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#14: The Case of the
Baited Hook
Original Airdate: 12/21/57

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
First, Perry gets $2,000 in cash and one half of a $10,000 bill as a retainer in case his services are needed to defend a mysterious, veiled woman. Then, in one of the most macabre scenes ever on the show, he finds a wide-eyed corpse in a closet. But Perry's got a miserable cold and would rather be in bed. Della comes to the rescue. She nurses the pajama-clad lawyer in front of his fireplace, and we get to see his apartment for the first time.

PMESG

Credits Edit

Cast

Geraldine Wall as Abigail E. Leeds
Willard Sage as Robert Dawson
Judith Braun as Carol Stanley
Alfred Hopson as Richard Ellis
Mary Castle as Enid Shaw
George Neise as Albert Tydings
Connie Cezon as Gertie
Peg Whitman as Receptionist
Lyle Latell as Officer
Frank Marlowe as Janitor
Maurice McEndree as Operative

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1957 Cadillac convertible, black w/ black & white int., top down (Mason), 1957 Pontiac Star Chief convertible, medium color, top down, 1953 Pontiac 4dr sedan, light color, 1957 Chevrolet 150 4dr sedan, black (Police). From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Watch the night cleaning man that Della convinces to let her into the Tydings & Dawson office. As he graciously opens the door for her, he magically acquires a pair of black rimmed glasses as the camera angle changes to inside the office. See here. Submitted by "BB," 2/4/04.

Shortly after Abigail E. Leeds leaves Perry's office for the first time, Della takes a call from Paul and relays the message to Perry. He says "Call Paul back. Tell him I'll meet him downstairs." Della replies "Oh, that's where he is. Down at Clay's Grill." I think that this is the first mention of "Clay's Grill" in the series and that we don't encounter Clay or his Grill again until the last season. Submitted by Mitch English, 6/28/05. (Actually Clay's Grill figures prominantly in ep. 8: "The Case of the Crimson Kiss". Perry is eating there when he receives the call that involves him in the case and he later has a meeting with Burger and Tragg there and later still Perry meets Della and Paul there.)

Perry's office number, MA 5-1190, makes its first appearance as the number for the Tydings and Dawson office. Paul gives it to the operator when he makes his warning call to Perry from the phone booth. Submitted by D. A. Supernaw, 12/13/06.

Near the beginning of this episode, when Leeds first visits Perry's office, she introduces herself as "Leeds, Abigail Esther". Near the end of this episode, when we see the birth certificate for Leed's daughter Carol, her name is listed as Abagail Edith Leeds. (Of course, either name fits with the ending credit of Abagail E. Leeds.) Submitted by Charles Richmond, 10/9/08.

+One of the few Perry episodes where there is no trial, no courtroom, no judge, no Hamilton Burger. The guilty party is determined before a trial can take place. Submitted by PaulDrake 33. 25 August 2009.

+Lt. Tragg crosses paths with Perry four different times at four different locations (ourside of Perry's office) during this episode, surely a record. Submitted by PaulDrake 33. 25 August 2009.

Comments Edit

Actually, I think we saw a bit of Perry's apartment in the very first broadcast episode, Restless Redhead. Perry is seen reading in what I take to be his apartment when he gets the phone calls from his answering service. Could an analysis of Perry's apartment be done in the spirit of the one for his office? I realize there's less material to work with, but it would be interesting to see. billp 12/27/2008

The $80000 that is missing from Carol Stanley's trust would be worth about $589249.02 today. A fairly tidy sum. Tydings took $60000 ($441936.77), Ellis $20000 ($147312.26). The $2000 retainer that Perry gets would be about $14731.23 today. Not too bad. The $150 that Leeds was paying to Ellis would ring in at about $1104.84 a pop. billp 12/27/08.

+Perry begins and ends this episode wearing a pair of pajamas. Submitted by PaulDrake 33. 25 August 2009.

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