Only on Columbo could one find such an intricate murder process. While I was entertained, the chances of pulling this off were so slim. Still, Burger must have had the week off so that country guy, whom we've seen before, got into the act. The guy who stole the money was really taking a risk. He was doomed early on. He bought an Edsel.
9 Reviews
Truth serum and triggered cameras
ebertip28 November 2020
Perry gets a call from Dr. Blane, who is being blackmailed by his son-in-law Jack Hardisty, who is married to Sue. Jack has stolen about $100k from the bank of which Blane is chairman. An audit is coming. The deal: Jack will return $75k if Blane makes up the rest and everybody keeps quiet. Although Blane was wise to call Perry, Blane also tells his neighbors the Stragues and nature photographer Beaton. Before Perry gets there, Jack is shot, and Paul finds Blane with the body. Perry defends Blane against a pleasant prosecutor Hale (played by Paul Fix). Perry suspects the $75k is the motive, and the hidden clock/camera relate to an alibi that does not pan out. Beaton's camera has an f3.5 lens and he shoots at f4.5 with flash triggered by a tripwire. The culprit takes one picture and then resets the aperture to f22 to f33 allowing a second (blank) shot, tiggered by the trip cord connected to a mechanical clock winding key, to be taken at a later time. Of course, the culprit would have to return to disconnect from the clock and reset to f4.5. Here, the culprit was running a badger game (a frequent Mason theme) and decided the $75k was more lucrative. The idea that scopolamine was a truth serum was largely discredited by the time of the episode. It was being used for motion sickness. Because it causes the victim to lose focus (and possibly hallucinate), it would not be the drug of choice to get a quick reveal of money location. In more current times, scopolamine has been a date rape drug. Toward the end, Perry notes that cross-examination is like prospecting. When you find a vein, you go with it. In this episode, Della gets to show off her reasoning abilities.
For Once, Better Than the Book
aramis-112-80488025 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
"The Case of the Buried Clock" is one of the most intriguing of the Perry Mason titles.
By this time, everyone should be aware the television show was very different from the books. Drake was a bit less sure of Mason, and was often comic relief. Della Street was young and sexy. Perry was a debonair young lawyer beginning when cars had running boards.
The Mason of the books was also extremely tricky and often ran on the law's ragged edge. And beyond it, often receiving only partially tongue-in-cheek lines from Drake about losing his license.
The BURIED CLOCK novel is a good read but as Mason's explanation about the buried clock is extremely confusing. I was gratified that in the television episode it was explained a lot more easily. Good episode with a likeable cast.
By this time, everyone should be aware the television show was very different from the books. Drake was a bit less sure of Mason, and was often comic relief. Della Street was young and sexy. Perry was a debonair young lawyer beginning when cars had running boards.
The Mason of the books was also extremely tricky and often ran on the law's ragged edge. And beyond it, often receiving only partially tongue-in-cheek lines from Drake about losing his license.
The BURIED CLOCK novel is a good read but as Mason's explanation about the buried clock is extremely confusing. I was gratified that in the television episode it was explained a lot more easily. Good episode with a likeable cast.
Faked Me Out
darbski8 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This episode had one beautiful actress: Barbara. It had some cool Edsels, and Mercurys - styling from the space age; even if they were four-door models. Also, a beautiful button (either dark brown or black), tufted armchair in Doc's study. It had the normal, doomed dirtbag, who, in this case was really happy about it; a creep who knew he had something he could turn the screws with. He turned up (of course) delightfully dead.
All the other stuff was good. Della has a little more meat in her role, and a very funny last line. What I thought was cool was the fact that I thought it was gonna be the beatnik photographer; sweet trickery, as always. By the way, the beatnik photographer (Beaton) also played the beatnik writer in another Perry Mason "The Green Eyed Sister". I KNEW he looked familiar. Terrific actor; plays great dirtbags.
Also, as always, the acting was superb. It is a real pleasure to watch actors and actresses who are total professionals show us what acting is all about.
All the other stuff was good. Della has a little more meat in her role, and a very funny last line. What I thought was cool was the fact that I thought it was gonna be the beatnik photographer; sweet trickery, as always. By the way, the beatnik photographer (Beaton) also played the beatnik writer in another Perry Mason "The Green Eyed Sister". I KNEW he looked familiar. Terrific actor; plays great dirtbags.
Also, as always, the acting was superb. It is a real pleasure to watch actors and actresses who are total professionals show us what acting is all about.
