Original subtitles

Thank you.

My wedding present never made you very happy.

Wedding present?

That's a laugh.

You know how I did it, Will?

Just five seconds after we left the preacher, he hands me a deed.

To heaven, he says.

And I thought I was going to have a real honeymoon in Las Vegas.

Now, Yuli, you know we had a couple of days. Every penny, every penny he spent,

every penny he ever owned on this godforsaken pilot. Yuli, you said you

simple life. Just the two of us. Honey, I'm sorry. I know it's my fault. It's

all my fault.

Well, it's been three years now, and I've tried.

I've tried, haven't I?

Well, it just isn't going to work.

Please, honey, listen to Will.

He's got a buyer on the hook.

Stop writing those shilly -shally letters to that man's lawyer and pick up

and tell him we'll make a deal, okay, honey?

All right.

The price isn't right.

You got any other offers?

Anybody else with money enough to buy a hunting lodge this far away from

nowhere? Grover, you don't make a deal with this guy's lawyer. You are going to

lose this place.

What are you worried about?

Parking here long, stranger?

Oh, I'm sorry, ma 'am. I seem to have your path blocked.

Will you all forgive me?

Sure. Get that aircraft carrier out of the way.

I'll just do that, ma 'am, right away.

I've been fascinated by this country, the natural beauty.

It's prettier than Texas.

Say, you all wouldn't happen to know who owns this gorgeous piece of property,

would you?

Doggone, this sure is a fascinating country.

Well, that's the way I saw it when I bought it, Mr. Barcliffe. Kind of land I

always wanted, too.

Good land. Rugged land.

Not like that fancy stuff them real estate people trying to show me up

Then, uh, you are in the market?

Yes, ma 'am.

That is, if the right place comes along.

Kind of like this place.

Of course, I don't suppose you folks would be busting your leg trying to get

of it.

Oh, well, Mr. Bartlett, you bring up a touchy subject between me and my

How's that, Mrs. Johnson?

Oh, well, Mr. Huff here, he's in real estate and an old friend.

And I'm afraid he's been bringing offers for the property to my husband behind

my back.

Well, as a matter of fact, I do have four or five clients who are anxious to

up top money for a parcel of land like this.

Would I stand a chance at the bidding, so to speak, Mr. Johnson?

If not, you might as well not show me the rest of the place.

I'll show her around some more if you want. Fine.

Why don't we do this?

Why don't you drive us back to the house, me and Will, and I'll cook up a

lunch while Grover takes you on the 40 -cent tour. How about that?

Oh, now, ma 'am, I hate to impose on you like that. Oh, don't be silly.

I cook a full -course lunch every day, Mr. Bartlett.

You finished?

Will you simmer down to a boil, please? Why do I have to write up an offer when

you don't even know what the man's going to buy beats me?

Will, he has been back here three times for crying out loud.

Don't you know a goer when you see one?

This guy is ready.

But what price do I put in? How do I write up an offer without putting in

We're turning down an offer from a man in Los Angeles who wants to do... Dear,

why don't you put the stakes on?

You do them so much better than I do.

Please, honey.

Charred, blood -rare, and heavy on the smoke for me.

And what was that figure Mr. Johnson said you turned down?

$150 ,000, Will.

Or was it $175 ,000? I never did know.

$175 ,000, I...

Guess it was.

$175 ,000.

I can't possibly go that high.

Well, then I guess we stay here.

Doggone, I want this layout, too.

That kind of puts a crimp in my plans.

What do you intend to do with the property, Mr. Bartlett?

Well, I just intend living on the property, realizing a boyhood dream.

What's a few extra thousand to realize a boyhood dream?

Guess you got something there, all right, Mrs. Johnson.

Which puts me in mind of what my dear old saint of daddy used to say. Son, he

said, man don't live forever.

But it ain't no good being the richest one in the cemetery.

175 ,000.

You know, maybe I ought to pay some heed.

Maybe I could go that high.

We turned that down, Mr. Barcliffe.

Remember?

Doggone. I've been driving so many hard bargains all my life, it's just second

nature to me. But honestly, on my saint of daddy's grave...

