Perry Mason (TV Series) The Case of the Hateful Hero (1962) User Reviews

Perry defends a rookie cop against a mound of evidence

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 6 September 2012]

Jimmy Anderson is a rookie cop that just happens to be the cousin of Lt Andy Anderson. Jimmy will be the partner of veteran officer Otto Norden. During the first night on patrol Otto and Jimmy cannot see the night watchman at a plastic company. When they hear a strange noise the two officers enter the property. The next scene we have Lt Tragg telling Lt Anderson that the night watchman had been drugged and Otto has been killed. When Lt Anderson asks about his cousin, Tragg tells him that he was seen running from the scene.

Inside the business a safe had been blasted open with a large amount of nitro. Even though most of the company's books were destroyed about $60,000 was in a strong box and stolen. And it just so happens some of the money will be found in Officer Jimmy Anderson's apartment. Not only that, a few nights later the night watchman was killed and again Jimmy Anderson is involved.

Lt Anderson ask Perry to defend his cousin for murder of the night watchman. However this seemed like a difficult task. There is mounds of evidence against the rookie cop- so much that Perry is unable to produce a defense during the preliminary hearing. Thus having the judge bound Jimmy Anderson over for a jury trial.

With a little trickery, Perry is able to understand why the large amount of nitro was used on the safe. And with that information Jimmy Anderson will be saved from facing a trial by his peers.

A very good script that was interesting the entire 52 minutes. Good Watch!

Cops

[zsenorsock · 8/10 · 11 April 2008]

Lt. Anderson gets to be featured as his cousin James (Richard Davalos) has just joined the force. He's partnered up with Andy's friend, Otto (William Boyett, who was the officer in charge on "Adam-12" and seemed to play a million cop parts). On their very first patrol together, a factory is robbed, Otto is dead and Tragg suspects James is the murderer. Andy asks Perry to help defend his cousin.

Really well written episode that has a key cheat: they save for the end that the security guard at the factory was Otto's old partner. Kinda key information that would really help the viewer solve this on their own, but no matter. Jeannette Nolan guests as Otto's mom Erna, who is out to protect his image even if the truth gets in the way.

Thought It Was Pretty Good

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 27 January 2022]

I often knock these down for a lack of verisimilitude. This has a couple of weak elements, but with the exception of some time issues in the case, it works. There are enough bad guys to go around. There are guys previously thought to be good who have pass muster in the court. We have a subplot of a company sale which would feather the nests of some of the partners. We have what seems like an open and shut case since two principles have stolen money in their homes. We have the tension between Andy Anderson and his just promoted cousin. It's a good deal of fun.

Jeanette

[sherryhowell50 · 10/10 · 27 July 2020]

Jeanette Nolan makes this episode. Her acting is quite amazing. Her emotion when she's screaming and Perry is great. I like many of the Perry episodes enough to give a nine or ten, but this might well be my favorite.

Perry does not present a hearing defense

[ebertip · 9/10 · 22 December 2020]

Hamilton concludes the hearing prosecution with a line that Perry will present his usual calculated confusion of facts. But Perry presents no defense. The murderer of Ralph Pearce (who is uncredited even though appearing as a corpse) is revealed in a cold room before the actual trial commences. The episode title is of interest, because the viewer does not learn the hateful or hero part until very late. Perry's initial appearance is as corporate attorney for Wilson Plastics, and in this episode that role is important. The set-up places experienced officer Otto Norden (actor Boyett, later a police sergeant in Adam-12) with young officer Jimmy Anderson, the cousin of Lt. Andy Anderson. They drive by Wilson Plastics. Norden immediately notices watchman Ralph Pearce is not outside (pay attention to how Otto speaks of Ralph). There is a robbery. Otto is killed. Jimmy seems to have been derelict. Ralph Pearce later is found dead. Jimmy is found guilty in a Board of Rights hearing under a preponderance of evidence standard. Jimmy is charged with the death of Pearce. Lt. Andy Anderson asks Perry to defend Jimmy. Perry goes to Wilson Plastics and suggests one of them is the killer and is told "you are out of your mind." Perry responds: "That's been said many times." Once we see that the SEC is investigating for insider trading, we know there is more than meets the eye. There are two overlapping schemes (actually 2 and a half), which did make this a tough oone for Perry. It is not common for Perry to get physically involved, but here Mama Norden (Nolan) actually attacks Perry.

