Perry Mason (TV Series) The Case of the Sausalito Sunrise (1966) User Reviews

Paul Drake's Moments

[jersey-16 · 10/10 · 31 January 2013]

In this unique episode, Paul Drake truly shines. He has no less then five scenes in which he is the main player with his many talents as a P. I. and as a character are on display. William Hopper shows a full range of character and emotions as he goes undercover, carries a gun and even gets handcuffed.

As well, this is one of the most complex and exciting episodes of the entire series. There are art thefts, kidnap attempts, truck hijackings, a car chase, two murders (one a month before the start), two disappearing clients, and an openly angry Perry Mason.

An exceptional episode for the final season.

A notable final season episode!

[tforbes-2 · 10/10 · 1 January 2009]

Unlike a lot of Perry Mason episodes I have seen, this one seems to be a very dynamic episode. We actually get to see a bit of action, and even a car/truck chase sequence that ends violently.

And we get to see Perry Mason in real danger at the end of the episode! Basically, we get to see a real 1960s Perry Mason episode. In fact, one thing I noticed was how the main character's haircut was updated to reflect the fashions of the time.

And there are some very good guest stars, including Francine York, who went on to play a moll in "Batman," which aired that spring of 1966.

Overall, a very enjoyable episode, and (I think) a transition point in the series.

Action packed episode

[kfo9494 · 9/10 · 12 January 2012]

This episode is perhaps the best in the Season 9 series. There was a lot of action in this episode with the regular cast getting out from behind the desk and taking part in the action. The action reminded me more of the first season than the last so this ranks as one of the best episode, in sometime, for the series.

Someone in this episode is stealing items and then fencing them off to other to be sold for profit. It just so happens that it is the Clune Art Gallery that is being taken and the local police is already on the case.

One detective has broken open the case and knows who has been fencing the art items. However before he can report the person, the detective is shot and killed inside the Clune Gallery. And it does not help Perry's clients when Mr Clune and Ms Dane, both already suspects, are the one that finds the body.

We also have Paul Drake going undercover as a truck driver and is given a baggage claim ticket to look into. When he goes and claims the baggage, Paul is arrest because the dead detective's gun is in the bag that Paul opens. {NOTE- At this point in the story is where red flags should alert regular Perry viewers to something very strange}

Perry has to go to trial when Hamilton Burger gets warrants on Mr Clune and Ms Dane but it proves fruitless as Perry keeps thinking about that gun in the baggage.

This leads Perry to the true murderer and ends the show in a very different way than most Perry episodes. It was looking like Perry may have met his match but thanks to Lt Drumm, Perry will be back for next week's episode. A good ending to a good show.

The acting and writing were very good in this episode. The only problem was the casting of Lt Dumm's sidekick Sgt Bradley (Mark Tapscott). It appears that they went and got a real cop, which may have won a raffle down at the local police precinct, and because he had the winning number that placed him in the role. The person that gave him a speaking part should be arrested for forgery 1st degree- he was no actor.

Note- During most of the show the writers had Lt Drumm perform his part in a rather aggressive manner. After a police officer is killed it seems that Lt Drumm is taking the killing too personal. However at the end it becomes clear that the writers knew exactly what they were doing.

Hit man Paul Genge

[mjrkong · 16 May 2013]

A bit of interesting trivia: actor Paul Genge, who plays Bud in this episode, sneaks into Bobbi Dane's hospital room in an attempt to kill or kidnap her. He is discovered by a nurse who thwarts his efforts. Later on, he and another thug, hop into a car and chase after a truck driving Paul Drake. After a brief chase Paul forces the bad guys car off the road and Genge, who is seated in the passenger seat, dies a nasty death tumbling down a California cliff side.

Fast forward two years later and Paul Genge is now Mike the Hit-man in Bullitt, with a quick commute across the Golden Gate from Sausalito to San Francisco. Once again he sneaks into a hospital room in an attempt to kill mobster Johnny Ross. Once again his efforts are thwarted by a nurse who discovers him. Once again, he finds himself in a car chase alongside a fellow thug (tho this time as the pursued vs the pursuer). And once again, Genge is in the passenger seat when his car loses control and plows into a gas station, sending his soul to hell in a fiery blaze!

Another tidbit: at both hospitals in the two films he tells a nurse he is a relative of a patient.

Francine York

[darbski · 10/10 · 12 July 2017]

Liked the ending, and if I'm not wrong, there are more dead guys in this episode that any other (5). Slippery looking art gallery owner tells Bobbi Dane NOT to look at the croaked cop, so, of course, she does. Bobbi is Francine York, a serious fox, who passed away just last January (R.I.P., Francine). Kudos to another reviewer, mjrkong, for the very interesting views on Paul Genge. You need to read his review. Really liked Paul running the bad guys over the cliff. If you can't run 'em over a cliff in western California, you have no imagination. The reporter is also the butcher on the Brady Bunch (Shultzie's -Ann.B.Davis-) love interest. Okay, fine, Shultzie was from The Bob Cummings Show, years before, but some people stick in my mind, you know? slackersmom, another reviewer, referred to Della as "lovely" in the art gallery setting. I Challenge this statement; see, she is ALWAYS lovely. Here she is STUNNING, and dressed as befits her real professional standing. Drum comes to his senses, all is well, good ending. One thing I truly loved was the bad guy admitting that trying to kill or kidnap Bobbi was a mistake; a very good mistake, because it gave us more chances to appreciate her acting, and beauty.

