The Case of the Daring Decoy

Episode aired Mar 29, 1958
TV-PG
52m

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

434

YOUR RATING

Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, and William Hopper in Perry Mason (1957)

Crime Drama Mystery

An attractive secretary, spying on an oil executive in order to help his rival, is found murdered by the executive who takes the gun. And Perry's star witness is an elevator operator who ide... Read allAn attractive secretary, spying on an oil executive in order to help his rival, is found murdered by the executive who takes the gun. And Perry's star witness is an elevator operator who identifies suspects by their shoes.An attractive secretary, spying on an oil executive in order to help his rival, is found murdered by the executive who takes the gun. And Perry's star witness is an elevator operator who identifies suspects by their shoes.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.1/10

434

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Perry asks the elevator operator the title of the book she was reading when she encountered his client. She replies, 'You Can Die Laughing'. Erle Stanley Gardner wrote a book with that title under the pen name A. A. Fair.

Goofs
When Lt. Tragg is on the stand, Burger has the jury examine the murder weapon. A close-up shows the gun passed from one juror to the next until it reaches the fourth juror of the six in the first row. The scene then cuts to a long shot, but the gun is now being handled by jurors in the back row.

Quotes
Hamilton Burger: [to Perry Mason] I'd have you smelling brimstone through a nail-hole if it was up to me.

Connections
Referenced in Svengoolie: The Undead (2021)

User reviews12

Review

Featured review

8/10

Mason elicits a confession ... as usual ... but with a surprise twist

In this whodunit, Mason is confronted with a challenge. His client's fingerprints are found at the murder scene, his client is in possession of the gun used to kill the victim, and his client was observed by the elevator operator taking a devious route from the murder scene to avoid detection.

As usual, Mason, pitted against Burger and Trask, is aided by the always-demure Della Street, private secretary, and the always-smoking Paul Drake, private detective.

Mason is pretty sure he knows who the killer really is, and when his suspect takes the stand, Mason attacks with a vengeance. But Mason is wrong!! The person he suspected of killing the victim didn't do it, even though there's a gaping hole in the suspect's alibi.

But the unflappable defense attorney doesn't miss a beat. He recalls an earlier witness and using psychology, strategy, and a pair of shoes, elicits a confession.

In the closing moments, Della speaks coyly to Perry about "a merger" of two "interests" -- meaning a marriage. But, of course, she's not talking about her and Perry, but about the now-absolved defendant and a key witness.