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#156: The Case of the
Playboy Pugilist
Original Airdate: 10/11/62

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
Old-time boxing trainer Jimmy West thinks he has finally found his “boy.” He believes he can make a champion boxer out of Davey Carroll (played by Gary Lockwood, one of the spacemen in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey).

Jimmy’s plans go awry when he is framed for murder.

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Francis D. Lyon
Written by Helen Nielsen

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

Cast

Gary Lockwood as Davey Carroll
Dianne Foster as Lori Richards
Dolores Michaels as Jo Sands
Robert Armstrong as Jimmy West
Mark Roberts as Tod Richards
Anthony Caruso as Keith Lombard
Joseph Sirola as George Hale
Mort Mills as Sergeant Landro
Sally Bliss as Kay McKenzie
John Gallaudet as Judge
Stewart Taylor as Sparring Partner
Dee Stratton as Switchboard Opr. #1
Ben Erway as Hotel Manager
Mae Clarke as Switchboard Opr. #2
Pepper Curtis as Blonde
Dennis Richards as Mechanic
Marty Brenman as Bell Captain
Tom Simcox as Waiter

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
Theme Composed by … Fred Steiner
Automobiles Supplied by … Ford Motor Company

Perry Mason
Produced by the CBS Television Network in association with Paisano Productions
[SEAL OF GOOD PRACTICE]

Trivia Edit

Old time movie star Mae Clarke has a small part here as the switchboard operator. It would be her only appearance in the Perry series. Mae Clarke will forever be remembered at the recipient of a grapefruit in the face from Jimmy Cagney in the movie The Public Enemy. Mae Clarke was also the wife of Henry Frankenstien in the classic movie Frankenstien (1931). Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 28 August 2009.

Location: About 20 minutes in after a drunken night Davey Carroll talks to Perry and Paul outside the Courthouse. This is actually the Malibou Lakes Clubhouse and was also used in other episodes. See #113 for photos. Malibou Lakes was used in Perry Mason episodes 7, 26, 45, 71, 113, 195, 210, and 261. It has been featured as a location in the classic Frankenstein (see post above for ironic connection). Malibou Lake has been in such classics as Huckleberry Finn, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, and more recently the Story of Us and Must Love Dogs. It is also walking distance from locations where they shot Planet of the Apes, the TV show M*A*S*H and the Gillette estate where they currently film The Biggest Loser. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 11 May 2010.

Sightings: As Burger races forward with an objection, we find sitting in the courtroom gallery, Distinguished Gentleman #1 and Pencil Mustache Man. Learn more about them and other recurring spectators. Submitted by gracep, 1/8/2011. - The Distinguished Gentleman #1 gets around a little more in this episode as well. You can spot him at the "party" about 13:25 on the DVD, standing with his back to the camera at a table on the back right side of the screen. Later at night during the party, when the Jimmy is arguing at about 16:25 you can see the Distinguished Gentleman #1 sitting on the right at a table, reacting to the arguement. Submitted by Kenmore 1/03/2012

Fred Steiner, composer of the show’s theme, finally gets an on-screen credit for his work. More about the theme and some clips in General Trivia here. Submitted by daveb, 6/30/2011.

Comments Edit

Potential Spoiler.

In the epilogue scene, we see Gary Lockwood's character get knocked out in the ring. In the next scene, Lockwood is now in the locker room still unconscious as Perry, Paul and Della talk to the former defendant about how they figured out who the real killer was.

A few minutes later, Lockwood wakes up and seems fine.

Today, when a fighter is knocked out he's taken away on a stretcher straight to the hospital if he doesn't awaken in the ring. Here, it seems a good 10 minutes have passed between Lockwood's KO and his awakening with no doctor in sight.

My how times have changed. Submitted by Kenmore 1/03/2012.

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