In almost every episode of "Perry Mason" it came to the point, supposedly an irresistible climax of dramatic art, that a previously placid person would burst out on the stand or in the gallery with "All right, all right, I can't stand it any longer! Stop torturing me all of you! I did it!" Apart from this startling exception in the scenario, which became a laughing stock even in its day, most "Perry Mason"s were very well done from all angles. This episode I found to be an exception, with the acting so poor and ill-conceived by most if not all of the guest "stars". The usual very good performances by the regulars barely held the show afloat. The two "standouts" for me were the defendant lady, who throughout switched from an apparently feisty independent woman to pathetic supplicant desperate for help from Mason from one scene to the next and back again, and again. The other was an expert witness (can't remember the actor's name but he later played the hit-man in "Bullitt"), who horrendously under-acted the sober testimony of a bloodless scientist -- and came across every bit the committed radio performer.
Review of The Case of the Poison Pen-Pal
