The Case of the Fiery Fingers

Mostly thanks to Lenore Shanewise, this is an above average Perry Mason episode. Imdb and their 150 character requirements is a royal pain and discourages reviewers.

Fans of Perry Mason may be surprised to learn that Lenore Shanewise (Nora Mae Qincey), born in 1887 in Denver, Iowa, was instrumental in advancing the stage and acting career of Raymond Burr. She was a director of and actor in hundreds of productions with the Pasadena Playhouse, where Burr considered her as a mentor. She co-starred with Burr in two episodes of Perry Mason (her second appearance is in "The Case of the Reckless Rockhound," one of the series best offerings) and in two episodes of "Ironside." She also appeared in the Twilight Zone episode entitled "Kick the Can" (1962). She retired in 1967 and died in 1980. She's easily the most interesting thing about "The Case of the Fiery Fingers," her penny-pinching scenes with Perry and Della being standouts. Otherwise, it's a pedestrian episode, with an overly abrupt conclusion. But the Mason/Hale/Hopper dynamic never fails to entertain. And it doesn't hurt to add a star of Ms. Shanewise's caliber to the mix!

Although Raymond Burr first suggests that Lenore Shanewise go to legal aid first apparently he couldn't resist the guilelessness of this little old lady who pays him a $5.00 retainer. He takes her on as a client.

She came to Burr with the suspicion that Edward Norris who is married to the woman who hired her as a nurse is about to poison his wife. He's got a girlfriend on the side in Fay Spain, not only on the side but who faked her way into the household as a maid, the better to keep an eye on him. In any event when the wife dies of arsenic poisoning, the sweet little old lady really does need the services of Perry Mason.

I have to say even with evidence pointing in her direction how could Hamilton Burger possibly believe this woman capable of anything? It turns out to be a case of a frame getting fitted on the wrong victim. You might be interested in seeing who's doing the framing.

Of course Nora Mae is not guilty because she is Perry's client. However, she should have been acquitted based on the evidence rather than the coerced confession of the real killer.

It was known that the pills Nora Mae put in the milk were a sedative rather than arsenic - this is admitted by the husband who provided the pills to Nora Mae and verified by the one pill collected by Perry and tested at a lab. Trag confirmed under oath that no trace of sedative was found in the carafe, which is consistent with Nora Mae's statement that she dumped the carafe after putting the pills in it, and filled it with fresh milk. Therefore the "evidence" that she put pills in the carafe is not relevant to the case, and there is no evidence at all that she doctored the milk that the victim drank. I wonder why the world's best defense attorney never brought up the fact that the prosecutor had no evidence against his client.

Otherwise, an excellent Mason as always.

If you're keeping score, many of Perry's cases dealt with money and shear greed. A lethal combination. Here, Edward Norris plays a questionable gentleman named George Gordon who married a very wealthy woman. Still he's not happy. He has a gal friend (played by Fay Spain) on the side -- and you know his wife Louise (Susan Dorn) hasn't long to live. In fact, poor Louise prefers the company of her elderly nurse, Nora Mae (played by Lenore Shanewise), but it's not enough protection when she winds up poisoned. Even more tough luck for Nora Mae who stands accused of the crime.

In a way, you kind of figured something like this would happen, and watch how it all plays out. I agree with the last reviewer; the courtroom showdown is a gem. Of course, all us long time fans couldn't wait for the finale no matter what the case was about. Much due to excellent actors and the craftsmanship of director Arthur Marks, also series producer. Watch every single face!

On an interesting footnote, Lenore Shanewise was the senior director of the famed Pasadena Playhouse and a good friend of Raymond Burr.

Poker face Charles Lane turns up as a doctor. We love him. Actress Susan Dorn, who appeared in many dramatic tv shows, passed in 2020. Yes, comedian Connie Cezan returns as Gertie.

Another fine script by Laurence Marks, who later gained fame for many winning episodes for MASH.

SEASON 1 EPISODE 31 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2. The entire series is on dvd in an impressive box set. For ultra fans.