175 ,000 is as high as I can go.

I wrote down on a piece of paper what you really think is a fair price, Mr.

Barclay. I don't really know what's going on in that tycoon's brain of

What's this?

Offer to buy the property.

Am I right?

Isn't that really the top figure you set for yourself?

No, little lady.

That is not the top figure I set for myself.

I set $175 ,000.

I'll tell you what I'll do.

If we can arrange the financing, go on, I'll stretch a point and buy that

boyhood dream of mine.

For $200 ,000?

For $200 ,000.

$200 ,000?

For a piece of property your client almost bought for, what was it, $50

$52 ,500.

I don't get it. Fifty -odd thousand is all a place is worth, if that much.

What did you find out about this $200 ,000 buyer?

Well, he's known in some of the best places in the West, and he shows signs

having money.

But he's here, he's there, he's everywhere. He just doesn't seem to have

roots, if you know what I mean.

You mean you don't see a man like Mr. Barcliffe making good a $200 ,000

purchase? Not a chance.

What do I write to Mr. Anadon?

He was so anxious that you purchased the property before he got back from

Europe, Perry.

Don't write our client anything, Dylan.

But if there's even a chance of this Barclay deal going through, and Mr.

says he thinks it will go through any time, so... Yeah, we're the ones that

should... No, no, it's my party. I absolutely insist. Come on, boys. We'll

a good one.

I should have my head examined.

Fooling around with a help.

Isn't that why you phoned me, asked me to rush out here?

He catches you making passes, you'll get your head handed to you.

Come on now, baby, he's nothing.

You're passing up a genuine Texas oil millionaire.

What about the dentist?

Oh, the dentist. I still feel like I have a horseshoe in my mouth.

Horseshoe's good luck, that's it.

Oh, don't worry, I got the extra bridge.

I paid for it, I want to see it.

Beautiful.

Now, come on, Eula.

Why did you want to see me?

Hi, Mr. Barcliff.

Glad you came out.

Soon as I find Les, maybe we can check the stock over today.

I saw Les about a half hour ago out by the barn.

I'll be right out, Grover. Right with you.

Anytime.

I'll meet you in town this evening. We can be in Arizona before morning.

We can what?

You mean you two have already found a body so soon? Mm -hmm. At Hills, back at

Flagstaff. Some old prospect, a friend of Grover's.

He just passed away. The body's still in the shack. Nobody knows a thing.

Even the Indian who found it was happy. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute.

I mean, what about this guy? His size, his shape? Unless he's... Listen, when

that beautiful extra bridge work of yours is found in the wreckage, don't

so much.

Les, Grover's looking for you.

That so?

Say, I sure hope you all stay on and work for me.

Yes, sir, I do.

Waddy's in there?

Mm -hmm. Make you nervous?

Here. Have a belt, sir.

What's the matter?

I heard something in the shack.

Don't be ridiculous. Come on, help me with the gasoline.

There's somebody in there.

Somebody alive.

You're seeing things.

You know it too, don't you, Hila?

I thought you told me that the man we're supposed to use is already dead.

Dad?

Well, don't worry about it. He'll be dead soon enough.

He what?

I don't want to have anything to do with any killing.

So it's a dirty word. So what?

Listen to me.

Eula, you listen.

I've pulled every sort of con game there is in my life.

Sure, I've been a big rich Texan for you too, but I've done a good job, haven't

I? I even had a tooth jerked out so I could have bridge work that could be

masked. So I could put it in some form. You've been paid, haven't you?

Not murder. I won't have any part of it. Stay away from me. Stay where you are.

I'll warn you.

Small down payment, only a few dollars a month.

I got more. The police at Flagstaff found a batch of them. They must have

thrown out of the trunk of Barcliffe's car as it rolled over.

I... I wondered why Barcliffe didn't want to give us much cash at the start.

He asked me and never intended to make another payment.

All Barcliffe wanted was to have title to the property for a short while.

He could make a quick killing and take off.

With you holding the bag.

Whatever Barcliffe intended to do is...

