<< Credulous Quarry | Episodes | Singular Double >>

#98: The Case of the
Ill-Fated Faker
Original Airdate: 10/01/60

Summary Edit

From The Perry Mason TV Show Book
This episode features all the standard elements: a successful husband, his bored wife, the freeloading, bloodsucking nephew, an $80,000 robbery, a crooked accountant, and a naive secretary accused of murder. Luckily, Perry can handle these cases in his sleep.

Credits Edit

Opening

Starring Raymond Burr
in The Case of the ILL-FATED FAKER
Based upon characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner

Barbara Hale as Della Street
William Hopper as Paul Drake
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg

Trailing

Directed by Charles Haas
Teleplay by Jackson Gillis
Story by Edward Lakso
Seeleg Lester || Producer
Gail Patrick Jackson || Executive Producer
Arthur Marks || Associate Producer
Produced by The CBS Television Network in association with Paisano Productions
Jackson Gillis || Story Consultant

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason
Barbara Hale as Della Street
William Hopper as Paul Drake
Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg

Cast

William Campbell as Jim Ferris
Kenneth Tobey as Prosecutor
June Dayton as Alice Gorman
Sue Randall as Betty Wilkins
Howard Petrie as Carl Gorman
James Anderson as Stan Piper
Tyler McVey as Harold Ames
Sarah Selby as Mrs. Ames
S. John Launer as Judge
Pitt Herbert as Autopsy Surgeon
George E. Stone as Court Clerk

Uncredited Actors
Robert Wegner as Courtroom Spectator (sighted by gracep 10/15/2010)

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 … 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
Sound … Glen Glenn Sound Co.
Titles and Opticals … Pacific Title

Perry Mason \ A Film Presentation
A CBS Television Network Production

Trivia Edit

That little pistol that Alice Gorman uses looks to be a Browning “Baby” 25 (caliber). It's about 4" long and 3" high. Holds 6 rounds, I think. Watch for this gun in other Perry Mason episodes, it’s pretty distinctive in B&W film with its pearl handle. Submitted by billp, 31 October 2009.

Location: Quick shot of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse 32 minutes into the episode. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 28 September 10.

Character Names: Paul Drake reveals that Stan Piper’s full name is Stanley J. Piper. Submitted by gracep 10/15/2010.
+ Anomaly: The Prosecutor’s name, as stated by Paul Drake, is Deputy D.A. Jack Alvin. No explanation as to why this is omitted from the credits. Submitted by gracep 10/15/2010.

William Campbell, better known to Generation X for his appearances on the original Star Trek, makes his second appearance on Perry Mason. See trivia item for episode 78. Submitted by gracep 10/15/2010.

Sightings: On the second day of the hearing, Distinguished Gentleman #1, Quiet Old Man #1, and “Miss Carmody” are all sitting together on the defense side. Read more about these recurring spectators as you ask yourself, Who Is That? Submitted by gracep 10/15/2010.
+ “Sasha Magaloff” can be seen as well seated in various places about the courtroom. Submitted by daveb, 4/2/11.

Comments Edit

Even considering today’s “anything goes” mentality, this episode seems racy to me, i.e., the nephew having a “relationship” with his aunt-in-law. It must have been seen as particularly bold in its day. Submitted by billp 6/14/09

$80,000 in 1960 would be worth about $576,324 today. Submitted by billp, 6/14/2009.

Sue Randall makes her first of two appearances on Perry playing murder defendant Betty Wilkins. Every baby boomer will remember Sue Randall much better as Beaver Cleaver’s grade school teacher, Miss Alice Landers. Sue Randall died at the age of 49 in 1984. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 06/26/2009.

Notice when Alice Gorman leaves the cabin which is on fire, she enters her car from the passenger side and awkwardly scoots to the driver’s side. It makes little sense in reality since entering on the driver’s side is what most folks do, especially if they are in a hurry. But from the camera’s point of view it makes perfect sense since she stays in frame for the entire scene. Submitted by Kenmore, 11/10/2009.

<< Credulous Quarry | Episodes | Singular Double >>