Perry Mason (TV Series) The Case of the Duplicate Daughter (1961) User Reviews

Double Exposure

[DKosty123 · 9/10 · 31 January 2010]

This episode is based upon an Erle Stanley Gardner story with the television script by a good television writer Samuel Newman. Experienced Director Arthur Marks is behind the camera.

There is some black mail & a murder going on here as there is a goal of millions of dollars at the end of the rainbow for a girl who doesn't know who her father is. A lot of material comes at the viewer quickly here & Mason gets $10,000 cash that he keeps in his safe under circumstances which are more than a little in the gray area.

The court sequences get mighty interesting a Burger & Mason battle quite a bit & then Tragg has to serve Mason when the police find out about the money he has which he got at the murder scene. Mason cuts it close on this one.

Last Question

[darbski · 9/10 · 22 September 2017]

**SPOILERS** I'm giving it a nine, in spite of very good acting from all concerned. It starts with a brunette sweetie, and then includes another (lighter hair), and her mother, and a dirtbag who was obviously so. If fact, he was also self destructive. Had he not said anything about anyone leaving the workshop, the old guy would have gotten the blame, and he might have pulled it off.

As it ended, though, he HAD to figure it was gonna be a lot better to give up a story about Murder 2, or Manslaughter, than let anyone think he'd lured Martel to her death. And it was still confusing as to who was where when it came to Martel's office and the workshop. Even beautiful Della seemed puzzled.

As far as a twenty million dollar estate, it was never really explained if it actually still existed. Perry, is exactly the right guy to figure it out, since I've always thought that his REAL practice is business law, and criminal law is second place. If you notice, the only reason he ever goes on trips is to go fishing, or for a big business deal.

Some unseen cast members

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 2 November 2012]

Either the budget wouldn't allow for it or the script ran way over its hour format because this episode of Perry Mason mentions several characters including the victim herself who never make an appearance or have a line of dialog in the show. Not having the victim make an appearance and practically beginning the show with her dead already is an unusual departure from the Perry Mason paradigm.

Raymond Burr's client is Walter Kinsella who is charged with the murder of a female private detective who was engaged in a bit of blackmail regarding his stepdaughter Anne Helm and an inheritance she's in line for.

The writing of this story got a little too involved and too overplotted for my taste. I can't possibly go any further in describing this Mason episode. Let's just say that a private lie detector and William Hopper's Drake Detective Agency was working way overtime to solve this one. Oh, and Perry Mason is accused of withholding evidence.

A little too much in this Perry Mason story for the mind to digest.

The case of the invisible murder victim

[sol1218 · 4/10 · 3 August 2013]

***SPOILERS*** Unique and at the same time utterly ridicules Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, episode with so many sub-plots in it that by the time that we finally find out who murdered lady PI Vera Martell, who's never once seen in the Perry Mason episode, you couldn't care less who murdered her and for what reasons he or she did it. As for Perry himself he's put on the hot seat in withholding evidence in the $10,000.00 that was supposed to be blackmail money. That in keeping Miss. Martell from revealing the truth about Glamis Barlow, Ann Helm, who together with her, I think's that's who he is, step-father Carter Gilman, Walter Kinsella, is accused of murdering Miss. Martell.

Perry having his job of defending both Glamis and Mr. Gilman being an almost impossible task in just how confusing the circumstances of their supposed crime is, the murder of Vera Martell, get's help from the wife and mother of the two defendants Mrs. Muriell Gilman, Kaye Elhardt. That by Mrs. Gilman agreeing to take a lie detector test to see what she knows about her daughter Glamis' past. Vital information which in Perry's mind can reveal the truth about her involvement in Miss. Martel's murder and what exactly she had, in blackmailing Glamis, on her.

****SPOILERS**** As the truth finally comes out about who and for what reasons Miss. Martell was murdered we get this really crazy story about Glamis identical twin sister, a Miss Phyllis Monroe, who's to end up getting a ten million dollar inheritance that Miss Martell uncovered in her investigation. The fact that Mrs. Gilman had no idea of this blackmail attempt on Miss. Martell's part confused things even more! As it turned out the person who did Miss. Martell in was both her lover and co conspirator who had a falling out with her over how much money they should squeeze out of this whole insane plan of theirs. He wanted the ten million dollar inheritance money, or at least half out it, and the penny pinching Miss.Martell only wanted the ten thousand in blackmail money. And it was her who ended up losing out on the deal.

You really have to hand it to Perry Mason in how he got the murderer to finally confess his crime on the witness stand. With all the confusing facts that at times contradicted each other he had to work with Perry just played it cool as if he was reading ,which in fact he was, from a prepared script and got Miss. Martell's murderer to break down and confess. Even though his confession, which made no sense at all, would have never convinced a jury of his guilt anyway!