The Best Episodes of Perry Mason Season 7

Con artist John Brooks comes up with a new twist to convince Sophia and Ninevah Stone that he's the rightful heir to their fortune. Perry ends up reluctantly defending Brooks when he's charged with murder.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: N/A

Janice Barton is found guilty of the murder of her wealthy relative and sentenced to death. Can Perry find the evidence to clear her of the crime before the pellets in the gas chamber fall?

Director: Jesse Hibbs

Writer: N/A

Mason's client: an amnesia victim on trial for the murder of her husband.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: Robert C. Dennis

A recovering alcoholic takes to the bottle after he sees his wife, who's supposedly been dead for five years. Then she turns up dead for real and he's arrested for her murder.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: Robert C. Dennis

Crude but wealthy art connisseur Otto Olney throws a party to celebrate his purchasing a painting by famed artist Gauguin. Then a party guest, art expert Colin Durant, says that the painting is actually a fake. Olney then goes to Perry who decides to sue Durant for libel. Durant then claims he never said anything regarding the painting and the only witness, an art student named Maxine Lindsay, confirms his story. Perry then discovers the dead body of Austin Durant, fully clothed, in the shower of Maxine's apartment. Paul Drake then tracks down Maxine but the police are right behind him and they arrest her for murder. Guess who she hires to defend her?

Director: Jesse Hibbs

Writer: N/A

Edward Lewis's increasingly bitter arguments with his father-in-law make him the suspect when the old goat is murdered.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: Samuel Newman, Albert A. Vail

Gwynn Elston's best friend, Nell Grimes, asks her to move in with her due to the fact that Nell's husband, Felton, is often out of town on business. Gwynn, who has a door-to-door sales job, is then astonished to see Felton's picture in someone else's house where he's known as Frank Gillette. Felton, who's really a nasty mother, tries to poison Gwynn, when she confronts him but she survives and runs to Perry for help. Then Felton is found shot to death and things go from awful to good grief for poor Gwynn--she gets arrested for the crime.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: N/A

Wealthy but dying Bebe Brent gives the bulk of her estate to her loyal nurse. Needless to say, this act angers the remainder of the Brent clan and leads to a murder.

Director: Earl Bellamy

Writer: N/A

Mystery clouds Mason's search for the murderer of a photographer who was shot while a model pointed a loaded gun at him but didn't pull the trigger.

Director: Jesse Hibbs

Writer: N/A

Perry has to defend the dean of a prep school on charges of murdering a teacher who had been stealing, embezzling, and blackmailing.

Director: Earl Bellamy

Writer: Samuel Newman, Joseph P. Lamont

A wife's ears perk up when an insurance investigator informs her that he has proof that her husband was wrongfully convicted of the crime for which he is imprisoned. Then the insurance investigator turns up dead. Goings on in an elevator highlight this episode.

Director: Irving J. Moore

Writer: N/A

Sweet but ditzy Nancy Banks wants Perry to cash a bundle of winning racing tickets for her. There's only one problem: her former employer claims the racing tickets as his own. Nancy then gets in even deeper feces when she's charged with her ex-employer's murder.

Director: Jesse Hibbs

Writer: N/A

20-year-old Deborah Dearborn has just written a best selling novel about a cold and calculating woman who bears a strong resemblance to her boyfriend's stepmother. Now Deborah is living at a beach house in Malibu and in the process of selling the rights to her book to a movie producer. Then the stepmother, Stephanie Carew, appears on the scene threatening to sue for libel. When Stephanie's dead body is found floating in a swimming pool, Deborah is charged with the crime.

Director: Irving J. Moore

Writer: Robb White

A woman goes on trial for murder when a fortuneteller's deadly prediction becomes a reality.

Director: Irving J. Moore

Writer: Philip Saltzman

Chemist Randolph James has started a successful company to develop a new antibiotic but his former boss, Hudson Bradshaw, files suit claiming that James developed the formula while in his employ. James' wife, Natalie, then begins selling her stock to Bradshaw which would give him control of the new company. James vows to stop his wife at any cost and she turns up dead. James claims that he was fishing at the time the murder occurred but things go from awful to good grief when he can't find the fellow fisherman who can substantiate his story.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: Jonathan Latimer

Actress Ramona Carver is confronted by a young man who claims to be the son she gave up for adoption. Murder soon results.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: Robert C. Dennis

John Flickenger pulls off a carefully planned robbery without a hitch—until his young nephew finds the gun used in the heist.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: N/A

Grover Johnson manages somehow to talk his much younger bride Eula into living with him on a barren spread of ranch land. Needless to say, Eula hates it and can't wait to sell the property. Along comes wealthy Texas Nelson Barcliff who's ready, willing, and able to purchase the property. But is this big Texan really who he appears to be? Or is it just an elaborate real estate swindle cooked up by Eula? Either way, both Eula and Barcliff end up dead and Grover finds himself charged with Eula's murder.

Director: Jesse Hibbs

Writer: N/A

A fire chief wants to bring a libel suit against a reporter who accuses him of burning down his own warehouse. Things get even worse for the chief when he's charged with murder.

Director: Jesse Hibbs

Writer: Samuel Newman

Small town junk dealer/mayoral candidate Mort Lynch gives college dropout Barry Davis a job because he was once close friend's with Barry's uncle. Barry and Mort's relationship is uneasy and he's soon the number one suspect when someone bashes Mort's skull with a monkey wrench and it's found in Barry's car.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: Jackson Gillis

This case has nothing to do with mosquitos but rather a hidden mine that could lead to a fortune. Plus murder.

Director: Jesse Hibbs

Writer: N/A

Brothers Martin and Todd Baylor are feuding over ownership of a successful chain of clothing stores. Martin ends up with a knife sticking out of his back one night and Todd is charged with the murder.

Director: Earl Bellamy

Writer: N/A

Certain that her employer is plotting to murder his wife, housekeeper Nellie Conway launches a counterattack.

Director: Jesse Hibbs

Writer: N/A

Mason is hired by a woman who is convinced, after a series of bizarre events, that she's crazy.

Director: Irving J. Moore

Writer: Samuel Newman

The deceased father of Alice Trilling left behind a strange will. His successful toy company would be left to her ONLY if Alice is married or engaged within a year's time. Until then, her wheelchair bound Uncle Harry and a board of directors will run the company. In searching for a husband, Alice has one major problem: she's coyote ugly and she's the first one to admit it. An artist begins a flirtation and after seeing a portrait he's painted of her, Alice begins to think she could find happiness with him. There's one problem though: nasty old Uncle Harry has been playing matchmaker behind the scenes for reasons of his own. Alice discovers her uncle's perfidity and pushes over his wheelchair. Quickly fleeing the scene, Alice is later arrested when Uncle Harry is found dead. Perry is retained as defense counsel but even he has a tough time in this one because Alice herself thinks she's guilty.

Director: Arthur Marks

Writer: Richard H. Landau