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#239: The Case of the
Grinning Gorilla
Original Airdate: 04/29/65

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
This strange episode begins when Della buys the diary of a drowned woman at an auction. After reading the entries, she becomes convinced the woman's death was not a suicide, as the authorities ruled at the time.

The mystery thickens as Perry gets involved and discovers that there is a kleptomaniac gorilla on the loose, one who is later suspected of murder.

Gavin MacLeod and Victor Buono are featured. Janos Prohaska plays the gorilla.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in Erle Stanley Gardner’s
The Case of THE GRINNING GORILLA
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by Jesse Hibbs
Teleplay 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
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg

Music Composed by Richard Shores
Music Conducted by Herschel Burke Gilbert

Cast

Victor Buono as Nathon Fallon
Charlene Holt as Helen Cadmus
Robert Colbert as F. A. Snell
Lurene Tuttle as Josephine Kempton
Gavin Mac Leod as Mortimer Hershey
Bartlett Robinson as Sydney Hardwick
Harvey Stevens as Benjamin Addicks
Robert Foulk as Sergeant Deputy
Jim Boles as Estate Guard
Tommy Farrell as Jefferson
Janos Prohaska as Gorilla
True Boardman as Morgue Attendant
Ted Stanhope as Waiter
Charles Stroud as Animal Regulation Man

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Deputy Sheriff

Crew

Director of Photography … John M. Nickolaus, Jr.
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Gordon A. Webb
Film Editor … Richard W. Farrell
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 is the direct adaptation of Erle Stanley Gardner's 1952 novel, ''The Case of the Grinning Gorilla". Most PM episodes were original screenplays 'based on characters created by...', but this is an actual ESG novel.

True Boardman makes his only acting appearance here on Perry playing the morgue attendant. Not only was True Boardman his real name, his father was also named True Boardman. True Boardman began his acting career at the age of 3 in 1912, and this was his first appearance since 1936. True Boardman is best known as a writer. At the time of this broadcast, he had already written two episodes of Perry, TCOT Ancient Romeo, and TCOT Lawful Lazarus. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 18 August 2009.

Lurene Tuttle makes her fifth of six appearances here as Miss Kempton. She was one of the great character actresses in films of the day, and a great favorite of Raymond Burr's She made memorable appearances in "Psycho" [1960], "The Fortune Cookie" [1966], and in the short-lived CBS sitcom "Father of the Bride" [1961] She was wonderful in TCOT Substitute Face, from Season 2.
dwhite 1.21.13

And Gavin MacLeod, whom millions remember as the Captain of "The Love Boat" in the 1970s.
dwhite 1.21.13

Uncredited Actors: Don Anderson is in uniform once again as a Sheriff’s deputy. I think he’s one of the men who hurry past Mason and his client as they escape the gorilla, and he’s definitely the deputy who steps out beside Paul Drake after overhearing the blurted confession of Fallon and Hershey. Submitted by FredK, 2 December 2010.

It’s quite a conincidence that bon vivant Victor Buono should play the personal assistant to a kooky anthropologist when later in Batman he would play an anthropologist himself—one who was hit on the head and thought himself King Tut reincarnated. Submitted by gracenote, 5/4/2011.

Sightings: As Perry grumpily requests Della to carry her own packages in the opening scene, a hatted Distinguished Gentleman (whom we’ve designated as #1) pops out of the phone booth. Submitted by gracenote, 5/4/2011.

Once again, Ray Collins receives billing for Lt. Tragg but makes no appearance. Submitted by gracenote, 5/5/2011.

Comments Edit

This episode is unusual for the very strongly implied homosexual relationship between Fallon (Victor Buono) and Hershey (Gavin MacLeod). Even to suggest such a thing on television was extremely rare in 1965. Submitted by FredK 2 December 2010.

Agreed. dwhite 1.21.13

It's clear that all those responsible were doing their best to make sure that Perry Mason didn't become a cliché of itself, as had The Twilight Zone a year earlier at CBS. These late-season episodes were full of unexpected things not seen usually. That bit with the chimpanzee around Perry's neck in the closing shot is one for the books. Reminiscent of the dog and Paul Drake in the closing shot of TCOT Howling Dog

Raymond Burr loved animals, and he and his partner Robert had a menagerie of their own at their ranch in Healdsburg.

dwhite 1.21.13

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