Perry Mason (TV Series)

The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece (1957)

Raymond Burr: Perry Mason

Photos 

Quotes 

• Lt. Tragg : [Closing the front door to the Cole's home]  Well... good morning, Mr. Mason.

  Perry Mason : What's Homicide doing here, Lieutenant?

  Lt. Tragg : Well, I can assure you it's not a social call.

• [last lines] 

  Perry Mason : Nice people.

  Della Street : Mm-hm. They deserve a wonderful honeymoon.

  Perry Mason : I hope he doesn't walk in his sleep.

  Della Street : After waiting 15 years?

• Perry Mason : Will you show me just where you were standing when you overheard that conversation?

  Steve Harris : Near the shrubbery right beneath Mrs. Cole's bedroom.

  Perry Mason : Are you sure? Is it possible you were standing on the other side of the house?

  Steve Harris : Well...

  Perry Mason : Now, this is an important point, as you may understand.

  Hamilton Burger : Your Honor, Mr. Mason is coaching the witness.

  Steve Harris : No, I... I got a little mixed up. Mrs. Cole's bedroom is on the other side of the house.

  Perry Mason : It's simply that you weren't oriented properly, but now you do recognize the house?

  Steve Harris : Oh, sure.

  Perry Mason : And that is where you overheard the telephone conversation?

  Steve Harris : Yes, sir. I even wrote it down.

  Perry Mason : Word for word?

  Steve Harris : Yes, sir.

  Perry Mason : Of course, there is one other way that you could have recorded that conversation. I mean, if you had made the telephone call yourself.

  Steve Harris : Well, sure, but what would be the point?

  Perry Mason : Well, that would have given you an alibi for the time of the murder. That way, you could pretend to be in Santa Barbara, overhearing the conversation, when actually you'd in Los Angeles, telephoning.

• Perry Mason : After you killed Philip Kendall, you then raced back to Santa Barbara to meet Jackson the following morning.

  Steve Harris : Boy, you're crazy. I-I liked Phil. Why would I kill him?

  Perry Mason : Because with Kendall dead, and my client going to the gas chamber for his murder, your fiancee, Ms. Hammar, would inherit all of the Cole enterprises.

  Steve Harris : But she would've anyway.

  Perry Mason : But you couldn't wait. You were tired of being poor. You were tired of playing the nice, clean-cut boy. And once you and Edna were married, you'd wind up with the money in your hands.

  Steve Harris : Well, I-I tell... I tell you, you're wrong. How would I know that Maddox and Kendall had changed rooms? I left the house long before they went to bed.

  Perry Mason : But you subsequently called Ms. Hammar from Santa Barbara. Didn't she tell you? She never realized what you had in mind.

  Steve Harris : Mr. Mason, I-I tell you, I was in Santa Barbara. I was standing right there when I heard that phone conversation.

  Perry Mason : How is that possible, Steve? When that isn't a photograph of Mrs. Cole's home at all.

• Doris Cole : The district attorney wants to put me on the witness stand at Peter's trial.

  Perry Mason : Really?

  Doris Cole : He wants me to testify that Peter tried to kill me with a carving knife.

  Perry Mason : Well, that's a matter of record. Besides, I don't think it's relevant to this case.

  Doris Cole : Not relevant? Why, all I have to do is... well, take my word for it, Mr. Mason. It won't help Peter if I get on the stand.

  Perry Mason : Mrs. Cole, I hope you do. All I want with you is 15 minutes in open court. I think when I bring up that telephone call you received at approximately 3:00 this morning, the call from Ralph Duncan, it might prove rather embarrassing.

  Doris Cole : Who gave you the right to tap my phone?

  Perry Mason : Apparently, my information was accurate.

• Peter Cole : What made you decide Steve was the murderer?

  Perry Mason : Duncan was the key.

  Peter Cole : That thief.

  Perry Mason : But you can't deny Duncan's smart. Almost everything I cross-examined him on, he was able to answer as a matter of opinion. But when I asked him if he'd called Doris that night, he couldn't work around that. He had to give a yes or no answer. Once he stated under oath that he had not phoned Doris, then I had to consider that Steve was the liar. That photograph clinched it.

  Peter Cole : So, when Steve said the knife was out of the sideboard when he went to Santa Barbara... .?

  Perry Mason : He was telling the truth. He just moved it there because it was an easier place to get at at 3:00 in the morning.

• Peter Cole : [after Duncan testifies]  He's lying, Mason. You're not gonna let him get away with that.

  Hamilton Burger : I call Steven Harris to the stand, please.

  Perry Mason : I think Mr. Burger will open the door for us.

  Court Clerk : [swearing Steve in]  Raise your right hand.

  Peter Cole : How?

  Perry Mason : Through Steve.

• Doris Cole : How high will Peter go for a settlement?

  Perry Mason : I'll get you $25,000.

  Doris Cole : 50.

  Perry Mason : 25. Take it or leave it.

• Doris Cole : Now do you have everything you want?

  Perry Mason : Why, yes. And so do you.

  Doris Cole : I'd hate to tell you what I think of you Mr. Mason. But if ever I'm in trouble you're going to be my lawyer.

  Perry Mason : [smiles]  Good night.