Connie Cezon Movies
Connie Cezon's main claim to fame is as a comic actress, and a romantic and slapstick foil for the Three Stooges; but it was her resemblance to Bette Davis that earned her a place (albeit uncredited) in the feature film Dead Ringer, and a mention in the actress' autobiography. Connie Cezon (whose name was often spelled "Cezan" in credits) is probably best remembered by fans of the Three Stooges for the five screen appearances she made with the trio, beginning with Corny Casanovas in 1952. Cezon proved in her onscreen run-ins with the Stooges that she could give as good as she could get, leading them to comedic ruin with her romantic wiles in the movie. In Tricky Dicks (1953), the trio's parody of Detective Story, she played a slick pickpocket, and in Hot Stuff (1956), Cezon dished out mayhem to an annoyingly flirtatious Moe Howard; and she was on the receiving end of the slapstick humor for Rusty Romeos (1957), a remake of Corny Casanovas. Born Consuelo Cezon, she trained in musical comedy and melodrama at the Pasadena Playhouse, appeared for four years in blackouts for Ken Murray, and worked in legitimate theater in Hollywood and New York. Her comedic skills brought her to the attention of playwright Moss Hart, who used her in a handful of his productions. She did variety television with Murray, and also did straight acting roles -- with some understated comedy -- in the recurring role of receptionist Gertie Lade on the classic late-'50s series Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr. Cezon's feature-film performances have been few in number -- apart from a small role in the Jerry Lewis feature The Errand Boy (1962), her most notable big-screen appearances were as a waitress in Bruno Ve Sota's low-budget film noir The Female Jungle (1956), and serving as Bette Davis' seen-from-the-back double in Dead Ringer (1964). Her resemblance to the star was essential in making the movie -- in which Davis played identical twins -- and so impressed Davis that she later remarked that the director could have used Cezon in place of her in certain shots. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi- 1964
Hudson Bradshaw (Bartlett Robinson) is willing to use any means, fair or foul, to claim the rights to a revolutionary new antibiotic developed by ex-employee Randolph James (Lee Farr). When all else fails, Bradshaw persuades James' wife Natalie (Marian Collier) to sell her controlling interest in her husband's chemical company--which would seem to be ample motive for murder when Natalie turns up dead. The only way that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) will be able to free James is to prove that his client was on a fishing trip at the time of the murder...but alas, the witnesses to this trip are either missing or highly unreliable! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1964
Housekeeper Nellie Conway (Joan Lovejoy) tells Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) that she thinks her boss Newton Bain (Harry Townes) is planning to kill his invalid wife Elizabeth (Shirley Mitchell). Investigating the situation, Perry finds that Mary may not be playing with a full deck. Later on, Elizabeth is indeed murdered--but it is Mary Douglas (Nancy Gates) who is charged with the crime. Comedian Jerry Van Dyke plays a rare dramatic role in this episode, which is based on Erle Stanley Gardner's 1951 "Perry Mason" novel The Case of the Fiery Fingers (previously filmed under its original title during Season One). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1964
Ex-fire chief Carey York (Tom Tully) hires Perry (Raymond Burr) to sue TV repoter Tommy Towne (Frank Aletter) for slander, after Towne claims on the air that York burned down his own warehouse for the insurance money. To avoid ponying up $1.5 million, Towne issues a "retraction"--still insisting that York is an arsonist, but now claiming that he was trying to save his son Dorian (Wynn Pearce) from bankruptcy. Ultimately, Towne is murdered, York is charged, and Perry must find out who is really going around setting fires and killing people. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1961
Hired to inventory the Bowden estate, Ralph Duncan (Vaughn Taylor), a none-too-bright civil servant, decides to impress his wife Helen by bringing home $153,000 in old greenbacks that he has found on the Bowden property. Of course, Duncan intends to return the money the next morning; unfortunately, the cash is stolen by his no-good cousin Charley (Robert Casper). Not only is poor Duncan accused of theft, but he's also charged with the murder of one Lloyd Farrell (Liam Sullivan)--and it is at this point that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) enters the story. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The second of Jerry Lewis' directorial endeavors, The Errand Boy, like its predecessor The Bellboy, is essentially a series of "spot gags," some hilarious, others only moderately amusing. The gossamer-thin plot finds Morty Tashman (Lewis) being hired by the CEO of "Paramutuel Pictures" (Brian Donlevy) to spy on studio employees and report any incidents of wastefulness and sloth. This gives Morty a chance to wander all over the Paramutuel Pictures lot, inadvertently interfering with work in progress, encountering strange characters and inexplicable events, and overall making as much of a nuisance of himself as possible. Some of the better gags include Morty's chaotic behavior at the "wrap party" for a vainglorious movie queen (Iris Adrian); his attempts to eat lunch while a noisy battle scene from a war picture rages all around him; his misguided effort to dub in the singing voice of a tone-deaf actress; the "Mr. Baebrosenthal" bit; and Morty's tete-a-tete in the studio swimming pool with a scuba diver. The weakest scenes involve Morty's sugary encounters with the Ritts Puppets, and a smug curtain speech about the importance of laughmakers in this troubled world. The huge supporting cast includes such reliable chucklemeisters as Howard McNear, Sig Ruman, Milton Frome, Benny Rubin, Fritz Feld, Doodles Weaver, Joey Forman, Dick Wesson and Joe Besser; also making fleeting appearances are actress/writer/director Renee Taylor, veteran movie tough guy Mike Mazurki (in drag!), silent film comic Snub Pollard, and the four stars from TV's Bonanza. Even non-Jerry Lewis fans will come down with a case of loose chuckles while watching The Errand Boy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy, (more)
