Perry Mason The Case of the Witless Witness (1957–1966) Online

In this fine episode, Perry defends a respected Judge on murder charges after his named is linked to an Federal Investigation involving fraud that happened some twenty years ago.

The Judge, Daniel Redmond, is a man with high integrity for the law. He has just beaten Victor Kendall for nomination for Lt Governor of California, when he gets word that his name has been mentioned in a Federal Investigation for fraud. When he starts asking questions about the investigation it seems that many people believe that Judge Redmond has connections to the fraud and may have even bought the Judge's seat.

The Judge's old friend, Martin Weston, is set to appear before the committee the next day. However Mr Weston is found dead and the evidence points to Judge Redmond as the main suspect. Perry is asked to defend his friend on the charges brought by Hamilton Burger's office.

This episode was a pleasant change of pace from the norm. There are some great courtroom scenes that haven't been witnessed since season one. Perry is at the top of his game as he questions each witness to finally get to the truth. Even with many people taking the 5th amendment during cross-examination - enough of the story comes to light to provide Perry with a satisfactory ending. Great watch.

Robert Middleton plays Judge Daniel Redmond, a highly respected jurist who decides to run for Lt. Governor against Victor Kendall (David White). But when a wartime scam threatens to smear his honest image and his accuser suddenly turns up dead, Redmond becomes a murder suspect. His loyal secretary Marian Lamont (Florida Friebus) goes to Perry to ask for help.

This is like a TVland spectacular of favorites. David White is instantly recognizable as Larry Tate from "Bewitched" while Jackie Coogan was moonlighting from playing Uncle Fester on "the Addams Family". Florida Freibus was not only Dobie Gillis' mom, but would later become a regular in Dr. Bob Hartley's group sessions on "the Bob Newhart Show". Harry Holcombe, who plays the lead Senator in the hearings was a regular on "Bonanza" as Doc Martin in the show's final year and played Grampa in a series of Countrytime Lemonade commercials. Even Robert Middleton, who is mostly known for movie roles and guest shots, spent a season as a regular on "The Monroes". So that makes this episode seem a bit like old home week, and that's not a bad thing.

As this open we see the multi-legal faceted Perry Mason lose in appellate division a civil case. But the well respected judge Robert Middleton who has just been nominated for Lieutenant Governor of California will have need for Raymond Burr's services soon.

A traveling US Senate investigating committee has heard testimony from Vaughn Taylor that Middleton was a beneficiary of insider knowledge while working at the War Department during World War II. Also that he received his first appointment to the bench as a result of his illegal activities.

But then Taylor winds up dead, poisoned with the heart medicine that Middleton's secretary Florida Freibus has, but would be fatal to a heavy drinker like Taylor.

With the help of the Paul Drake Detective Agency for whom Raymond Burr says to William Hopper 'put on an army of operatives' the mystery is solved and the guilty party of both murder and slander is exposed. That last word should tell you who the guilty part is if you watch this good episode.

***SPOILERS*** Perry Mason's, Raymond Burr, good friend Judge Daniel "Danny" Redmond's , Robert Middledton, past catches up with him in what's exposed as a fraudulent deal with a company contracted out by the US Navy in WWII. This all comes out when this boozy and barley sober Marrtin Weston, Vaughn Taylor, suddenly clams up when under reinvestigation by the US Justice Department he's told to explain his actions that in fact ended up with the then assistant attorney general of the state of California getting a judgeship because in him upholding this sleazy and criminal, in war time no less, action. This all comes out when the Judge won the nomination for California's deputy governor on the democratic, making him a shoo in to win, ticket.

With Perry who took on his case slowing proving that the accusation's against his client, Jude Redmond, are falsie the Judge is implicated in the murder, by having him poisoned,of the person who accused him of this crime, a pay off to get a judgeship, Martin Weston. Perry soon discovers that not only was Judge Redmound framed for a crime he didn't commit, bribery, 20 years ago in 1943 but has now been framed for a crime he as well didn't commit, murder, twenty years later!

***SPOILERS*** As things turned out it was sour grapes on the part of Weston's murderer who by not getting what he was after legally then tried to get it, by framing Judge Redmound, criminally.The confusing ending has Weston's killer meekly admit under Perry's almost half hearted cross-examination that he in fact was the man who murdered Martin Weston and framed Judge Redmond for the crime. Weston's killer who was so sure he would get away with his crime in framing Judge Redmond and then seeing that whole plan was falling apart resorted to murder to keep it afloat only to end up hanging himself in the end.