<< Lawful Lazarus | Episodes | Lover's Leap >>

#175: The Case of the
Velvet Claws
Original Airdate: 03/21/63

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
This episode is based on Erle Stanley Gardner’s first Perry Mason book. A photographer snaps a picture of prominent politician Harrison Burke and a married woman, Eva Belter, as they leave a local gambling establishment. Harrison is concerned for his career but Eva is afraid of what her husband, George Belter, will do. She goes to Perry for help, telling him that her name is Griffin and that a scandal sheet called Spicy Bits is blackmailing her.

Perry has a personal interest in seeing the publication closed down because a friend of his committed suicide over a piece that appeared in it.

That night, Perry gets a call from Eva telling him that Belter has been shot. She also intimates that she heard Perry and Belter arguing earlier in the evening.

Perry could become the prime murder suspect in this case.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in Erle Stanley Gardner’s
The Case of THE VELVET CLAWS
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by Harmon Jones
Teleplay by Jackson Gillis
Arthur Marks | 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
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg
Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson

Cast

Patricia Barry as Eva Belter
James Philbrook as Harrison Burke
Wynn Pearce as Carl Griffin
Virginia Gregg as Mrs. Vickers
Anna-Lisa as Norma Vickers
Richard Webb as George Belter
Harry Jackson as Frank Locket
Peter Leeds as Photographer
Paul Barselow as Expert
Cathie Merchant as Esther Linten
Ron Stokes as Deputy
Don Lynch as Traffic Officer
Kathy Willow as Switchboard Girl
Buddy Ochoa as Bellboy

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Roadhouse Patron
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice

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 … Sandy Grace
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

Trivia Edit

Goof: About 16:30 into the episode after a heated argument between Perry and George Belter they head down a flight of stairs. It seems apparent that the actor, Richard Webb, stumbles on the stairs and pitches forward until Raymond Burr catches him. There is a moment when the actors look at one another …then back in character as Belter, Webb mutters “Get your hand off my arm.” Classic. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 21 May 2009.

The Curious Coffee Set makes a fleeting appearance. Norma Vickers wants to serve the officers coffee in the Curious Coffee Set because they are prettier than the kitchen cups, but Mrs. Vickers scolds her, saying, “Policemen are not guests.” The set stays in the cabinet. Submitted by g, 1/31/2011.

Character Names: The “expert” in the credits should have been listed as “Handwriting Expert,” and Perry addresses him as Joe. Submitted by g, 1/31/2011.

Once again, Lt. Tragg appears only in the credits. Submitted by g, 1/31/2011.

The Case of The Velvet Claws was the very first Perry Mason novel ever penned by Erle Stanley Gardner. Submitted by PaulDrake33, 8 June 2011. + It was made into a movie in 1936. It starred Warren Williams as Perry. It was the 4th and final Perry Mason movie before the modern age. Submitted by PaulDrake33, 9 June 2011.

Early on, the Photographer holds up his snapshot against a framed cover of Spicy Bits magazine. It features a conservatively but stylishly dressed woman, and standing behind her is a man carrying books in front of his face. This same cover was used in #108, Envious Editor, but as the cover of a professional woman’s magazine. Submitted by gracenote, 7/26/2011.

Comments Edit

Worst...client...ever!!!!! :)

Once again, nothing seems to done about battered women in this series. Eva shows Mr. Mason a bruise in order to persuade him to help her, but what he should have done is call the police re assault. The fact that Eva turns out to be very dissembling and manipulative, even poisonous, as Della describes her later, doesn’t change what a person should do when he sees evidence of assault and battery, no matter if the victim is related to the assailant. In fact, if Perry had done so, he wouldn’t have found himself in the predicament he was mired in. And anyway, it turns out that her “poison” came out of desperation and fear, and the ever-gallant Perry shows keen understanding of this ultimately. Submitted by g, 1/31/2011.

<< Lawful Lazarus | Episodes | Lover's Leap >>