TCOT Podcast Episode 040 - Fan Dancer’s Horse

  

TCOT Podcast Episode 040 - Fan Dancer’s Horse

 Season 1 - Episode 15

Originally aired - December 28, 1957

iTunes TCOT Episode 40 - Fan Dancer’s Horse

The Case of the Podcast is a Perry Mason Fan Podcast. We love and enjoy episodes from a tv show from the late 1950’s and early 1960. It’s so old, it was filmed in Black & White.


This is the 15 episode from season 1 that we are choosing at random using a random number generator. We will be choosing our episodes this way season by season. We’re excited by this new process which will give each season a chance to shine.

Police Lt: Tragg

DA: Burger

Guest Stars:

John Brinkley - only ep of PM/26 roles from 1957-1964 including Teenage Cave Men/Bucket of Blood/wrote and starred in T-Bird Gang

Jasper Fenton


Hugh Sanders- 5 eps of PM/227 roles from 1949-1966 including The Addams Family/Bonanza/My 3 Sons/Twilight Zone/To Kill a Mockingbird/The Untouchables/The Frank Sinatra Show

John Callender


Connie Cezon - 17 eps of PM/22 roles from 1951-1964 including Death Valley Days/Abbott and Costello/2 eps of RinTinTin

Gertie


Judy Tyler- only ep of PM/5 roles from 1947-1957 including Jailhouse Rock/96 episodes of The Howdy Doody Show/died six months before the show aired in an automobile accident. She was 24 and her husband died too.

Cherie Chi Chi



Susan Cummings - 2 eps of PM/55 roles from 1946-1974 including Twilight Zone/McHale’s Navy/Untouchables/The Frank Sinatra Show

Lois Fenton


Scott Elliott - only ep of PM/39 roles from 1945-1966 including Jack Benny/Lone Ranger/

Arthur Sheldon


Robert Bice - 7 eps of PM Rimantic Rogue/241 roles from 1943-1967 including Death Valley Days(last)/17 eps of The Untouchables/Dennis the Menace/Lassie/Riverboat/Dragnet/Jailhouse Rock/The Ten Commandments/Lone Ranger/Abbot and Costello

Faulkner


Minerva Urecal - 2 eps of PM/281 roles from 1933-1966 including Pettycoat Junction/Lone Ranger/Abbott and Costello/Harvey/April Showers(as Landlady)/

Landlady


Sydney Smith

Judge Donahue


Rusty Wescoatt - only ep of PM/99 roles from 1947-1965 including Rin Tin Tin/Twilight Zone/Superman

Sgt. Holcomb (as Rusty Westcoatt)


James Nolan

Meeker


Herbert Lytton

Dr. Lambert

(as Herbert C. Lytton)


Don Anderson

Policeman (uncredited)


Lois De Banzie

Carol Nielson (uncredited)


David McMahon

Harvey--Drake Operative (uncredited)


Dennis Moore

Stablehand (uncredited)


Suzanne Ridgway

Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)


Edwin Rochelle

Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)


Hal Taggart

Court Reporter (uncredited)

Fun Stuff:

Furniture/Design

            Perry’s Office Window View 

Fashion

Cars

 

 

Cigarettes

Money Translation

Dee Spills the Tea:

William Hopper a/k/a Paul Drake initially tested for the role of Perry Mason, while Raymond Burr initially read for the role of district attorney Hamilton Burger. They called William Hopper back for a second reading. Executive producer Gail Patrick Jackson recalled, "When Bill Hopper came in to read for Paul Drake he blurted out, 'You hate my mother.' His mother was Hedda Hopper a famous gossip columnist who was known for reporting untruths, half truths, ruining careers and she supported the House Un American activities Committee, which blackballed many actors suspected of communism. Jackson responded Well, I disliked what she stood for, but 'hate' is something else — and anyway he was perfect as Drake, and we got him.”

