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#23: The Case of the
One-eyed Witness
Original Airdate: 02/22/58

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
Della and Perry make an attempt at dinner in a romantic French restaurant only to be interrupted by business as usual. Perry gets a phone call and an envelope containing $500 from a mysterious woman. She wants him to make an exchange for her: the money for some documents.

It’s amazing enough that a lawyer would put himself on the line for a woman he’s never met; but it’s incredible that he’s still willing to represent her after the drop-off point turns out to be the scene of a murder.

The mystery woman, Marian Fargo, is played by a young and dark-haired Angie Dickinson. Charles Gallagher is played by Paul Picerni—fifties “jock” and war-movie hero.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in Erle Stanley Gardner’s
The Case of The One-eyed Witness
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by Christian Nyby
Teleplay by Robert C. Dennis
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

Angie Dickinson as Marian Fargo
Louis Van Rooten as Samuel Carlin
Dorothy Green as Diana Maynard
Paul Picerni as Charles Gallagher
Eve Miller as Nora Kelly
Peter Adams as Arthur Fargo
Vincent G. Perry as Judge
Richard Benedict as Steve Daniels
Jan Arvan as Pierre
Sam Gilman as George Danvers
Jean Del Val as Waiter
Ralph Montgomery as Bus Clerk
Jack W. Harris as Court Clerk
Ray Kellogg as Detective
John Sands as Charter Pilot
Doris Wiss as Suzie
Shirley Buchanan as Phone Operator

Uncredited Actors

Don Anderson as {	Restaurant Patron
	Uniformed Policeman

Bert Stevens as Restaurant Customer (posted by gracep 10/22/2010)

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 … Art Marks
Editorial Supervisor … Art Seid, A.C.E.
Film Editor … Otto W. Meyer, A.C.E.
Makeup … Mel Berns
Wardrobe Supervision … Dick James
Hair Stylist … Annabell
Set Decorations … Walter M. Scott, Charles Q. Vassar
Properties … Ray Thompson
Rerecording Mixer … Robert O’Brien
Script Supervisor … Cosmo Genovese

This has been a CBS Television Network Production
Filmed in Hollywood by TCF Television Productions, Inc.

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1957 Mercury convertible, 2-tone: medium color & white, white top up (described as “beige & brown”), 1957 Ford Skyliner retractable, black, top up, 1957 Ford Thunderbird, black, w/ hardtop (Drake), 1957 Ford 2dr sedan, light color. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Perry and Della dine at the classy Ferrolds Cafe. Perry complains about the $1 price of coffee. Across the room is a picture of a woman in a white dress. It’s an 1895 poster of May Milton by Toulouse-Lautrec. No wonder Mr. Ferrold charges so much! Learn more at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Submitted by Leah, 7/12/02.

Vincent G. Perry, who had a very abbreviated acting career, makes his only Perry appearance here as the Judge. I had to look twice to be sure he was not a different judge, the judge in “TCOT Final Fade-Out,” Erle Stanley Gardner. His appearance is quite similar. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 4 December 2009.

In the opening scene, bus passenger #2 (the woman with the black hat carrying the polka dot handbag) is the same actress (Jeanette Nolan) who played Mrs. Kirby in the previous episode, #22, TCOT Fugitive Nurse. Submitted by Kim, 7/5/10. Pictures here.

The newspaper held by the eavesdropping private detective in the first scene has a screaming headline “PROMINENT ATTORNEY ....” (the rest of the headline is obscured). This newspaper is from an earlier episode in the first season when Perry is charged with perjury. Submitted by Kim, 7/5/10. Pictures here.

Uncredited Actors: This is another two-fer episode for Don Anderson. As the scene at Ferrold’s Restaurant begins he is talking to headwaiter Pierre (played by Jan Arvan) as Marian Fargo (Angie Dickinson) watches Mason and Della arrive. Later in the episode, after the explosion at Carlin’s home, he plays a uniformed policeman who stands in the driveway where Mason and Paul are watching the action. Submitted by FredK, 30 September 2010.

Location: About 27 minutes in there is a quick exterior shot of Parker Center at 105 N. Los Angeles Street. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 10 January 11.

Sightings: A busboy at Ferrold’s is none other than the Pencil Mustache Man, all bedecked in white. Distinguished Gentleman #1 plays a witness at the fire scene and the court reporter. A courtroom spectator. is Distinguished Gentleman #2. More here. Submitted by gracenote, 8/30/2011.

Comments Edit

That $1.00 cup of coffee would ring in at $7.35 today. How much does a cup of coffee cost at some of those well-known coffee shops today? (I’m not a coffee drinker). Submitted by billp, 1/1/2009.

Marian Fargo is being blackmailed for $1000 ($7,350.35) a month. So far she’s been taken for $10,000 ($73,503.46). Now the blackmailer wants a lump sum payment of $10,000. Marian would be out $147,006.92 today if she paid that lump sum. Submited by billp, 1/1/2009.

Perry’s $500 retainer amounts to $3,675.17. No wonder they scoot out of the bistro. Submitted by billp, 1/1/2009.

In one scene on the DVD (normally cut from TV), Paul calls Perry from a phone booth while keeping a date waiting in the car! It’s one of the few times that Lothario Paul enjoys success (though perhaps temporary) with women on-screen! Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 5/10/2009.

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