Too complex for a fifty minute show
lewis-5112 September 2016
This is one of the many episodes that were adapted from one of Gardner's Perry Mason novels, the Case of the Buried Clock. That is actually one of the my favorite Mason novels. It is quite complex, involving more characters and situations than could be put into a fifty minute TV program. A lot of compression and abridging was done by the writers of the TV episode -- so much that it ends up being unbelievable.
There are holes in the plot. The clock is introduced very late, unlike in the book. It's not explained how Perry found the clock. It's not explained why Beaton didn't discover what was going on.
Read the book!
There are holes in the plot. The clock is introduced very late, unlike in the book. It's not explained how Perry found the clock. It's not explained why Beaton didn't discover what was going on.
Read the book!
A near unbelievable series of events.
kfo949418 April 2013
The ending of this episode is rather confusing. It involves a flash of a camera that was rigged at a different time than a witness stated he saw the flash. From the testimony, I was confused about how many flashes went off and how the rig was set up without being spotted by a person that claimed to be an experience tracker. It was a nice story if you are able to bypass a near unbelievable series of events.
The story involves a real cad named Jack Hardisty that steals about a hundred grand from a bank where his father-in-law, Dr. Blane, got him a job. He even brags to Dr Blane about the theft knowing that the fine doctor would not want any scandal to follow his daughter, Sue.
Dr Blane contacts Perry about being blackmailed by Jack and Perry agrees to make the trip outside LA to Sierra City to check on things. But when he arrives, Jack Hardisty has been killed and all the evidence is pointing to Dr. Blane as the murderer. Instead of blackmail, Perry will be defending Dr Blane for murder in a courtroom outside the usual setting.
A suspect will emerge as Perry reveals some suspicious facts about a witness right near the end of the show. Perry, with little if any evidence, will rig a camera that sets the courtroom ablaze when Perry gets the finger pointed at another person. The entire circumstance seemed forced and improbable but it ended the show within the required minutes and provides us with something to remember.
Note- this episode does contain one of my favorite Judges in the series. Jamie Forster plays the residing Judge in his usual country manner. He makes about four appearance as Judge through the run.
The story involves a real cad named Jack Hardisty that steals about a hundred grand from a bank where his father-in-law, Dr. Blane, got him a job. He even brags to Dr Blane about the theft knowing that the fine doctor would not want any scandal to follow his daughter, Sue.
Dr Blane contacts Perry about being blackmailed by Jack and Perry agrees to make the trip outside LA to Sierra City to check on things. But when he arrives, Jack Hardisty has been killed and all the evidence is pointing to Dr. Blane as the murderer. Instead of blackmail, Perry will be defending Dr Blane for murder in a courtroom outside the usual setting.
A suspect will emerge as Perry reveals some suspicious facts about a witness right near the end of the show. Perry, with little if any evidence, will rig a camera that sets the courtroom ablaze when Perry gets the finger pointed at another person. The entire circumstance seemed forced and improbable but it ended the show within the required minutes and provides us with something to remember.
Note- this episode does contain one of my favorite Judges in the series. Jamie Forster plays the residing Judge in his usual country manner. He makes about four appearance as Judge through the run.
Your Honor the defense rests
sol121819 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Top defense attorney Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, uses he photographic, I didn't know you were into taking pictures Perry?,more then his courtroom skills to crack this baffling case that his client Dr. Blane, Don Beddoe, was framed for.
It's Dr. Blane's bank who's he's the bank president of that was embezzled by his useless and good for nothing son in law Jack Hardisty, Fredd Wayne, of $100,000.00. You see Jack likes to play the horses but as it turns out with most horse players the horses were playing him instead. Promising to come clean and return what was left of the money he embezzled, $75,000.00, with Dr. Blain footing the rest Jack is later found dead in his house by Dr. Blain from a gunshot wound. What's even worse for the good doctor and bank president is that the murder weapon belonged to him. A fact that Dr. Blain held from the local police!
With Perry Mason defending Dr. Blain he gets an unexpected alley in the case nature photographer Rodney Beaton,Robin Hoghes, who set up his camera to take night shots of the wild life in the area. With his client headed for a murder conviction Perry soon realizes that one of Beaton's photos, that he used with a trip wire, the evening that Jack Hardisty was murdered is critical in proving his client Dr. Blaine innocent! It turned out that Hardisty's murderer killed him for the stolen $75,000.00 he had secretary hidden but murdered him before Hardisty could tell him where he hid it!
