya Harding there was evil on blades. This episode would have been so much better if Mason had botched his defense so that Burgers pal ended up on Death Row. But Masons reputation is more important than making Burger look like a pathetic schmuck.
“The Case of the Wayward Wife” predicts the future of “true” book scams. The author of an autobiography about his World War II adventures finds himself facing off with an old army buddy. Turns out he thought the buddy had died overseas. Now he wants his true glory and cash for his story. “The Case of the Wary Wildcatter” has a group of investors going nuts when it comes time to sink their money into an oil well. The oil man finds himself getting drilled and his investors are the suspects. Perrys brought in to refine this case. “The Case of the Singing Skirt” exposes a dark side to Poker. A high roller blows $60,000 in a game with a casino owner. His woman isnt happy that hes burned their nest egg. He swears the cocktail waitress in the room was part of a rigged game. The waitress fears the wife is going to come after her so she seeks protection from Mason. Things get nastier when the wife turns up dead. The house doesnt always win when Perry Mason cuts the deck. Burger tries to turn Mason into a witness in the middle of the trial, but gets chip blocked.
“The Case of the Slandered Submarine” put Mason in a military court where he adjusts his brand of justice. The mystery seems to revolve around the murder of a woman that works at an off-base bar. Things deepen with a second homicide with ties to a defense contract. Can Mason defeat the Navy prosecutor and the military industrial complex or will his battleship be sunk? “The Case of the Ominous Outcast” has an orphan visit a small town to meet his slightly anonymous benefactor. However this isnt a joyous occasion since it turns out he became an orphan when his father was shot to death after robbing the local bank. Before his death, the father hid the loot. The locals think he somehow knows the hiding place. The orphan need Masons help to free himself from a homicide charge.
Perry Mason maintains its quality by keep the cases from being run of the mill whodunits. Plenty of the crimes start out simple, but then complicate themselves enough to keep all the suspects sweating inside the courtroom. They know that Mason wont settle on a case without exposing the real culprits. Nobody gets away with murder even if they didnt take the stand. Watching Burger place his trust in Mason reminds us that in the legal system you have to go for the best or youll end up O.J. Simpsons cellmate. Perry Mason: Season 3, Volume 2 has 14 cases that remind us to never use a lawyer that takes coupons.
The Episodes
“The Case of the Wayward Wife,” “The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor,” “The Case of the Gallant Grafter,” “The Case of the Wary Wildcatter,” “The Case of the Mythical Monkeys,” “The Case of the Singing Skirt,” “The Case of the Bashful Burro,” “The Case of the Crying Cherub,” “The Case of the Nimble Nephew,” “The Case of the Madcap Modiste,” “The Case of the Slandered Submarine,” “The Case of the Ominous Outcast,” “The Case of the Irate Inventor” and “The Case of the Flighty Father.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The black and white transfers are stunning in detail and sharpness. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. The gavel always jars the ears. The episodes are Closed Captioned.
None.
Perry Mason: Season 3, Volume 2 keeps the legal wrangling up full force. When he locks eyes with a witness, you know hell get the truth out of them. Mason is a judicial monster that will protect his clients to an extreme.
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CBS DVD presents Perry Mason: Season 3, Volume 2. Starring Raymond Burr, William Hopper, Barbara Hale, William Talman and Ray Collins. Boxset Contents: 14 episodes on 4 DVDs. Released on DVD: December 2, 2008. Available at Amazon.
