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#70: The Case of the
Spurious Sister
Original Airdate: 10/03/59

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
This is a strange episode.

Bruce Chapman returns home early from a business trip to find that his wife, Marie, wants a divorce. Chapman is upset and very surprised. Just before he had left for his trip, he thought he had found the strangled body of Marie in her cabin. He thought someone had done him a favor, and hoped the matter would be cleaned up before he came home. But now if Marie is still alive, who was that dead woman?

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
In The Case of THE SPURIOUS SISTER
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 Arthur Marks
Written by Maurice Zimm
Herbert Hirschman | Producer
Gail Patrick Jackson | Executive Producer
Produced by The CBS Television Network in association with Paisano Productions
Seeleg Lester | Associate Producer, Story Consultant
Arthur Marks | 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

Karl Weber as Bruce Chapman
Mary La Roche as Grace Norwood
Marion Marshall as Ginny Hobart
Marianne Stewart as Helen Sprague
Peggy Knudsen as Marie Chapman
James Seay as Ralph Hibberly
Charles Cooper as Greg Evans
Robert Osterloh as Walter Sprague
John Launer as Judge
Charles Davis as Hotel Clerk
Michael Fox as Autopsy Surgeon
Nancy Evans as Switchboard Operator
Sam Edwards as Cashier
George E. Stone as Court Clerk

Crew

Art Seid, A.C.E. | Assistant to the Producer
Production Supervisor … Dewey Starkey
Director of Photography … Frank Redman, A.S.C.
Art Direction … Lewis Creber
Film Editor … Richard H. Cahoon, A.C.E.
Assistant Director … Robert G. Stone
Casting … Harvey Clermont
Makeup … Richard Hamilton
Hair Stylist … Annabell, S.C.H.
Wardrobe Supervision … William Zacha, Evelyn Carruth
Set Decoration … Charles Q. Vassar
Sound Effects Editor … Gene Eliot, M.P.S.E.
Music Editor … Gene Feldman
Properties … Ray Thompson
Lighting Fixtures by … E.J.S. Lighting Corp.
Production Sound Mixer … Herman Lewis
Script Supervision … Marshall Wollins

PERRY MASON
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

Beginning the third season, Halo Shampoo, Wildroot Hair Creme, and Colgate Toothpaste are now the sponsors. In the closing credits of this show the products are pictured. Submitted by PaulDrake 33.
+ Where are they pictured? I only see lawbooks pictured. Submitted by gracep 9/7/2010.
+ They are on the DVD. Lower left of screen. Added by daveb 9/10/10.
+ Why are they only on the DVD? Why can I not see them on the broadcast on my local TV station? Queried by gracep 9/11/2010.

+ The DVDs generally reflect the masters and/or the original broadcast prints. What you see on TV today are the syndication prints. In syndication, you wouldn’t see who the original sponsors were—there are “new” sponsors and the end-titles were changed to remove the references to the original sponsors. Syndication prints also tend to be heavily edited as to content often to the detriment of the story line. Watching syndication prints, many was the time I would be puzzled by dialogue or action that seemed to come out of the blue. Seeing those missing 10 minutes or so on DVD explained much. Submitted by billp, 28 September 2010.

Normally Mr. Launer, playing our judge today, is listed in the credits as S. John Launer, but for some reason in this episode the “S.” is omitted. The initial is also omitted in #79, TCOT Lucky Legs. Submitted by gracep, 9/17/2010.

Sightings: Blue Collar Guy drives the cab bringing Bruce Chapman home from his business trip. Quiet Old Man #1 and Cute Young Lady are courtroom spectators. (See Who Is That?) Submitted by alan_sings 30 September 2010, updated 16 Oct 2010.

Uncredited Actors: That’s Lee Miller (as Sgt. Brice) standing behind Lt. Tragg when he first confronts Bruce Chapman. Submitted by gracenote, 8/1/2011.

Comments Edit

Gotta love Burger’s bow tie in this one! Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 3/18/2011.

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