Water under the bridge now.

Point is, when he died, title to that property passed to his estate.

So it's the estate that owes the balance of the $200 ,000.

Mr. Mason, Eula doesn't know I'm here.

She's all raw nerves these days, like a bomb ready to explode, ever since Mark

Cliff died.

I suppose it's because for a while there, it looked like we were going to

rich, and now we're going to be poor again.

Anyway, I... I figured maybe I could save something for her if your client

still... But I just explained.

The place is no longer yours to sell. The property belongs to Barker's estate.

But if nobody makes any more payments?

Well, the public administrator will probably enter into it.

It might be his treatment.

Anyway, there'd have to be a foreclosure before the property could revert to you

and Mr. Hupp as the mortgage holders.

I suppose that'd take forever.

Not necessarily.

If someone who understands these things does a little pushing here, a little

expediting there.

Mr. Mason, I'd like to live in a place like that forever, but, well, it's half

Eula's, and if I could make her happy somehow... Mr. Johnson, my client is not

only wealthy, but he's also a little eccentric.

He's had his heart set on your place, and I was rash enough to assure him I

could get it for him. Well, couldn't you...

I mean, Mr. Mason, could you maybe... That's what I'm saying.

I don't think there'd be any conflict of interest if I help you get what you

want, too.

You worked like you were supposed to instead of hanging around at her foot

some creepy cat every time I turn around.

I do what your husband tells me to.

Mostly.

Miss Gilpin, I... He's back, you know.

What? On the house.

You want to check the mare. She's almost ready to fall.

He wasn't due back till tomorrow.

How'd you know to pick him up? He called from downstate last night.

I answered the phone.

You weren't home.

He said they'd be getting in this morning for me to come get him.

They? Some friends came up with him.

Somebody named Perry Mason, some lawyer, and a guy named Drake, a detective.

And what was it that you... Yes, yes, the coat I wrote you about.

I wanted to be sure the mink was properly matched for my length.

Of course I'm going to buy it.

I may buy the ermine stole you had advertised, too, and if you don't think

going to pay cash... Yes, that's better.

Well, I'm very busy right now.

I'll be in San Francisco in a week or two to do lots and lots of shopping.

No, I'd rather you didn't write.

All right, thank you. Goodbye.

What about liquor? Do you drink much?

Son, did you ever see him drunk?

Don't think so, no.

Eula? Yes, sir.

Rains it pours. Not a stranger asking questions.

Mother.

I told you, those friends of your husband's, that lawyer and detective.

Now this one.

He's asking questions, too.

That's him.

About that man named Nelson Barkley.

Cousin, I gather.

Well, Mr. Edmund, if you want to take a look at that file.

Just me, Sheriff.

Mr. Drake has some work to do.

I have.

You can stay in town if you like, Les. Wait a minute, ma 'am. You forgot your

purse.

The last time. Why do we have to see Will today?

He just called, I told you. I don't know anything about it. No, you never know

anything about anything.

I have a headache.

I told you I wasn't feeling well.

Beulah, darling, I just want you to be happy. That's all I'm doing is trying

to... Oh, give me some daisies.

Well, well, well.

Here we are all together. Mr. and Mrs. Grover Johnson, meet Mr.

Weplow. And Eula, you will never guess who he is. Here we've been thinking all

along that Nelson Bartlett didn't have any relatives. Well, Grover, shake hands

with Mr.

Bartlett's cousin.

Hi, Mr. Weplow.

Howdy.

Folks, I was deeply disturbed when I heard about Nelson's accident.

What's the matter, boys?

My tie uncrooked or something?

My name is Perry Mason.

I'm an attorney.

And this is Mr. Paul Drake.

Attorney? For whom?

If you have a moment, I'll be glad to explain.

Your name is Jeffrey, that'll be it. Just explain why Drake here has been

following me, that's all.

Now look here, Mr. Jeffrey.

When anyone dies who owns property, there always seems to be a gathering.

A gathering like flies or like vultures.

I didn't say either one, but... Never mind, Mr. Mason. I won't ask you which

you are, but you want to know which one I am, right?

