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#76: The Case of the
Golden Fraud
Original Airdate: 11/21/59

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Richard Vanaman is in big trouble but nothing so big that Perry can’t handle it. Vanaman is up for a promotion in his investment firm, but is sabotaged and framed for murder. No problem. When Perry is done with the case, Vanaman gets another crack at his promotion.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE GOLDEN FRAUD
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

Produced and Directed by Herbert Hirschman
Teleplay by Robert C. Dennis and Maurice Zimm
Story by Robert C. Dennis
Gail Patrick Jackson | Executive Producer
Seeleg Lester | Associate Producer, Story Consultant
Produced by The CBS Television Network in association with Paisano Productions
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

Arthur Franz as Richard Vanaman
Alan Hewitt as Fred Petrie
June Dayton as Frances Vanaman
Neil Hamilton as Henry Noble
Alex Gerry as Hale
Patricia Huston as Doris Petrie
Joyce Meadows as Sylvia Welles
Asa Maynor as Bunny Lee
David Sheiner as Rip Conners
S. John Launer as Judge
Thom Carney as Officer
Pitt Herbert as Autopsy Surgeon
Frank Sully as Delivery Man
George E. Stone as Court Clerk

Uncredited Actors
Lee Miller as Sgt. Brice

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 … Irving Pringle
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
Production Sound Mixer … Herman Lewis
Script Supervision … M.E.M. Gibsone

PERRY MASON
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

Character Names: Alex Gerry, listed as Hale, is called Elliot Hale. Submitted by David Virrill, 10/17/2003.
+ On the other hand, Conners’ first name appears as “Rip” in the credits, although no one ever calls him anything but “Conners” in the episode. Ed Zoerner, 3/28/2011.

Goof: When Bunny Lee identifies the Quarter Noble coin at the police station, she mentions that it has a hole bored through it. However, when Burger shows the coin to the witness Hale during the trial, we see no hole in the coin at all! Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 2/26/2010.
+ The first time we see the Quarter Noble at Vanaman’s house, there is no hole visible either. Vanaman also mentions to Perry that he had a jeweler drill a hole through it. Submitted by gracenote, 9/5/2011.

That's right kids! Mr. Noble is Neil Hamilton, better known as Commissioner Gordon in the campy 1960s Batman series! Holy Grecian Formula, his hair sure is dark here! Submitted by gracep, 9/14/2010.

Sightings: Several regulars make an appearance. The Little Old Lady in a Hat and the Quiet Old Man (#1) both sit quietly in the backgrounds of close-ups of the characters in today’s play. The Lady changes seats (and maybe some of her costume, too) after the recess. Read more about the recurring courtroom spectators here. Submitted by gracep, 9/14/2010.
+ “Miss Carmody” can be seen walking past the outside of the record store just as Della is coming in. She can also be seen in the back row of the courtroom gallery, prosecution side. Submitted by alan_sings, 3 Oct 2010.
+ The Thin Man appears as the reporter with Bunny Lee in the Police Property Room when she claims the quarter noble. Submitted by alan_sings, 9 Oct 2010.

Continuity Error: An old man seated on the far side of the gallery (prosecutor’s side) appears throughout most of the hearing. Then his seat is suddenly empty in a long shot of Burger objecting to Mason’s request to play part of the audiotape in question. Then in another shot he reappears! Submitted by gracep, 9/14/2010.

Location: About 12 minutes in, above the door on the exterior of the police station, I can read what looks like “Div. 5.” That would be the Airport Police near LAX. I don’t know where the building was. There is a bit of a street sign visible, but I can’t make it out on my ancient TV. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 3 February 2011.
+ Off the DVD on a computer display, the number looks like 6 to me and the street sign is still illegible. Additional research shows this to be the old Hollywood Police Station which was demolished long ago I think. I found a press photo of the place on eBay from 1934. In the picture, the “Div.” number over the door is mostly hidden, but it’s the same building. An article in the 10/13/1949 issue of the San Rafael Daily Independent Journal says that the station is just a few blocks from the Mandel shoe store, the scene of a robbery and gun battle, on Hollywood Boulevard. Submitted by daveb, 2/4/2011.

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