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#241: The Case of the
Mischievous Doll
Original Airdate: 05/13/65

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Perry is approached by a young woman named Dorrie Ambler who wants him to verify her identity. A seedy private eye has been paying her to frequent certain places around town and Dorrie thinks it's because she resembles someone else. Paul learns that this is true: Dorrie looks like a spoiled heiress named Minerva Minden. After some checking, Perry discovers that Minerva was supposedly involved in a hit-and-run accident and it looks as though Dorrie is being used to prove that. But why?

Blackmail. At least that's what it looks like. But when the blackmailing private eye is killed, Perry learns the truth. Dorrie Ambler is Minerva Minden. She wasn't hired by the dead man, she was being blackmailed by him. The question is: Who is the dead woman burned beyond recognition in the car accident but identified as Dorrie Ambler?

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in Erle Stanly Gardner’s The Case of THE MISCHIEVOUS DOLL
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by Jesse Hibbs
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

Music Composed by Richard Shores
Music Conducted by Herschel Burke Gilbert

Cast

Ben Cooper as Jasper

Mary Mitchel {	as Dorrie Ambler
	as Minerva Minden

Allyson Ames as Rita Jasper
Marge Redmond as Henrietta Hull
Paul Lambert as Del Compton
Phil Arthur as Joe Billings
Kenneth MacDonald as Second Judge
Charles Martin as Judge
Stanley Clements as Second Taxi Driver
Byron Foulger as Airport Clerk
William Boyett as Police Sergeant
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice
Holly Harris as Woman Bystander
Alan Fordney as Man Bystander
Philip Harron as First Taxi Driver
Jack Fife as Man at Airport
Ann Staunton as Woman at Airport

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Airport Bystander and as Courtroom Spectator
Robert Wegner as Police Officer

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

Ray Collins, Adieu (Pt. 1): This is the final episode of season 8. It also marks the final appearance of Ray Bidwell Collins as Lt. Arthur Tragg. Sadly, Mr. Collins would die during the summer of 1965 from emphysema. This episode also marks the final appearance of Wesley Lau as Lt. Andy Anderson. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 8 August 2009.
+ Oh, the curse of ever-expanding commercial breaks! In a well-used syndication print, Ray Collins does not appear in this episode. So for many viewers, alas, this is but the last of several episodes in which he merely received billing. (See below.) Submitted by gracenote, 5/9/2011; updated 6/10/2011.

+ Ray Collins, Adieu (Pt. 2): Using notes made 20 years ago from Chicago TV, I noted that Ray Collins’ last screen appearance in the series was in episode 196. After I read Paul’s note above, I saw the episode on TV recently where Collins is in only one scene: a frail looking, desk bound Tragg gives Lt. Anderson some sage advice about following Mason to find his client. In going back and checking the tape I made years ago, I found that this scene had been cut to allow more syndication commercial time. Paul is correct, and I was wrong, though the reason for my mistake is a pretty good one. Submitted by FredK, 9 June 2011.
+ In relation to the above, there’s a curious incident that may indicate that Ray Collins was intended to have more screen time. In mid-episode, Perry and Paul wait for the police in front of Dorrie’s bungalow apartment. A squad car pulls up and Lt. Anderson gets out from behind the driver. There is another man in the back seat who gets out from the other rear door and is never seen, heard from or mentioned again. To me, the man resembled Tragg in size and build and wore a hat like the one Collins usually wore. I couldn’t say if it actually was Collins or a double who was supposed to exit the car so that Collins could enter unseen (perhaps with help) and deliver a line or two. Whatever the plan was or whoever the man was supposed to be, it was dropped. Submitted by FredK, 9 June 2011.

Uncredited Actors: Don Anderson makes two appearances in this episode. First, he’s part of a couple who observe Dorrie/Minerva shooting a pistol at the airport. Later he’s a spectator in the courtroom gallery on Burger’s side. Submitted by FredK, 21 April 2011.
+ The scowling cop standing by a car as Perry and Lt. Anderson talk is Robert Wegner, to whom this wiki has a page dedicated. Submitted by gracenote, 5/6/2011.

Location: The Courtyard apartment complex plays double duty by appearing again in “TCOT Dodging Domino.” Submitted by Eric Cooper, 28 April 2011.

Character Names: We learn from Burger that Jasper’s first name, omitted from the credits, is Clyde. Submitted by gracenote, 5/6/2011.

Sightings: Among the horrified bystanders at the airport is Distinguished Gentleman #1, who confers with Don Anderson (see Uncredited Actors, above) among other fellow witnesses (behind Paul Drake). Having recovered from his shock, the Gentleman proceeds to play the court reporter during the evidentiary hearing, while a Pencil Mustache Man observes from an aisle seat behind Perry. Little Old Lady #1 and Quiet Old Man #1 also turn up—the latter magically teleporting between a seat behind the defendant and a seat behind Burger. Submitted by gracenote, 5/6/2011. + To find out who these people are, see the page appropriately called Who Is That?

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