Next Week’s Episode: Season 2 Episode 29 - The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom

TCOT Podcast Episode 039 - Dead Ringer

 

TCOT Podcast Episode 039 - Dead Ringer

Season 9 - Episode 26 Originally aired - April 17, 1966

The Case of the Podcast is a Perry Mason Fan Podcast. We love and enjoy episodes from a tv show from the late 1950’s and early 1960. It’s so old, it was filmed in Black & White.


This is from season 9 that we are choosing at random using a random number generator. We will be choosing our episodes this way season by season. We’re excited by this new process which will give each season a chance to shine.

Police Lt: Steve Drum (Season 9) 26 eps of PM - 192 roles from 1947 - 1998 including MSW/The Fugitive/Columbo/5 eps of Ironside/1973 became Oscar Goldman Bionic Man & Woman Bionic Ever after /Fantasy Island

Richard Anderson


DA: Burger

Guest Stars:

Stewart Moss -2 eps of PM/ 74 roles from last 1964- 1983 including MSW/10 eps of Generations/8 eps Hogan’s Heroes/Ironside/Star Trek/The Fugitive

Dan Swanson


Oliver McGowan - 2 eps of PM/86 roles from last 1957- 1971 including Star Trek/Father Knows Best/77 Sunset Strip/Route 66/Hazel/Bewitched/Family Affair/My 3 Sons

Otis Swanson


Henry Beckman - 4 eps of PM/209 roles from last 1950- 2002 including X- Files/Booker/Quincy/Welcome Back, Kotter/Six Million Dollar Man/4 eps of Ironside/The Monkees/The Fugitive/Flash Gordon

William March


Anthony Jochim - 3 eps of PM/112 roles from 1948- 1971 including Star Trek

Makeup Man


Arlene Martel - 2 eps of PM/82 roles from 1958- 2013 including Star Trek /Colombo/Twilight Zone/Untouchables/I Dream of Jeannie/The Monkees/7 eps of Hogan’s Heroess

Sandra Dunkel


Dan Tobin - 16 eps of PM 15 as T. Clay/128 roles from 1942 - 1977 western

Terrance Clay


Indus Arthur - 2 eps of PM/8 roles from 1963 - 1971 including General Hospital/Dragnet/Wild Wild West/died in Los Angeles County in 1984 of complications from a brain tumor at age 43.

Barbara Kramer


Maurice Manson - 5 eps of PM/109 Roles from the 1948 - 1982 including Gunsmoke/Porgy and Bess/The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet/Alfred Hitchcock/Hazel and TJ Hooker

Jess Parkinson


Tom Palmer - 7 eps of PM/81 Roles from 1944 -1987 including Jack and the Fatman/Bewitched/Bonanza

Franklin Bates


Chet Stratton - 150 roles 1972 including Hogan’s Hero

Minister


Alan Fordney - 2 eps of PM/ roles from 1948- 1971

Harley


Grandon Rhodes

Judge No. 2

•••

Ed Prentiss

Judge No. 1

Roland La Starza

Bouncer

Mike De Anda

Mexican Worker

(as Mike Miguel De Anda)

Fun Stuff:

Furniture/Design

            Perry’s Office Window View 

Fashion

Cars

Cigarettes

Money Translation

$7,000,000 in 1966 = $65,332,672.95 in 2023 

Dee Spills the Tea:

We touched on a number of subjects last week and we promised to get back to each of them. One of them was Raymond Burr’s weight.

Burr reportedly weighed over 12 pounds at birth. and was chubby throughout his childhood. He said in an interview "When you're a little fat boy in public school, or any kind of school, you're just persecuted something awful."

Raymond Burr was sixty pounds overweight when the producer wanted him for the part of Perry Mason. Burr was determined and went on a crash diet, losing the extra weight and landing the iconic role. He eventually gained all that weight back and when the series ended he weighed close to 300 pounds.

