Perry Mason (TV Series) The Case of the Grumbling Grandfather (1961) User Reviews

The Case Of The Cunning Cougar

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 5 November 2012]

Karl Held made the first of several appearances as David Gideon, the young law student who later appears in The Perry Mason Series as a bid to attract a younger demographic. Now though he's a client in desperate need of Perry Mason's services. And he's protecting someone and not telling the truth which is true for about half of Raymond Burr's clients.

In today's language Patricia Barry would be called a cougar. She's set her cap for young Mr. Held and that worries his grandfather Otto Kruger. Seems as though she was also involved with his late uncle who committed suicide. And she's pulling the old badger game on Held with her estranged husband Fred Coby who is a degenerate gambler and owes half the casinos in Las Vegas.

That's not the least of this woman's involvements either. No wonder Otto is so concerned. Especially after Coby is found dead and an unconscious Held is found at the scene.

I may have given away the murderer this time. But in this episode the one you want the murderer to be is in fact the guilty party. No surprises in this episode, just a question of breaking an alibi.

But that doesn't mean this is not a real good Perry Mason story.

Sort of Silly

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 17 January 2022]

So many emotions. Gavin McLeod in a dramatic role (where is that Ted Baxter?). A young guy get the hots for an older woman and can't see past the end of his nose. He will do anything for her and there's the rub. He does, despite every red flag on earth. Of course, his grandfather realizes this and calls in heavy hitter, Perry Mason. It's decent but far fetched. By the way, I'm glad someone mentioned the way people get in and out of cars so one camera will do the trick.

Mixed Feelings about this Presentation ~

[cranvillesquare · 7/10 · 19 December 2023]

Where do I begin? Many elements of this show can be taken in two or more ways. The most obvious conundrum for me is Patricia Barry's role and presence. She appeared three times on Perry Mason; it's difficult to find a more beautiful woman capable of playing such lying, slimy characters. She uses people in her orbit the way a car mechanic uses his tools. Once they've served their purpose, they're put away until the next time. (If you think Dorine Hopkins was psychotic, wait two seasons for Eva Belter to make her demonic appearance.) The hook of an older woman being wooed by a younger man is nothing these days. I had a very satisfying relationship for several years with a woman 13 years my senior, myself, and she turned guys' heads when she was 50 years old. Karl Held makes his first of a number of appearances as David Gideon, the know-it-all kid who Mason repeatedly puts in his place as a tyro. There were rumbles around Hollywood that William Hopper was considering his departure from the series (probably spread by his mom, Hedda Hopper) and that Held was possibly his replacement. He was gone when the producers realized he had all the charisma of Albert Gore, and came to satisfactory terms with Hopper instead. Lastly, the business of entering and exiting vehicles from the curbside door is simply explained...for years, California had a statute on the books forbidding the use of the driver's door on a public way, for safety reasons. It had nothing to do with a one- or three-camera shooting.

I want to say this episode was a good watch, but too many things just got under my skin.

10 Men On It

[darbski · 10/10 · 25 September 2017]

**SPOILERS** Okay, I knew she was dirty when she said that her old man, Croaked Creep Tony, "shoved her over" (from the driver's side to the passenger side), and then pushed her out of the door. In a V-Dub? You can't just do that; it's cramped, gear shift in the way, heater controls in the way, doors don't open quite far enough, etc... . Dub Taylor sez what he thought he saw, and THAT was staged by Dorine and Comminger. His description of the Beetle taking off was sheer B.S., however; ay best, you could "squeek" the back tires in these 36 H.P. wonders.

Kid was manipulated by Dorine quite easily. She and Comminger shoulda set Tony up with some Vegas goons a couple of times, or just had him clipped when his extortion started, and this mess wouldn't have happened.

The biz with the convertible, rental car, collections guy, the secretary, David, etc. ...? THAT'S when Perry sez to Paul "Put 10 men on it if you have to". He knew there had to be something else going on. Farrell was almost trapped by his own sneakiness , and it's always a treat to watch Perry fix them good with their own words. Right then, when he got Farrell to admit that Tony was dead when he got there, David was cleared. He then went after Comminger and Dorine. Kinda too bad; Dorine (Patricia Barry) is a real sweetheart. Of course, she's in two other Perry Mason episodes, and in NONE of them is she honest (R.I.P. Patricia).

She'll take a fall for Murder2, and so will Comminger because he was involved in a felony enterprise that resulted in a homicide; even if he turns on Dorine, he's getting some serious time. Farrell? He's fixed a real good perjury rap on himself, hasn't he? Well a little time in the L.A. County lockup will probably persuade him to help Burger in return for a suspended sentence. Of course, he'll be a guest of the county's best jail cell -or not- while that goes on (just to remind him of his errors in judgement).

