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#155: The Case of the
Capricious Corpse
Original Airdate: 10/04/62

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
When Carleton Gage lapses into a coma, two of his beneficiaries threaten to close the orphanage he supported.

Carleton’s wife and sister-in-law plan to keep the orphanage open but their good intentions are complicated by Carleton’s murder.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of The CAPRICIOUS CORPSE
Based upon characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by Arthur Marks
Written by Jonathan Latimer

Art Seid | Producer
Gail Patrick Jackson | Executive Producer
Jackson Gillis | Associate Producer
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
Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson

Cast

John Howard as Dr. Guy Omstead
Jacques Aubuchon as George Gage
Lee Farr as Nicholas Blake
Lori March as Olive Omstead
Jan Shepard as Joane Proctor
Jean Engstrom as Claudia Demming
Dennis Rush as Timmy
Evelyn Ward as Nurse Evelyn King
John Pickard as Detective Boykins
Teru Shimada as Ito Kumagi
Willis Bouchey as Judge
June Ellis as Chambermaid
Herbert Patterson as Auto Engineer
Ed Stoddard as Police Chemist
Alex Bookston as Druggist
Richard Geary as Diver
Everett Glass as Carleton Gage
Gilbert Frye as Desk Clerk
John Morley as Ernest Demming
William Hines as Waiter

Uncredited Actors
Sayre Dearing as Courtroom Spectator (from IMDb)
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice

Crew

“Perry Mason”

Director of Photography … Robert G. Hager
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Robert G. Stone
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 … Cosmo Genovese
Automobiles Supplied by … Ford Motor Company

Perry Mason
Produced by the CBS Television Network in association with Paisano Productions

Trivia Edit

Sightings: “Miss Carmody” appears, dressed unusually spiffy in a gorgeous hat and pearls, in the courtroom gallery. Read more about her and other recurring spectators. Submitted by gracep, 1/8/2011.
+ She also appears, all dolled up, with an escort as she strolls behind Joane Proctor as she makes a phone call. And another courtroom spectator is the Thin Man. Submitted by gracenote, 7/22/2011.

Car Sighting. At 9-10min into the episode, Joane Proctor drives her gorgeous convertible into the driveway of the Dorado Hotel on her way to Ernest Demming’s bungalow. The pan shot gives excellent front, side and rear shots of the car which enable its identification as a 1958 Ford Fairlane 500. There were two models of this convertible: the “soft-top” Sunliner and the Skyliner, which had a hard-top which retracted into the trunk, like this. The Fairlane Skyliner was the world’s first production retractable hardtop convertible; read about it here. Read about the Ford Fairlane series (1955-on), here. Joane has the top down and it is difficult to see which model she has. To me, it appears to be the Sunliner. Submitted by Gary Woloski, 24 Oct 2011.

Comments Edit

Juvenile actor Dennis Rush makes his only Perry appearance here as Timmy. Dennis Rush is best known for his eight appearances as Howie Pruitt, one of Opie Taylor’s friends on the long running Andy Griffith Show. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 24 November 2009.

I have been a criminal defense attorney for over 20 years, and NEVER have I heard about a defendant jumping up in the middle of a trial and yelling "That's a lie!" And yet it occurs over and over in PM. Perhaps the most consistently irritating element of these excellent shows. cgraul 12.6.11

Is the happy ending really appropriate here? Perry clears his client, of course, but in a way that it seems the inheritance should fall to the loathsome George Gage, who wants to close the children's foundation. So the cheerful softball game at the end here might be out of place! Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 4/25/2009.

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