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#68: The Case of the
Dubious Bridegroom
Original Airdate: 06/13/59

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
A lawyer's work is never done. Perry returns to his office late one night and finds an attractive blonde climbing into his balcony window. She claims to be Virginia Colfax, Ed Garvin's secretary from next door. Virginia says that she climbed into Perry's office to escape Garvin's wife. But it seems Garvin is married to two women.

Perry sends Garvin and his second wife to Mexico until he can clear up the situation. But when Garvin's first wife is murdered, Perry's client is in an even bigger mess. And who was that woman climbing in the window?

Credits Edit

Directed by William D. Russell
Teleplay by Milton Krims
Based on the novel by Erle Stanley Gardner

Cast

Betsy Jones Moreland as Lorrie Garvin
Jean Tabor as Virginia Colfax
Patrick McVey as Covington
Harry Ellerbe as Edward Garvin
K. T. Stevens as Ethel Garvin
Thomas Browne Henry as George Denby
Neil Hamilton as Frank Livesey
Tom Brown as Jarvis
Robert Nichols as Howard Scanlon
Rosa Turich as Filomena
Robert Lynn as Judge
Keith Richards as Sergeant Holt
James Nolan as Policeman
Dick Keene as Court Clerk

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1955-6 Plymouth, 4dr sedan, light color (Taxi), 1959 Cadillac series 62 convertible, black, top down (Mason), 1959 Edsel convertible, medium color, top down, Cameos: 1959 Ford Custom 300 4dr sedan, white, 1955 Chevrolet Nomad, medium color & white top. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Look for Betsy Jones Moreland playing Lorrie Garvin. Does she look familiar? She might. She returns in 1990 to play the Judge in seven of the two-hour Perry Mason movies. Submitted by daveb, date unknown.

+About 23 minutes into the show, Helen Bynum, aka Virginia Colfax, is in Mexico checking out registrations of vehicles parked in front of the hotel. The show then cuts to an establishing shot of the Los Angeles freeway before Della phones Perry. This same extablishing shot of the freeway was used to bring the action from Las Vegas back to Los Angeles in the opening of #33, TCOT Long Legged Models. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.

Three of the main characters in this episode are named Garvin: Edward Garvin, Lorrie Garvin. and Ethel Garvin. In episode 33, TCOT Long-legged Models, three of the main characters are also named Garvin: Michael Garvin Sr., Michael Garvin Jr., and Margo Garvin. Submitted by Charles Richmond 07/19/09.

+This will mark the final appearance by Jean Tabor, (she earlier appeared as Evelyn Whiting in #32, TCOT Substitute Face), on Perry Mason. In January 1962 the beautiful 29 year old Jean Tabor would wed the brutish 50 year old Broadrick Crawford. The marriage would last until 1967. A year and a half later in December 1968, the 36 year old Jean Tabor would be found dead of a drug overdose. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.

+Ray Collins is listed in the opening credits even though he does not appear in this episode. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.

+I do not know if the opening that is on my DVD of this episode was the original opening, however the opening that is on my DVD is unlike any other opening I have ever seen. The action stops shortly after Perry takes the files from the Judge and everyone's names are printed on the files. Unlike all other openings in the first two seasons, no one but Perry and the Judge are shown. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.

+In the second scene of this episode, where Edward Garvin comes to Perry's office for help, Perry asks Garvin about a lady that is "about five eight, blonde, lovely figure, beautiful legs". Garvin said "You are describing Lorrie, my present wife." Yet later in the episode when we see Edward Garvin's present wife, she is *not* a blonde. Submitted by Charles Richmond, 07/19/09.

Comments Edit

+What a poorer society we are because there are no longer actors like Thomas B. Henry on television. Mr. Henry was less than handsome, with a distinctive appearance, but was a fine actor. Check out his testimony late in the show, it is riveting. It seems as if all of today's television actors are selected for their appearance, not for their acting abilities. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.

+Thomas B. Henry also appeared in TCOT Sleepwalker's Niece. Brown gave another fine performance in this episode as the lawyer Ralph Duncan. Perry's final tip-off as to the murderer came from some testimony given by Duncan. Submitted by Charles Richmond.

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