Mother Stephens

[cinamac3 · 10/10 · 25 February 2024]

I really enjoyed this particular episode as they showed a more human, compassionate side of the usually no nonsense, tough as nails, Lieutenant Andy Anderson. With all the hullabaloo over the great character actress, Jeanette Nolan, as a grieving mother of a young police officer, who dies in the line of duty, no one seems to have mentioned Mabel Albertson, who portrays Carrie Wilson, the head of Wilson Plastics. Of course, she is best known in her role as Darrin Stephen's mother, Phyllis, on Bewitched...Perry asks the court to grant a recess because she feels one of her sick headaches coming on and needs to lie down in his office!

Gotta Care First

[darbski · 8/10 · 14 November 2017]

**SPOILERS** All this for a German home cooked meal? I don't think so. Not that it wouldn't be good. This is one of those episodes that could have been shortened up, and have more time spent on having a babe or two for human interest. I wasn't satisfied with the way they tried to clean up Jimmy's intent for running from the scene. Maybe he'll make a good security guard. The acting was good, and I liked the safe (cool), but it just didn't make me care about the characters.

Who was Pierce's partner in crime?

[drmikevegas · 8/10 · 28 April 2024]

The Case of the Hateful Hero (1962), 6.05.

This one is confusing. I've rewatched the the key parts several times and still I'm not 100% sure.

...Spoilers... Who was Ralph Pierce's partner? Either Dwight Wilson (William Phipps) or Jerel Leland (Leonard Stone)? Security guard Ralph Pierce blows up the safe. Nephew Dwight Wilson embezzled $25K from Wilson Plastics and proof is in the safe, so he wanted it blown up to destroy the records. Treasurer Jerel Leland knows Dwight Wilson embezzled $25K so he blackmails him to vote yes on the purchase of Hillman Plastics. Leland made $100,000 on that bit of insider trading. It's not clear why Leland would want the contents of the safe destroyed. Ralph Pierce figured out the embezzlement and stole the microfilm containing the financial records which would prove that $25K was embezzled. The microfilm was kept in the office, not the safe. It's not clear who Pierce stole the microfilm from. Probably Leland. Leland would use the microfilm to blackmail Wilson. Security guard Pierce wanted more money from his partner. Leland killed Pierce so maybe they were partners.

Pierce stole the perfume and nitro from the perfume company. He gave the perfume to Otto Norden (William Boyett) who in turn gave it to his mother, Erna Norden (Jeanette Nolan).

Would she really cooperate?

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 8 January 2014]

The great character actress Jeanette Nolan replete with German accent highlights the Perry Mason episode. Raymond Burr's client here is Dick Davalos playing rookie patrolman James Anderson cousin of series regular Weslay Lau.

A rather wild and unrealistic plot drags Davalos into a jackpot whereby he stands accused of the murder of a night watchman and former LAPD officer. He's further accused of being part of a robbery of the same factory in which Nolan's son who is Wesley Lau's best friend on the force and training officer for Davalos is killed.

The most unrealistic thing about this story is Raymond Burr asking for and getting Nolan's cooperation in apprehending the real perpetrator. Again Perry Mason defends no guilty clients, but Nolan thinks Davalos culpable in her son's murder. A bit much to ask and get in this episode one of the lesser ones in this long series.

I stand accused!

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 14 January 2014]

***SPOILERS**** Brainless and utterly ridicules Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, episode involving what looks like out of it, was he on drugs, rookie cop James Anderson, Dick Davalos, who after being suspected of stealing some $60,000.00 out of the safe of a plastic company that he's supposed to be protecting later gets himself into much hotter waters by being on the scene of the murder of the company's night watchman former LAPD police officer a Mister Pierce, no name or character given in the credits, who was found strangled. It was before Pierce was found dead that Anderson's partner Otto Norden, William Boyett, was shot to death in the plastic plant with the what seems like gutless Officer Anderson fleeing from the scene!

It's obviously a job for Perry Mason who takes on the case in Anderson's defense but feels that his client is guilty as hell in the crimes, murder & robbery, that he stands accused of. We get a number of confusing incidents about just what happened and who's responsible but their so off the wall that even Perry is a bit hesitant to follow them up. Perry goes so far as to get the late officer Otto Norden's mother Erna, Jeanette Nolkan, to stick her neck out and risk her life in trying to convince both her son and Mr. Pierce's killer to reveal himself. That in her letting out the news she knows who he is and what, a strip of micro film, he's after.

The ending couldn't have come any sooner when the killer finally comes on the scene only to get himself caught and arrested by the awaiting police who set up a trap for him. He in fact didn't have anything to do with the reasons that both Otto Norden & the night watchman Mr. Pierce were murdered but murdered them anyway just to throw off suspicion to who he is. If you can believe that! The main reason for all this confusion had in fact to do with Mr. Pierce getting canned from the LAPD and Officer Otto Norden having had something to do with it!