Right.

You see, my only interest here is in clearing the air around the land deal,

which... Sure, I know. Me, I'm just a working stiff, too.

Statewide mutual.

Insurance?

Investigator. What the heck have you been snooping around for?

Well, I've been trying to save my company some money.

I wired them a full report two hours ago.

I figured they'd better make a final decision.

You mean Nelson Barcliffe's had life insurance?

I mean exactly that.

As far as I could find... Yes, sir.

Nelson Barcliffe had a $200 ,000 insurance policy on his life.

In the event of his death, it was payable to his estate.

When was this policy taken out?

Approximately six months ago.

Mr. Jeffries, as chief investigator for your insurance company, I take it you

thoroughly checked out this claimant. I did. The police and coroner felt there

was no question that this was an accidental death.

And certainly none that the deceased was the insured.

Certainly none, Mr. Jeffers? Well, in accidents of this nature, particularly

where there's fire, we do our own investigating, too.

Bartlett has some dental work, for instance.

A single tooth missing.

But we found not only a fixed bridge in his mouth that matched with the records

of some work he had done four years ago, but there was also a spare bridge among

his effects.

And so you recommended the claim be paid?

No, I did not.

At least not right away.

Barcliffe was so obviously nothing more than a small -time con man, a land

promoter of some sort.

But unfortunately, his life insurance was in perfect order. We had no choice

to pay the $200 ,000.

Thank you, Mr. Jeffries.

You're a witness, Mr. Mason. No question.

Quite in one minute, kiss in the next.

That was the Johnson's.

What did they fight about?

How he'd taken some money he'd had before he was married and just wasted it

worthless dirt and rock.

and him always apologizing. And her hollering back how he'd buried her a

miles from nowhere.

In three years, didn't he ever let her leave the ranch?

Oh, once a year or so, she'd run off to San Francisco.

He'd fret and fume, get ready to start after her, but she'd always come back.

Now, what would happen then? Start right in kissing again. Those were the only

times I ever heard him agree to sell.

Now, you specifically heard him...

agreed to sell the ranch.

If they could figure out some way to make real dough by selling.

Of course, when the Texans showed up, that was it.

By the Texans, you mean Nelson Barclay?

Yeah. They really went to work on him good.

Especially you.

How so, Mr. Gilpin?

Oh, I saw him for a little bit longer, maybe 10 or 15 minutes. I figured maybe

things would be a little bit smoother by then.

When I got up on the...

Front porch, I heard this kind of awful gasping, choking sound coming from

inside. It was Eula trying to say something. And there was this thud.

I mean, like she was fallen, maybe.

Did you hear anyone else?

Well, yes.

Only I didn't hear Eula anymore.

There was this little scuffing sound.

And then...

He started sobbing, like crying almost. He was trying to talk to her.

By him, you mean the defendant?

Yes, he said, Eula, I didn't mean it. You're just scared, that's all.

Eula, I can't let you spoil everything, he said.

Eula, no.

Eula,

Eula, don't die.

That's when I lit off that front porch looking for help, when he said, don't

die. Eula, he was saying. Eula.

Still holding her body there in his arms.

You could see the bruise marks on her throat where she'd been choked.

You could see the blood on her head where it had smashed into the corner of

fireplace hearth and killed her.

Yes, when we arrived, Grover Johnson was still pleading.

But Eula was already dead.

You went back to Hupp's house?

From the tavern? Yeah.

But... Not right away.

When I got out in the street, I felt a little dizzy. I choose to drink here,

I better walk it off for a little while.

For how long?

I don't know how long.

Look, all I know is that when I walked in that house, she was already lying

there on the floor.

I didn't choke her.

I didn't throw her down.

But you were pleading with her.

That's when I saw she was dead.

Look, I don't know what I said, but I swear I didn't say any of those things

Will Hutt told about.

What was lying?

I hope not.

You hope what?

That Hup wasn't lying.

Perry, is this some kind of a joke?

I was never more serious, Paul.

This business makes sense only if Hup was telling the complete and unvarnished

truth. I sure don't understand that.

