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#1: The Case of the
Restless Redhead
Original Airdate: 09/21/57

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Perry drives to the scene of a shooting and finds the police recovering the body of Harry Merrill from a car that went over the side of a mountain. Merrill has a bullet in his body and a pillowcase over his head. This is a coincidence, because Perry's client, Evelyn Bagby, claims she was chased by a hooded man in a car near the same cliff that day. She fired two shots at the man's car to scare him off, and now the police want her for murder.

Perry appears interested in more than the charges when he takes on Evelyn's case. He makes numerous comments about her big blue eyes. Is it those peepers, money, or dedication that spurs this young lawyer on to the cause of justice? We have 270 more winning episodes to figure it out.

PMESG

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in Erle Stanley Gardner's The Case of The Restless Redhead
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by William D. Russell
Ben Brady Producer
Produced by CBS Television in association with Paisano Productions
Teleplay by Russell S. Hughes
Gail Patrick Jackson Executive Producer
Sam White Associate Producer

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason
Barbara Hale as Della Street
William Hopper as Paul Drake
William Talman as Hamilton Burger
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg

Cast

Whitney Blake as Evelyn Bagby
Vaughn Taylor as Mr. Boles
Jane Buchanan as Mrs. Boles
Ralph Clanton as Aldritch
Dick Rich as Sgt. Holcomb
Gloria Henry as Helene Chaney
Grandon Rhodes as Judge Kippen
Clark Howat as Policeman
Norman Leavitt as Mr. Redfield
Helen Mayon as Mary Thompson
Jack Gargan as Court Clerk
Lorraine Martin as Drake's Operator

Uncredited Actors

None

Crew

Gene Wang Story Editor
Production Supervisor J. Paul Popkin
Director of Photography Frank Redman, A.S.C.
Art Direction Lyle Wheeler, Lewis Creber
Assistant Director Art Marks
Editorial Supervisor Art Seid, A.C.E.
Film Editor Richard W. Farrell
Makeup Mel Burns
Wardrobe Supervision Dick James
Set Decorations Walter M. Scott, Charles Q. Vassar
Properties Ray Thompson
Recorded by Alfred Bruzlin
Rerecording Mixer Harry M. Leonard
Script Supervisor Cosmo Genovese

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1957 Ford Skyliner retractable, black (Mason), 1957 Ford sedan, black. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill. Some pictures here.

In the office scene after Tragg impatiently arrives, look for a T-shaped mark on the floor when Della goes to pour the coffee for Tragg. Oops! Posted by Dedra Kaye DeHart to the Della-Perry group, 10/14/07. Picture here.

Did you notice? The Court Clerk is also the Court Reporter. Seems odd. Submitted by daveb, 10/6/08.

First appearance: Note that Lee Miller, who played Sgt. Brice, makes his first appearance in the opening credits as a spectator. He's seated near the window. Later we see him in the episode as a plainclothes policeman examining the pillow-case where the victim's car went off the road. Still later we see him again in plainclothes as a spectator in the courtroom. He's seated in the section behind the defence, 2nd row, aisle seat, behind Vaughn Taylor (Mr. Boles). Also note in the same section, approx. middle of last row, the lady who frequently played a matron on the series - when she wasn't being a spectator. Does anyone know her name?

+Ironic, both Whitney Blake and Gloria Henry sport dark hair in this episode, however each would find their greatest fame as blonde mothers. Whitney Blake as Dorothy Baxter on "Hazel", and, of course, Gloria Henry as Alice Mitchell on "Dennis The Menace". Submitted by PaulDrake 33. 9 September 2009.

The (shooting?) script for this episode is dated 22 March 1957. I believe this episode is no earlier than the third of the series filmed. (The actual call sheets would likely be useful here). Moth Eaten Mink was first and Fan Dancer's Horse was probably filmed before Redhead. Less probably, right after Redhead. Fan Dancer's Horse wasn't aired until about mid-season. However, its "look and feel" obviously place it as a very early episode. For Redhead, there was about a 6 month lag between filming and air date. Submitted by billp. 3 November 2009.