Naturally, David's learned to respect his gramps' opinion, so his future is now assured, Della is beautiful, all is right; if he can keep his nose clean. Uh Huh......

Not Your Typical Mason, or Love Boat, or MTM Show

[DKosty123 · 10/10 · 6 February 2010]

This show boasts an amazing guest cast as Otto Kruger & Gavin Mcleoud both have prominent roles in this one. The plot is quite well written as well. Of course there is a murder but the plot has some black mail and a few other twists & turns along the way.

Otto Hruger is Grandpa trying to solve problems that his grandson has in choosing the wrong woman, and the mystery of the dead Uncle who appeared to have embezzled $100,000 dollars before he died & then committed suicide. Then the Grandson's Girlfriends husband is killed & the grandson is at the scene of the murder.

Grandpa is having a tough time as their attorney loses the preliminary to DA Burger. Then he calls Mason in to try & salvage the case & the Grandson. As for your Love Boat Captain who is short his crew here, he is a key witness on the stand helping to solve the case.

Early Episode with David Gideon Character (Young Lawyer) accused of Murder

[jwstephens · 24 April 2006]

*** SPOILER ***

Episode is the story of a family with a grandfather, J. J. Gideon (Otto Kruger) who has some sort of a family business, and a grandson, David Gideon (Karl Held) whose Uncle Lucius has committed suicide three months before.

The grandson has been seeing an ex secretary Dorine Hopkins ( Patricia Barry ) and is concerned that she is now rejecting his attention after almost being caught by grandpa. She also was carrying on with an Uncle Lucius, who is also dead, and is suspected of causing a lot of trouble for the Gideon family by the grandfather.

Unknown to David, she is married to a useless guy, Tony Montgomery, who owes a lot of money to gambling interests, and who has blackmailed Grandfather Gideon with a collections of photos of Dorine, and the dead son. all of this unknown to David.

Grandfather is having the company audited by Lawrence Comminger (Gavin MacLeod) to see how much damage has been done to the Gideon company

Tony is murdered, and David is suspected of the killing due to having gone to Tony's house to confront him over $10,000 given by Dorene. He is hit by an enforcer, Si Farrell (Phil Arthur) who was trying to collect the 10,000.

Case is prosecuted by Hamilton Burger (William Talman). Also appearing are Barbara Hale, William Hopper, Lee Miller (Sgt. Brice). Ray Collins did not appear, and may have been ailing at the time. Another actor had some credited lines (John Close). This may have been before Wesley Lau was appearing regularly to fill in for Ray Collins, who eventually passed away, but was still credited.

Actual culprits turns out to be Comminger and Hopkins , who have found and is trying to abscond with the $100,000 that was embezzled and thought by Grandfather to be have been lost by Lucius Gideon. Apparently she took the money, and with help from Comminger was trying to get away with the crime, and ended up having to murder her husband, to keep things quiet.

I didn't ask you if you met him I asked you if you killed him!

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 11 August 2013]

***SPOILERS*** Wild and unpredictable, aren't they all, Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, episode with Perry defending young law student David Gideon, Karl Held. David is accused of murdering his secret lover Dorine Hopkins', Patricia Barry, estranged husband Tony Mongomery, Fred Coby, who was both abusing and blackmailing her.The hopelessly in love David just fell into the trap set for him by coming to Dorine's aid when she was smacked around by her husband after handing him the documents and $10,000.00 he demanded from her. The money was to pay off his gambling debts to the mob and the documents were about her connection to David's grandfather J.J Gedion, Otto Kruger, who was paying her off with blackmail money!

David went to Mongomery's home to retrieve the cash & documents that he swiped from Dorine and was bopped over the head from behind and when he finally awoke he found him dead with David now being the #1 suspect in Mongomery's murder. Perry knowing for sure that David was innocent was now involved in trying to find Mongomery's murderer despite all the evidence against his client. What Perry was to discover is that Mongomery's murder was connected to another murder three years ago that of David's Uncle Lucien that had been ruled a suicide! It was in fact David's lover Dorine that lead Perry to Mongomery's murderer by Perry checking out all the facts and her eye witness testimony of her being abused and smacked around by Mongomery just before he himself was murdered. Facts that didn't quite check out and were totally dispelled by Perry during his client's murder trial.

****SPOILERS*** Perry Mason was never better in how he not only slowly uncovered the reasons for Tony Mongomery's murder but in getting the person who murdered him as well as Lucien Gedion three years earlier to break down and confess without even being cross examined by him. It was when Uncle Lucien uncovered an embezzlement scheme at J.J Gedion's law firm that he was whacked or offed ended by the same killer who later murdered Tony Mongomery. The only reason Uncle Lucien's murderer got away with his or her crime was that in it being ruled a suicide that Perry Mason and his friend private investigator Paul Drake, William Hopper, weren't on the case. This time around he wasn't so lucky.