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#67: The Case of the
Spanish Cross
Original Airdate: 05/30/59

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Jimmy Morrow was trying to go straight after having been put on probation for car theft. Now he's faced with a bum rap for stealing a valuable Spanish cross and killing the owner.

Perry wants to give a kid a break and takes the case.

Credits Edit

Directed by Arthur Marks
Written by Robert J. Shaw and Gene Wang

Cast

Jacques Aubuchon as Felix Karr
Josephine Hutchinson as Miriam Baker
Richard Miles as Jimmy Morrow
Linda Watkins as Grace Runyan
Arthur Space as James Morrow, Sr.
Donald Randolph as Curtis Runyan
Jonathan Hole as Everett Wormser
Richard Gaines as Judge
Harlan Warde as Sgt. Kenton
Herman Rudin as Roger
George E. Stone as Court Clerk
Chuck Zacha as Harry Kline

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1959 Lincoln Continental MkIV, 4dr hardtop, white, 1958 Ford Thunderbird convertible, black, white top up (Drake), 1959 Cadillac series 62 convertible, black, black & white interior, top down (Mason), 1959 Ford Custom 300 4dr sedan, black & white (Police), Cameo: 1959 Ford Custom 300 4dr sedan, white. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

+Richard Miles makes his only Perry appearance here playing Jimmy Morrow. Richard Miles (born Gerald Richard Perreau) also acted under the name Peter Miles. Richard Miles was the brother of Gigi Perreau (TCOT Desperate Daughter, TCOT Sleepy Slayer) and Lauren Perreau (TCOT Nine Dolls) making the Perreau family the only triple siblings appearing on Perry. Submitted by PaulDrake 33. 23 September 2009.

Comments Edit

I consider this one of those "topical" Perry Mason episodes. It deals with "juvenile delinquency," a hot topic back then - Blackboard Jungle, Young Savages, Rebel Without a Cause etc. Since it is topical, the episode comes across more "dated" than is generally true for Perry Mason. Also, and this may be just me, I detect a bit of homoeroticism. Even so, it's still a credible entry in the oeuvre.

Gerald Perreau-Saissine (aka Richard Miles/Peter Miles) turns in a decent performance as Jimmy, but seems to have dropped out of film/tv about this time. This makes Perry's final comments about his character somewhat ironic. Since Perreau-Saissine seemed a credible actor and photogenic, his disappearance is curious. Whatever the explanation, he seems to have had an interesting life. (See his obit here and a retrospective here).

In retrospect, at least as far as juvenile delinquency goes, Eisenhower's "America" really wasn't all that bad. Submitted by billp. 31 October 2009.

The brief interlude between the judge and Burger regarding the latter's laryngitis seems odd; it plays no part in the plot other than to explain Burger's hoarse voice. Why didn't they just postpone filming that scene for a day or two? Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 2/1/10

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