Perry Mason (TV Series) The Case of the Lonely Eloper (1962) User Reviews

School, at Least?

[darbski · 8/10 · 7 November 2017]

**SPOILERS** To really analyze this soap opera would take a lot of paper, or print. Several questions must be asked. One) did Merle got to school, at least? That IS the law in the United States. If so (yes) she MUST have learned about a lot of the things being hidden from her; strike one. Two) Even if she was "sheltered", it was still HER twenty first birthday, and NO amount of "protective influence" could stop Merle from taking what was hers. Three) Given the other two premises, WHY run away? Perry and Paul uncover a lot of dirt on Gina and Dan (dirtbag couple of the week), and despite Hamilton's objections keeps picking at the scabs of the scheme until he unmasks Gina and Dan. Now, to be sure, he didn't PROVE they killed Olivia (you know, the dearly unlamented deceased controlling, bullying, manipulative witch), but he developed enough evidence to point Burger and Tragg in the right direction. He still, though, had to somehow get that "hiding the knife" part out of everyone's mind. Nobody really figured out who actually killed the dead creep, did they? (2nd reference).

They'll pin it on Gina and Dan, with Dan getting the weight of the actual deed. Gina will also have to spend a long time in Tahchapi for her role as an accomplice. Dan can count on at least Murder2; he did not bring the murder weapon to the killing. Dan lied his ass off on the stand, and Perry caught him at it; fingering him for the murder is simple math.

The other strong possibility HAS to be Uncle Howard, doesn't it? I just can't buy it, though. He didn't have the guts to do it, and besides, with Merle now over twenty one, he can find adequate reasons to dump his creepy wife. The only reason he had anything going on with Gina is because she (Gina), instigated it.

In the end, Merle STILL needs someone to show her what's what as far as the birds and the bees, and how not to get into any more grade school romances. The judge has no need for a gavel with the noisy pencil that he utilizes to keep order. Dirtbag Dan has a sweet 1957-9 Fairlane Convertible that should have been Merle's (okay, okay... maybe she'll get her own if she gets a driver's license). The lame delivery boy drives a neat little Nash Metropolitan. I say lame because this IS Southern California, home of the French Bikini, and if he's over fourteen, he's not gonna worry about seeing a woman in the raw, is he? Gina was played by Joan Staley, a pretty serious sexpot herself guilty as sin in this melodrama.

Working on all cylinders

[zsenorsock · 7/10 · 2 April 2008]

Paul is hired to go to a big society party and keep an eye on pretty 21 year old Margo Stevens (Carol Anderson in her first TV role). When the client who hired him turns up dead, Paul calls for Perry to join the party. Perry arrives just in time to witness (actually Paul passes the keys to him, which Perry "volunteers") the opening of Margo's suitcase. Inside the police (sorry, no Lt. Tragg, just Lt. Anderson) open the suitcase and discover the murder weapon.

Margo is charged with killing her aunt. The police surmise she killed the aunt, hid a valuable necklace and Margo was planning to elope with handsome (yet crooked) Danny Pierce (Jack Ging) that night. They assume the necklace is hidden on the estate somewhere. The big question the script fails to ask is why would she put the incriminating evidence of the bloody knife in her suitcase and stash the necklace IF she was planning to run away that night? Why wouldn't she want to take the necklace and stash the knife (after carefully wiping off any fingerprints)? The regulars are all in top form (although Paul is given the condescending task of asking Margo for a "date" at the end of the episode) and its nice to see "Ghost and Mr. Chicken" co-star Joan Staley as the lovely Gina. Other than the lack of Tragg, season five seems to end with the series working on all cylinders.

Framed By A Fiancé

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 13 December 2010]

Though I don't feel this final episode of season 5 is as strong as the one prior to it, it is still Perry Mason in one of the great prime time series. While Gardner is involved in the writing,it is another writer Robert Dennis who is doing the heavy lifting on this one.

There are some low characters in this episode which is the type of characters that murders seem to attract. The fiancé, Danny Pierce seems to be the lowest of the low. He has arranged to elope with the niece, Margo, without any intention of going through with it. He even walks aways from the chance to fly off with her. All Danny wants is to drug the Aunt who is wearing Grandmas expensive jewels & then steal them. That is in spite of Margo being worth much more to him as a possible spouse.

Once he drugs her & steals the jewels she winds up dead, stabbed. Margo is the person framed, and that is the weakness of this script. The person who frames Margo doesn't seem to have the right motivation to frame her, or do they? The details aren't explained enough to satisfy the audience. This is a rare weakness in a Mason show. Still, the show is worth checking out.

