Perry Mason: Season 5
Paramount (1961)
TV Series  /  Drama, Crime, Action
In Collection
#1044
0*
Seen ItYes
IMDB   8.3
764 mins USA / English
DVD  Region 1
Raymond Burr Perry Mason
Ray Collins Police Lt. Arthur Tragg
William Hopper Paul Drake
Barbara Hale Della Street
William Talman Hamilton Burger
Wesley Lau Police Lt. Andy Anderson
Lee Miller Police Sgt. Brice
Don Anderson Courtroom Spectator / Party Guest
Jack Gordon Courtroom Spectator
Willis Bouchey Judge
Karl Held David Gideon
Mitchell Rhein Courtroom Spectator
John Barton Courtroom Spectator
Eddie Baker Bailiff
Harold Miller Party Guest
Bert Stevens Party Guest
Richard LaMarr Courtroom Spectator
Kenneth MacDonald Judge
S. John Launer Judge #2
Dick Geary Attendant
Director
John English
Arthur Marks
Francis D. Lyon
Gilbert Kay
Producer Arthur Marks
Jackson Gillis
Art Seid
Gail Patrick
Writer Robb White
Paul Franklin
Jonathan Latimer
Maurice Zimm
Cinematography Robert G. Hager
Musician Barney Kessel

There are few actors so closely tied to a persona than Raymond Burr as Perry Mason. This long-running series was built upon Erle Stanley Gardner´s many novels about a brilliant defense lawyer and his staff, that solved many a crime with surprise witnesses and stern cross-examinations.It was the first mystery series to feature chalk or tape outlines to mark the spots where bodies were found. Filmed almost exclusively in the Los Angeles area, Raymond Burr had Gardner's seal of approval in the role. The cases were usually won by way of pivotal confessions of witnesses, solicited by Perry Mason (Burr's) surgeon-like examination or with last-minute, key evidence brought into the courtroom by private investigator, Paul Drake (William Hopper). Della Street (Barbara Hale), Perry´s faithful secretary, was always at Perry's side in the courtroom where hapless Hamilton Burger (William Tallman) was the Los Angeles District Attorney who never seemed to win. As to the myth that Perry Mason never lost, there were 2 episodes where it did occur... but you'll have to watch to find out.The show was revived in 1973-74, with other actors in the familiar roles (Monte Markham as Mason), and then again with the some of the original cast, in a string of feature length TV films from 1985 until Raymond Burr´s death in 1993.
Episodes
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    9/2/1961  1.  The Case of the Jealous Journalist
The drowning death of a newspaper executive during a fishing trip sets off all kinds of repercussions at the newspaper itself.
Director:  John English  Writer:  Samuel Newman 
Guest starring:  Irene Hervey, Jan Merlin,  Linden ChilesDenver PyleBek Nelson, Theodore Marcuse, Claire Griswold,  Parley BaerPaul Smith, Frieda Inescort
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    9/16/1961  2.  The Case of the Impatient Partner
Paint manufacturer Amory Fallon suspects that his partner Ned Thompson is behind a mysterious fire and explosion.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Adrian Gendot 
Guest starring:  Ben Cooper, Leslie Parrish,  Wesley Lau, Lucy Prentis,  Peter Adams, Mary Young,  Cheerio MeredithJack BettsDan Seymour, Chet Stratton
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    9/30/1961  3.  The Case of the Missing Melody
Perry and Della attend the wedding of Polly Courtland to Eddy King. The ceremony is halted at the altar when Polly begins screaming, "No! No!" and hurriedly exits the church. It seems as though Polly had spotted slimy George Sherwin holding an envelope containing photos of her younger sister checking into a Las Vegas hotel with a musician named Bongo White. Sherwin plans to ruin Polly and her family's reputation unless she gives up Eddy for him. Sherwin's plan comes a cropper when he's found shot to death. Eddy King is arrested for the crime.
