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#153: The Case of the
Lonely Eloper
Original Airdate: 05/26/62

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
A naïve young woman, Merle Telford, is about to turn twenty-one and receive a trust fund big enough to take most of us around the world in style. She plans on running away from her guardians and eloping with Danny Pierce as soon as she gets the money. Little does Merle know that Danny is planning to bilk her, using her companion, Gina, as an accomplice.

Merle’s Aunt Olivia and Uncle Howard know of her plans and hire Paul Drake to keep Merle from fleeing the night of her twenty-first birthday party.

Paul feels more like a babysitter than a detective, casing the party and keeping an eye on Merle—until a murder is committed during the party and Merle becomes the prime suspect.

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Arthur Marks
Written by Robert C. Dennis

“Perry Mason”
Art Seid | 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
Wiliam Talman as Hamilton Burger
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg

Cast

Jack Ging as Danny Pierce
John Dall as Julian Kirk
Jana Taylor as Merle Telford
Joan Staley as Gina Gilbert
Jorja Curtright as Olivia Langley
Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson
Paul Tripp as Howard Langley
Billy Halop as Corbett
Kenneth MacDonald as Judge
Carol Andreson as Margo Stevens
John Zaremba as Doctor Wales
Ralph Reed as Messenger
Pepper Curtis as Guest
Maurice Wells as Doctor
Holly Harris as Doctor's Wife

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Party Guest and as Courtroom Spectator (spotted by FredK, 10/4/2010)
Bess Flowers as Birthday Party Guest
Bert Stevens as Birthday Party Guest
(two spotted by gracep, 10/5/2010)

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 … Robert Gary
Sound … Glen Glenn Sound Co.
Automobiles Supplied by … Ford Motor Company
Titles and Opticals … Pacific Title

Perry Mason \ A Film Presentation
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

Playing Corbett, Billy Halop makes his first of three appearances here on Perry. Billy Halop began his acting career in the play/movie Dead End, playing one of the little tough guys. He made several more movies along with the other little tough guys, but quit before they became the Bowery Boys. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 12 August 2009.

Uncredited Actors / Sightings: Don Anderson makes another dual appearance here. First he appears as a guest at Merle’s 21st birthday party, though I could not spot him in any shots before the murder, only after the investigation is underway. In the last scenes in the courtroom he is the spectator seated next to Margo Stevens (Carol Andreson) and directly in front of Joan Staley. Earlier in the trial, he is not in that spot. Submitted by FredK 4 October 2010.
+ The venerable Bess Flowers appears as a guest at the same birthday party, along with Bert Stevens. Submitted by gracep 10/5/2010.
+ Earlier in the courtroom hearing, Anderson does appear in a cutaway behind Cousin Julian, along with Quiet Old Man #1. Bert Stevens peeks over Mason’s shoulder at least once (although in wider shots he disappears). Submitted by gracep 1/7/2010.

For the umpteenth time this season, despite onscreen credit, Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins) does not appear. Submitted by gracep 1/7/2010.

Comments Edit

Another example of the Mason production staff’s curious sense of actor chemistry here. Though middle-aged, indoorsman Paul Tripp seems a bit out of his romantic league with former Playmate of the Month Joan Staley, the two were paired here and again (though less romantically) in episode #157 TCOT Double Entry Mind. Submitted by FredK, 19 November 2010.

Another episode where the women are either controlling and conniving, using others, or utterly naïve and innocent, at the mercy of others. Della is, of course, the exception. Submitted by gracep, 1/7/2011.

I’ve always thought this was a curious episode; Perry’s client seems to border between simply naïve and somewhat “touched” as some of her family believe. Even in the epilogue she hardly seems entirely there! Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 7/23/2011.

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