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#117: The Case of the
Cowardly Lion
Original Airdate: 04/08/61

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
This case involves nothing less than:

    (a) a stolen gorilla named Toto
    (b) a shady zoo dentist
    (c) a lion charged with murder
    (d) a zoo curator charged with murder
    (e) [spoiler]*
    (f) [spoiler]*

Perry has to defend d when b is murdered. No wonder his rates are so high.

N.B. Items (e) & (f) suppressed as spoilers. To view, use link above.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE COWARDLY LION
Based upon characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Barbara Hale as Della Street
William Hopper as Paul Drake
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg

Trailing

Directed by Arthur Marks
Written by Jonathan Latimer
Art Seid | Producer
Gail Patrick Jackson | Executive Producer
Produced by The CBS Television Network in association with Paisano Productions
Jackson Gillis | Story Consultant

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

Cast

Carol Rossen as Hilde Fursten
Fred Beir as Tony Osgood
Phyllis Coates as Frieda Crawson
Leslie Bradley as Dr. Walther Braun
Warren Kemmerling as Boris Zelbowski
O. Z. Whitehead as Harry Beacom
Betty Lou Gerson as Trudie Braun
Paul Birch as Sec. Officer Crawford
Paul Langton as Prosecutor Green
Eddie Quillan as Bookkeeper Keller
Mack Williams as Second Judge
Bill Quinn as First Judge
Norman Leavitt as Crime Lab Technician
Art Lewis as Immigration Clerk
Ralph Manza as Dr. Prince
Bert Remsen as Lt. White

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Zoo Security Officer
(spotted by FredK 10/4/2010)

Crew

Production Supervisor … Dewey Starkey
Director of Photography … Frank Redman, A.S.C.
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Robert G. Stone
Film Editor … Richard H. Cahoon, A.C.E.
Casting … Harvey Clermont
Makeup … Irving Pringle
Hair Stylist … Annabell
Wardrobe Supervision … Ed McDermott, Evelyn Carruth
Set Decoration … Charles Q. Vassar
Sound Effects Editor … Gene Eliot, M.P.S.E.
Music Editor … Gene Feldman
Properties … Ray Thompson
Production Sound Mixer … Herman Lewis
Script Supervision … Dorothy Cumming
Sound … Glen Glenn Sound Co.
Titles and Opticals … Pacific Title

Location Sites through courtesy of San Diego Zoo and Kona Kai of San Diego

Perry Mason \ A Film Presentation
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

Anomaly: Paul Langton, listed as Prosecutor Green, is called Mr. Telford twice by Perry in court. He was Deputy D.A. Telford in #101, TCOT Wandering Widow. Submitted by daveb, 12/20/2007.
+ The judge also addresses him as Mr. Telford. Submitted by gracenote, 7/8/2011.

Betty Lou Gerson makes the last of three appearances here on Perry playing Trudie Braun. Betty Lou Gerson was much better known as a radio actress and a voice actress. Ms. Gerson was the star of First Nighter on radio for 15 years and also was the orginal voice of Cruella De Vil in the 1961 Disney production of 101 Dalmations. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 3 September 2009.

Location: The Courthouse that Perry goes to several times is the San Diego County Administration Center. It is part of the National Registry #88000554. Posted by Eric Cooper, 18 March 2010.

Uncredited Actors: Though Don Anderson rarely appears in episodes set outside of LA, here he plays a security officer at the San Diego Zoo. Submitted by FredK, 4 October 2010.

Sightings: One of our recurring spectators made the field trip to San Diego to watch Perry Mason in action—namely, Distinguished Gentleman #1. Can you spot any other regulars? Submitted by gracep, 11/13/2010.
+ While Perry, Della, and Tony Osgood talk in front of the gorilla exhibit, The Thin Man walks along in the background, apparently looking at other exhibits. Submitted by gracep, 7/8/2011.

Character Names: Bookkeeper Keller’s full name is Abner Keller, as we learn when he introduces himself to Mason. Submitted by gracep, 11/13/2010.

Although Ray Collins (Lt. Tragg) is credited in this episode, he does not actually apepar. Submitted by gracep, 11/13/2010.

Location: Almost 24 minutes in, Paul pulls into the Kona Kai Club. It’s still in business as the Kona Kai Resort Hotel, 1551 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92106. If you Google Kona Kai Resort you can see the dining area where Perry and Della ate in the next scene. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 7 April 2011.

Comments Edit

All of the delightful shots of animals make this a wonderful episode! Submitted by gracep 11/13/2010.

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