Director:  Bernard L. Kowalski  / Bernard Kowalski  Writer:  Jonathan Latimer 
Guest starring:  Constance Towers,  James Drury, Bobby Troup,  Jo MorrowKarl HeldAndrea KingWalter Burke, Grant Richards, Lorrie Richards,  Crahan Denton
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    10/7/1961  4.  The Case of the Malicious Mariner
During a terrible storm at sea, First Officer Jerry Griffin dumps a million dollars worth of goods into the sea in order to lessen the chances of his cargo freighter sinking. Once on shore, Jerry is hauled before a maritime court which holds him responsible for the loss of the cargo. Captain Bancroft's testimony can clear Jerry but he is murdered before he can give it. Now Jerry stands accused of that crime too. Perry and Paul try to set things right once again.
Director:  Christian Nyby  Writer:  Robert Leslie Bellem 
Guest starring:  Sean McCloryEdward BinnsRoy Roberts, Lee Farr,  Karl HeldMax ShowalterWesley Lau, Penny Edwards,  Robert ArmstrongVictor Sen Yung
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    10/14/1961  5.  The Case of the Crying Comedian
Comic Charlie Hatch learns that the woman he loved and lost, Anne Gilrain, has escaped from a sanitarium to which she was forced to commit herself by her husband, Tom. When Tom Gilrain is murdered, Charlie is afraid that Anne did the deed and sets himself up as a likely suspect to protect her. Perry arrives on the scene to try and free Charlie from his abysmal stupidity.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Robert C. Dennis 
Guest starring:  Tommy Noonan,  Jackie CooganGloria TalbottSue Ane Langdon, Med Flory, Stacy Harris,  Liam SullivanJohn GallaudetNestor PaivaJohn Alvin
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    10/21/1961  6.  The Case of the Meddling Medium
Phony psychic Phillip Paisley meets a grisly death when an elevator that has been tampered with crashes. In the climactic scene Perry sets up another fantastic demonstration to prove his client innocent and expose the real culprit.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Samuel Newman 
Guest starring:  Virginia Field,  Kent SmithMary LaRoche, Sonya Wilde,  Karl HeldPaul Smith, Anna Lee Carroll, Lea Marmer, James Forrest,  S. John Launer
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    10/28/1961  7.  The Case of the Pathetic Patient
Perry finds himself defending Dr. Wayne Edley who has been accused of committing two murders.
Director:  Bernard L. Kowalski  Writer:  Maurice Zimm 
Guest starring:  Skip Homeier,  Frank Cady, Virginia Gregg,  Richard EasthamMort MillsPeter WhitneyBek Nelson, Ed Kemmer,  Charles IrvingWally Brown, Percy Helton
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    11/4/1961  8.  The Case of the Travelling Treasure
Perry and Paul are all set to go deep see fishing on a boat owned by their friend, Scott Cahill, but when Cahill's regular customer wants the boat for the weekend they have to charter another. Later, Perry gets word that the Coast Guard has boarded Cahill's vessel looking for stolen gold. They found some of the bullion and the corpse of an assclown named Karl McGovern. An autopsy reveals that McGovern was killed with a fatal dose of digitalis. Scott Cahill is charged with murder when the police theorize that he and the dead man were partners in stealing the gold. Writer: Robb White
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Robb White 
Guest starring:  Jeff York, Lisa Gaye,  Arch JohnsonH.M. WynantVaughn Taylor, Ron Gans, Jackie Searl, Addison Richards, Baynes Barron,  Hardie Albright
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    11/11/1961  9.  The Case of the Posthumous Painter
Artist Jack Culross fakes his own suicide and sees the sales of his paintings go through the roof. His only problem was that he forgot to inform his wife Edna of the scheme. After Edna sees a completed painting of Jack's that she knows he didn't finish while he was "alive" she gets wise. Edna manages to track down her "deceased" husband but they fight and she knocks him down. Then he's found dead. Edna must stand trial for murder.
Director:  Bernard L. Kowalski  Writer:  Richard Grey 
Guest starring:  Stuart Erwin,  George Macready, Carol Eve Rossen, Lori March,  Karl HeldWesley LauJason Evers, Britt Lomond,  James GriffithNelson Leigh
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    11/18/1961  10.  The Case of the Injured Innocent
A really weird courtroom confession scene highlights this episode about the murder of a race car driver.
