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#244: The Case of the
Candy Queen
Original Airdate: 09/26/65

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Her business is good, her motto is “Eat sweet and thin,” but life is not all sweetness for the beautiful “Candy Queen,” Claire Armstrong. Mark Chester, Claire’s boyfriend, has stolen her inherited candy formula to pay back his gambling debts. Her cousin Wanda helps frame Claire for murdering blackmailer Harry Arnold.

This sticky case is one of Perry’s favorites. This is the time where he investigates Claire's candy factory, nibbles for clues, and has the real murderer eating out of his hand in the courtroom.

And remember Paul trying to give Claire a box of candy at the airport to impress her?

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in Erle Stanly Gardner’s The Case of THE CANDY QUEEN
based on The Case of The Silent Partner
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman

Trailing

Directed by Jesse Hibbs
Teleplay by Orville H. Hampton and Robb White
Arthur Marks \ Art Seid | Producers
Gail Patrick Jackson | Executive Producer
Ernest Frankel | Story Consultant
Orville H. Hampton | Associate Story Consultant
Raymond Burr as Perry Mason
Barbara Hale as Della Street
William Hopper as Paul Drake
William Talman as Hamilton Burger
Richard Anderson as Lt. Steve Drumm
Dan Tobin as Terrence Clay

Music Composed and Conducted by Richard Shores

Cast

Nancy Gates as Claire Armstrong
Patricia Smith as Wanda Buren
Nina Shipman as Carol Olin
Robert Rockwell as Ed Purvis
H. M. Wynant as Tony Mario
John Napier as Mark Chester
John Archer as Harry Arnold
Kenneth MacDonald as Judge
Kitty Kelly as Landlady
Walter Mathews as Intern
William Boyett as Detective
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice
Sam Flint as Old Man
Charles Stroud as Court Clerk
Russ Whiteman as Steward
Bebe Kelly as Hat Check Girl

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Plainclothesman
Arthur Tovey as Courtroom Spectator

Crew

Director of Photography … John M. Nickolaus, Jr.
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Gordon A. Webb
Film Editor … Richard H. Cahoon, A.C.E.
Casting … Harvey Clermont
Makeup … Irving Pringle
Hair Stylist … Annabell
Wardrobe Supervision … Bob Wolfe, Evelyn Carruth
Set Decoration … Carl Biddiscombe
Properties … Ray Thompson
Production Sound Mixer … Herman Lewis
Script Supervision … Hazel W. Hall
Theme Composed by … Fred Steiner

Perry Mason
Produced by the CBS Television Network in association with Paisano Productions

Trivia Edit

Anomaly: H. M. Wynant, listed as Tony Mario, is called Tony Earl or Mr. Earl in the show.

Uncredited Actors: Once more Don Anderson appears as a plainclothes policeman. Though he has no lines, he's right behind William Boyett in the raid on the gambling house. Don and two uniformed men actually apprehend the Candy Queen fleeing from the murder room. Submitted by FredK, 11 January 2011.
+ It’s difficult to miss Arthur Tovey, King of Extras, sitting behind William Anderson in the courtroom gallery. He’s the lean, placid elderly gentleman next to H.M. Wynant. (We don’t have him on our Uncredited Actors page yet, but perhaps soon…) Submitted by gracenote, 5/11/2011.

Irony: Patricia Smith played Wanda Buren in this episode. “TCOT Candy Queen” was the *only* Perry Mason episode she appeared in. The irony is: Patricia Smith was a diabetic. She battled diabetes for 65 years until her death of a weakened heart in 2011. Submitted by Charles Richmond, 8 March 2011.

Comments Edit

This episode is essentially a remake of episode #6 (TCOT Silent Partner). It changes some of the details (candy business instead of orchid business, etc.), but the major plot points are all the same. I prefer #6, myself. Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 8/29/09.

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