****SPOILERS**** It's Perry who set up the camera and the trip wire in the courtroom to trip Hardisty's killer on the witness stand in exposing himself. Not realizing what exactly Perry was planning for him the killer walked right into the trap he set for him. And not only trapped the killer but his accomplice as well who at the very last moment chickened out and fingered him as Hardisty's killer! That even before the camera, attached to a rewind alarm clock, snapped a flash photo of him!
It's Dr. Blane's bank who's he's the bank president of that was embezzled by his useless and good for nothing son in law Jack Hardisty, Fredd Wayne, of $100,000.00. You see Jack likes to play the horses but as it turns out with most horse players the horses were playing him instead. Promising to come clean and return what was left of the money he embezzled, $75,000.00, with Dr. Blain footing the rest Jack is later found dead in his house by Dr. Blain from a gunshot wound. What's even worse for the good doctor and bank president is that the murder weapon belonged to him. A fact that Dr. Blain held from the local police!
With Perry Mason defending Dr. Blain he gets an unexpected alley in the case nature photographer Rodney Beaton,Robin Hoghes, who set up his camera to take night shots of the wild life in the area. With his client headed for a murder conviction Perry soon realizes that one of Beaton's photos, that he used with a trip wire, the evening that Jack Hardisty was murdered is critical in proving his client Dr. Blaine innocent! It turned out that Hardisty's murderer killed him for the stolen $75,000.00 he had secretary hidden but murdered him before Hardisty could tell him where he hid it!
****SPOILERS**** It's Perry who set up the camera and the trip wire in the courtroom to trip Hardisty's killer on the witness stand in exposing himself. Not realizing what exactly Perry was planning for him the killer walked right into the trap he set for him. And not only trapped the killer but his accomplice as well who at the very last moment chickened out and fingered him as Hardisty's killer! That even before the camera, attached to a rewind alarm clock, snapped a flash photo of him!
"No Way To Kill Time"
bkoganbing2 April 2012
This Perry Mason episode derives its title from the fact that a clock is used to set up an alibi. Just one of those old mechanical windup clocks that you rarely see today. It means the murder as planned could not be done today.
Fredd Wayne is the no account husband of June Dayton and he's just embezzled over $100,000.00 dollars from the bank he works at and where his father-in-law got him a job. It's the father-in-law Don Beddoe who brings in first Perry Mason and then Paul Drake to get to the bottom of the story and avoid a scandal.
But when Wayne turns up dead, it's Beddoe in the jackpot and who needs Perry Mason. Of course Perry unravels the the prosecution's case and the real perpetrator discovered.
Paul Fix made one of five appearances as an alternative prosecutor to William Talman. Perry's not in the jurisdiction on this case of Los Angeles county and Hamilton Burger. Of course Fix has no more success than Talman ever did.
I'm not sure this trick would actually have worked in real life in any event. You'll have to watch the episode to see what I mean.
Fredd Wayne is the no account husband of June Dayton and he's just embezzled over $100,000.00 dollars from the bank he works at and where his father-in-law got him a job. It's the father-in-law Don Beddoe who brings in first Perry Mason and then Paul Drake to get to the bottom of the story and avoid a scandal.
But when Wayne turns up dead, it's Beddoe in the jackpot and who needs Perry Mason. Of course Perry unravels the the prosecution's case and the real perpetrator discovered.
Paul Fix made one of five appearances as an alternative prosecutor to William Talman. Perry's not in the jurisdiction on this case of Los Angeles county and Hamilton Burger. Of course Fix has no more success than Talman ever did.
I'm not sure this trick would actually have worked in real life in any event. You'll have to watch the episode to see what I mean.
The Case of the Buried Clock
Prismark1011 August 2022
Dr Blane ends up being blackmailed by his slimy son in law Jack Hardisty who has embezzled $100,000 from the bank that the father in law got him a job at.
When Hardisty is found dead. Perry Mason defends Bane.
Mason figures that an important clue is a buried clock used to trigger some wildlife photography.
The story based on a novel by Erle Stanley Gardner did not make much sense in the condensed television version. Even the method of setting up the murder was far fetched.
It was always going to come down to two suspects. At least Mason admits he was prospecting in the hope he would hit bonanza.
When Hardisty is found dead. Perry Mason defends Bane.
Mason figures that an important clue is a buried clock used to trigger some wildlife photography.
The story based on a novel by Erle Stanley Gardner did not make much sense in the condensed television version. Even the method of setting up the murder was far fetched.
It was always going to come down to two suspects. At least Mason admits he was prospecting in the hope he would hit bonanza.
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