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#176: The Case of the
Lover's Leap
Original Airdate: 04/04/63

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
When a man attempts to swindle his partner, fake his own suicide, and disappear, his plans go awry when someone really kills him. It’s up to Perry to defend the accused, the dead man’s partner (the “Boy Scientist” Brent) and to figure out who is the real murderer.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE LOVER’S LEAP
Based upon characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by Arthur Marks
Written by Robb White
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

Music composed and conducted by Van Cleave

Cast

Julie Adams as Valerie Comstock
John Conte as Roy Comstock
Carleton Carpenter as Peter Brent
Richard Jaeckel as Willie
Maura McGiveney as Gloria Winters
Marvin Miller as F. J. Weatherby
John Gallaudet as Judge
Stewart Bradley as Bill Vaughan
Audrey Caire as Polly Vaughan
Walter Coy as Mr. Lawson
Lewis Charles as Bartender
John Zaremba as Medical Examiner
Ken Renard as Divorce Judge
Bill Cord as Coast Guard Officer
Henry Rowland as Watchman
Richard Geary as Diver
Barry Brooks as Man
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice

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 … Sandy Grace
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

Anomaly: Maura McGiveney is listed as Gloria Winters but is called Miss Withers by Valerie (Julie Adams) in the opening scene. Submitted by Mitch English, 1/26/2005 via email.

Marvin Miller makes his only Perry appearance here playing attorney F. J. Weatherby. Marvin Miller is probably best known for playing the character who delivers the million dollar check each week, Michael J. Anthony, on the 1950s television show The Millionaire. He was also known as a prolific announcer on 40s radio. His famous voice was every where during the golden age of radio. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 9 September 2009.

Cape Canaveral (where Brent was working in the space program) was renamed Cape Kennedy several months after this episode aired, in memory of the recently slain President. The residents of the Florida town, however, didn’t like the change, and it reverted to the original name in 1974. But the Space Center there is still named after Kennedy. Submitted by gracenote, 2/1/2011.

Sightings: Our only recurring spectator to turn up during the divorce hearing is “Miss Carmody”, in the back row behind Weatherby. At Brent’s hearing, however, both Pencil Mustache Man and Quiet Old Man #1 sit on the prosecutor’s side of the gallery. Can you spot other favorite frequent faces? Submitted by gracenote, 2/1/2011.
+ That might be a very blurry Little Old Lady in a Hat also on the prosecutor’s side (but only in one brief shot). Submitted by gracenote, 7/26/2011.

Uncredited Actors: Robert Wegner pops up as a bailiff, sitting quietly, out of focus, by the window. Submitted by gracenote, 7/26/2011.

Although Julie Adams played in a lot of B Westerns, she is best known as the girl in Creature from the Black Lagoon. Interestingly, in one of her 4 Perry Mason appearances, she is one of the rare Mason clients to be found guilty (“TCOT Deadly Verdict”)! Submitted by CGraul, 9/14/2011.

+Carleton Carpenter, who played Peter Brent, was not only an actor, but a talented singer. In 1951, Carleton Carpenter teamed up with Debbie Reynolds to record the old tune "Aba Daba Honeymoon" in the movie "2 Weeks With Love". Their recording of that song made it all the way to #3 on the Billboard Chart in 1951. This is Mr. Carpenter's only appearance on TAGS. Submitted by PaulDrake 33. 11 December 2011.

Comments Edit

One of the better episodes because of the presence of Julie Adams, because of the original jazz music by Van Cleave (which gives the episode an edge), and because of the references to the space program. The last was particularly enjoyable because I have visited the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral (it looks a little different now). Submitted by gracenote, 2/1/2011.

Perry Mason’s badgering of a certain witness should have been stopped by the judge. Of course, there was a reason he was doing it, but it still flies in the face of court procedure. The judge did not have to ask Perry to let the witness testify after calming down; he could have told him. Submitted by gracenote, 2/1/2011.

It’s nice to see Tragg in this episode, but why do we see him? He seems far out of his jurisdiction; the cabin is supposedly near El Centro, and that’s not close to Los Angeles County! Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 8/14/2011.

This case also does a good job of showing the professional respect Hamilton, Tragg, Drake and Mason have for each other outside of the courtroom, working together to find the truth. Submitted by cgraul, 9/14/2011.

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