Director:  Bernard L. Kowalski  Writer:  Paul Franklin 
Guest starring:  John Conte, Frank Maxwell, Audrey Dalton,  Alejandro ReyWesley Lau, Jess Barker, Linda Lawson, Phil Arthur,  Raymond Bailey, Noel Drayton
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    11/25/1961  11.  The Case of the Left-Handed Liar
Health club instructor Ward Nichols wants to marry the daughter of his employer, Bernard Daniels, but Ward's estranged wife, Veronica, is pressuring him for money and claiming to be pregnant. Things blow up in everyone's face when Bernard is found crunched with a dumbbell at the club. Perry, as usual, arrives on the scene to get at the truth.
Director:  Jerry Hopper  Writer:  Jonathan Latimer 
Guest starring:  Ed Nelson, Leslie Parrish,  Les Tremayne, Maggie Pierce,  Karl HeldWesley LauDabbs GreerAlan Baxter, Joan Banks, Richard Derr
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    12/2/1961  12.  The Case of the Brazen Bequest
Charles Cromwell, the president-elect of Euclid College, worries that some less than stellar moments from his past will be exposed when Maisie Freitag arrives on the scene to make an unusual beguest to the college. Needless to say, murder eventually finds its way to the campus.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Robert Leslie Bellem 
Guest starring:  Phyllis Avery, Alan Hewitt, Karl Weber,  Mort Mills, John Wilder, Barbara Stuart,  Strother Martin, Joseph Julian, William Allyn,  Will Wright, James Millhollin
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    12/9/1961  13.  The Case of the Renegade Refugee
A journalist is murdered while tracking an ex-Nazi war criminal who may be posing as an executive at a company called Space Associates, Ltd.
Director:  Bernard L. Kowalski  Writer:  Samuel Newman 
Guest starring:  Frank OvertonDick ForanPaul LambertJohn SuttonKarl HeldWesley Lau, Ronald Long, Jennifer Howard, Donna Atwood,  Denver Pyle
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    12/16/1961  14.  The Case of the Unwelcome Bride
Wealthy Walter Frazer has always blamed his daughter-in-law Sue Ellen for his son Gregson's failures. You can only imagine how he feels when Sue Ellen is accused of Gregson's murder.
Director:  Gilbert Kay  Writer:  Helen Nielsen 
Guest starring:  Torin Thatcher, Gerald Mohr, Diana Millay,  DeForest KelleyAlan Hale Jr.Wesley Lau, Melora Conway, Bryan Grant,  Willis Bouchey, Ben Young
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    12/30/1961  15.  The Case of the Roving River
Perry is hired to help settle a land dispute in the Manzana Valley but the key witness is blown up by a homemade bomb. As usual, Perry's client is accused of the crime.
Director:  Jerry Hopper  Writer:  Samuel Newman 
Guest starring:  Sarah Marshall,  Bruce BennettPaul FixPhilip OberKarl Held, June Vincent,  J. Pat O'MalleyHarry Carey Jr., Kelly Thordsen,  Robert Lowery, Ray Boyle
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    1/6/1962  16.  The Case of the Shapely Shadow
Naive secretary Janice Wainwright carries out boss Morley Thielman's orders and places a briefcase containing more than $100,000.00 in a train station locker. Then she waits for the arrival of Thielman's ex-wife but Lt. Tragg arrives instead with an arrest warrant for Janice on the charge of murdering her boss. It seems as though witness Fred Carlyle saw a woman's shapely shadow through the shades of Thielman's office window shortly before the murder occurred.Carlyle believes the silhuette belonged to Janice. Perry manages to get to the bottom of things once the courtroom proceedings begin.
