The Case of the Fanciful Frail

For the most of Perry Mason's nine-season run, the series is punctuated by a vast collection of famous TV stars from the start in 1957. Their faces pop out at boomer viewers and cause us to remember and say : "Hey...he was on so-and-so as __________ ", or " She played a great witchy character in _________ ". But towards the end of the series run, it becomes very obvious to me that the stars get somewhat upstaged by "automobile counterparts", if you will. For me, as well as perhaps millions of auto buffs, the " CARS ARE THE STARS " in numerous episodes of this last season of Perry Mason. This episode, "The Case of the Fanciful Frail", from 1966, epitomizes this concept perfectly. Younger viewers may also notice this as self-serving commercialism at a glance and come to appreciate it as a kink in television history as well.

Raymond Burr always appears in a top-of-the-line , brand new convertible (or retractable hardtop). He seemed to get a new car every year. Their use conveyed his character and successful career in the series. Yet, on the other hand, the cars used in this production, almost seem to steal the camera (and perhaps some of the limelight from supporting cast.) The camera seems to dwell at times on the action of the sheet metal, instead of the actors, as it makes it's sometimes graceful way and sometimes dramatic way across the little screen in numerous scenes here and there again. Thus, it's not rocket science to figure out that one or another of the Detroit " Big 3 " sponsored Perry Mason at one time or another. Their sponsorship influence upon the screen play is obvious and cannot be overstated : to promote a popular consumerism with their product viewed fashionably and favorably. One can pick up on this easily, in "The Case of the Fanciful Frail".

I'm not spoiling it for you !

You tell me who was the commercial sponsor of Perry Mason at this particular point in time, or any of numerous other points in time, of this fabulous, behind-the-scenes, television history.

It only takes a glance.

It's taken me several viewings to figure out the link between the characters played by Jack Betts and Barry Kelley. Only thing, to me, which could bridge the two seemingly unrelated crimes is a case of mistaken identity, and mistaken by more than one person! Otherwise, the episode itself is too fanciful for belief.

One thing about these last shows from Season Nine which I really love is the producer's fairness in picking out the automobiles shown in each weekly show. Most producers stuck with the Big Three - Ford, Plymouth and Chevrolet - in their choice of autos, although "My Three Sons" featured cars from the Pontiac Division of General Motors. "Perry Mason" acknowledged the existence of the #4 automaker in the United States - American Motors. The last nine or ten episodes of the series very prominently showcased the 1965 Rambler Ambassador 990 4DR sedans as police cars (I know the model, my parents' family car for eight years was the identical car - it was indestructible!) This wasn't artifice, by the way; a LOT of local, county and state police entities bought the Rambler for its economy of use and its durability. Nice to see these cars featured here.

Not really a surprise, as the series ALWAYS featured interesting cars.

A plot too convoluted for its own good and a lead character that's truly impossible to believe characterize this Perry Mason episode. How could anyone like Pippa Scott get herself in the potential jackpot she's in.

Pippa who's a rather shy girl works in a brokerage house and her fiancé not only leaves her at the altar, but holding an empty bag where $50,000.00 from her firm is supposed to be. She takes it on the lam to get clear of the law and find her missing man.

And then she runs into Abigail Shelton who suggests they switch identities since they do have something of a physical resemblance to her. Shelton also has money and man troubles. But Shelton is killed in a car crash and buried with Pippa's identity.

So Pippa comes to Raymond Burr with this rather tall tale which he and everyone else is having trouble with. Sad to say including the audience.

For the second episode in a row, the writers set up a crazy situation which would be enough. But then a melange of characters enter. It starts with 50,000 dollars connected to two entities, or is it three, or is it four. Mason is confused. Drake is confused. The defendant is confused. And the solution seemed to come out of the blue.

Actually in the 50s Ford was a sponsor, he usually drove dark Ford convertibles, but once in a while he would be in black Cadillac Convertibles. I found out that the sponsor was not always Ford, and when GM was a sponsor he was in a Cadillac. In fall of 60 he started driving the new Lincoln Continental Convertible that had just came out. But by 65-66 he was in Cadillacs again. Also all through most of the 60s when he was in Continentals, and Ford was a sponsor, someone important to the story was usually driving a Buick Electra or Wildcat . Sometimes in the last year of the show, the police were driving AMC cars.