The WORST episodes of Perry Mason

Every episode of Perry Mason ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Perry Mason!

There are few actors so closely tied to a persona than Raymond Burr as Perry Mason. This long-running series was built upon Erle Stanley Gardner´s many novels about a brilliant defense lawyer and his staff, that solved many a crime with surprise witnesses and stern cross-examinations.It was the first mystery series to feature chalk or tape outlines to mark the spots where bodies were found. Filmed almost exclusively in the Los Angeles area, Raymond Burr had Gardner's seal of approval in the role. The cases were usually won by way of pivotal confessions of witnesses, solicited by Perry Mason (Burr's) surgeon-like examination or with last-minute, key evidence brought into the courtroom by private investigator, Paul Drake (William Hopper). Della Street (Barbara Hale), Perry´s faithful secretary, was always at Perry's side in the courtroom where hapless Hamilton Burger (William Tallman) was the Los Angeles District Attorney who never seemed to win. As to the myth that Perry Mason never lost, there were 2 episodes where it did occur... but you'll have to watch to find out.The show was revived in 1973-74, with other actors in the familiar roles (Monte Markham as Mason), and then again with the some of the original cast, in a string of feature length TV films from 1985 until Raymond Burr´s death in 1993.

Last Updated: 2/17/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
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The Case of the Dead Ringer
star
6.61
18 votes

#1 - The Case of the Dead Ringer

Season 9 - Episode 26 - Aired 4/17/1966

Perry loses a case at the beginning of this episode. Actually, it's a civil case involving a patent dispute and he lost because the opposition led the jury to believe that Perry paid a witness to change his testimony. How did this happen? A merchant seaman named Grimes was paid to impersonate Perry and passed an envelope to a key witness. Grimes, it seems, is a dead ringer for Mason. The civil case soon turns into a criminal one when the winning party in the patent dispute is murdered.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Twice-Told Twist
star
6.62
21 votes

#2 - The Case of the Twice-Told Twist

Season 9 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/27/1966

Perry plays Mr. Brownlow to young Lenny Beale who's involved with a gang of teenage car strippers. Lenny wants to quit the gang but when his boss, Bill Sikes, turn up murdered the police theorize that Lenny killed him in revenge for Sikes shooting his girlfriend.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Impetuous Imp
star
6.64
25 votes

#3 - The Case of the Impetuous Imp

Season 9 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/10/1965

Perry rescues Diana Carter from the ocean in his boat and then must rescue her twice more in the courtroom. Once for jewel theft and once for murder.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Tsarina's Tiara
star
6.69
26 votes

#4 - The Case of the Tsarina's Tiara

Season 9 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/20/1966

Imagine Gerard Van Ness's surprise when a long-lost tiara worth a fortune turns up in his hands. Imagine Perry and Della's surpise when the body of a jewel thief turns up in a trunk delivered to their building. Needless to say, Van Ness gets blamed for the death and it's up to Perry and company to save the day.

Directors: Harmon Jones
The Case of the Bogus Books
star
6.73
56 votes

#5 - The Case of the Bogus Books

Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/27/1962

Perry and the team investigate the murder of an antiquarian bookseller with an interest in forgery.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Unwelcome Well
star
6.74
19 votes

#6 - The Case of the Unwelcome Well

Season 9 - Episode 25 - Aired 4/3/1966

Nasty oilman Jerome Klee is shot to death and there's no shortage of suspects. Perry's client is Klee's foreman who tried to change his boss's mind about backing out on a drilling contract on a low income family's land.

Directors: Harmon Jones
The Case of the Wrathful Wraith
star
6.75
24 votes

#7 - The Case of the Wrathful Wraith

Season 9 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/7/1965

Louise Self must have broken a mirror. She has to stand trial for murdering her husband, Jamison, twice. Perry gets her off the hook the first time because the body was never found. Guess what? Jamison Self only faked his death and is still alive. When he ends up dead a second time it's deja vu all over again for poor Louise and Perry gears up for the second round.

Directors: Arthur Marks
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The Case of the Simple Simon
star
6.77
26 votes

#8 - The Case of the Simple Simon

Season 7 - Episode 24 - Aired 4/2/1964

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

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Paper Bullets
star
6.78
36 votes

#9 - The Case of the Paper Bullets

Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/1964

Mason is caught in the middle when a romance develops between two members of rival political families.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the 12th Wildcat
star
6.81
31 votes

#10 - The Case of the 12th Wildcat

Season 9 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/31/1965

Burt Payne is a no talent assclown who coaches and owns 10% of a professional football team. His rich wife, Ellen, owns the remainder. Knowing that he's washed up and needing some quick cash, Burt tries to sell his share of the team to a group of investors and even gets a down payment from them. Ellen, however, is opposed to the deal. Then, after she meets with one of the potential buyers aboard a train, Burt is apparently killed in an explosion.

