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#88: The Case of the
Bashful Burro
Original Airdate: 03/26/60

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
Gold mines and rodeos set the hard pace of life in Placer City. Perry is in town on business looking for an old prospector named Amos Catledge to subpoena for testimony. But it’s Just like Perry to go on a trip and end up getting involved in a totally unrelated case. He saunters into the Gold Nugget Saloon and ends up stopping a fight. Later on, one of the antagonists is murdered and the other is accused of the crime. But when Perry goes looking for clues, all hands point to the same man he came to find originally, that old prospector.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of THE BASHFUL BURRO
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 Robert Ellis Miller
Written by Jonathan Latimer
Herbert Hirschman | Producer
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

Ray Stricklyn as Gerald Norton
Elisabeth Fraser as Hazel Bascombe
George Mitchell as Amos Catledge
Sue George as Sally Norton
Ben Wright as Crawford Wright
Charles Bateman as Roy Dowson
Hugh Sanders as Ken Bascombe
Wendell Holmes as District Attorney Williams
John Pickard as Sheriff Keller
Lewis Martin as Judge
Kay Kuter as Deputy
Jack Orrison as Coroner’s Physician
Stephen Courtleigh as Ballistics Expert
Mike Mason as Cowboy
Joan Elliott as Button Salesgirl
Tony Michaels as Waiter

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
Assistant Director … Morris Harmell
Film Editor … John D. Faure
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
Production Sound Mixer … Herman Lewis
Script Supervision … M.E.M. Gibsone
Sound … Glen Glenn Sound Co.

Perry Mason \ A Film Presentation
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

“In true Hollywood fashion, Perry Mason needed a saloon for ‘TCOT Bashful Burro’ so they used the Gunsmoke set. Perry walks into the ‘Golden Nugget’ but it just happens to be the Long Branch. I’d recognize any board of the set instantly.” Posted by Dedra Kaye DeHart to the Della-Perry group, 12/6/2007. Some pictures here.

Kay Kuter makes his only Perry appearance in this episode. He has a short scene playing the town deputy. Kay Kuter is much better know as local farmer Newt Kiley on both Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 5/1/2009.

Talman’s Troubles: William Talman as Hamilton Burger does not appear in this episode, as the action takes place in Placer City. However, he is shown in the opening credits, and you had better memorize the face, because he would not be seen again on Perry for another 10 months, until the episode of 21 January 1961, TCOT Fickle Fortune. The reason for Talman’s absence was that he was fired by CBS after his arrest on 13 March 1960. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 5 January 2010.
+ Read more about the sordid business here. Submitted by gracep, 11/22/2010.

Noted voice actor Ben Wright appears here as Crawford Wright. For some unknown reason Mr. Wright, who was born and raised in England, adopts what seems to be an East Indian accent for his character here. I can see no reason for this other than for Mr. Wright to practice his accents. Submitted by PaulDrake33, 5 January 2010.

Location: I believe the shack and mine entrance was located at Upper Iverson Ranch in Chatsworth. If you go to www.cowboyup.com and go to Reel Cowboys of the Santa Susanas then go to page 5 of “Then And Now” photos of Chatsworth movie locations you can see a photo of a shack that was used in the 1954 movie Tennessee’s Partner. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 4 February 2010.
Note the similarities: (1) A dirt road runs along the left side of the house, (2) followed immediately by a pile of rocks (3) which are outside the entrance to a mine build into the hillside. (4) Similar log posts on a the shack’s porch with (5) the same type of rock foundation and steps and (6) possibly the same black hat rack to the right of the door. This was a popular location to shoot westerns such as Gunsmoke, Roy Rogers, etc. The famous intro to the Lone Ranger is on the same property in an area called “The Garden of the Gods.” Condos have been built around it but the actual Lone Ranger rock still exists and is easily accessible. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 4 February 2010. Some pictures here.

In addition to Talman (see item above), Ray Collins (Lt. Tragg) makes no appearance in this episode. Submitted by gracenote, 11/26/2011.

Sightings: As the spectators file into the Placer City Courthouse, we spy Distinguished Gentleman #1, who is very visible in the back later in the hearing. He is the only one of our favorite frequent faces to appear in this episode. Submitted by gracenote, 11/26/2011.

Comments Edit

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