That's probably because you have a toothache.

I have a what?

Let's see.

Friday night.

Only tomorrow morning in his office, probably.

You'll have to scramble if you're going to get to that dentist.

Mr. Barkley came in to see me, oh, I'd say six to eight weeks ago. But all he

wanted was a spare punty. A spare what?

A false tooth.

He had one missing right here.

But he was already wearing a bridge, of course.

Nice -looking porcelain job.

Porcelain cap to hold it in.

But wasn't it a fixed bridge? That's right.

Well, then why would he need a spare?

Well, that's not all unusual.

Lots of people get concerned about breaking a bridge or losing it.

His great concern, as I recall, was the fact that...

He spent all his time out in the cattle ranches, and he was afraid he couldn't

count on the local veterinarian to fill that hole in his mouth.

Oh.

I'm sorry if that's not the answer you wanted, but I think I told the

authorities everything. Doctor, when you identified the spare bridge that you

made, did they also show you the one that was found in his mouth, the four

-old one?

Yes, the insurance company was curious about that, too.

But there was no mistake about it. It was the identical formation I copied.

How many years did you say?

Four. He had the original made in Sacramento, I believe, four years ago.

No, no, Mr. Drake, that's not right.

Well, how come?

Well, with porcelain, you can tell.

That original bridge of his was practically brand new.

Not more than six months old, I'm sure of it.

Doctor, you've just struck a nerve.

We contend that the three of them, Grover Johnson, Eula Johnson, and Nelson

Barcliffe, conspired to defraud an insurance company.

of $200 ,000.

The extra denture suggests that someone else, other than Nelson Barcliffe, may

have been planned as the occupant of the wrecked car in Arizona.

But three conspirators became two conspirators when Barcliffe himself was

from the wreckage.

Accident? Murder?

Who knows?

But we do know that two conspirators became one too many.

when in his own words, Grover Johnson told his wife, I can't let you spoil

everything. Your Honor, the prosecution moves that the defendant, Grover

Johnson, be bound over to superior court for trial on a charge of murder.

Mr. Mason?

If the court please, we should like to present a defense at this time.

to the transcript, you testified that the decedent, Eula Johnson, said he...

He finds out you're making passes, you'll get your head handed to you.

That is what you said.

What Eula said.

Of course.

You went on to say, then he came in.

Mr. Johnson, the defendant.

That's right. That's exactly what I said. Is that exactly what you meant?

What? He finds out.

He came in.

Mr. Gilpin.

Was it your intent that the court accept both he's as referring to the same

person? Why, sure, to Grover. Who else?

Suppose after Mrs. Johnson had said, he finds out, I walked into that room.

Your testimony would still be, he finds out, he came in.

But would you claim both he's referred to Perry Mason?

Of course not.

Obviously, from what you overheard, Nelson Barcliffe and Eula Johnson were

conspirators. The he Eula Johnson mentioned also, obviously, was a third

conspirator. But why did you believe that Grover Johnson was the third

conspirator?

I guess I didn't know it for a fact, no sir.

Now let me get my position clear here.

I have never claimed to be an heir of Nelson Barcliffe.

I didn't even say I was a direct relative.

But you did come into the town with the idea that you might somehow benefit from

Barcliffe's death, is that right?

Well, yes, I suppose. I knew he didn't have any other relatives, so... I think

the court understands your position, Mr. Wetbow.

Now tell us.

When was the last time you saw Barclift? He dropped by the place to visit the

wife once, oh, five or six years ago.

I guess that's the last we really ever knew of him. Did you or your wife ever

have a reason to try to locate him after that time?

Well, there was a letter we received last year asking his whereabouts, asking

him to testify as a witness to somebody hurt in a revolving door in Sacramento,

I believe it was.

Sacramento?

This letter was to your wife, I take it?

Yes. I answered saying that she had just died and that there wasn't any more

family. As far as I knew, Nelson Barcliffe just plain disappeared.

I see.

Now, Mr. Weplo, do you recall my showing you a picture of the local sheriff and

Nelson Barcliffe taken together?

