User Reviews

Patricia Kean (Julie Adams) goes to fortune teller Marius Stone (James Lamphier) who predicts for her a promotion at work, a marriage to an older man, widowhood and a marriage to her Prince Charming. One by one his predictions come true only she meets the younger man (Lee Phillips) before marrying the older man, her boss Max Armstead (Jesse White). As Max dies, he accuses Patricia of murdering him. The DA agrees and prosecutes her with Perry coming to her aid.

The story is well told, though if one just follows the money, the resolution is pretty obvious early on. If the episode has a fault, it really doesn't give you a lot of suspects. What makes it so good are the really strong guest appearances by both Julie Adams and Jesse White. They do a great job of making the relationship real. Neither actor being known for their subtlety (Julie Adams being best known as the girl in "Creature from the Black Lagoon")(Though she was good in her recent appearance on "Lost")(while White was usually cast in comic roles), they really rise to the occasion and deliver what have to be one of the best performances of their lives, as well as two of the more notable guest star appearances.

The ending has another over the top resolution, but at least its not the killer confessing on the stand. It's the killer's accomplice trying to throw the blame on the real killer and trying to worm out of their guilt (the accomplice should have turned state's evidence and made a deal first!).

Lt. Drumm makes another minor appearance, and seems much friendlier to Perry than Tragg or Anderson. Della even gets a nice moment when she figures out a problem that has left Paul and Perry baffled. "You're a genius!" Paul tells her. Della thinks about it and agrees. "Yes, yes I am."

***SPOILERS*** Two main items: 1) Jesse White has played in at least TWO episodes wherin he's married to very pretty younger women. In both he's an angry, loudmouthed boor; how does he do it?? 2) The character who is Perry's client in this episode is not just clearly. but crystal clearly not fit for any leadership role. She is so easily led by an obvious fake "fortune teller" that she could never be a buyer or anything important in a major (or minor, for that matter), seller or distributor of goods. Those facts off my mind, I'll say that the plot's pretty good, the acting is very good, the action is quick, and I liked it...an 8.

This episode could be advertised as "Ripped from Today's Headlines". Tonight ABC aired "Happily Never After" with wife leading boyfriend every step of the way and set him up to murder her husband. Although in this episode it wasn't the wife that led the murderer to commit the act, it was similar to mysteries happening in real life. This episode was enjoyable with Julie Adams and White and quite entertaining with the plot twist of the son committing the murder. Perry, Paul. Julie and Della knew not to have their tea leaves read when the gypsy comes up to them in the restaurant in the end. The wine bottle made into a candle on the restaurant table was all the rage in the 60's.

***SPOILERS*** Still very attractive but at 35 years old no spring chicken Pat Kean, Julie Adams, is encouraged by her friend Beth Fuller, Nan Martin, to see this fortune teller Marius Stone, James Lanphier,to get a read on her future prospects for marriage. It's soon that Pat finds out Stone's predictions for her future, marriage as well as everything else, to be amazingly accurate! So accurate that they in fact predict the untimely death or murder of her future husband her boss Max Armstead played by the future Matag Man in his fifth and final appearance in a Perry Mason, Raymond Burr,episode!

In one of the most shocking death scenes in all of the some 250 or so Perry Mason episodes Max in a fit of what seems like total insanity after accusing Pat of poising him falls down a flight of stairs in his mansion to his death. This in front of Perry Mason,his personal attorney,when Pat called him to come over and see if he can settle her deranged and suicidal husband down!

With Pat now indicted in the murder of her husband Max Perry takes up her case and digs into both Max and Pat's past to find out what exactly drove Max insane as well as to is death in an effort to exonerate Pat in his murder. And Perry hits the jackpot in Pat's secret and mysterious lover Gorden Evens, Lee Philips. This guy, Philips, has been having the hots for Pat ever since he came into her life from what seemed like, did he come from Tebit or Inner Mongolia, places unknown.

**SPOILERS*** As it soon turns out this Gordon is actually the late Max's disowned and good for nothing son Allen whom he hasn't seen or years. It's Allen who almost bankrupted his father's business and skipped out, with the company's cash, to South America in order to avoid being arrested tried and convicted for embezzlement and grand larceny. Now trying to make amends with his late father this no good rotten low life swine is trying to steal, while Max was still alive, his wife Pat away from him!

Explosive final with both Max's murders, yes there was two of them, attacking each other in open court in who, of the two of them, really was responsible for his murder in order to escape the San Quentin gas chamber. This scene itself is more exciting as well as mind boggling as all of the many likewise off the wall and ridicules scenes in this Perry Mason episode put together. It's an actual once in a lifetime experience for anyone fortunate or unfortunate enough to be able to sit though and watch it and still keep from laughing themselves to death!