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#262: The Case of the
Twice-Told Twist
Original Airdate: 02/27/66

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
This is the one and only Mason episode shot in color.

Eighteen-year-old Lennie Beale is involved with a gang of thieves who strip Perry's car to the frame. It turns out that Lennie has been with a cast of characters straight out of Oliver Twist. Benjamin Huggins, a wealthy art collector, is the modern-day Fagin who oversees a teenage car-stripping operation. Before Lennie gets Perry's message offering him immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony against the gang, the boy is charged with murder. It appears that Bill Sikes, Lennie's immediate boss, shot Lennie's girlfriend, and Lennie stabbed the man to death.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE TWICE-TOLD TWIST
Based Upon Characters Created By Erle Stanley Gardner
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman

Trailing

Directed by Arthur Marks
Written by Ernest Frankel and Orville H. Hampton
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

Victor Buono as Ben Huggins
Kevin O'Neal as Lennie Beale
Scott Graham as Bill Sikes
Lisa Pera as Donna Reales
Lisa Seagram as Robin Spring
Nicolas Surovy as Tick Gleason
Marc Rambeau as Jody Laird
Keg Johnson as Lester
Judson Pratt as Tom Loman
Beverly Hills as Sue
Harlan Warde as Sgt. Roddin
Harry Holcombe as Judge #1
Byron Morrow as Judge #2
Helen Kleeb as Welfare Worker
Will J. White as Deputy D.A.
Coby Denton as 1st Officer
Jim Farley as 3rd Officer

Crew

Director of Photography … John M. Nickolaus, Jr.
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Assistant Director … Robert G. Stone
Film Editor … George Hively
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

Produced by the CBS Television Network in Association with Paisano Productions

Trivia Edit

Locations: This episode opens with Perry and Della taking Angels Flight the Funicular railroad (more information here) in downtown Los Angeles. About halfway through this episode Perry and Steve go to Los Angeles County Hospital (some pictures here) and then a few minutes later Paul Drake gives chase through historic Olvera Street, one of the oldest areas of downtown. A tourist stop, Olvera Street is still there and looks basically the same. Posted by Eric Cooper, 25 September 2009.

Beverly Hills (birth name Beverly Powers) makes her only appearance on Perry here as Sue. Beverly Hills played a stripper in quite a few of her video appearances, including Breakfast At Tiffany’s. Beverly Powers changed her name to Beverly Hills to accentuate her two biggest assets. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 17 November 2009.

Ben Huggins serves coffee to Donna Reales using cups from the Curious Coffee Set. More info here. Submitted by daveb, 12/30/2010.

Sightings: We get to see the Pencil Mustache Man in full color! He sits on the defense side, second row and is best seen behind Perry as he finishes questioning Donna Reales (Lisa Pera) while standing at his table. Submitted by Kenmore, 9/24/2010.
+ Distinguished Gentleman #1 plays a yellow-clad waiter at Clay’s Grill in at least two scenes. “Miss Carmody” turns up among the courtroom spectators. More about these folks on the “Who Is That?” page. Submitted by gracenote, 6/5/2011.
+ The Pencil Mustache Man also appears at the crime seen of Lennie's dead girlfriend. He's standing in the back wearing what look's like a cabbie's hat. Submitted by Kenmore, 10/3/2011

Comments Edit

I don't know if a question counts as a comment, but: does anyone know WHY this episode, and only this one, was shot in color? I actually prefer the black-and-white presentation. Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 3/1/11.

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