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#3: The Case of the
Nervous Accomplice
Original Airdate: 10/05/57

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
In this episode, Sybil Granger hires Perry to help her buy stock in her husband's oil company on the sly. Sybil wants some control of the company's action with hopes of forcing hubby's latest squeeze, Roxy Howard, out of the company and the picture altogether.

Sybil spies on Roxy and gets caught by George Lutz, another investor in her husband's company. When Lutz is shot, Sybil ends up on trial for his murder. Perry has to turn to his bag of courtroom tricks to get her off the hook.

PMESG

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in Erle Stanley Gardner’s The Case of The Nervous Accomplice
Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, Ray Collins

Trailing

Directed by William D. Russell
Teleplay by Stirling Silliphant
Ben Brady | Producer
Produced by CBS Television in association with Paisano Productions
Gail Patrick Jackson | Executive Producer
Sam White | Associate Producer

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

Cast

Maggie Hayes as Sybil Granger
Greta Thyssen as Roxy Howard
William Roerick as Bruce Granger
Robert Cornthwaite as Herbert Dean
Richard Hale as George Lutts
James Gavin as Jerome Keddie
Jean Howell as Vinnie Dean
Claudia Bryar as Ruth Marvel
Morris Ankrum as Judge Hoyt
Tyler McVey as Sam Elkins
Robert Bice as Hurley
Norman Leavitt as Alexander Redfield
George Eldredge as Fenton Thompson
Gail Bonney as Harriet
Sam Flint as Mr. Rector
Jack Harris as Court Clerk

Uncredited Actors
Don Anderson as Courtroom Spectator

Crew

Gene Wang | Story Editor

Production Supervisor … J. Paul Popkin
Director of Photography … Frank Redman, A.S.C.

Art Direction … {	Lyle Wheeler
	Lewis Creber

Assistant Director … Maxwell Henry
Editorial Supervisor … Art Seid, A.C.E.
Film Editor … Otto W. Meyer, A.C.E.
Makeup … Mel Berns
Hair Stylist … Annabell, S.C.H.
Wardrobe Supervision … Dick James
Set Decorations … Walter M. Scott, Charles Q. Vassar
Properties … Ray Thompson
Recorded by … Alfred Bruzlin
Rerecording Mixer … Harry M. Leonard
Script Supervisor … Cosmo Genovese

This has been a CBS Television Network Production
Filmed in Hollywood by TCF Television Productions, Inc.

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1957 Ford Skyliner retractable, black (Mason), 1957 Plymouth convertible. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Anomaly: Robert Bice is listed as Hurley in the closing credits but is identified as Frank Faulkner by Paul Drake.

In this show George Lutts complains to his daughter and son-in-law because steak costs $1.34 a pound. Can you imagine what he would have to say about today’s prices? Submitted by PaulDrake33, 6/25/2008.

The (shooting?) script for this episode is dated 10 June 1957. At least 7 episodes have scripts dated earlier. So while it was the 3rd episode broadcast, it was probably no earlier than the 8th filmed. Submitted by billp, 3 November 2009.

Here is the putative route of the “second” taxi trip Mrs. Granger took. The actual route described is a plausible one. The taxi is followed south on Roxbury Dr. It turns east onto Santa Monica Blvd. and goes past Hillcrest Dr. While on Santa Monica, it picks up Drake’s man. It then goes north on Doheny Dr., heading towards Sunset Blvd. While on Doheny it presumeably drops off Drake’s man and picks up Mrs. Granger and company. They tell it to go west on Sunset. It then probably goes south on Whittier. Mrs. Granger and friend exit at Whittier and Wilshire. This is somewhat southwest of where we, the viewer, initially picked up the trail. The route followed by the taxi is circular in nature. Frankly, it seems possible, given this description, that Mrs. Granger could have been with Drake’s men when this road trip began and ended. Interesting. I guess if you wanted to do a Perry Mason “re-enactment,” you could trace out this route and check out the scenery. Submitted by billp. 26 November 2009. [Here's the route on Google Maps. Use Street View to check out the scenery. daveb]

Uncredited Actors: Don Anderson makes his third Mason appearance here (unless you count episode 2 twice, since he was in two places in the courtroom). He’s a courtroom spectator seated directly behind Herbert Dean played by Robert Cornthwaite. (See Uncredited Actors). Submitted by FredK 29 September 2010.
+ In an initial long shot of the courtroom, he appears in the back row, but then in a closer cut to Burger, he disappears. Submitted by gracenote, 8/23/2011.

Sightings: Blue Collar Guy can be seen with his arm on the back of an attractive young brunette among the spectators exiting from the first aborted hearing, while Tragg is stalling Mason in the foreground. (See Who Is That?) Submitted by alan_sings 30 September 2010.
+ (Also Continuity Error:) In the courtroom gallery during the first hearing, we find Distinguished Genetleman #1 in the back row, Distinguished Gentleman #2 in the front row, on the prosecutor’s side. In the second hearing the two gentlemen sit together in the back row on the other side of the courtroom—that is until DG #1 shows up again on Burger’s side when he calls a witness. Submitted by gracenote, 8/23/2011.

Comments Edit

The purchasing power of $1.34 in 1957 would be $9.87 in 2007. What's the price of a rib-eye, porterhouse, or New York strip today? Submitted by billp, 12/26/2008.

How much did Lutts sell that stock to Perry for? About $32,727.27. That means Sybil Granger came up with about $241,056.40 in 2007 dollars. Not bad. Her $2.95 taxi ride(s) would be about $21.73. Taxis were clearly a lot more economical back then. And the drivers spoke English, too! A million dollars would be $7,365,612.79 in 2007 dollars. No wonder Roxy is so upset!! Submitted by billp, 12/27/2008.

Sybil Granger is the second person whose gun is stolen from the glove compartment of her car. (Do all Americans keep their guns there? Why?) Submitted by evelyne, 2/4/2011.
+ I think it’s just Californians, who also (according to this series) buy rifles at office supply stores so they can shoot the Man when he comes onto their orange grove / dying farm / oil field / salted mine.

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