His weight was always an issue for him and it became a public relations problem when Johnny Carson began making jokes about him during his Tonight Show monologues. (The Tonight Show which now stars Jimmy Fallon, starred Johnny Carson from 1962-1992). It got so bad that Burr refused to appear as Carson's guest. He told Us Weekly: "I have been asked a number of times to do his show and I won't do it. If I went on I'd have some things to say, not just about the bad jokes he's done about me, but bad jokes he does about everybody who can't fight back because they aren't there.

Awwww, poor Ray!

Next Week’s Episode: The Fan Dancer’s Horse Season 1, Episode 15

TCOT Podcast Episode 038 - Sad Sicilian

 

TCOT Podcast Episode 038 - Sad Sicilian

Season 8 - Episode 22

Originally aired - March 11, 1965

The Case of the Podcast is a Perry Mason Fan Podcast. We love and enjoy episodes from a tv show from the late 1950’s and early 1960. It’s so old, it was filmed in Black & White.

This is the episode from season 8 that we are choosing at random using a random number generator. We will be choosing our episodes this way season by season. We’re excited by this new process which will give each season a chance to shine.



Police Lt: Andy


DA: Burger

Guest Stars:

Fabrizio Mioni - only ep of PM/40 roles from 1954 - 1972 including Hercules/The Lloyd Bridges Show/Bonanzo/Death Valley Days/Love American Style

Paulo Porro


Joe - Bellboy SA - 2nd ep of PM/118 roles from 1940 - present/The Life and Legend of Wyatt

Earp/CHiPs/The Thing with Two Heads/cartoon voices

Tommy Cook


Linda Marsh SA - 1 ep of PM/52 roles from 1962 - 1979 including 4 eps of Mod Squad/Greebie and the Bean/Mannix/Producer/Writer - Facts of Life/

Elizabeth Bacio


Patricia Joyce SA - 5 ep of PM/12 roles from 1964 - 1978 including Chico and the Man/Gunsmoke/Writer - Days of Our Lives

Woman Customer


Nico Minardos - 1

Giangiacomo Bacio


Dabbs Greer - 7 eps of PM/321 roles from 1939 - 2003 including Lizzie Maguire/Invasion of the Body Snatchers/Alfred Hitchcock/Burns and Allie/Superman/The Loretta Young/Twilight Zone/Andy Griffith/Dick Van Dyke Show/Gomer Pyle/The Ghost and Mrs Muir/Bonanza/Mod Squad/3 eps of Ironside/42 eps of Gunsmoke/Green Eyes with Paul Winfield/Little House on the Prairie/The Green Mile

Dodson


Margo - ep of PM/26 roles from 1934 - 1965 including

Serafina Bacio


Anthony Caruso

Enrico Bacio


Rudy Solari

Massimo Bacio


Paul Comi

Father Reggiani


Charles Irving

Judge


Dort Clark

Desk Sergeant

Alexander Lockwood

Coroner


Charles La Torre - only ep of PM

Uncle Fiastri

Cafe Proprietor

(as Jack LaRue)

Fun Stuff:

Furniture/Design

            Perry’s Office Window View 

Fashion

Cars

Cigarettes

Money Translation

$500,000 in 1965 = $4,756,362.17 in 2023.

Dee Spills the Tea:

How did Raymond Burr hurt his arm?

Now answering this question is going to bring up some more questions and we’ll save those other questions for later.

Burr wore a cast on his arm and shoulder for three months during the eighth season. In some episodes like the one we just watched, his right arm was hidden under a large suit. Now the show’s producers did this thinking to hide his injury but fans assumed he had gained weight (again). We’ll talk about that later too. I didn’t fall for it either. It looked like his arm was under his coat. But okay. And he tried to hide it by having the camera on his left side. That didn’t fool nobody either.

So how did it happen? Raymond Burr said in an interview that he had been injured in a helicopter crash during a tour of Vietnam. We know he did these tours to entertain the troops, during breaks in filming Perry Mason and this crash happened during one of those tours.

