Alfred Hitchcock directed this episode because of having Vincent Price on his show with James Gregory. There isn't much to the story as one night a defense attorney John Gregory (James Gregory) visits famed detective Charles Courtney (Vincent Price) late at night. Courtney is knowledgeable about some of Gregory's cases. They share a brandy and Gregory asks about the Harrington case since Courtney was the detective who investigated it. He was called in because the murder was that of a well to do and famous man. The acting of Courtney as an arrogant detective who prides himself too much of his work is marvelous by Price. Gregory lets him talk because he knows the murderer in the case, but doesn't let on. At the end he explains that he has proof and that an innocent man was led to execution. It would be the first mistake in Courtney's illustrious career. Gregory knows Courtney is punctilious and boastful about his work so proceeds to blackmail him with the information should their paths ever cross again in the future. The backstory explains what happened and Courtney is flabbergasted to find out and takes matters into his own hands once Gregory lets him know what he is after. Hitchcock knows how to keep it simple and let the actors explain. He does his own bit of acting to explain what happened by coming on the set in the end.
Review of The Perfect Crime