Warning - Characters mis-identified in other reviews

[slackersmom · 31 January 2015]

Unless I'm totally off the mark, the other reviews of this Perry Mason episode are way off-base. They ALL identify the character of Margo Stevens (played by Carol Anderson) as the "lonely eloper" of the title, that is, the child-like niece who is charged with killing her overbearing Aunt Olivia. Margo Stevens is NOT the niece, and does NOT stand trial, and is, in fact, little more than window- dressing.

The basis of the story is: Olivia Langley is the trustee of her niece MERLE TELFORD's fortune, and she treats Merle like a child, belittles her, and does not allow her to make any decisions on her own. On Merle's 21st birthday, when Merle will legally be free of her aunt's influence, Olivia is found stabbed to death and the murder weapon is in Merle's possession.

As far as I know, Margo Stevens barely appears in the episode at all (one scene) and does NOT play a large role in it; turns out she is only involved in a case of mistaken identity with another character, Gina Gilbert.

Again, the main character/defendant in this episode is Merle Telford, played by Jana Taylor.

Felt awkward while watching this uneasy script.

[kfo9494 · 6/10 · 20 October 2015]

It does appear, as one reviewer stated, that most of the other reviews have the characters mistaken. It was as they may have read the first review and then followed suit. But after watching it is easy to confuse the characters since there are a slew of people introduced in the episode with some only getting a few minutes face time. By the time we get to the courtroom scenes, there is some confusion as to the names of the people that was so quickly introduced.

Anyway, the story involved a young lady, Merle Telford, that was nearly reaching her 21st birthday but seem to have a mind of someone around 10 years of age. Her parents had died and her grandmother left her an estate worth many thousands of dollars. She was looked after by an aunt named Olivia Langley who had a strong control on Merle and throughout the show was the reason that Merle was not mental developed.

When a young slick dude, Danny, has eyes on possible getting to some of Merle money, Merle agrees to elope with Danny. But when her Aunt refuses to let Merle go through with leaving, the Aunt ends up dead with a cut to the throat. And it just so happens that the murder weapon is found in Merle's eloping suitcase. Thanks to Paul, Perry is called in to get to the bottom of this mess.

The story was another straight forward murder case but for other reasons the entire process seemed uncomfortable. The way the Merle character was played was more like a mental challenged person that someone that was just a few years behind in growth. From the opening scenes of the sleep walking - to the ending scene with the kiss, the direction of the script seemed awkward. Never felt good about the entire situation.

Gut Reaction

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 26 January 2022]

Sometimes an episode comes along where one cannot believe the possibilities. The girl in this thing is just a contrivance. She would only be this way if she had a serious mental illness, or if she were one of those kids that was kept in a basement by an abusive parent and not allowed to see the sun. Here we have a girl living in luxury with access to the world in everything but her social interactions. I never bought it or the whole plot.

That girl needed an iron hand

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 31 December 2013]

I was not terribly crazy about this Perry Mason episode because the victim was a character I found not too believable. Not Carol Andreson's fault playing the young heiress. But she was given an impossible role of a soon to be 21 year old woman under the iron thumb of her aunt Jorja Cartwright. From what I saw of her she was this shy of retarded and needed an iron thumb.

In any event she's going to run away with fortune hunter Jack Ging, but Ging is only interested in her in order to gain access to her jewels which he plans to steal. Private detective Paul Drake was hired for protection and William Hopper didn't do such a good job as a necklace is stolen and Cartwright killed. Good thing Hopper has Raymond Burr on speed dial.

The eventual killer is not who you would either as you start watching the story or by looking at the cast list. Looking there you'll find one real good red herring, but that's who it ain't.

Great episode, not-so-great reviews...

[fjalexiii · 26 January 2016]

I rarely criticize other reviewers, let alone their reviews - but as one or two other people have noted, there are some egregious errors heretofore posted which beg correction. The childlike heir to her grandmother's fortune was NOT Margo Stevens (Carol Andreson), but Merle Talford (Jana Taylor). This one error, alone, makes me wonder what show the other reviewers WERE watching. It does matter as the story develops to its conclusion. Matter of fact, the identity of the murderer (or murderess?) wouldn't make a lick of sense, had the Stevens character been the heiress.

Without revealing the true end, let's just consider that the entire climax of the story hinges upon the physical resemblance of two people - neither of whom is the heiress. You all will see that for yourselves, at the climactic scene. The epilogue is typical Perry Mason fare; just tidying up a few loose ends in Perry's office, along with some light patter to close the show.

Not one of this show's best - but, definitely, one of its better episodes. It'll keep you guessing!