While Halloween episodes were fairly common on television sitcoms of the Fifties and Sixties, they were rare in comparison on dramas. An exception to this rule was the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Dodging Domino." It aired on November 1, 1962, and Halloween was front and centre in the episode.
"The Case of the Dodging Domino" centres on college professor Damion White (David Hedison), who has taken credit for a melody that he didn't write, "Pearls and Jade." The actual writer of the tune is Phil Schuyler (James Forrest), who not only forged one of his brother-in-law's cheques, but is blackmailing Damion White over the song. Given Phil Schuyler is not a very nice guy, he naturally winds up dead and Damion White is accused of his murder. Perry Mason must then defend Damion White and reveal who the real murderer is.
Unlike a few other Perry Mason episodes, there are no spooky, creepy, or paranormal themes in "The Case of the Dodging Domino," which is a straightforward, if somewhat convoluted mystery. Regardless, it is set during and shortly after Halloween. Indeed, Halloween is essential to the episode's plot. Rudy Mahlsted (Lloyd Corrigan), Schuyler's apartment manager, was watching the neighbourhood kids as they went trick-or-treating when he saw who thinks was the murderer leaving Schuyler's apartment. The kids in their Halloween costumes are then a key bit of evidence in clearing Damion White.
What makes all of this even more interesting for younger Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and older Millennials is that the children's costumes are clearly the sort that Ben Cooper, Collegeville, and Halco manufactured at the time. One of the children even says that Rudy helped one of this children pick out her costume at the corner drugstore, which is where costumes by Ben Cooper, Collegeville, and Halco were often sold. The fact that "The Case of the Dodging Domino" features costumes of the sort made by Ben Cooper and other companies makes it unusual among TV shows of the Sixties. Even though many, if most, children wore store-bought costumes in the Sixties, most TV shows of the era featured children in homemade costumes (well, costumes from the studio costume department, anyway rather than the common Ben Cooper, Collegeville, and Halco costumes.
Perry Mason was known for its guest stars, who were often famous or soon to be famous. "The Case of the Dodging Domino" is no different. The aforementioned David Hedison had already starred in the horror movie The Fly (1958) and would soon star in the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Character actor Jeff Morrow, who had appeared in such films as This Island Earth (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), appears as composer Alex Chase. The aforementioned Lloyd Corrigan began his career in the Silent Era and appeared in everything from The Ghost Breakers (1940) to Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). What is now possibly the most famous name to appear in "The Case of the Dodging Domino"is Ellen Burstyn. At the time, Ms. Burstyn had not yet appeared in her first movie, but guest starred frequently on television. In 1962, the same year that she appeared in "The Case of the Dodging Domino," she also appeared on such shows as Ben Casey, Bus Stop, Dobie Gillis, The Real McCoys, and yet others. In the episode, she played actress Mona Winthrope. At the time, she was still being credited as "Ellen McRae,"
"The Case of the Dodging Domino" is not one of the best Perry Mason episodes, but it is also far from being one of the worst as well. It is certainly one of the most interesting in that it one of the few set around the time of a holiday and perhaps the only Perry Mason episode in which a holiday plays a central role. As the only episode centred around Halloween, it certainly stands out.
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