Bess Flowers makes one of six appearances on Perry Mason in this initial episode. She's the "Women Departing Magnum Studio." She also appeared in Negligent Nymph (Miss Miller, DA Stenographer), Fiery Fingers (Women dining in restaurant), Lonely Eloper (Birthday party guest), Shoplifter's Shoe (Department Store customer) and Frustrated Folksinger (Woman at party). Besides these appearances, she also appeared with Raymond Burr in "Rear Window." She's the songwriter's party guest with the poodle. This lady appeared in over 779 films! She appeared in more films that won the Best Picture Oscar than anyone else. Submitted by billp. 15 November 2009.

At first blush, "the fatal gun" looks like a .38 Colt Detective Special snub nose revolver to me. (Perry calls it a .38 Colt snub nose.) This model turns up in countless film noir and early television dramas. However, the serial number Perry tells Paul at the beginning of the episode is 17474LW. LW stands for "light weight," or aluminum frame, I believe. It appears to be a real Colt serial number. If I understand the "numerology" correctly, this gun would have been made in 1952. However, this serial number would correspond to the Colt Cobra or Aircrewman and not the Detective Special. These guns were also "snub nose." So if we go by what Perry says the serial number is, it's either a Cobra or Aircrewman. At this point, I'm inclined to believe Perry gave the actual serial number of the gun he had. Wouldn't it be fantastic to find that gun today? Even so, the gun looks somewhat beat up to me. Submitted by billp. 25 November 2009.

The absence of 1958 model cars in the episode coupled with Perry wearing a hat place this episode in the first (1957 Ford) set of episodes filmed in the first season. The supposition this is no earlier than the third episode filmed is still looking pretty good. (In fact, I'm thinking it is, more likely than not, the 3rd filmed). Submitted by billp. 29 November 2009.

Comments Edit

This first episode doesn't paint a particularly flattering portrait of Hollywood: the actress wannabe cheated out of her savings by the "talent scout," the behavior of Helene Chaney and, at least initially, of Aldritch. A seedy Hollywood inhabited by mostly less than honorable characters seems to be a common theme in the Mason series. Besides the instant episode, episodes like the Vagabond Vixen and the Promoter's Pillbox come to mind. Even the final episode, Final Fade-out, rounds out the series on this same note. billp 12/26/08

This show is based on a Erle Stanley Gardner novel of the same name. In the novel, in Chapter 1, the trial of Evelyn Bagby for theft, in the city of Riverside is written of. This show starts after the trial and barely references the trial. This causes some confusion as to why the man in the hood is after Evelyn, and why Perry needs to confront Helene Chaney. Not a good beginning for Perry. Submitted by PaulDrake33.

In the courtroom scenes, observe the attractive young lady who plays the matron. She is seated behind the defence table. Now consider the actress (Nancy Hadley) who plays Edna Hammar in Sleepwalker's Niece. Nancy Hadley may play both roles. Anyone agree? If not Hadley, there's someone else in the series who plays the matron. I've seen her before. billp 12/26/08

Lee Miller who appears in this episode as a spectator also was seen in Ironside. I suspect fairly often, but it's been a long time since I've seen a substantial number of episodes. However, I recall seeing one episode on tv a couple years ago where he was playing a policeman on the show. He was dressed just like Sgt. Brice - black suit, white shirt, dark thin tie and a somewhat rakish, dark pork-pie hat. Physically, he looked pretty much the same as he did on Mason. Particularly interesting was that Det. Sgt. Ed Brown addressed him as "Lee." billp 12/26/08

The $1500 Evelyn Bagby got taken for in approximately 1957 would be about $11048.42 in 2007 dollars. The $10000 blackmail money stolen by Boles would be worth about $73656.13 in 2007. I guess that's how much Harry Merrill's life was worth to Boles. billp 12/26/08

We see a bit of Perry's apartment when he takes calls from his answering service. We also see, I think, Paul Drake's apartment/house when he gets a call from Perry to check the serial number of the gun Evelyn found.

+I have noticed that the entire first season of Perry (with the exception of shows # 17 and 25) is now available for viewing online at imdb.com. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.

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