The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (Warner Bros.) (1937)

EXPLOITATION EAS “THE CASE OF THE STUTTERING BISHOP” SELLING ANGLES DEAD MAN DRIVES CAR FOR BALLY Since the question as to whether or not a dead man can drive a car plays an important part in the film, you should be able to attract a great deal of attention with this unusual street stunt. In co-operation with a local car dealer arrange to have a smart looking car, preferably one in flashy colors driven around town with a skeleton at the wheel. Driver is hidden inside (a good garage man can arrange this with little effort) . Copy on banners reads: can a dead man drive a car? See Perry Mason solve this mystery in The Stuttering Bishop, playing at the Strand Theatre. Have your driver go through the busiest parts of town and park in front of many prominent spots. Folks will be puzzled to see a car start and stop for all traffic lights with a dead man at the wheel. Might have an usher walk along and pass out heralds when the car stops and crowd collects. TEASER ADS Place ads in the personal column of your daily newspapers. You should be able to think up a number of gag notices. Here’s a sample: JANICE — Age 21, blue eyes, red hair. Contact me immediately if you value your life. Ur gent! “THE STUTTERING BISHOP.” SHOW STILLS Dig up some of the scene stills from past Perry Mason thrillers and group them about a lobby display on his latest exploit. USE WINDOWS Perry Mason thrillers are always among the _ best sellers. So it shouldn’t be hard to arrange a number of book store window displays with scene stills. VITAPHONE SHORTS TO COMPLETE YOUR BILL) ““VITAPHONE FUNSTERS” (Big Time Vaudeville) Some star juggling by | the Three Swifts; Dancing by Andy and Louise Carr; Johnny Burke, the Monologist and the Three Reddingtons, top-notch variety team. (10 minutes—No. 2610) “ALPINE GRANDEUR” (Color-Tour Adventures) Switzerland, the land of the Alps, is colorfully captured bythe all-seeing cameras of E. M. Newman. (10 minutes—No. 2310) “PORKY AND GABBY” (Looney Tunes) Porky Pig goes haywire in one of the funniest, looniest, tuniest cartoons of his long and colorful career. (7 minutes—No. 2810) “A MUSICAL OPERATION” (Broadway Brevities) Ken Murray and Oswald, the popular team of stage, screen and radio fame, in another ribtickling comedy! (10 minutes—No. 2031) “CLEAN PASTURES” (Merrie Melodies, Tech.) A clever takeoff on the famous play which will be a ‘must book’ on any exhibitor’s list! » (7 minutes—No. 2210) “JACK DENNY” (Melody Master) Lilting tunes by the famous Jack Denny aggregation that will brighten any program. ; (10 minutes—No. 2515) HONOR MASON If you stand in well with the local police department, (and what theatre man doesn’t?) you could arrange to have Perry Mason appointed an honorary member of the detective force. This stunt should result in a good deal of valuable newspaper space. Gag could be made to look legitimate by sending a telegram to Erle Stanley Gardner the author of Perry Mason stories informing him of the honor. CLUE CONTEST Arrange a number of scene stills so that lobby patrons will be able to pick out a few clues from film. Then ask them to try to solve the mystery. Supply pencil and paper and a box nearby so that they can enter their solutions in the contest. Stunt could be worked in your program or house publication. Winners are given guest tickets. GIVE REWARD Snipe reward posters around your town’s busy locations. | Copy could read: REWARD .. . have you seen the STUTTERING BISHOP? You can get the inside story of this most unusual mystery man at the STRAND THEATRE Thursday in Perry Mason’s latest adventure ... THE STUTTERING BISHOP. THE STORY IN BRIEF | BIOGRAPHIES | Stuttering Bishop Mallory (Edward OFFICIAL BILLING McWade) comes to Perry Mason (Donald Woods) for information concerning manslaughter. Twenty years before, Ida Gilbert (Mira McKinney) had killed a man in an automobile accident. Her father-in-law, Ronald Brownley (Douglas Wood), oil millionaire, objecting to her marriage to his’ son, had her charged with manslaughter. She had left her daughter, Janice Seaton (Linda Perry) with relatives in Salt Lake and had fled to Australia. Brownley, years later, had searched for his granddaughter and a firm of private detectives had brought