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor
star
6.83
30 votes

#11 - The Case of the Scandalous Sculptor

Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/1964

Mona Harvey is the principal stockholder in a publishing company run by her uncle, Everett, and the wife of an eccentric sculptor named Hannibal Harvey who is being blackmailed. Unable to get at any money due to Mona's absence, Hannibal has ditzy model Bonnie Dunbar write a blackmail note to Mona's uncle. Everett gets the money out of petty cash and sends it to Bonnie. In the meantime, Mona returns, finds Bonnie's blackmail note, and decides to pay the model a visit. So does Hannibal. Without seeing each other, husband and wife both discover Bonnie's dead body. Mona gets arrested for the murder but she fears that Hannibal might be the real killer.

Directors: Jack Arnold
The Case of the Fanciful Frail
star
6.85
20 votes

#12 - The Case of the Fanciful Frail

Season 9 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/27/1966

Things keep going from awful to good grief for poor Ethel Andrews. First she's left at the altar by her fiancee, Bruce Strickland, who also let's her take the blame for a $50,000.00 securities theft since her signature was on the transfer authorization. Ethel decides to leave town but nearly has an accident with a car driven by Peggy Sutton. Peggy, it seems, is on the run from a hired killer. Ethel foolishly agrees to swap identities with Peggy but then Peggy perishes in a car accident. Ethel then finds $50,000.00 in the trunk of Peggy's car and makes the mistake of informing Bruce Strickland who turns up murdered. Perry sends Paul Drake up to Lake Tahoe to find out about Peggy Sutton but it might be too late because the noose is getting pretty tight around poor Ethel's neck.

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
The Case of the Drifting Dropout
star
6.88
26 votes

#13 - The Case of the Drifting Dropout

Season 7 - Episode 28 - Aired 5/7/1964

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. Perry enters the case to defend Barry and discovers that the case hinges on a 20 year old counterfeiting scheme involving Barry's late uncle and a few "prominent" citizens in the town.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Golden Girls
star
6.90
21 votes

#14 - The Case of the Golden Girls

Season 9 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/19/1965

Victor Montalvo, co-owner of the Golden Bear Club, gives a ride to a sweet young thing named Debbie Conrad who later attempts to blackmail him by threatening to claim he took advantage of her. Debbie is working the scam with her boyfriend, Rick Durbin, and Montalvo decides to pay them off. But before he can make the payment his partner in the club is murdered.

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
The Case of the Woeful Widower
star
6.92
26 votes

#15 - The Case of the Woeful Widower

Season 7 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/26/1964

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

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
The Case of the Floating Stones
star
6.93
28 votes

#16 - The Case of the Floating Stones

Season 7 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/21/1963

Julie Eng needs Perry's help when some precious stones her grandfather left her turn up missing, and the assclown who swiped them, Ralph Iverson, ends up assuming room temperature.

Directors: Don Weis
The Case of the Thermal Thief
star
6.93
28 votes

#17 - The Case of the Thermal Thief

Season 8 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/14/1965

Attorney Ken Kramer comes to the aid of an alleged thief accused of stealing a $50,000 necklace.

Directors: Jack Arnold
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The Case of the Cheating Chancellor
star
6.96
23 votes

#18 - The Case of the Cheating Chancellor

Season 9 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/3/1965

Perry returns to his college alma mater to receive an award but there's no rest for the weary when he's called upon to defend Van Fowler for the murder of a professor.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Sleepy Slayer
star
6.96
24 votes

#19 - The Case of the Sleepy Slayer

Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/1964

Abner Gordon threatens to press charges if his niece doesn't replace the money she lifted from his safe.

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
The Case of the Garrulous Go-Between
star
6.97
29 votes

#20 - The Case of the Garrulous Go-Between

Season 7 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/12/1964

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

Directors: Irving J. Moore
The Case of the Careless Kidnapper
star
7.00
23 votes

#21 - The Case of the Careless Kidnapper

Season 7 - Episode 27 - Aired 4/30/1964

A kidnapping hoax leads to murder when the ransom note gets into the wrong hands.

Directors: Jesse Hibbs
Writer: Robb White
The Case of the Bogus Buccaneers
star
7.00
22 votes

#22 - The Case of the Bogus Buccaneers

Season 9 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/9/1966

Aspiring actor Tony Polk lands a job on a popular TV program. Part of his job consists of dressing up in a buccaneer costume and delivering free gifts to viewers at their homes. Another actor and Tony trade lists and before too long he's up the creek. One of the women on the list is murdered with a buccaneer's hook, the one belonging to Tony, and a neighbor swears that Tony fought with the woman.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Missing Button
star
7.02
43 votes

#23 - The Case of the Missing Button

Season 8 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/1964

A man's campaign to prove his estranged wife an unfit mother is interrupted when he's arrested for murder.

Directors: Richard Donner
The Case of the Frightened Fisherman
star
7.03
30 votes

#24 - The Case of the Frightened Fisherman

Season 7 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/27/1964

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.

Directors: Arthur Marks
The Case of the Meddling Medium
star
7.04
74 votes

#25 - The Case of the Meddling Medium

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/21/1961

Phony psychic Phillip Paisley meets a grisly death when an elevator that has been tampered with crashes. In the climactic scene Perry sets up another fantastic demonstration to prove his client innocent and expose the real culprit.

Directors: Arthur Marks