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#47: The Case of the
Jilted Jockey
Original Airdate: 11/15/58

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
The horse-racing footage is excellent and the music unusually upbeat in this episode about dirty doings at a racetrack.

When racehorse Bright Magic loses a fixed race, jockey Tic Barton gets his walking papers. A little man with big problems, Tic confronts bigshot Johnny Starr and they fight over whether the horse was doped. Johnny knocks Tic down and throws him out—but not his gun. Two shots later, Starr is dead. The police have an eyewitness who saw Tic leave the apartment, and the little guy is arrested for murder.

To complicate matters, Tic’s tall, shapely wife was having an affair with Starr. This sounds like a job only Perry can handle.

Billy Pearson, a real-life jockey, quiz-show winner, and art connoisseur, made his acting debut in this episode.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE JILTED JOCKEY
Based upon Characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Barbara Hale as Della Street
William Hopper as Paul Drake
William Talman as Hamilton Burger
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg

Trailing

Directed by William D. Russell
Story by Robert Warnes Leach
Teleplay by Robert Warnes Leach and Seeleg Lester
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

Billy Pearson as Tic Barton
Barbara Lawrence as Gloria Barton
June Vincent as Victoria Bannion
Don Durant as Johnny Starr
Joe di Reda as Eddie Davis
Hugh Sanders as Dion Bannion
Nolan Leary as Bob Allen
Kenneth R. MacDonald as Judge
Roy Engel as Mr. Horty
Joe Forte as Coroner

Uncredited Actors
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice (spotted by gracep 1/6/2010)

Crew

Gene Wang | Story Consultant

Production Supervisor … J. Paul Popkin
Story Editor … Alice Young
Director of Photography … Frank Redman, A.S.C.
Assistant Producer … Robert Wechsler

Art Direction … {	Lyle Wheeler
	Lewis Creber

Assistant Director … Robert G. Stone
Editorial Supervisor … Art Seid, A.C.E.
Film Editor … Otto W. Meyer, A.C.E.
Casting … Marvin Schnall, Harvey Clermont
Makeup … Richard Hamilton
Hair Stylist … Annabell, S.C.H.
Wardrobe Supervision … Dick James
Set Decoration … Walter M. Scott, Charles Q. Vassar
Properties … Ray Thompson
Sound Editor … Gene Eliot, M.P.S.E.
Production Sound Mixer … Robert O’Brien
Script Supervision … William E. Orr

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

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1958 DeSoto station wagon, medium color. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Goof: In the horse race, Bright Magic is horse number 1. Tic Barton has the number 1 on his sleeve, and it is easy to see the number 1 on the horse. When the horses cross the finish line, the announcer says Bright Magic came in third. If you pay attention, the number 4 horse won the race, followed by horses numbered 10 - 8 - 7 - 9. Nowhere can you see horse number 1. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.

When jockey Tic Barton (Billy Pearson) stops to see his horse the night before the big race, assistant trainer Eddie Davis (Joe diReda) tells him that his wife left a number where she can be reached if he has decided to throw the race. The number is WEbster 12499. According to the last episode (“TCOT Married Moonlighter”) calling this number should connect one with Walsh’s Appliance store (where Your Credit is Good!). I wonder if this number was some kind of in-joke on the Mason set at the time. Submitted by FredK, October 25, 2009.

Sightings: Distinguished Gentleman #1 made it out to the races, along with “Miss Carmody” and Quiet Old Man #1. We can see all three of them in the stands behind the owner and trainer just before the race starts. The Quiet Old Man is not so quiet, however; he puts his face in the shot in front of Starr and cheers on his horse! (“Miss Carmody” shows up later in the courtroom as well.) Submitted by gracep, 1/6/2010.

Continuity: After the shot of Quiet Old Man #1 clearly in front of Starr in the grandstand (see above), other shots show him clearly behind. And in the courtroom gallery, “Miss Carmody” (see above) moves around a bit, too. Submitted by gracep, 1/6/2010.

Comments Edit

Billy Pearson’s acting is painful to watch in this episode. I guess you could say that as an actor he was a wonderful jockey. Small wonder that he had only one other appearance, 14 years later on the screen. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 7/17/2008.

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