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#225: The Case of the
Ruinous Road
Original Airdate: 12/31/64

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
When a land development plan goes sour, Perry is called in to defend engineer Adam Conrad, who is accused of murdering his boss in an old house that has something very sinister buried underneath it.

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Jesse Hibbs
Written by Robert & Esther Mitchell
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

Grant Williams as Quincy Davis
Barton MacLane as Archer Osmond
Joan Blackman as Hilary Gray
Allen Case as Adam Conrad
John Howard as Harley Leonard
Meg Wyllie as Marguerite Keith
Les Tremayne as Ed Pierce
Bert Freed as Joe Marshall
Willis Bouchey as Judge
Frankie Darro as Messenger
Patricia Joyce as Secretary

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Police Officer

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

Uncredited Actors: Don Anderson appears in one of his most familiar roles, a non-speaking uniformed policeman. When Ms. Keith leaves her house to set the trap for the murderer, she stops at Officer Anderson’s checkpoint and asks if she has done her job correctly. As usual, we do not hear his reply. Submitted by FredK, 16 Nov 2010.

Sightings: Three regulars make an appearance in the courtroom gallery: a pensive Pencil Mustache Man, a passive Quiet Old Man (#1), and an inscrutable Little Old Lady in a Hat. Read more about these recurring spectators. Submitted by gracenote, 4/17/2010.

Although credited, Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins) does not appear. Submitted by gracenote, 4/17/2010.

Willis Bouchey, who played a judge in 23 episodes, also played a Judge and bar president in his first appearance of Hazel (“Mr. B on the Bench.”) Submitted by cgraul, 10/26/2011.

Although Jesse Hibbs did not come on board to PM until late in the 1961-62 season, he more than anyone established the no-nonsense, no-frills directorial style with which we are familiar with the show, directing over 40 episodes over the last 4 years and being given the honor of directing the final episode, TCOT Final Fade-Out. cgraul 11.23.11

Marguerite's beaut-of-a-1959 Ford four-door hardtop is a Galaxie Town Victoria (Model 75A, $2654 base price new). 1959 was the first year Ford used the Galaxie model name. It denoted DeLuxe features including extensive chrome and stainless steel trim. Keys to the ID of Marguerite's car are the distinctive '59 grill and rear-end styling. The full chrome, including the "<" cut at the rear of the side windows ID it as a Galaxie (passenger side shown here). In keeping with Ford's frequent practice of using model names with allusions to British aristocracy (eg, "Tudor"), Marguerite's model was sometimes referred to as a Fordor Hardtop. For the '59 model year the Fairlane and Galaxie models were essentially the same car except for the trim features and nameplates; their designs diverged later. Submitted by Gary Woloski, 27 Jan 2012.

Comments Edit

Mark Goddard’s Southern accent is terrible. Bonnie Jones’s isn’t much better. Submitted by gracenote, 4/20/2011.

Flub? About 40 minutes in Paul asks a messenger to drive to another block. As they pull away you can see 2 large square cement posts with an unusual design. As they pull up in the next block, there are the same 2 unique posts. I think they just returned to the same place they left. Submitted by Eric Cooper 30 August 11.

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