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#170: The Case of the
Libelous Locket
Original Airdate: 02/07/63

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Law professor Edward Lindley (Michael Rennie) believes that a good trial lawyer is a combination of jackass and parrot. Seriously, though, he has great respect for men like Perry Mason and gets some practical experience of his own when a student of his confesses to having killed a man.

Janice Norland claims to have killed a blackmailing dance instructor, Raul Perez, by hitting him with a poker. Lindley checks her story and finds no body. Since Perry is still unavailable, the law professor takes on Janice’s case and winds up in court when Raul really is killed.

The police discover that Raul was using a radio-activated camera to gather blackmail material, a fact that works against Janice. One of those photos shows her standing over Raul’s dead body. It’s a curious case, made even stranger by the fact that Janice's mother was the real object of Raul’s schemes.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
With special guest star Michael Rennie
in The Case of THE LIBELOUS LOCKET
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

Michael Rennie as Prof. Edward Lindley
Patrice Wymore as Maureen Norland
Ruta Lee as Vivian Cosgrave
John Hoyt as Darwin Norland
Harry von Zell as Sidney Hawes
Patricia Manning as Janice Norland
Carlos Romero as Raul Perez
Dan Seymour as Pedro Dias
S. John Launer as Judge
Michael Fox as Physician
Nacho Galindo as Hotel Owner
John Harmon as Fingerprint Expert
Norman Leavitt as Technician
Robert Howard as Young Man
Paul Maxey as Plump Man
Jose Gonzales Gonzales as Taximan
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice
Robert Koff as Male Student
Kathryn Hart as Maid

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Courtroom Spectator

Crew

[TBA]

Trivia Edit

Anomaly: Carlos Romero, listed as Raul Perez, is called Reyo in the show.
+ At times they might be saying [RĀ-əl]—an anglicized pronunciation of the man’s name (though often they are sloppy with the final “L”). Submitted by gracep, 1/26/2011.

Did you catch that line from Lt. Andy about “the Martian nine feet tall?” Could this be a reference to Michael Rennie’s famous film, The Day the Earth Stood Still? Submitted by Mitch English, 1/19/2005.

The music used in certain tense, dramatic moments in the early scenes was reused as the theme music in the CBS Radio Mystery Theater of the 1970s-80s. It has a distinctive drum roll and deep, rumbling bass. Submitted by gracep, 1/26/2011.

Character Names: Michael Fox is credited only as “Physician,” but surely it is the same Dr. Hoxie as from earlier seasons. Submitted by gracep, 1/26/2011.

Sightings / Uncredited Actors: As Drake, Lindley, and Della confer before the hearing begins, we see Little Old Lady #1 and “Miss Carmody” filing into the courtroom with the other spectators. Along with these two ladies, Quiet Old Man #1 and uncredited actor Don Anderson appear in the gallery. Submitted by gracep, 1/26/2011.

Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins) did not appear despite his name being printed on the credits. Submitted by gracep, 1/26/2011.

On their gorgeous patio, the Norlands enjoy their morning coffee, served by a traditionally-uniformed maid from the Curious Coffee Set. Submitted by gracenote, 7/25/2011.

Comments Edit

This episode marks the second time that Dan Seymour (born Dan Seymour Katz) plays a Latin character (he also played Carlos Silva in “TCOT Impatient Partner,” #125). I don’t understand the casting; neither his appearance nor his accent convince the viewer. Given that Perry episodes often cast “authentic” actors for ethnic roles, Seymour’s casting seems all the stranger to me. Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 3/2/2011.
+ Well, Ed, maybe the parties involved thought Seymour looked “Latin” enough! It was a different time; and remember, they did present Frank Silvera as the father of Joan Banks in show #49. I remember actors who always seemed to get various ‘ethnic’ parts, regardless of what their actual origin was. I’ve seen Nehemiah Persoff play Italians, Poles and Latins. Michael Constantine comes to mind as well! Submitted by MikeReese, 12/20/2011

Perhaps the show is trying to be a little progressive; there appear to be more women enrolled the law class than one might expect in 1963. Submitted by gracenote, 7/25/2011.

Did you catch it? When Paul gives Mr. Hawes a cigarette, he pilfers the whole pack. Very slick. Submitted by gracenote, 7/25/2011.

I wonder about the thought processes of university-extension Professor Lindley. Two examples: 1) Janice visits the professor after class and tells him that she hit “Rayo” (per the subtitles on the 2011 Paramount DVD) over the head with a fireplace poker just before running away. She thinks that she killed him, but Lindley thinks that he may be only stunned so he tells her, “Janice, a few more minutes’ delay won’t make any difference.” Really? After a possibly fatal blow? Submitted by masonite, 11/30/2011.

2) Lindley later calls on Vivian at her dance studio when he is looking for Rayo. Lindley doesn’t know either Vivian or Rayo, so doesn’t recognize Rayo, who is pretending to be a student of Vivian’s. Lindley tells Vivian, “When you see him, would you give him this, and tell him I’m very anxious to get in touch with him?” And “this” is a plain business card with text on only one side, the text being only “Edward Lindley, PhD. / Professor of Law.” So with only that info, how does Vivian know that he is “a professor from the university,” and how is Rayo supposed to get in touch with him? For starters, how many universities are there in the L.A. area? Submitted again by masonite, 11/30/2011.

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