<< Injured Innocent | Episodes | Brazen Bequest >>

#134: The Case of the
Left-Handed Liar
Original Airdate: 11/25/61

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
Ed Nelson (Doctor Rossi on Peyton Place) plays Ward Nichols, an All-American football player turned health club instructor. He wants to marry his employer’s daughter, Casey Daniels, but his estranged wife Veronica, who also works at the club, has been pressuring Ward for money for secret reasons.

When Casey's father is found crunched with a dumbbell, Ward is eventually accused, causing Perry to arrive just in time to flex his courtroom muscles.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE LEFT-HANDED LIAR
Based upon Characters Created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by Jerry Hopper
Written by Jonathan Latimer

“Perry Mason”
Arthur Marks | Producer
Gail Patrick Jackson | Executive Producer
Jackson Gillis | Associate Producer
Produced by The CBS Television Network in association with Paisano Productions
Samuel Newman | 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

Ed Nelson as Ward Nichols
Leslie Parrish as Veronica Temple
Les Tremayne as Bernard Daniels
Maggie Pierce as Casey Daniels
Karl Held as David Gideon
Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson
Dabbs Greer as Buzz Farrell
Alan Baxter as Eugene Houseman
Joan Banks as Rhonda Houseman
Richard Derr as Dr. Harrison Berry
Amzie Strickland as Miss Clara Prentice
Kenneth MacDonald as Judge
John Harmon as Lab Technician
Claude Stroud as Masters
Barbara Pepper as Fat Woman
Wallace Rooney as Handwriting Expert
Henry Hunter as Mr. Baxter
John Reach as Policeman
Cynthia Patrick as Woman Fencer
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice

Crew

Director of Photography … Robert G. Hager
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Gordon Webb
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
Properties … Ray Thompson
Production Sound Mixer … Herman Lewis
Script Supervision … M.E.M. Gibsone
Titles and Opticals … Pacific Title
Athletic Equipment Supplied by … Vic Tanny Enterprises

Perry Mason \ A Film Presentation
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

Maggie Pierce makes her only appearance on Perry here playing Casey Daniels. Maggie Pierce is best known for playing Barbara Crabtree, the wife of Jerry Van Dyke’s character, in the classic comedy My Mother The Car—which might explain her retirement shortly after My Mother The Car was cancelled. As an added footnote, all 30 episodes of My Mother The Car are available for viewing on IMDb. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 30 October 2009.

This episode marks the third of four appearances of Barbara Pepper, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer and lifelong friend of Lucille Ball. (She has played a different character each time.) Submitted by gracep, 11/14/2010.
+ TV comedy buffs will remember Ms. Pepper as Doris Ziffel on Green Acres. Submitted by Francis, 10 June 2011.

Speaking of reappearances, Karl Held returns as David Gideon for the sixth time during the series’ run. He doesn’t really seem to serve any purpose, but he certainly is dapper. In case you can’t get enough of him, he’ll be back three more times. Submitted by gracep, 12/3/2010.

Character Names: Barbara Pepper’s character has a name, Mrs. Dwyer—and her fitness instructor uses it. Why the producers chose to use an insulting designation instead is a mystery. See related comment below. Submitted by gracep, 12/3/2010.
+ I note another inconsistency in credits. They were polite enough to call the bookkeeper Miss Clara Prentice—full name, with title—and the same with the Health House physician, but the office rental agent was simply designated as Masters—no first name, no “Mr.” Submitted by gracep, 12/3/2010.

Sightings: During the hearing, we see Distinguished Gentleman #1 in a closeup of Eugene Houseman (Alan Baxter). Submitted by gracep, 12/3/2010.

Comments Edit

“Fat Woman”? Seriously? They couldn’t come up with a better name? Barbara Pepper, a former dance colleague of Lucille Ball, deserves better than that. She had a hard life as a single mom. Submitted by gracep, 11/14/2010.
+ And actually, they did have a name for her. See trivia item above. Submitted by gracep, 12/3/2010.

The health club in this episode is a trip into the dark ages of fitness. Notice the passive exercise machines, including the belt that supposedly shake-shake-shakes the fat off. And the calisthenics that the instructor has Barbara Pepper and her companions do are *not* a good choice for beginners, for they present a great risk for back strain, etc. The humor is kind of cruel, too — wow, sure is funny watching overweight people trying to improve themselves. Submitted by gracep, 12/3/2010.

<< Injured Innocent | Episodes | Brazen Bequest >>