Good episode, but a question remains

[slackersmom · 9/10 · 30 March 2017]

The other reviews touch all the main points to discuss: this is an episode with a lot of action and in which Paul Drake takes a surprising role. Although how and when Perry realized that 'his' case and that Paul's work for the trucking company were related, I'm not sure.

However, I didn't get to watch this episode on DVD or 'in full' via some other method. I watched it on TV, and it's likely that a minute was snipped here and a scene cut here to fit it in the TV schedule. Therefore I might have missed a scene that deals with pertinent facts of the case.

So my question is this: if only Paul and the trucking company owner knew what route Paul would be driving, who tipped off the hijackers? It was mentioned prominently that nobody knew the route--certainly not the stolen art ring-leader--so the question remains... who was it??

BTW, Della looked lovely in that first scene at the art gallery. Very chic with the upswept hair.

Neat, Sophisticated Episode

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 4 March 2022]

There were lot of twists and turns in this one. We had a couple overzealous cops who had such tunnel vision they couldn't move forward. Both Paul and Perry are out investigating and facing danger. Paul on the road with a semi and Perry facing a gun. Still, it is never clear who did it and the result was quite satisfactory.

Remake of the Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink.

[jsh-23719 · 9/10 · 25 September 2020]

Even though it's a remake of a previous show I always enjoy it. I wish CBS All Access had seasons 6 and 9. Plenty of action, some loose ends that don't get tied up but it's a great show.

Keep On Truckin'

[zsenorsock · 7/10 · 29 August 2008]

Although this story was done back in season one, the producers made a few changes and reworked this Erle Stanley Gardner story into a new episode for season nine. It actually gives Richard Anderson as Lt. Drumm the most he's gotten to do as Drumm in the series as he and Sgt. Bradley of robbery are hell bent to solve/avenge the murder of a fellow police officer. The final moments of the show come down not to a courtroom confession, but a situation in which Perry is alone with the murderer, who has the drop on him.

While I liked the trucking aspects of this story and the way Paul had to go undercover as a trucker, Anderson comes across as a bit too over the top as a vengeful Drumm. The murderer was a little too obvious (to me at least) as opposed to the previous case, which presented six good suspects and one victim you were glad was dead!

They met again

[Boycemaxblues70 · 7/10 · 19 December 2020]

It is incredible fun to watch episodes from the original and classic Perry Mason seasons here, in the UK. Correct region dvds of the series are both hard to find and expensive to boot. So thanks goes to respective CBS drama and justice channels for showing seasons 9 and 6. Hope more will follow.

However the main purpose for doing this is to draw attention to the inclusion in the cast of Elisabeth Fraser and Allan Melvin. Both played main roles in the 'Bilko', as it was known over here. Sheer joy to see them again, as it would also be if the tv series re-appeared on our screens.

Inside Job

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 25 June 2016]

****SPOILERS**** Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, foolishly sticks his neck out in this as usual confusing Perry Mason episode and almost gets whacked by the exposed killer who is about the most offensive and disliked person of the entire cast. If it wasn't for Lt. Steve Drumm, Richard Anderson, coming to Perry's rescue this would have ended up being Perry Mason's last case. This all has to do with a number of murders and truck hijacking as well as fencing valuable paintings that lead to the murder of Officer Harry Marburg who was about to crack the case before he got iced.

Perry's client here is the very abused by the police art gallery owner Francis Clune, Donald Murphy,whom Let. Drumm holds responsible for Harry Marburg's murder and will stop at nothing-even going so far as breaking the law and without evidence-to have Clune indited for Officer Marburg's murder. there's another murder added in as Clune's partner in the art gallery Olaf Deering, Peter Mamakos, is found shot to death in his office with Clune totally clueless standing over his body! There's also Clune's assistant Bobbie Dean,Francine York, who's being stalked all the way from San Francisco to L.A and almost killed by these two goons who want to keep her from talking to the police. That's about what she knows about a number of stolen paintings from the Clune Gallery including the "Sausalito Sunrise" that's the center of this confusing case.

****SPOILERS**** Perry figures out who the killer is with the help of his friend private detective Paul Drake, William Hooper, who goes undercover as a tractor trailer driver but instead of putting the killer on the stand confronts him with the evidence of his crimes in private putting his life in danger. This was probably done because Perry explaining the killer's motives and his admitting to them was far too long, for an hour long TV show, and boring to be shown in a courtroom without putting those in the audience-in court and watching on TV- to sleep or turning off the TV set.

The Courtroom is not where the confession takes place

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 2 May 2012]

Perry Mason defends two people accused in the murder of a cop and of a trucking company executive. The killings are a month apart, but they do tie in together and knowing that should tell you who the real killer is because Raymond Burr defends no guilty clients.

This episode involves William Hopper going undercover with the trucking company and nearly getting killed in a hijack attempt. In fact one of the hijackers is killed so there are three killings in this particular episode.

There is a trial or a preliminary hearing before a judge, I guess that is California's version of a Grand Jury. But the murderer is discovered by Burr and confesses in an entirely different place. And that individual is really the only possible suspect when you figure it out logically.

When I guess the murderer the Perry Mason episode rates less, but for the change of where the confession is obtained the episode gets marks for originality.

Bad actors

[forryjesse · 30 August 2019]

This episode has some very bad actors and storyline. The main cast was great as ever but the others were very bad. At least Marks was not the director.