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#235: The Case of the
Careless Kitten
Original Airdate: 03/25/65

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
When Franklin Shore, a man dead ten years, telephones his niece, Helen, giving her instructions on how to meet him, things are just beginning to get spooky.

Perry must not only find out where the dead man was calling from, but also: Who killed Henry Leach, a man who was blackmailing the deceased? Who took a shot at Helen’s boyfriend, Frank? Who poisoned the deceased’s wife, Matilda? And who poisoned Monkey, the cat?

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Vincent McEveety
Teleplay by Jackson Gillis
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

Cast

Louise Latham as Matilda Shore
Lloyd Corrigan as Gerald Shore
Allan Melvin as Thomas Link
Julie Sommars as Helen Kendall
Alan Reed, Jr. as Frank Templar
Hedley Mattingly as Cosmo
Percy Helton as Hotel Desk Clerk
Raymond Guth as Veterinarian
Francis De Sales as Doctor
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Police Officer (sighted by gracenote, 4/27/2011)

Crew

Director of Photography … John M. Nickolaus, Jr.
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Gordon A. Webb
Film Editor … Al Clark, 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

This episode is based on the 1942 Erle Stanley Gardner novel of the same name. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 27 October 2009.

Julie Sommars would later appear in another series centered on a mystery-solving defense lawyer—Matlock. According to the IMDb, she played A.D.A. Julie March (and Matlock’s friend) in 94 episodes between 1987 and 1994. Submitted by gracenote, 4/27/2011.

This is one of the few Perry Mason episodes where there is no trial or evidentiary hearing. Instead, everyone is gathered into the parlor â la Hercule Poirot for the denouement. Submitted by gracenote, 4/27/2011.

Location: About 17 minutes in they drive to Empire Theatre. It’s such a tight shot I can’t be certain until I get a chance to drive by and explore but I think it’s the John Anson Ford Theater which is still rockin’ and is a short drive from the studio. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 14 September 11.

Comments Edit

Last episode with Perry’s arm immobilized. Submitted by Francis, 10 June 2011.

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