The real answer, or let’s just say “another answer” is revealed by Jim Davidson in his The Perry Mason Book. (We might have to delve into books about Mason too!). Davidson interviewed Robert Benevides in 2011 (put a bookmark there) said that he and Burr were in Hawaii and Burr tried to move a boulder (showing off) and tore the tendons in his bicep. All of the muscles in his arm were pulled out at the shoulder and became bunched up down near his elbow. So it was probably very painful.

So you decide. Helicopter crash or the beaches of Hawaii?

Stay tuned because I have a lot more tea to spill!

Next Week’s Episode: Dead Ringer Season 9 Episode 26

TCOT Podcast Episode 037 - Drifting Dropout

 

TCOT Podcast Episode 037 - Drifting Dropout

Season 7 - Episode 28

Originally aired - May 7, 1964

The Case of the Podcast is a Perry Mason Fan Podcast. We love and enjoy episodes from a tv show from the late 1950’s and early 1960. It’s so old, it was filmed in Black & White.


This is episode 28 from season 7 that we are choosing at random using a random number generator. We will be choosing our episodes this way season by season. We’re excited by this new process which will give each season a chance to shine.

Police Lt: Don Haggerty

Police Chief



DA: Blair Davies - 4 eps of PM

Prosecutor



Guest Stars:

Cynthia Pepper SA - only PM/21 roles from 1952 - 2005 including 9 episodes of My Three Sons/Julia/Margie/Kissing Cousins w/Elvis Presley/The Flying Nun/

Annalee Fisher


Carl Reindel - 2 eps of PM/47 roles from 1959-1981 including Buck Rogers/2 eps of Ironside/Bonanza/Gidget/Gunsmoke

Barry Davis


Ted de Corsia - 3 eps of PM/Get Smart/I Dream of Jeannie/Green Acres

Mort Lynch (as Ted deCorsia)


Neil Hamilton - 7 eps of PM/183 roles from 1918 - 1971 including Commissioner Gordon - Batman/Mr. Ed/Outer Limits

Grove Dillingham


Natalie Norwick - 2 eps of PM/44 roles from 1950 - 1976 including ST/Dark Shadows/Have Gun Will Travel/Ryan’s Hope

Miss Standish


Vaughn Taylor - was in everything!

Janet Leigh’s boss in Psycho

8 eps of PM/Twilight Zone/Dennis the Menace

Sanford Harper


Malcolm Atterbury - 5 eps of PM Dennis Briggs WW/164 roles from 1954 - 1976 including Dragnet/Wagon Train/My 3 Sons /Cow Thief Mayberry/Twilight Zone/Bonanza/Towering Inferno/Little House on the Prairie

Dell Harper



Harry Holcombe

Judge


House Peters Jr.

Plainclothesman


Alex Montoya

Neighbor


Seamon Glass

Officer


Don Anderson

Uniformed Poilice Officer (uncredited)

Fun Stuff:

Furniture/Design

            Perry’s Office Window View 

Fashion

Cars

Cigarettes

Money Translation

Dee Spills the Tea:
In the 20s and 30s Neil Hamilton was a popular actor and appeared in many movies.
"A"-level work in Hollywood dried up for Hamilton by the 1940s, and he was reduced to working in serials, "B" films, and other low-budget projects.
In a 1970s book interview Hamilton said he had been banned from A level work for insulting a studio executive. From 1942 to early 1944 he could not obtain film employment and was down on his luck financially.
By the mid-1940s, his personal and professional life were at such a low point that he was seriously considering committing suicide. His plan was to jump from the mountains above Santa Monica, but on his walk he met a priest and told him the whole story. The priest encouraged him to make a novena, (a tradition of praying for nine days) instead. At the end of the nine days of prayer, he was offered an acting job from Universal Studios and never looked back.

Next Week’s Episode: From Season 8 Episode 22 - The Case of the Sad Sicillian