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#6: The Case of the
Silent Partner
Original Airdate: 10/26/57

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Mildred Kimber gets mixed up with some “bad seeds” who try to con her weak-willed husband out of her rare orchid business via a fixed poker game. When a couple of these jokers are poisoned, Mil is sent to the slammer.

Although Hamilton Burger threatens to charge Perry with everything from unethical conduct to manslaughter, it doesn’t keep Perry from making bold moves. As usual, he and Paul Drake are at the scene of the crime before the police are, wearing out their hankies handling evidence without leaving their fingerprints.

PMESG

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Arthur Marks
Teleplay by Donald S. Stanford
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

Peggy Maley as Lola Florey
Dan Seymour as Harry Marlow
Anne Barton as Mildred Kimber
Mark Roberts as Bob Kimber
Cyril Delevanti as Tulloch
Michael Emmet as Sam Lynk
Joe Abdullah as Mack Fried
Henry Hunter as Dr. Rubin
Dawn Richard as Ginger Kay
Jimmy McCallion as Veteran Reporter
Janet Stewart as Girl Reporter
Dan Sheridan as Welsh
Ed Stevlingson as Mr. Henry
Jann Darlyn as Miss Carling
Charles Franc as Mr. Curtis
Joe Quinn as Fire Chief
Don Anderson as Policeman
Richard Geary as Interne

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 … Art Marks
Editorial Supervisor … Art Seid, A.C.E.
Film Editor … Otto W. Meyer, A.C.E.
Makeup … Mel Berns
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

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1957 Cadillac convertible, black w/ black & white int., white top up (Mason); 1957 Buick Caballero station wagon, 2-tone; 1957 Pontiac 2dr hardtop, medium color; 1957 Buick Roadmaster convertible, black, wire wheels & continental kit* (Police) *later becomes black Special 4dr sedan. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Continuity Error: When Lola burns down her house, she runs outside and Perry grabs her. He shakes her telling her to snap out of it and her hair is straight. In the next scene, she’s inside being questioned by Perry; her hair is curled and fixed up. Submitted by darlene m, 7/17/2009.

The (shooting?) script for this episode is dated 12 July 1957. At least 11 other episodes have scripts dated earlier. It seems reasonable to assume this episode was filmed no earlier than 12th. It was, however, the 6th broadcast. There was a little more than a 3-month delay between filming and broadcast. Submitted by billp, 3 November 2009.

This episode of Perry Mason (TCOT Silent Partner) is based on an Erle Stanley Gardner novel of the same name. The season nine episode titled TCOT Candy Queen (#244, 9.3) is also based on this same ESG novel. So this ninth season episode is often considered to be a "re-make" of TCOT Silent Partner. See here. Submitted by Charles Richmond, 25 April 2013.

Location: About 31 minutes in, a car goes by the Standard Federal Savings and Loan in downtown Los Angeles. According to www.you-are-here.com, an architecture site this building was the first glass skyscraper in downtown and was located at 611 Wilshire and Grand. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 28 October 2010.

Cyril Delevanti played Tulloch in this episode, “TCOT Silent Partner.” The only other Perry Mason episode in which he appeared is “TCOT Silent Six.” In 1957 “TCOT Silent Partner” was broadcast as the sixth episode of the series. And both the episode titles had the word “silent” in them. Submitted by Charles Richmond, 31 January 2011.

Sighting: A “Who is That?” bonanza—no courtroom scenes, but watch as Perry and Burger thrash it out! Distinguished Gentleman #1 is behind the counter and Pencil Mustache Man is the photographer. Later on, Distinguised Lady #2 is a nurse. Submitted by evelyne, 2/6/2011.

Syndication cuts: Mr. Curtis entering the club; Tulloch is asked about the stock but won't help Bob Kimber, Mason and Della discussing the six missing candy cups and Tulloch overhearing and leaving; Lola arriving home watched by the detective as Tulloch hides and Lola undresses. Additional Hallmark cuts: Part of Mildred's conversation with Mason concerning hysterical women Mason has met and her not being well; Mason ringing the doorbell at Lynk's place and looking in the window seeing the Siamese cat; Burger says he'll charge Mason with malfeasance and Mason's conversation with the reporters; at the hospital, Mason telling Della they need to see the D.A. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 7/08/12.

The murder weapon is a .32 Colt Pocket Positive with a four inch barrel. When Mildred negligently fires it and hits a lamp,the curtains fly back violently, indicating the effects person had fitted a full charge explosive squib in the lamp; in reality this wouldn't happen. When Tragg and his partner hear this, they both pull Colt .38 Police Positives, also with 4 inch barrels, one of the few times Tragg pulls anything but a warrant... by SteveP Feb22,2013

Comments Edit

Bob Kimber lost $37,000 in the card game. That’s $272,527.67 in 2007 dollars. And a sick wife, too. What a jerk of a character! Submitted by billp, 12/27/2008.

Note the old analog (phone off-hook) signal at Lynk’s home (Perry finding the body). Very sine wave: aahAAHaahAAHaah. (Those were the days!) Compare that to our digital: dit dit dit dit. Submitted by billp, 12/27/2008.

In the scene where Hamilton Burger talks to the reporters about charging Perry with obstructing justice, check out the old-fashioned fedoras on Burger and Tragg. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 19 August 2009.

About 14 minutes in on the DVD Lola Florey stops Mildred in the parking lot. Mildred sits in Lola’s driver’s seat while Lola leans in from the parking lot. Shots of Lola should show the exterior of the parking lot behind her. Instead they look like she is talking to Mildred from inside a small room. I think the problem was they couldn’t fit the camera equiptment inside the front seat to shoot Lola’s reactions so they decided to shoot it elsewhere. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 28 October 2010.

At 18:44 in the episode, it looks like Tragg has a loaf of Wonder Bread (with the trademark color balloons) hanging out of his grocery bag. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 28 October 2010.

Given the prominence of candy in this episode, an alternate title could be “TCOT Chocolate Chicanery.” Submitted by gracenote, 8/25/2011.

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