Director:  Christian Nyby  Writer:  Jackson Gillis  /  Erle Stanley Gardner 
Guest starring:  Robert Rockwell, Dorothy Green, Elaine Devry,  Barbara LawrenceKarl Held, George N. Neise, James T. Callahan,  Willis Bouchey, Ray Hemphill,  John Dennis
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    1/13/1962  17.  The Case of the Captain's Coins
Historian Phillip Andrews tries to make a case that his fiancee, Evelyn Faraday, is entitled to a share of a shipping company fortune. Phillip then finds himself accused of murdering the company's top man.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Adrian Gendot 
Guest starring:  Jeremy SlateArthur Franz, Joan Patrick, Jay Novello, Herbert Rudley,  Wesley LauParley BaerDon BeddoeHenry Beckman, Allison Hayes
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    1/20/1962  18.  The Case of the Tarnished Trademark
Axel Norstaad sells his much respected furniture trademark to Martin Somers, described by some as the slide trombone of the furniture business. Somers immediately begins stripping the company of its assets and churning out inferior products. Axel protests these developments vehemently and when Somers is found murdered he gets arrested for the crime. To complicate things, Axel is in love with Edie Morrow whom he suspects might be the actual killer.
Director:  Jerry Hopper  Writer:  Maurice Zimm  / Oliver Crawford 
Guest starring:  Karl Swenson, Osa Massen,  Marie WindsorMalcolm AtterburyPhillip TerryWesley LauDennis PatrickMorgan Woodward, Edward Norris,  Francis De SalesS. John Launer, Tommy Farrell,  William Tracy, Thom Carney,  Don Dillaway, Robert Ball, Stafford Repp,  Lisa Davis
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    2/3/1962  19.  The Case of the Glamorous Ghost
Eleanor Corbin pleads amnesia after police find her running and screaming through woods near her apartment building. Her loss of memory is of little help toher when she is later charged with murder.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Samuel Newman  /  Erle Stanley Gardner 
Guest starring:  Mary Murphy, Jeanne Cooper, Ziva Rodann,  Merry AndersDouglas DickWesley LauColeen Gray, Vinton Hayworth,  Kenneth MacDonaldJon Lormer
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    2/10/1962  20.  The Case of the Poison Pen-Pal
A casual pen pal relationship leads to insider information and murder.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Maurice Zimm 
Guest starring:  Everett Sloane, Patricia Breslin, Douglas Henderson, Bert Freed,  Wright King, Joan Tompkins,  Kathryn GivneyNaomi StevensCharles CooperHarry Jackson, Paul Genge
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    2/24/1962  21.  The Case of the Mystified Miner
Mason tries to clear his young, beautiful client after a twisting and wheeling plot of murder, kidnapping, and embezzlement unfolds.
Director:  Francis D. Lyon  Writer:  Jackson Gillis  /  Erle Stanley Gardner 
Guest starring:  Kathie Browne,  Josephine HutchinsonCarlos RivasBartlett Robinson, Sheila Bromley,  Wesley LauJohn Gallaudet, Stanja Lowe, Louise Lorimer, Pat Thompson
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    3/3/1962  22.  The Case of the Crippled Cougar
Mike Preston is a bitter man who despises Hugh Jamison because he mistakenly believes Jamison stole $100,000.00 from him and is responsible for him being crippled. Trying to entrap Jamison, Preston makes a mistake and is set up for murder by the real thief.
Director:  Jesse Hibbs  Writer:  Bob Mitchell 
Guest starring:  Bill WilliamsJohn Howard, Rita Lynn,  Mort MillsNoah KeenJohn Bryant, Simon Scott, Abigail Shelton,  Tom FaddenWillis Bouchey
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    3/17/1962  23.  The Case of the Absent Artist
Cartoonist Pete Manders is elated when the owner of the comic strip "Zingy" offers to sell him the strip for a song. Pete is less than elated when he learns that his girlfriend Leslie is running away to Europe with Gabe Phillips, the strip owner. When Phiilips is murdered, Pete is charged with the crime and retains Perry's services. Investigating the case, Perry soon discovers that the deceased Phillips was leading a double life.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Robert C. Dennis 
Guest starring:  Zasu Pitts, Mark Roberts,  Richard ErdmanVictor Buono, Jay Barney,  Wesley LauArlene Martel, Wynn Pearce,  Pamela Curran, Carl Don, Lane Bradford
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    3/24/1962  24.  The Case of the Melancholy Marksman
Ted Chase discovers that his bitchy second wife, Irene, might have killed his first wife and contemplates revenge but someone else gets to Irene first. In his defense of Ted, Perry discovers that Irene's past was even more sordid and corrupt than previously believed.
