by Ted Davis and Linda Kay

Original Air Date: November 21, 1959

Directed by: Herbert Hirschman

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: When ambitious investment broker Richard Vanaman (Arthur Franz) is arrested for murdering scheming vixen Sylvia Welles (Joyce Meadows), unrivaled defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) takes up the case and once again contends with mildly rabid D.A. Hamilton Burger (William Talman) and likably crotchety Lieutenant Tragg (Ray Collins).

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): The episode opens with Sylvia sitting in a garish easy chair cuddling a diamond-collared Siamese cat. When the doorbell rings, Sylvia tosses the cat to the floor and rises to admit Rip Conners (David Sheiner), the technician she hires to wire-tap her apartment.

After Conners departs, she picks up the vocal Siamese for more cuddles.

During her telephone call with the gullible Richard, Sylvia holds her kitty’s paw throughout the conversation.

The restless cat is between Sylvia and Richard on the couch as they discuss investment policies, eventually stepping on Richard’s lap.

Moving off the couch to investigate the wires to the hidden microphone (which have almost certainly been baited with some kind of treat), the cat accidentally tips off Richard to the fact he is being recorded.

Later when Richard discovers Sylvia’s corpse, the Siamese is resting patiently on top of the previously mentioned easy chair, judging the broker’s inept search of the body.

The cat keeps her spot throughout the scene, even when pathetic night clerk Elliott Hale (Alex Gerry) bustles into the room, chases Richard out of the apartment, and also hovers over Sylvia’s remains.

Behind the Scenes

A blurb in the November 21, 1959 edition of The Knoxville News Sentinel, specifically under the TV-Radio Scout column, described the plot and mentioned the Siamese, saying, “The cat gave producer-director Herbert Hirschman trouble; it sounded more like a duck.” Indeed the cat actor’s voice was particularly raspy but thankfully they did not bother to redub the cat’s natural voice in this instance.

Final Mewsings: Sylvia’s transgressions are understandable when you consider that diamond collars for kitty don’t exactly grow on trees.

Many thanks to Mark Murton for also letting us know about the cat in this episode.

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