<< Melancholy Marksman | Episodes | Borrowed Baby >>

#148: The Case of the
Angry Astronaut
Original Airdate: 04/07/62

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
Mitchell Heller (Robert Bray, who later played Corey Stewart, the forest ranger who adopted Lassie), an overworked astronaut, is marked as a murder suspect after his worst enemy, Major General Addison Brand (James Coburn) is murdered. The police figure Heller had motive since Brand stole his job and his girlfriend, and was suspected of stealing his valuable invention.

Perry believes Heller is innocent, and now he must figure out how a dead man can talk.

This is the episode where Paul—resisting all the way—goes for a spin in a simulated space capsule.

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Francis D. Lyon
Written by Samuel Newman

“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

James Coburn as General Addison Brand
Robert Bray as Mitch Heller
Jeanne Bal as Linda Carey
Patricia Donahue as Bonnie Winslow
Steve Brodie as Eddie Lewis
Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson
Paula Raymond as Terry Faye
John Marley as Matthew Owen
Robert Casper as Bruce Young
Richard Grant as Gordon Kendall
Ned Roberts as Sewell
Tom Harkness as Judge
Richard Geary as Attendant

Crew

Director of Photography … Robert G. Hager
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Robert G. Stone
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
Properties … Ray Thompson
Production Sound Mixer … Herman Lewis
Script Supervision … M.E.M. Gibsone
Sound … Glen Glenn Sound Co.
Automobiles Supplied by … Ford Motor Company
Titles and Opticals by … Pacific Title

Perry Mason \ A Film Presentation
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

Character Names: Jeanne Bal’s character is actually Dr. Linda Carey. The omission of her title from the closing credits is puzzling, as her actions and decisions as physician in the Human Factors section of Project Moonstone is rather important to the plot. (They left in Brand’s title as General, after all, and he’s retired.) Additionally, Sewell’s first name is Jamison. Submitted by gracep, 12/23/2010.

Sightings: We see a few regulars in the courtroom gallery today. “Miss Carmody” is in the front row, behind the defense table; later she moves to the back row. The Pencil Mustache Man is hiding in the shadows in the back row. Quiet Old Man #1 also appears in the back row, near the end. Submitted by gracep, 12/23/2010.

The famous opening movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is playing on the hi-fi when the body is discovered. (That’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, for the erudite viewers.) Submitted by gracenote, 7/20/2011.

This episode features a Polaroid Camera (possibly the J66) although they do not refer to it by the brand name. Submitted by Mason Jar, 7/27/2011.

Comments Edit

In the test lab scenes, on the table near the video display, there sits a Heathkit oscilloscope. It looks like a model OM-2. I had one of these at the time. I guess Winslow Aeronautics was trying to save money on test gear. Posted by daveb, 11/23/10.

This is another one of my favorite episodes as it involves technology from the Space Age. Submitted by gracep, 12/23/2010.

Paul Drake as guinea pig and the scene involving the newspaper article pictured above make this one a delight, too! Submitted by gracenote, 7/20/2011.

And then there is the lovely Jeanne Bal … wow! Submitted by Mike Reese, 11/26/2011.

<< Melancholy Marksman | Episodes | Borrowed Baby >>