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#223: The Case of the
Wooden Nickels
Original Airdate: 12/10/64

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Some people will do anything for money, and in this case it's not even new money. An embezzling scheme involving counterfeit but rare Confederate coins leads to blackmail and a murder, and keeps Paul and Perry busy.

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Arthur Marks
Written by Jonathan Latimer
Arthur Marks \ Art Seid | Producers
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

Music Composed by Richard Shores
Music Supervision by Herschel Burke Gilbert

Cast

Will Kuluva as Homer Doubleday
Phyllis Love as Minerva Doubleday
Nancy Berg as Vivian Norman
Murray Matheson as Howard Hopkins
Walter Burke as Panhandler (Kelso)
Berry Kroeger as Rexford Wyler
Hunt Powers as George Parsons
Grandon Rhodes as Judge
Penny O'Donnell as Cigarette Girl
Vera Marshe as Woman Apartment Manager
Sherwood Keith as Museum Curator
Thomas Freebairn-Smith as Hotel Desk Clerk
Karen Norris as Matron
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice

Uncredited Actors

Don Anderson as {	Pedestrian
	Police Officer

Bert Stevens as Court Reporter

Crew

Director of Photography … John M. Nickolaus, Jr.
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

The basic premise about the coin is true. Only 4 of the 1861 Confederate half dollars were struck, making it a highly sought after coin. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 12 August 2010.

Location: Thirty minutes into the episode, Paul stands on the corner of Lebanon and Wilshire. This is an actual, although unremarkable, location which is just 2 blocks from the Los Angeles Central Library at 630 W. 5th Street, which is shown in the next scene. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 12 August 2010.

TCOT Synonymous Spy. In an apparent attempt to avoid trademark infringement while still making a voguish espionage allusion, Perry refers to Della as ”Operative Naught-Naught-Seven.” (Naught means the digit 0 [zero]). And this was some thirty-five years before the copyright laws became more draconian. Submitted by gracenote, 4/16/2011.

Uncredited Actors: As Minerva looks around her uncle’s store to see if anyone is listening, Don Anderson and an escort walk along the sidewalke in front of the glass door of The Numismatic Shop. Later, he’s a silent cop standing at the back door. Submitted by gracenote, 4/16/2011.
+ As Operative Naught-Naught-Seven makes her report, Bert Stevens and his dining companion walk behind the restaurant booth. Submitted by gracenote, 4/16/2011.

Goof: Perry slightly mispronounces planchet, which is a plain metal disk from which a coin is made, while he reads from a book. Submitted by gracenote, 4/16/2011.

Sightings: In the lobby of the Wilshire Palace is an oblivious Distinguished Gentleman #1, reading his newspaper. Quiet Old Man #1 and Little Old Lady #1 appear in the rear of the courtroom gallery. Read more about them and other favorite frequent faces. Submitted by gracenote, 4/16/2011.

The phrase “Don’t take any wooden nickels,” alluded to in the story, is a warning against being duped in one’s business dealings. Submitted by gracenote, 4/16/2011.

Uncredited Actors: This episode marks the last appearance of Bert Stevens, who died of a heart attack just four days after this episode originally aired. Submitted by gracenote, 7/26/2011.

Location: About 48 minutes in, Paul and Perry fly to San Francisco and we see the exterior of the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in Golden Gate Park, where an expert tells of purchasing the coin. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 26 August 2011.

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