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#210: The Case of the
Tandem Target
Original Airdate: 05/14/64

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Irma Hodge’s wealthy stepfather, Sumner Hodge, is withholding her inheritance because he dislikes her boyfriend, “folksinger” Con Bolton. When someone supposedly takes a shot at Sumner, he suggests to Lt. Anderson that Con is to blame, claiming this is the second attempt on his life. But for Sumner, three proves the unlucky charm. His car goes over a cliff with him behind the wheel, and an investigation reveals it had no brakes. Witnesses claim Con was fooling around with those brakes minutes before the smashup. The singer must call on Perry to repair the damage.

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Irving J. Moore
Written by Robert C. Dennis
Arthur Marks \ 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
William Talman as Hamilton Burger
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg
Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson

Cast

Philip Ober as Sumner Hodge
Ann Rutherford as Mona Hodge
Lonny Chapman as Jack Talley
Paul Carr as Con Bolton
Natalie Trundy as Irma Hodge
Pat Priest as Miss Young
Dan Seymour as Leo Lazaroff
Vince Barnett as Noonan
Tom Fadden as Cooper
Barney Biro as Judge

Uncredited Actors
Philip Ober as Adrian Hodge
Don Anderson as Deputy Sheriff

Crew

“Perry Mason”
Director of Photography … Howard Schwartz, A.S.C.
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 … Carl Biddiscombe
Properties … Ray Thompson
Production Sound Mixer … Herman Lewis
Script Supervision … Marshall Schlom
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

Uncredited Actors: Phillip Ober also appears uncredited as Adrian Hodge, Sumner’s brother. Posted by daveb, 7/3/2009.
+ Incidentally, Ober was the third husband of Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy). Submitted by gracenote, 8/19/2011.

Location: A shot of Malibou Lake appears in this episode. Reported by Charles Richmond, 7/3/2009. Read more about this lake at The Lakes.

Pat Priest makes her first of two appearances on Perry here as Miss Young. This same year, Ms. Priest would replace Beverly Owen as Marilyn Munster, her most famous role, on the CBS sitcom The Munsters. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 29 September 2009.

Sightings: In the back row of the courtroom gallery, Distinguished Gentleman #1 and Little Old Lady #1 sit together. She turns to him as if to whisper during a surprising moment. Pencil Mustache Man, in the front row, appears rather detached from the situation. Quiet Old Man #1 is there, too, but blurry. More here. Submitted by gracenote, 3/22/2011.
+ Earlier, While young Con sings to his love at the Lone Pine Club, the aforementioned Gentleman sits at a table in the background, engrossed in converstaion. Submitted by gracenote, 8/18/2011.

Uncredited Actors: Guarding the house by the lake is a deputy sheriff played by Don Anderson. Interestingly, the camera lingers a long time on the deputy as he and Jack Talley (Lonny Chapman) eye each other. Anderson looks like he’s going to speak, but doesn’t. Later, Talley even barks an order at the deputy!! Submitted by gracenote, 3/22/2011.

That’s right, kids! Our singing, guitar-wielding defendant (Paul Carr) also appeared once (and only once) as Lt. Lee Kelso on Star Trek, in the so-called “second pilot” (but third broadcast episode) called “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” Submitted by gracenote, 3/22/2011. More Trek Alumni can be found here.

Location: The hair pin turns that do in Sumner Hodge at the 22-minute mark are on Mulholland Highway just a couple miles away from Malibou Lake as he approached Las Virgines Road. They are pretty tricky even when you do have brake fluid. And at the 35-minute mark Perry scores again with a one-in-a-millon parking spot at 111 N. Hill right in front of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 9 August 2011.

The song our man Con sings is ”The Riddle Song“—an English folk song. Submitted by gracenote, 8/18/2011.

Comments Edit

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