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#8: The Case of the
Crimson Kiss
Original Airdate: 11/09/57

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book (Revised)
A jealous woman—bitter over her roommate’s impending marriage to her former boyfriend—attempts to pin a murder on the roomie. Perry and Della are the first to find the murdered man, an act that gets them in very hot water with Tragg and the police. The stiff had a lipstick stain on his forehead, and the episode takes a slightly kinky turn when Perry and Paul discuss the possibility that the crimson kiss may have been put there by (gasp!) a man. Frances (“Aunt Bee”) Bavier plays an old friend of Perry’s.

This, the eighth Mason story to be broadcast, was the first to be adapted not from an Erle Stanley Gardner novel, but from one of his short stories.

PMESG

Credits Edit

Opening

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

Trailing

Directed by Christian Nyby
Teleplay by Walter Doniger, Joel Murcott, Milton Geiger
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

Jean Willes as Anita Bonsal
Sue England as Fay Allison
Douglas Dick as Dane Grover
Gloria McGhee as Shirley Tanner
John Holland as Carver Clement
Connie Cezon as Gertie
Joi Lansing as Vera Payson
Douglas Evans as Don Ralston
Frances Bavier as Louise Marlow
John Harmon as Lab Man
Frank Wilcox as Judge Randolph
Howard Culver as Dr. Hawley

Uncredited Actors

Lee Miller as {	Courtroom Spectator
	Restaurant Patron

Don Anderson as {	Courtroom Spectator
	Restaurant Patron

Jack Gargan as Court Clerk from IMDB
Larry Hudson as Police Officer from IMDB

Crew

Howard Browne | 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 … Richard W. Farrell
Makeup … Mel Berns
Hair Stylist … Annabell
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

This has been a CBS Televistion Network Production
Filmed in Hollywood by TCF Television Productions, Inc.

Trivia Edit

CARS: 1957 Cadillac convertible, black w/ black & white int., white top up (Mason), 1957 Buick Caballero station wagon (interior only). From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.

Anomaly: John Harmon, listed as Lab Man, appears as Mr. Harlan (the man from the lab). Submitted by daveb, 20 December 2007.

In the restaurant scene, early in the show, we learn that Della’s private number is HOllywood 2-1799. Submitted by Paul Chrisney, 6/10/2004.

In his first scene, Paul Drake is wearing a dark-colored suit. This is one of the few times in the first season he has on a dark suit. In almost every other instance, the color of Paul’s suit matches the color of his hair. Submitted by PaulDrake33, 9 July 2008.

Paul Drake does not appear in the courtroom in this episode. Submitted by PaulDrake33, 9 July 2008.

The (shooting?) script for this episode is dated 11 April 1957. The scripts of at least 3 episodes predate it. I hypothesize the episode was filmed no earlier than 4th. Submitted by billp, 4 November 2009.
+ Since Perry drives the 1957 Cadillac in this episode, that places it in the “middle” category, probably a very early middle since the script is dated fairly early. I now suppose it was filmed no earlier than 16th on the basis of script date and automobiles appearing in the episode. Submitted by billp, 29 November 2009.

Uncredited Actors / Sightings: Don Anderson appears here as a courtroom spectator on the defense side of the room. Submitted by FredK 30 September 2010.
+ Anderson can also be seen dining in the restaurant, as can Raymond Burr’s stand-in Lee Miller and a woman we call Distinguished Lady #2. Submitted by alan_sings, 16 Oct 2010.
+ The aforementioned Lady is also a courtroom spectator, as is Miller, along with Distinguished Gentleman #2. Read more about uncredited actors and other favorite frequent faces, and spot a few yourself! Submitted by gracenote, 8/26/2011.

Continuity Error: Shirley Tanner is wearing a black outfit in court before and when she is testifying on the stand but a lighter-colored scoop-neck dress when seen later before and after the brief recess. Reported by Kelvin Chambliss, posted by daveb, 10/20/2010.

Interior Decoration: Except for episode #1, there has been a painting hanging on the wall in Perry's office, behind the round table, in every episode. In this episode it disappears, only to reappear in the next show. (I believe that the same painting is hanging in Perry's waiting room in episode #1). Submitted by evelyne, 10 February 2011.

Comments Edit

Anita Bonsal and Fay Allison each make $75 a week at the missile plant. Seventy-five dollars a week would be $552.42 in 2007 dollars. That’s $28,725.84/year. No surprise they have to share an apartment in LA. Submitted by billp, 12/27/2008.
+ On the other hand, expenses like housing have far outpaced inflation. We should probably look at the total cost of living (rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, clothing) in LA during that time. Submitted by gracep, 11/22/2010.

The $500 bonus that Shirley Tanner paid to get the apartment would be $3,682.81 in 2007 dollars. Holy cow! I agree with Bill Storrer that was unfair to withhold from the audience. I wonder what the original script looks like. Could there be a deleted scene here? One which gave some hint? Submitted by billp, 12/27/2008.

Shirley Tanner’s last line is “When I found out what Anita Bonsal had done, I thought I was safe.” Submitted by billp, 1/1/2009.

My local TV station made a revealing mistake. When the airing was to begin, a card appeared on screen instead, reading: “Viacom Enterprises || PERRY MASON || The Case of the Crimson Kiss || Episode 8 || 4/3/87.” It is this date that intrigues me. This is an old syndication package from the late 1980s? Pondered by gracenote, 8/23/2011.

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