This week’s mystery photos are courtesy of guest host Earl Boebert, who says: I was laid up for a bit recuperating from some heavy-duty dental work, and being constitutionally incapable of sitting idle I worked up this mystery photo series for you to enjoy, chuck, or use as you see fit. Don’t feel obligated — it already served its purpose by getting me on the other side of an aching jaw 🙂
This is Season Three, Episode Four of “Perry Mason” — “The Case of the Blushing Pearls.(1959)” One of the more obscure episodes, seldom syndicated because the already convoluted plot was rendered unintelligible by the cuts to accommodate extra commercials. It does have an interesting array of 30s – 40s character actors and one subsequently famous cast member, and is distinctive amongst the early Perry Masons in that the victim is a sympathetic character.
It was the first original Perry Mason story by Jonathan Latimer, an ex-Chicago crime reporter and ex-pulp fiction author who had already adapted two Erle Stanley Gardner stories. Latimer had previously written the screenplays for “The Glass Key” and “The Big Clock” and may have been used to the longer form — his plot could have benefitted by another 20 minutes to tie up all its loose ends. He improved, though, and ended up writing a total of 32 episodes.
The episode occupies an interesting spot in the evolving portrayal of Japanese Americans in mass media. 1959 was as close to the closing of the internment camps as 9/11 is to us today, anti-Japanese sentiment was still strong among veterans of the Pacific War, and it was just one year after the Kingston Trio’s notorious “U.C.R.A” quip on their debut album.
In this environment, and writing for the 10th-rated show that year, Latimer depicts Japanese Americans as something other than houseboys and gardeners — in this case, owners and professionals in the pearl trade. But it pretty much ends there, as he lays on just about the all of the rest of the stereotypes: a submissive female, the threat posed by an interracial marriage, hara kiri, and Charlie Chan Confucianism.
This week, we are turning over the mystery photo to a member of the Brain Trust. Here is Monday’s mystery guest, with Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Nobu McCarthy and George Takei.
And for Tuesday, we have this mystery gent.
Update: This is Bill Walker
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Back of the Head Guy), Benito (mystery show and mystery guests), Gretchen (mystery show and mystery guests), Barbara Klein (mystery show and mystery guests), Sarah (mystery show and mystery guests), Jenny M (mystery show and mystery guests), Suzanne Annette Stone (Back of the Head Guy), Roget-L.A. (Back of the Head Guy) and LC (mystery show and mystery cast).
And for Wednesday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Steve Terrell.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery show and guests), Julie Merholz (mystery show and cast), Jenny M (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Barbara Klein (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery show and mystery guests), Valley Dave (mystery show and mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery show and guests) and Patrick (mystery show and guests).
And for Thursday, another mystery gent.
Update: This is Benson Fong.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Barbara Klein (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Patrick (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Charles Kjelland (mystery show and cast) and Julie Merholz (Wednesday’s mystery guest).
And for Friday, we have a mystery gent on the phone.
Update: Joe De Reda.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery gent), Anne Papineau (mystery show, Monday’s mystery guest and Thursday’s mystery gent), Jenny M (Thursday’s mystery gent), Barbara Klein (Thursday’s mystery gent), Lee Ann, Thom and Megan (aka Lee Ann, Megan and Thom) (mystery show and mystery guests), Patrick (Thursday’s mystery gent) and Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest).
ladailymirror.com 
Is back of the head guy George Takei?
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Nobu McCarthy in Perry Mason episode THE CASE OF THE BLUSHING PEARLS. Bonus: George Takei is Back of the Head guy. Saw this one recently.
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As luck would have it, Benito was showing me that one just the other week. Great Brain Trust minds think alike, yes?
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Holding pearls, Reiko Sato?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Miiko Taka
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Alas, no.
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“Perry Mason”
Nobu McCarthy and George Takei in “The Case of the Blushing Pearls”
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Thank you for posting something that I can certainly identify! It’s Perry Mason “The Case of the Blushing Pearls.” That’s Nobu McCarthy and George Takei.
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Nobu McCarthy and George Takei in Perry Mason, The Case of the Blushing Pearls.
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George Takei, before Star Trek..
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Peter Lorre and Lotus Long . Even if I’m wrong at least it’s kind of poetical don’t you think?
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Alas, I’m afraid not….
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Don’t know who Front of the Face girl is, but could Back of the Head guy be George Takei?
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Just to keep my finger in the pot, is this from “House of Bamboo”? And the folks in the photo, are they Shirley Yamaguchi and Reiko Hayakawa? Just a guess.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Another Perry Mason episode, The Case of the Blushing Pearls (1959) w/Nobu Mc Carthy, George Takei, Benson Fong, and of course, Raymond Burr
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Mantan Moreland today? My comments still aren’t showing up.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Nobu McCarthy on Monday and the Perry Mason show, “The Case of the Blushing Pearls?”
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Bill Walker today.
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Perry Mason, Case of the Blushing Pearls with Nobu McCarthy, Benson Fong, Bill Walker.
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Bill Walker
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In the BT roll call you say “mystery show” as opposed to the usual “mystery movie”. Is this not a general release film?
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Tuesday – Bill Walker
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Nobu McCarthy and George Takei / Monday
Tues. Bill Walker
“The Case of the Blushing Pearls” Perry Mason
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Monday: Nobu McCarthy and George Takei, Tuesday: Bill Walker.
This is another Perry Mason episode : “The Case of the Blushing
Pearls.”
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A discerning eye and some investigative research paid off. Monday’s couple is Nobu McCarthy and George Takei. Tuesday’s gent is Bill Walker. Solution: the 1959 Perry Mason episode “The Case of the Blushing Pearls”. Seems like more of a Televisionland Mystery than a Movieland Mystery to me.
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Nobu McCarthy, George Takei and Bill Walker in Perry Mason: The Case of the Blushing Pearls from 1959.
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Steve Terrell.
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Steven Terrell.
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Wednesday – Steve Terrell
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Wednesday = Steven Terrell
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Another Perry Mason, The Case of the Blushing Pearls, Nobu McCarthy, Benson Fong,?
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Steven Terrell
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Benson Fong today.
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Thursday Benson Fong … Just spitballing again
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On Monday, Nobu McCarthy in The Case of the Blushing Pearls, starring Perry Mason?
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Benson Fong
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Thursday – Benson Fong
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Sorry to be so late to the party–the Daily Mirror Midwest Chapter is in the middle of a kitchen remodeling. This week’s mystery is a Perry Mason, “The Case of the Blushing Pearls”. The Back of the Head guy is the very witty George Takei with Nobu McCarthy. Next is Bill Walker of Pendleton, Indiana. Then we have Steve Terrell, and bringing us up to today is number three son Tommy Chan–oops, I mean Benson Fong.
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Thursday = Benson Fong
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Is Thurs Key Luke?
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Benson Fong
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Joe di Reda today.
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Friday – Joe Di Reda
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Friday = Joe Di Reda
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Joe De Reda.
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