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#17: The Case of the
Sun Bather's Diary
Original Airdate: 01/11/58

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Perry gets a phone call from a woman with some bare facts. Arlene Dowling was sunbathing when her house trailer and all her belongings were stolen. She’s calling, wrapped in nothing more than a towel, from a golf course. Perry gets in hot water with Arlene. He starts out looking for her trailer, ends up defending her for murder, and is indicted for perjury for his efforts.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in Erle Stanley Gardner’s The Case of The Sun Bather’s Diary
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by Ted Post
Teleplay by Gene Wang
Ben Brady | Producer
Produced by CBS Television in association with Paisano Productions
Gail Patrick Anderson | Executive Producer Sam White | Associate Producer

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

Susan Morrow as Arlene Dowling
Carl Betz as Dr. Chandler
Gertrude Michael as Helen Rucker
Peter Leeds as Bill Emory
Ralph Moody as George L. Ballard
Connie Cezon as Gertie
Kenneth MacDonald as Judge
Paul Brinegar as Tom Sackett
Walter Reed as Detective Myers
Nesdon Booth as Mr. Hartsel
Jon Locke as Sam Elliott
John Pickard as Sergeant Neil

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as 1st Bank Employee
Lee Miller as 2nd Bank Employee
Bert Stevens as Court Reporter
Sam Harris as Grand Jury Foreman

Crew

Gene Wang | Story Editor
Production Supervisor … J. Paul Popkin
Director of Photography … Frank Redman, A.S.C.
Art Direction … Lyle Wheeler, Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Maxwell Henry
Editorial Supervisor … Art Seid, A.C.E.
Makeup … Mel Berns
Wardrobe Supervision … Dick James
Hair Stylist … Annabell
Set Decorations … Walter M. Scott, Charles Q. Vassar
Properties … Ray Thompson
Recorded by … Alfred Bruzlin
Rerecording Mixer … Harry M. Leonard
Script Supervisor … Cosmo Genovese

This has been a CBS Television Network Production
Filmed in Hollywood by TCF Television Productions, Inc.

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1957 Ford Skyliner retractable, black, top up (Mason), 1957 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer convertible, medium color, top up, 1957 Lincoln, 4dr sedan, black, 1957 Ford Fairlane, 2dr hardtop, black, 1957 Ford 2dr sedan, black. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Goof: In that scene where Perry is driving along with Arlene and the cops are following them, the view out of the rear window doesn’t match that in the rear view mirror. Submitted by daveb, 4/21/2007.

Perry’s office number, MA 5-1190, makes its second appearance, this time actually for Perry’s office. George Ballard, reading a newspaper ad, says it aloud. The very similar MA 5-1199 was previously used as Tydings and Dawson’s office number in #14, TCOT Baited Hook. Perry’s number MA 5-1190 was used for the police department number in #15, TCOT Fan Dancer’s Horse. Submitted by D. A. Supernaw, 6/30/2005. Edited by alan_sings, 10/01/2010.

Goof: In the scene where Arlene is sitting in a car listening to a radio broadcast, the radio announcer mistakenly says that the police are searching for the murderer of Frank Ballard, rather than George Ballard. Submitted by Bob H, 1/26/2008. Also submitted by rpdmhunt, 12/21/2007, but unfortunately not posted by daveb until 10/1/2008.

This episode is unique in that Perry is forced to take the oath and testify. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 2 September 2008.

Arlene Dowling’s trailer was stolen by Tom Sackett, played by Paul Brinegar. Paul Brinegar was best known for playing Wishbone for 6 seasons on Rawhide. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.

Carl Betz makes his only Perry appearance as Dr. Chandler. Carl Betz is best known for playing another doctor, Dr. Alex Stone, husband of Donna Reed on The Donna Reed Show. Carl Betz was also one of a handful of Perry alumni to appear in The New Perry Mason, “TCOT Spurious Spouse.” Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 23 May 2009. Revised 21 October 2009.

When Arlene leaves George Ballard’s house and gets back into Dr. Chandler’s car she says, “I wasn’t too long, was I?” and Dr. Chandler says, “Just long enough for me to finish my cigarette.” This is an ironic line since lung cancer killed Carl Betz at the age of 56 in January 1978. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 23 May 2009.

Perry receives a 500- and 1000-dollar bill by special messenger. William McKinley is on the 500-dollar bill, and Grover Cleveland is on the 1000-dollar bill. The bills seem to be real as you can see the reverse of the bills and there are no pictures on the reverse. The 500 and 1000 do not have pictures on the reverse, only numbers and scrollwork. All bills above 100 dollars were withdrawn from circulation by President Nixon in 1969. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 23 May 2009.

Uncredited Actors: Don Anderson appears with Lee Miller (in a non-Sgt. Brice role) here. As Paul Drake watches and waits to talk to a uniformed bank guard, Anderson and Miller play bank employees loading money bags into an armored car. Submitted by FredK, 30 September 2010.
+ This episode marks the first Perry appearance of an Australian actor sometimes credited (though never in this show) as Major Sam Harris (Ret.) A.L.H. [Australian Light Horse brigade]. He is the foreman on the grand jury, or so reads the sign in front of him. There are a few clear and lingering shots on him, especially when Perry makes a shocking declaration or two. Submitted by gracenote, 9/4/2011.
+ Bert Stevens plays the court reporter during the trial. Submitted by gracenote, 9/4/2011.

Sightings: Lots of folks from the “Who Is That?” page appear today. In the same scene as the item above, the man who drives the armored truck and impatiently toots his horn is Blue Collar Guy. The guard addresses him as Charlie. In the next scene, the man cleaning the pool table in the billiards hall and giving directions to Perry is Distinguished Gentleman #2. Later, Distinguished Gentleman #1 plays the stenographer at the grand jury hearing. At trial, he loses his toupee and plays a juror. Additionally, Distinguished Lady #2 plays the matron guarding the defendant, while right behind her sits Distinguished Lady #4. Submitted by gracenote, 9/4/2011.
+ (Also Continuity Error:) While playing a juror, the same bald Distinguished Gentleman #1 magically plays a spectator in the gallery. Right in front of him is The Thin Man. (Clearly seen when Dr. Chandler is called to the stand). Submitted by gracenote, 9/4/2011.
+ The aforesaid Gentleman reappears one last time at the restaurant in the final scene.

Temperance: There was a lot of drinking going on in this series, but Mason almost always declined when someone offered him a libation. Occasionally he'd accept but not drink it; in this episode he actually downs a snort with "Uncle George." Submitted by Francis 1/9/12

Comments Edit

That $400,000 in stolen money would be worth about $2,867,800.83 today. The $1500 that Mason charges Arlene to find her trailer would be $10,754.25. Definitely a bit over the top as Della comments. Actually, although I realize Perry was testing her, I think he’d get in trouble today with the bar association if he did that. Arlene pays $2500 ($17,923.76) for her trailer and finds $18,000 ($129,051.04). Perry gets a $25,000 ($179,237.55) reward which he turns over to Arlene and her father. The way that girl spends money, she’ll need it. Submitted by billp, 12/27/2008.

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