forward a spurious one, Janice Alma _ Brownley (Ann Nagel). Bishop Mallory had learned of the substitution on his way to America from Australia. He is searching for Janice Seaton. Mason agrees to take the case. Bishop Mallory is attacked in his hotel room by Peter Sacks (George Lloyd) the private detective who brought the spurious Janice forward. The bishop leaves town and boards the Monterey at the harko~. Ida Gilbert has come to town with her friend, Stella Kenwood (Helen MacKellar). Mason, Della Street, (Ann Dvorak) and his detective, Paul Drake (Joseph Crehan) locate Mrs. Gilbert, Mrs. Kenwood and Janice Seaton. Then Janice disappears. Perry also learns that Bishop Mallory is not on the Monterey, which is en route to Australia. Perry suspects the Bishop is a fraud because he stutters. Brownley is lured to the harbor by Mrs. Gilbert, who has a watch that proves that Janice Seaton is Brownley’s real granddaughter. It is a stormy night. Ann Dvorak THE CASE OF THE STUTTERING BISHOP 100% oe, is roe and his body and car eo haba b eee math are found in the bay. “The hard way” is how this slender, Mrs. Gilbert is arrested for Brownley’s dark-haired young leading woman got DONALD WOODS—ANN DVORAK 75% murder. Perry defends her. He is also in into movies—She won her way up from Anne Nagel—Linda Perry—Craig Reynolds—Gordon Olivier 60% a mess for taking documents from the extra ranks—One of the few that Joseph Crehan 60% Sacks. ever did—Born in New York, daughter Pp (0) Perry proves that he died of drowning of Ann Lehr, noted stage actress—Visthough he was shot. Then he proves ited Hollywood with mother and got job Directed by William Clemens 20% that Mrs. Kenwood, who is the spurious as chorus girl in “Hollywood Revue”— Janice’s mother, shot Brownley and that Danced so well she was taken from the ¥ ; : Sacks and Stockton pushed the car into line and assigned to teach other chorA First National Picture 10% the bay. Sacks and Stockton are proved to be the real murderers. THE CAST Perry Mason rcccoccsccooereooree. Done ld Woods Della Street. ...... : Janice Alma Brownley .............. Anne Nagel IONE SCGLON, |i racectancremesnerce Linda Perry Gordon Bizler. .-..... ..Craig Reynolds Philip Brow ley -..ccccccccecessssseeeen Gordon Oliver PRGUE DIT CE. avscscsccinc hoses esccicensntys Joseph Crehan Stella Kenwood Bishop Mallory Timm Ma gooey, -..cccccccsccceeeeevererve Tom Kennedy Ida Gilbert. ....... Charles Dow rrcecccsssssssssneseeeeneee Frank Faylen Ronald C. Brownley..... CU re Peter Sacks. ..... ty Victor Stocktoyr elmer Jackson ATG (I Go i Se Gordon Hart Hamilton Burger . ..Charles Wilson DI CCCCTUOG eis Se hk Sac Eddie Chandler Tati Driver oecccccccccc..JS ack Richardson isters—Sought a test and got job as Paul Muni’s sister in ‘‘Searface’’—Immediately signed by First National— And has been with them ever since—Is married happily to Leslie Fenton, actor and playwright—Last seen in ‘‘Midnight Justice’’—Present role, leading woman in “The Case of the Stuttering Bishop,’ Mowaral the 2.02.0... Theatre. Donald Woods Canadian-born, in Winnipeg, is this handsome 6-footer—Educated in King Edward High School, Vancouver, then attended University of California, where . he was track and amateur dramatic star —Worked in various stock companies about the country, later at famous Elitch Gardens in Denver—First National scout saw him there, thought him ideal. for male lead with Jean Muir in “As the Earth Turns’—This won long contract with studio—Was splendid recently in “Anthony Adverse’ and ‘The White Angel’’—Present picture, leading role in ‘The Case of the Stuttering Bishop,’? MOW at the -..cccccccccccccscsee Theatre. PRODUCTION STAFF DVO CUO 7 = geen ea ww csnont Be Pe See ree) AS soe. Wiliam Clemens Sorcen: Plagne ye 2s 22 nhs ees cee ie a Ee oc OE. Don Ryan and Kenneth Gamet Story. by Bere. es eae 2. ee ee NE is A ciscnncarmnrle epniey Gardnet: PROCCOT ARN CT rE De a Te Sh MS EES.) ccc Bs escascsccsscaetsnt Rex Wimpy, A. S. C. Film Editor ities ack Saper Drala gue Ty FEC OT oan ree es re Re ap MI TE esc. snanscoussaaiocncsonool Earry Seymour PA ERT CC er Tm RE TD te tie obs ee ea ap asta s das binddns niopini pa OT BSL ON EIEY: GOUT 0 tN ate etisnice cer nespy intyemtnceeseioncicredih -usnircici pen tence LOW AEC DOOD Running Time Page Three