Yes. Do you recall identifying the man with the sheriff as Nelson Barcliffe?

Yes, sure. That's what I said.

But you were lying, of course, weren't you? No. I mean, I knew who the sheriff

was. And I certainly had no reason to believe that the other man in the

wasn't Nelson.

Why not, Mr. Wetlow?

Now, let me ask you again.

When was the last time you saw Barcliffe?

I never met my wife's cousin.

I'm afraid I never laid eyes on Barcliffe in my life.

So the other guy was... Could have been anybody else?

Yes. I am the treasurer of the Westfield Credit Union.

And as such, yes, I did grant a loan for $200 four years ago to a Mr.

Nelson Barclift. Were you sure that he was really Mr. Nelson Barclift? Of

course. He had every credential.

Real person, all right.

I'm not good at remembering faces.

I couldn't tell you what he looked like, for instance.

Can you tell us what happened to that loan?

Never was paid.

Got a job in South America someplace.

We tried to contact him, but no luck.

We tried other places, too.

Looked like Mr. Barcliffe had just completely disappeared.

I had an idea that he was probably dead.

Nobody even had a record of that.

Thank you, Mr. Morgan.

Just one more question.

Why did you loan him $200 four years ago?

He wanted to get his teeth fixed.

He'd had one knocked out.

Needed a bridge.

He got one from some dentist over there in Sacramento.

Yes. I read the affidavit from the dentist in Sacramento.

And I don't care if he does say it looks like his work, if it does fit his guy.

The bridge I matched, the bridge I saw in Mr. Barcliffe's mouth, just couldn't

have been more than six months old.

No, sir, our insurance company had no full dental record. Only what we've

here about the man's bridges.

As an expert in these matters, Mr. Jeffries, don't you think it's possible

we're actually dealing here with not just two dental bridges, but three?

Not two dentists, but three?

Well, I'd say that's a possibility, yes.

And would you also say that it's probably complicated to him? Mr. Mason,

investigator, all I can say is it worked.

We got taken.

If Grover Johnson hadn't killed his wife, none of this ever would have been

discovered. Just a moment, Mr. Jeffries.

You're not an expert on who killed Euler.

I'm sorry.

I stand corrected.

For that, we'll have to talk to Mr.

Willard Huff.

But I heard him, I tell you. He said, Eula, don't die.

Eula, don't... He was sobbing, you said.

Yes, Grover was.

Had you ever heard Grover Johnson crying, sobbing?

Well, no, but holy... So how would you know what his voice would sound like at

time like that? The things he was saying.

Grover loved her. He didn't want her to die.

And you think another conspirator would have wanted her to die?

I don't follow.

Mr. Huff, Eula Johnson was going to receive a huge amount of money.

If someone else working with her planned that whole swindle, how could he ever

get one penny if Eula were dead?

Well, Grover was going to get half of that money.

And don't you think half of $200 ,000 is worth pulling a swindle for?

Oh, sure.

All right, Mr. Mason.

I'll admit, maybe I shouldn't have sworn it was Grover's voice I heard. Maybe it

could have been somebody else in there with her.

Thank you for changing your testimony, Mr. Hupp. Well, now, that doesn't mean I

was lying. And don't you turn around and try to hang this thing on me. I didn't

have anything to do with it. Of course you didn't, Mr. Huff.

You wouldn't have known how to swindle an insurance company.

You wouldn't have known how to get a policy approved for your con man

with his phony identity.

You wouldn't have even known what identity to pick.

Where did you get the name Barcliff, Mr. Jeffries?

Was it that revolving door accident four years ago in Sacramento?

Yeah, it was.

It was in a medical building where Barker just left his dentist.

We carried the insurance on that building, and he was the only witness to

woman's accident.

But I never could locate him, even after years of looking.

So when you met unhappy Eula Johnson in San Francisco, you developed an idea for

a perfect insurance swindle.

Eula didn't realize how perfectly it was working.

He kept getting more and more scared.

Hysterical.

At night when I went over there, I... I tried to quiet her.

I didn't mean to kill her.

But she... She pulled away from me and...

Her head... Her head...