<< Bogus Buccaneers | Episodes | Vanishing Victim >>

#257: The Case of the
Midnight Howler
Original Airdate: 01/16/66

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
Obnoxious talk show host Barney Austin is the hottest thing on radio. One night on his midnight call-in show, Barney gets a note to call his boss, wealthy Kevin Steele. While Barney is talking to Steele on the air, the audience hears Steele argue with someone and then two shots ring out.

Steele was murdered all right, and Perry, in a twist of the plot, becomes a key witness for the prosecution. Watch for Daniel Travanti, Captain Furillo of Hill Street Blues, as Barney Austin.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE MIDNIGHT HOWLER
Based upon characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman

Trailing

Directed by Jesse Hibbs Marks
Written by Robert E. Kent
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 Terrance Clay

Music | Richard Shores

Cast

Lee Patterson as Dan Thorne
Myrna Fahey as Holly Andrews
Dan Travanty as Barney Austin
Alan Baxter as Gorden Sellers
Cathleen Cordell as Clara Michaels
Ian Wolfe as Abel Jackson
Grandon Rhodes as Judge
Pitt Herbert as Medical Examiner
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice
Marc Desmond as Control Room Man
Phil Arnold as Mechanic

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 … 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

Location: Quick shot of Parker Center about 7 minutes in and Stanley Mosk Courthouse at the 30 minute mark. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 30 September 2010.

Character Names: The mechanic’s name is Mr. Richards. Submitted by gracenote, 5/31/2011.

Sightings: At Clay’s Grill, our “Miss Carmody” sits at a table while drinking tea and chatting with a friend. In the courtroom gallery, Quiet Old Man #1 is on hand to observe Perry in action. Read more about these and other favorite frequent faces. Submitted by gracenote, 5/31/2011.

Comments Edit

This episode differs from most others in an important way: the murder takes place at the very beginning. Normally, we have 20 minutes or so of seeing the soon-to-be victim mistreating everyone! This of course builds up the suspect list. In this episodes, all of the motivations have to be explained after the fact—a little less effective in my view. Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 9/15/2009.

So just who is playing the court clerk? He has a line, but no credit! Queried by gracenote, 5/31/2011.

Another difference is that an important clue to the solution of the murder is given up front. In fact, so many times was that clue brought to the viewer’s attention that for the only time since I have started watching Perry I was able to solve the murder in the first five minutes of the show, which was both gratifying and disappointing. (No surprise at the end.) Submitted by gracenote, 5/31/2011.

<< Bogus Buccaneers | Episodes | Vanishing Victim >>