Perry Mason (TV Series) The Case of the Madcap Modiste (1960) User Reviews

Interesting mystery for the viewer. Good watch!

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 5 June 2012]

Flavia Pierce is the women behind Southern California's hot fashion shop. Seems like the 'Flavia' name on the tag of women's clothing is the newest fad in design. And Flavia and her husband Charles own the shop where even people in New York are trying to buy the brand name.

One of the shop's models, Hope Southerland, had a love interest in Charles. Since the interest was lacking, Hope advises that after the next show she will be leaving and gives a bottle of champagne to Charles for his and Flavia's anniversary.

Later Charles opens the bottle and gives a cup to Flavia. Moments later Flavia falls to the ground and advises her closes designer friend, Leona Durant, that Charles has poisoned her.

Instead of calling the police, Charles tries to hid the bottle somewhere in the shop. But with our Lt Tragg on the case it is just a few moments until the bottle is found and Charles is carried away with murder charges.

Perry will now defend Charles against a host of characters ranging from, the model- Hope Sutherland, the unhappy owner of Area Fashion of New York- Mr Garmo and a money hungry brother- George Halliday.

This is a good who-done-it show. The episode was interesting and the viewer glued to their seat waiting for the next nugget of information forthcoming in courtroom testimony. But with the help of Della, Perry will find the final puzzle to this mystery and produce a courtroom confession worthy of the series.

Very good mystery produces a Good Watch!

Humiliation

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 24 August 2018]

This Perry Mason story begins with a puff television interview where marrieds Marie Windsor and John Conte are being interviewed about their fashion business. Windsor is creative force and Conte runs the business end. When Conte tells of a new deal with David White's chain of department stores, Windsor just calmly says that ain't happening.

A furious Conte consults Perry Mason and Raymond Burr says Windsor who turns out to be more business shrewd than given credit for has him by the scrotum. A logical place for Windsor to have Conte since lately he's been gazing fondly at young model Leslie Parrish.

Windsor who played many a bad girl on the big screen who met a rotten end meets one here via cyanide poisoning. And it's administered in a most clever way. That's when Conte really needs the services of Perry Mason.

One of the cleverest of Mason stories and the culprit is one you won't suspect.

Good Episode But Easy to Figure Out

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 9 January 2022]

A dress that doesn't belong is at the center of this one. A fashion designer ticks off her husband and this sets things in motion. He is her financial guy and she takes his power away from him. This leads to having to deal with a contract he has made, putting him in a tenuous position. But the dress is the key.

Who's Left?

[darbski · 10/10 · 11 August 2017]

**SPOILERS** Marie Windsor plays Flavia. A strange name from Latin for blonde; I don't care, it's still strange. Marie played a lot of supporting roles and cameos, but earlier in her career, she was a leading lady in quite few movies. She was actually called "The Queen of the "B"s (as in B movies). She should have gotten more solid work and more credit (R.I.P. Marie).

The other reviewers have given plenty of information about this episode, so I'll let that stand. What I'm gonna ask is who's left? Charles is innocent, and so, does the deal with Ariel Fashions still stand (200 Grand)? I'll bet so. Remember the original reason Charles went to Perry? Yup; and himself being a legal genius whose main interest is business law, he's gonna stick it to Ariel and DeGarmo but good; turning the tables is one of Perry's specialties. Just ask Hamilton Burger.

So, DeGarmo will have to pay up (be careful what you wish for); did anyone guarantee anything past the new fall line? After all, what he said he bought was Flavia's NAME. Leona's also gone because of the obvious reasons. So long, murderous bitch. Flavia's brother who was a smartass liar on the stand is gonna be cut out. He burned that bridge when he lied on the stand, he'll be charged with perjury (probably), also in the bargain losing Hope Sutherland (beautiful Leslie Parrish); same reason.

Flavia's husband Charles, saved from injustice by Perry will now inherit the co-owned business, the sale to DeGarmo, and probably, with Perry's advice make out just fine when the dust settled and the smoke clears away. One added plus, with the rubble out of the way, he'll get to have a lot of fun with the hot blonde that everyone else hated. Lucky dog.

A number of suspects

[kellielulu · 9/10 · 21 October 2022]

The real twist in this one is the actual intended victim isn't the one who dies . Knowing it the real victim was meant to be is revealed in the final moments . In doing so the usual suspects wouldn't make sense. The defendant doesn't do himself much good at first and he seems the most likely.

The way the crime is committed is pretty clever and tied in with fashion in an interesting way. The incomparable Della Street actually has some insight that comes into play. She notices a flaw in one of the designs as she looks through the fashion show lineup . This is what comes back to solve the case . I have to admit I never suspected the actual killer or who the victim was intended to be.

Excellent episode.

the murder case Perry almost threw away

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 20 December 2015]

****SPOILERS**** After fashion designer Flavia Pierce, Marie Windsor, made a complete a** of herself by rejection a merger with clothing distributer Henry De Garmo, David White, on live TV in front of some 20 million viewers her abused husband Charles, John Conte, felt that she may have gone off the deep end and finally snapped. It's later when the not so stable Flavia demanded to try on a new dress for her fall collection and have a drink of champaign to celebrate she suddenly dropped dead, after going into convolutions, in less then five minutes.

As things turned out it was Charles who provided Flavia with her drink who was arrested in her "murder" that in how crazy she's been acting lately could well have been an act of suicide! It's Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, who takes the case in defending Charles but his defense is that Flavia killed herself and in her disturbed and vengeful mind tried to frame him for her "murder". It's the fact that the death of Flavia was caused by cyanide poisoning without a trace of the deadly substance in the drink she took made Perry, despite using a suicide defense for his client, suspicious that someone may well have planted it to cover his or her tracks!

****SPOLIERS**** It's almost until the end of the episode that Perry realized that Falvia's death was the result of a murder not suicide and zeros in on the person who murdered her. It was a strange case of a love hate relationship on the killers part who despite owing everything he or she had to Flavia just couldn't let her actions, that could have very well have her committed, destroy her as well as her killer's career in the fashion industry. It was this act of desperation that by offing Flavia that not only freed her poor and abused husband from her crazed and insane acts but, by the killer being exposed by Perry, prevented him from being strapped into the San Quentin gas chamber.