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#20: The Case of the
Lonely Heiress
Original Airdate: 02/01/58

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
We catch Paul reading a copy of Lonely Hearts Calling magazine in his office.

He's "on duty," hired to investigate an ad placed by a lonely heiress named Marilyn Cartwright who is looking for male companionship. Or so she says. The heiress is really looking for the con man who drove her sister to suicide.

When Marilyn does find the man, Barnaby Baker, she turns on the charm convincingly. She hopes to catch him red-handed in the act of embezzlement and fraud, and turn him over to the police. Baker is murdered before Marilyn can get the goods on him. Perry's job is to convince the police that Marilyn didn't kill the man in an act of revenge.

Credits Edit

Cast

Robert H. Harris as Edmund Lacey
Anna Navarro as Delores Coterro
L. Q. Jones as Charles Barnaby
Kathleen Crowley as Marylin Clark
Richard Crane as George Moore
Betty Lou Gerson as Agnes Sims
Gail Kobe as Margo
Robert Williams as Lt. Kramer
Frank Wilcox as Judge
Robert McQueeney as Dr. L. J. Palmer

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1957 Cadillac convertible, black (Mason), 1957 Chevrolet 150 4dr sedan, black (Police). From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

+In the opening scene, George Moore goes to the Lonely Hearts office to collect the letters from box 96. The numbers of the post office boxes in the office are all jumbled up and in no particular order. The row of 91-92-93 etc runs right down the middle of the post office boxes running between 42 and 43, 32 and 33 etc. This would make it extremely difficult for someone to post the letters. Submitted by PaulDrake33.

The favorite jeweler of the series, Van Dorf and Kohl (or Cole or Co.), may have first been mentioned in this episode. It's the jeweler that Barnaby went to. billp 12/28/2008.

Note the intercom on Perry's desk (also in other episodes the first season or so). It's a Rauland Amplicall Intercom. The case is made of brown swirled bakelite and contains a tube amplifier and speaker. The handset is a Kellogg brown model. Front panel controls include push-to-talk bar, on/off/volume, pilot lamp and 6 station selector switches. It would be hooked to the PBX so the operator could make the connections. See http://www.paul-f.com/curious.htm for these details and pictures. billp 12/30/08.

Comments Edit

The $16000 the heiress' sister was swindled out of would ring in at $117,605.54 today. Barnaby and Co. are making a pretty good living it seems. Lacey says he's made $400 ($2,940.14) on the ad. His magazine costs $1 ($7.35). Paul charges Lacey $200 ($1,470.07) for the letter. No wonder Lacey sputters. Lacey thinks they can sucker the heiress out of $75000 ($551,275.95), the split 50-50. Barnaby has other ideas: Lacey gets $1000 ($7,350.35). Barnaby asks the heiress for $50000 ($367,517.30) for drilling. That $8000000 suit Perry is working on would be worth $58,802,768.17 today. But we already knew Perry is a high-flyer. This must be one of the ways he finances those cases where he doesn't make costs (e.g., Fiery Fingers). billp 12/28/08.

When the heiress is writing her answer to Barnaby's, i.e. Drake's, letter, we see a painting over the fireplace. This painting is a copy of/inspired by one commonly titled "Two Dancers at Rest/Dancers in Blue." Whatever it's called, it's by Edgar Degas. I recall ballet inspired artwork being quite popular in the 1950s. I don't know why that was, but I remember my mom had some, too. billp 12/28/08.

Look at Paul Drake's desk. It's similar to or the same as Perry's. billp 12/28/08.

Speaking of the Mason office furniture, it strikes me as being mid to late 1950s Danish modern. The floating top desk, the credenza, the round table and chairs, the sofa, Della's desk - even the art work (fish painting). I'm thinking it must have been a suite or something. Is anyone an expert on the decorative arts? Can they identify the makers and/or give other information? It would also be great to see photos (color or b/w) of the furniture from style books or what-not. Does the bas-relief over the sofa look familiar? It strikes me as some sort of imitation of Babylonian art. billp 12/30/08.

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