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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

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Laslo Benedek
Teleplay by Donald S. Sanford
Ben Brady | Producer
Produced by CBS Television in association with Paisano Productions
Gail Patrick Jackson | 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

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

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 … Wilbur F. McGaugh
Editorial Supervisor … Art Seid, A.C.E.
Film Editor … Richard W. Farrell
Makeup … Mel Berns
Hair Stylist … Annabell
Wardrobe Supervision … Dick James
Set Decorations … Walter M. Scott, Charles Q. Vassar
Properties … Ray Thompson
Production Sound Mixer … Robert O’Brien
Rerecorded by … 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 Cadillac convertible, black (Mason), 1957 Chevrolet 150 4dr sedan, black (Police). From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Goof: 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, 07/03/2008.

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. Submitted by 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 Telephone Curiosities for these details and pictures. Submitted by billp, 12/30/2008.

Sightings: In the opening scene today, seen exiting the Lacey Publishing Co. and looking very happy with her lot in life, is Distinguished Lady #2. We see her later on as a spectator in court, together with Distinguished Gentleman #2, Little Old Lady #2, and Distinguished Lady #1, plus Distinguished Gentleman #1 as the court stenographer. Submitted by evelyne, 17 February 2011.
+ Read more about all of these favorite faces on the “Who Is That?” page. Submitted by gracenote, 8/29/2011.

Uncredited Actors: Though Lee Miller has appeared in several previous episodes as a police plainclothesman, it will be a while until gets the name “Brice” (which was used twice by Chuck Webster). This is the first time he appears as Lt. Tragg’s tagalong sergeant. Submitted by FredK, 9 June 2011.

Goof? Consider the scene where Delores shoots through the door of Lacey’s office. Well, on the side of the door through which Delores fired, there doesn’t appear to be a corresponding bullet hole. In other words, there’s an exit but no entry. Miss Sims does her best to obscure this fact, but the miracle of the DVD and stop-action shows it to be the case. I hesitate to call this a goof since I don’t think that when the show first aired it would have been possible to notice this. Submitted by bill, June 15, 2011.

Comments Edit

The $16,000 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 $75,000 ($551,275.95), the split 50-50. Barnaby has other ideas: Lacey gets $1000 ($7,350.35). Barnaby asks the heiress for $50,000 ($367,517.30) for drilling. That $8,000,000 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”). Submitted by billp, 12/28/2008.

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. Submitted by billp, 12/28/2008.

Look at Paul Drake’s desk. It’s similar to or the same as Perry’s. Submitted by billp, 12/28/2008.

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. Submitted by billp, 12/30/2008.

The premiss of this episode is somewhat puzzling. Personal ads are notorious for being less than truthful. So why should the Post Office be so concerned about any particular ad in a trashy magazine? Submitted by gracenote, 8/30/2011.

L.Q. Jones gives a thoroughly enjoyable performance as Barnaby in this episode, one of my favorites. It's too bad he didn't appear more often in Perry episodes! Ed Zoerner, 9/13/11.

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