The Case of the Bluffing Blast 

Linda Blake arrives in Ladera looking for her father only to find he has been dead for several years. His death occurred with suspicions that Charles Lambert killed him. When his alibi, Floyd Grant, is murdered, Linda is charged.

Director:

Allen H. Miner

Writers:

Erle Stanley Gardner (characters created by), Samuel Newman

Stars:

Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William Hopper

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Raymond Burr	...	Perry Mason
Barbara Hale	...	Della Street
William Hopper	...	Paul Drake
Ray Collins	...	Police Lt. Arthur Tragg (credit only)
Bill Williams	...	Floyd Grant
Frank Overton	...	Deputy D.A. Nelson Taylor
Peter Breck	...	Clay Elliot
Antoinette Bower	...	Linda Blake
Mary LaRoche	...	Donella Lambert (as Mary La Roche)
Robert Knapp	...	Charles Lambert
Frank Ferguson	...	Sheriff Orville Ramsey
Gertrude Flynn	...	Sylvia Lambert
Jonathan Kidd	...	Joe Italiano
Ralph Manza	...	Dr. Lieberson
Bill Zuckert	...	Judge

Storyline

A young English woman, Linda Blake, arrives in Ladera looking for her father, Addison Blake. She was the product of a World War II liaison between Blake and her mother and had only become aware of his existence when going through her recently deceased mother's papers. She arrives to learn that her father had died several years before in a hunting accident. He had been quite wealthy but, as he died without a will and with no known relatives, his estate was sold and the funds went to the State of California. The newspaper he owned was bought by Clay Elliot who had recently printed negative stories about the local dairy, much to the annoyance of its manager, Floyd Grant. Rumors always blamed the dairy owner, Charles Lambert, for his death but Grant provided Lambert with an alibi at the time and he was never prosecuted. When Grant is found dead, Linda is charged with murder and Perry Mason defends her.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 January 1963 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 4, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Television Network, Paisano Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Barbara Hale's husband, Bill Williams, guest stars in this show.

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Goofs

When Perry and Paul are in the plant talking to Joe, Joe states that there is liquid ammonia in the tank, but the gauge is labeled nitrogen.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Linda Blake: Excuse me. I'm looking for the office of a newspaper, the Ladera Ledger? Could you take me there, please?
Cab Driver: You don't need me, miss. It's just up the street. Can't miss it.

User Reviews

One unexpected heir

This is a Perry Mason story that shows the need for OSHA and the kind of legislation that created it. Peter Breck the owner of a small town newspaper who prints a nasty editorial about ammonia pollutant coming from the place. When Breck is having an argument over said editorial with Bill Williams over the issue, Antoinette Bower walks in and says she's looking for her dad who is supposed to be the owner of said dairy.

Not so because her 'dad' died 7 years ago and he was a bachelor. No but he had a quick marriage and divorce to a British girl overseas during WWII that produced a daughter even he didn't know about. By rights she should be owner of just about everything around.

Later on when Bower is found with a dead Williams it's a good thing Perry Mason and Paul Drake are in town. This is just the kind of damsel in distress case that's Mason's meat and drink.

Lots of suspects abound. And it all stems back to the hunting accident death of Bower's father. Raymond Burr uncovers a lot of snakes in this story. One murder but a lot of guilt.