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Perry Mason Collector's Edition: Calendar Girl & Blushing Pearls

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The "Perry Mason" novels were a form of mystery stories where the lawyer is the detective and the solution occurs in a courtroom. A real life court trial is not as dramatic as in fiction. Erle Stanley Gardner often educated his readers with new technology or medical-legal facts, and warned of swindles. The TV shows were simplified and modified versions from the originals, or new stories. Some may criticize the tactics of Perry Mason but they represent life before the modern legal rules of the 1960s. The prices, automobiles, and monetary figures date these stories. They record the styles and culture of the 1950s. The many character actors enrich these stories, their emotions are often read from their facial expressions.

"The Case of the Calendar Girl" begins when a car drives into a gated estate. Mr. George Andrews visits Mr. Wilfrid Borden to discuss the problems in his construction project. Another car seems to have an accident by the gate. Beatrice Cornell asks for a ride home. But this lady soon leaves in a taxi cab. Loretta returns to her apartment. Andrews asks for Perry Mason's advice, and he investigates. The next morning they learn Wilfrid Borden was murdered! Perry finds the woman Dawn Manning who had been in a car accident, and gets her story. Miss Harper tells her story. The police find a pistol in George Andrews' car. This pistol was stolen. Frank Fettridge testifies to the presence of Dawn Manning with Wilfrid Borden. But a photograph of Dawn provides an alibi for her. You know what will happen next.
This is a condensed version of the novel which was better than this simplified story.

"The Case of the Blushing Pearls" begins at a beach house at night. A car arrives, a man was called by a woman who found pearls in her room. Stolen or planted? A flash shot captures the pair. Mitsou is arrested. Hudson Nichols posts bail, then explains the deal to Mitsou (she must go away from Grove Nichols). Why was there a duplicate set of pearls created? Grove seems rebellious. So Perry Mason is hired to defend Mitsou. Rosé or blushing pearls are the most valuable. Why was Mitsou's fingerprints on the case? What about Alice? Then Mitsou finds Uncle Ito dead in the shop! Who ordered the second set of pearls? Was Ito's body on a red rug?

Private detective Edgar Beals was shadowing Perry; its his business. Lt. Tragg investigates, so does Perry. Was Ito murdered? Tragg arrests Mitsou as the suspect. The witnesses testify at the trial. Mr. Nogata must use X-rays to distinguish between natural and cultured pearls. What if both sets are cultured? Does Perry have a scheme to find the real pearls? Will this lead to a confession in open court? Was someone in debt? "It would have ruined me." The last scene ends with a joke on Perry.

The plot about planted stolen jewels echoes the "Restless Redhead" and "Fiery Fingers". The use of a fire to reveal a hiding place comes from "A Scandal in Bohemia".