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#118: The Case of the
Torrid Tapestry
Original Airdate: 04/22/61

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Claude Demay was sent up for six years for starting a fire in a warehouse containing the valuable Nathan Claver art collection. Demay was framed, and devises a plan to expose the real criminal, Leonard Voss. He tediously weaves a perfect imitation of a Panamaker tapestry supposedly lost in the fire.

When he’s out of jail, Demay goes to Voss and barters his tapestry for an original Tao Kwan Buddha. This statue will prove that the collection was not destroyed in the fire and expose Voss.

Before the appointment for the trade takes place, Voss is murdered and Demay is sent back to jail for another crime he did not commit.

Old-time film star Conrad Nagel performs in this episode.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE TORRID TAPESTRY
Based Upon Characters Created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by John English
Written by Bob Mitchell
Arthur Marks | 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
William Talman as Hamilton Burger
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg

Cast

Conrad Nagel as Nathan Claver
Paula Raymond as Brenda Larkin
Robert H. Harris as Claude Demay
Lillian Buyeff as Sarah Demay
John Holland as Leonard Voss
Ray Kellogg as Jim Hazlett
Kenneth R. MacDonald as Judge
Percy Helton as Pawnbroker
Syd Saylor as Watchman
John Graham as Lawrence
Lloyd Nelson as Clerk
Louis Serrano as Officer

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Courtroom Spectator
Robert Wegner as Drake Agency Operative

Crew

Production Supervisor … Dewey Starkey
Director of Photography … Philip Lathrop, A.S.C.
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Morris Harmell
Film Editor … John D. Faure
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 … M.E.M. Gibsone
Sound … Glen Glenn Sound Co.
Titles and Opticals … Pacific Title

Perry Mason \ A Film Presentation
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

Goof: The card at the pawn shop shows Sarah Demay’s apartment number as 204. When we arrive at her place, we find that she’s moved to #203. See here. Submitted by daveb, date unknown.

This episode revolves around a Pannemaker arras depicting Theseus and the Minotaur. There actually were a couple famous 16th-century Flemish weavers named Pieter and Willem Pannemaker. The Flemish city of Arras was a great center of tapestry production. Arras’s tapestries were so highly regarded that the name Arras became synonymous with tapestry. So when they say “Pannemaker arras” they are saying “Pannemaker tapestry.” I imagine an actual Pannemaker tapestry would be quite valuable. While it’s certainly possible the Pannemakers could have woven a tapestry on the subject of Theseus and the Minotaur, I am not aware of any. If someone knows of such a tapestry, especially if it resembles the one in this episode, I’d certainly be interested in hearing about it here. Submitted by billp, 13 December 2009.

Some curious things happen to some of the Claver Collection crates seen in this episode. Thanks to some trivia from FredK for #127, TCOT Malicious Mariner, we know what it is. The visual story here. Submitted by daveb, 10/6/2010.

Sightings: The Thin Man appears as Paul’s operative who follows Brenda Larkin from the courthouse. Read more about him and other frequently seen people here. Submitted by alan_sings, 9 Oct 2010.
+ Watching events unfold in the coutroom gallery are a few other frequent faces. On the prosecution side sit Distinguished Gentleman #1, Pencil Mustache Man, Quiet Old Man #1, and “Miss Carmody”. All by herself on the defense side sits our beloved Little Old Lady in a Hat. Submitted by gracep, 11/14/2010.

Uncredited Actors: Don Anderson joins our regulars on the prosecutor’s side of the courtroom gallery. Robert Wegner plays another of Drake’s operatives, silent and (of course) scowling, following Ms. Demay from the courthouse. Submitted by gracep, 11/14/2010.

Perry interviews Ms. Larkin in his usual suave way over the Curious Coffee Set. Submitted by gracenote, 7/8/2011.

Comments Edit

The problem I have with this episode is that a few times Perry jumps to some pretty amazing conclusions, and while of course they are correct (as they always are), his arrival at them does not seem plausible. Submitted by gracep, 11/14/2010.

In a similar vein to previous comment… It is not clear to me why Mr. Claver should have confronted Mr. Voss when he discovered the tapestry was a fake. He wasn’t going to accuse Voss of producing it? Submitted by gracenote, 7/8/2011.
+ Having just reviewed the episode, here’s my take on the action: Claver gets Demay’s mysterious invite to the arras auction. None of the invitees knows who it’s from. This is concerning to Claver. The only arras that could possibly have been available for auction was his, which was destroyed—or was it? Claver goes to Voss’s gallery for an answer. Why? Claver later says he hadn’t seen Voss in some time prior to this first visit to the gallery. (Voss probably set up the gallery with his cut of the insurance money. Claver reasonably probably didn’t want to seem connected to his partner in crime.) This seems to indicate that Claver had some suspicion about Voss. Had Claver heard rumors about Voss’ special offerings (c.f. Hazlett)? Regardless, Claver strongly conveys the impression he thinks Voss has something to do with this mysterious tapestry. The gallery dialogue/interplay between Claver and Voss is marvelous—full of double entendre. Claver leaves the gallery with his suspicions unassuaged if not elevated. Claver and his driver follow Voss to the pawnshop. Claver sees the arras, now materially connected to Voss in Claver’s mind, and has his driver steal it. Claver knows it’s a fake. So he asks himself, what’s Voss’s game? Blackmail? Whatever it is, Claver seems to be at the center of it, and he doesn’t like it. (Claver got an invite, it’s a copy of his arras, Voss is linked with it.) Claver goes to the gallery, probably pretty angry and upset, and, lo, he sees the Voss and the buddha. Claver now knows he’s been thoroughly double-crossed by Voss. Claver kills Voss for any number of reasons. Della’s post-lude comment about “that’s why Claver confronted Voss at the gallery” is accurate, but not particularly informative because in my opinion Claver would have confronted Voss whether the tapestry was real or a copy. Submitted by billp, 10/04/2011.

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