Director:  Jerry Hopper  Writer:  Robb White 
Guest starring:  Paul Richards, Jeff Donnell,  Mari BlanchardWilliam SchallertAnn RutherfordWesley LauPeter BaldwinJesse White, Edward Ashley, Cynthia Chenault
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    4/7/1962  25.  The Case of the Angry Astronaut
Astronaut Matthew Heller is suspected of killing his old service rival, General Addison Brand, after Brand is put in charge of the astronaut program.
Director:  Francis D. Lyon  Writer:  Samuel Newman 
Guest starring:  James CoburnRobert Bray, Jeanne Bal, Patricia Donahue,  Steve BrodieWesley LauPaula RaymondJohn Marley, Robert Casper,  Richard Grant
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    4/14/1962  26.  The Case of the Borrowed Baby
A baby who mysteriously appears in Perry's office has a rare St. Christopher medal, which could help identify the baby's parents. If only the suspected father wasn't dead.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Jonathan Latimer 
Guest starring:  Hugh Marlowe, Maria Palmer,  Corey Allen, Nellie Burt, Kaye Elhardt, Gregory Morton, Sara Taft, Joan Petrone, El Brendel, Charles Thompson
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    4/28/1962  27.  The Case of the Counterfeit Crank
A crazy man (or is he?), his dead nephew and a military base are tangled up in a confusing Perry Mason episode.
Director:  Jerry Hopper  Writer:  Robert Leslie Bellam 
Guest starring:  John Hubbard, John Larkin, Connie Hines,  Burt ReynoldsPaul Langton, Paul McGuire, David Saber,  Jeanette NolanDon Dubbins, Michael King, William Keene, Barney Biro,  Otto KrugerWilliam WoodsonRuss Bender
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    5/5/1962  28.  The Case of the Ancient Romeo
Perry and Della go out for a night at the theatre to see Perry's actor friend, Steve Brock, perform as Paris in Romeo and Juliet. The lights mysteriously go out during the dueling scene between Romeo and Paris and when the lights are restored the audience is shocked to see that leading man Franz Lachman, playing Romeo, has been stabbed to death. When Steve is accused of the murder Perry decides to have the cast re-enact the final scene that was played before Lachman's death.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  True Boardman 
Guest starring:  Jeff Morrow, Rex Reason, Harry von Zell,  Patricia Huston, Antoinette Bower,  Wesley Lau, K.T. Stevens,  Kendrick HuxhamRobert CornthwaiteWillis Bouchey
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    5/19/1962  29.  The Case of the Promoter's Pillbox
Aspiring screenwriter Herbert Simms submits his first teleplay to scumbag producer Charlie Corby who tries to use the manuscript as his own. Corby's scheme comes a cropper when he gets fatally whacked over the head with a whiskey bottle after a party. Herbert happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and is seen running from the scene of the crime. Guess who gets arrested for murder?
Director:  Jesse Hibbs  Writer:  Peter Martin 
Guest starring:  Geraldine Brooks, Dianne Foster,  George MathewsBen CooperLinden ChilesWesley Lau, John Lasell,  Edmon RyanJohn Gallaudet, Geraldine Wall
    Seen it: Yes   60 mins    5/26/1962  30.  The Case of the Lonely Eloper
Merle Telford is a naive and maladjusted young woman who is about to turn 21 and receive a substantial inheritance. She plans to run away from her guardians and elope with Danny Pierce as soon as she receives her money. Yep, you guessed it already, Danny is a greedy schemer and Merle's supposed friend, Gina Gilbert, is his accomplice. Merle's guardians know of her plans and hire Paul Drake to keep Merle from fleeing on the night of her 21st birthday party. When a murder is committed during the party Merle becomes the prime suspect.
Director:  Arthur Marks  Writer:  Robert C. Dennis 
Guest starring:  Jack GingJohn Dall, Jana Taylor, Joan Staley, Jorja Curtright,  Wesley Lau, Paul Tripp,  Billy HalopKenneth MacDonald, Carol Andreson
Edition Details
Series Perry Mason
No. of Discs/Tapes 1