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#162: The Case of the
Weary Watchdog
Original Airdate: 11/29/62

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
This is the episode where Della asks Perry how far he would go for a friend and then asks for $25,000. Della needs the money for her friend Janet Brent, who is being blackmailed. Edward Franklin, an employee of Janet’s husband, has staged compromising photos of her in a motel.

At a party, Janet confronts Franklin and hits him with a small statue of a “weary watchdog.” The police arrest Della when they find her driving Janet’s car from the scene of the argument.

Franklin is dead, struck three times on the head with the statue. Janet claims she only hit him once and Perry believes her.

Perry takes the case knowing that if he loses, Della will go to prison as an accessory.

N.B. Spoiler removed. To view, click above link for original summary.

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Jesse Hibbs
Written by Samuel Newman

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

Mala Powers as Janet Brent
Doris Dowling as Zaneta Holmes
John Dall as Edward Franklin
Keye Luke as C. C. Chang
Wesley Addy as Alton Brent
Judy Dan as Trixie Tong
James Hong as Dean Chang
Kenneth Tobey as Asst. District Attorney Alvin
Philip Ahn as James Wong
Willis Bouchey as Second Judge
Robert S. Carson as Commodore Holmes
Beulah Quo as Mrs. Tong
Seamon Glass as Policeman
Tom Harkness as First Judge

Uncredited Actors
Bert Stevens as Charity Party Guest #1
Don Anderson as Charity Party Guest #2
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice
Robert Wegner as Bailiff (spotted by Rich Erickson, 6/23/2010)
Sam Harris as Juror

Crew

“Perry Mason”

Director of Photography … Robert G. Hager
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Gordon A. Webb
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 … Cosmo Genovese
Theme Composed by … Fred Steiner

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

Trivia Edit

“During the last act, Mason quotes a rule of law from Flynn vs Croates. I think this was a real case.” Submitted by Bill Sullivan, 1/22/2006.
+ Indeed it was! A quick visit to Westlaw and a $14 search finds: Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, San Antonio, Flinn v. Krotz, March 30, 1927. This case does apply to Perry’s situation as amicus curiae. Perry’s citation, “293 South Western Reporter 625,” is also correct. Submitted by daveb 11/26/2007.

The Curious Coffee Set makes another appearance as Della and her friend Janet wait in Perry’s office. Submitted by gracep, 1/19/2011.

Uncredited Actors: Two familiar faces, Bert Stevens and Don Anderson (mostly with back turned), appear as charity party guests, but neither makes it to the courthouse. Robert Wegner, however, is a bailiff guarding the door in the elder Chang’s trial, and he comes quite close to the camera near the end. Earlier, at Anderson’s side during Mrs. Brent’s arrest is the strong, silent Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice. Submitted by gracenote, 1/19/2011 & updated 7/23/2011. + A juror at Ms. Brent’s trial is none other than the late Sam Harris, who, like Bess Flowers, has been in five Best Oscar pictures. We don’t have him on our Uncredited Actors page, yet. Submitted by gracenote, 7/23/2011.

Sightings: Seated right next to Lt. Anderson at Janet Brent’s trial is our beloved Little Old Lady #1. Down the hall at the other trial sits a keenly interested Pencil Mustache Man, who looks very pensive as Perry leaves the courtroom. Submitted by gracenote, 1/19/2011 & updated 7/23/2011.

Character Names: The elder Chang’s given name, spelled “C.C.” in the credits, is spelled “Cee Cee” on the menu of his restaurant (and in the closed captions of the syndication print). Submitted by gracep, 1/19/2011.

Keye Luke, of course, is perhaps better known to baby boomers and Gen-X-ers as Master Po in the 1970s Kung Fu and to classic film buffs as Number One Son (or Lee Chan) in some of the Charlie Chan movies. Submitted by gracep, 1/19/2011.
+ Philip Ahn (James Wong) also was a regular on Kung Fu, in which he played Master Kan. Although actually Korean, in most of his 200 Hollywood roles he played Chinese. Submitted by cgraul, 12/14/2011.

Judy Dan was Miss Hong Kong 1952. Submitted by gracep, 1/19/2011.

Lt. Tragg did not appear in this episode even though Ray Collins was credited with the part. Submitted by gracep, 1/20/2011.

Comments Edit

It seems to me that this one of the few episodes where the key part of the episode title, ”The Weary Watchdog” is mentioned over and over again. Could the Kamakura Watchdog be weary from so much repetition? Submitted by gracep, 1/20/2011.

Really, watch the episode and then read this comment. I’ll wait. Done? Okay, did you spot the problem with the name of the statue? It’s revealed at the end. If you did, it might have given you a clue, or it might have absolutely pestered you throughout the episode. Submitted by gracenote, 7/23/2011.
+ Here’s the spoiler more explicitly now. The name of the Watchdog was in Japanese, not in Chinese. (As they plainly said in the end, of course). If you recognized that, then probably much of the story was runied for you, alas! This is one of two shows I found giving away too much in the very beginning. (The other time is #257, TCOT Midnight Howler). Submitted by gracenote, 1/26/2012.

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