- 1959
Theatrical "angel" (and former gangster!) Frank Brooks (Stacy Harris) is charged with the murder of playwright Ernest Royce (Jerome Cowan), who has been killed in the same manner as the main character in one of his unproduced plays. It turns out that Royce has based his play on the real-life murder of underworld figure Rick Valponi back in 1947. In order to clear Brooks in court, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must locate the "lost last act" of Royce's play, which may not only solve the present crime but also the one that occurred 22 years earlier. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
A sweet but scatterbrained old lady named Nora Mae Quincy (Lenore Shanewise) comes to Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) with the slightly garbled story that her employer George Gordon (Edward Norris is a murderer--and will soon murder again. Nora is the nurse of Gordon's second wife Louise (Susan Dorn), whom Nora suspects is being poisoned by Gordon, offering as evidence the fact that man's first wife also died from an "accidental" poisoning. As it turns out, however, it is Nora who is accused of the second Mrs. Gordon's murder--but that doesn't necessarily mean that she's been framed by her boss. Based on a 1951 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner, this episode would be refilmed in 1964 as "The Case of the Woeful Widower". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
George Baxter (Jack Raine), a courier for the South African Diamond Company, arrives at his firm's California office to find the place in a state of disarray, with a strange girl (Joanna Moore) standing the middle of the room. Baxter concludes that the place has been robbed, but before he can say or do anything the girl has ducked into the nearby office of Perry Mason (Raymond Burr), claiming to be a typist for a temp agency. Later on, Baxter is found murdered, and a man named Duane Jefferson (Alan Marshall) is charged. Perry wants to defend Jefferson, but the man refuses to identity the woman who could prove his innocence (and guess who that woman is?) Based on a 1956 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner, this episode offers a genuinely shocking twist just before the climax. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
Accused of murdering her Uncle Martin (Alexander Price), Nadine Marshall (Christine White) makes a detailed confession of the crime while under drugged hypnosis. The doctor handling the case informs Perry Mason (Raymond Burr), who despite this damning evidence is convinced that Nadine is innocent. The key to the solution would seem to be Nadine's engagement to one John Locke (Sherwood Price)--which under normal circumstances would be a happy occasion, but which for reasons unknown prompted Nadine to attempt suicide! This episode is based on a 1954 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
Harriet Bain (Virginia Vincent) is accused of murdering J.J. Stanley (James Bell), the man who had embezzled a huge sum of money from the Texas National Bank in collaboration with Harriet's father Ned (Carl Benton Reid). It seems that, just before his death, Stanley had approached Ned and threatened to expose him unless he was paid off. In preparing his defense of Harriet, Perry (Raymond Burr) surreptitiously erases a taped recording of the meeting between Stanley and Bain--one of the series' few overt examples of Perry actually destroying evidence! This episode is based on a 1953 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
Perry (Raymond Burr) receives a phone call from Arlene Dowling (Susan Morrow), who claims that she was robbed of all her belongings (including her clothes!) while sunbathing. Among the missing items is Arlene's trailer, in which was hidden a diary. Shortly thereafter, Perry finds himself defending Arlene on a charge of murdering George Ballard--and on a more disturbing note, he is nearly brought up on perjury charges by DA Burger (William Talman). This episode is based on a 1955 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1957
Unbeknownst to each other, the Three Stooges fall in love with the same gold digger (Connie Cezan) in this two-reel comedy which consisted mainly of stock footage from the earlier Corny Casanovas (1952). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1957
Anita Bonsal (Jean Willes) is jealous of her roommate Fay Allison (Sue England), who is about to marry Anita's ex-boyfriend Dane Grover (Douglas Dick). In fact, she is so jealous that she is willing to frame Fay for the murder of Carver Clement (John Holland), a married man with whom Anita is having an affair. As Fay's defense attorney, Perry must convince the court that the evidence against his client is not only circumstantial, but planted. And in case the reader thinks that the identity of the guilty party is obvious, consider that the "crimson kiss" found on Clement's corpse may NOT have been planted by a woman! This episode is based on a short story by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1957
Frances Celane (Olive Sturgess) will lose her father's $1,000,000 trust fund unless she waits eighteen months after her 25th birthday to get married. Unfortunately, Frances is already secretly wed to Rod Gleason (Brian Hutton)--and there's a baby on the way. Ultimately, Frances' uncle Edward Norton (Raymond Greenleaf), executor of her father's estate, is found murdered, and Rod is charged with the crime. In his efforts to save Rod from the gas chamber, Perry (Raymond Burr) and Paul Drake (William Hopper) scrutinize the comings and goings of the late Mr. Norton, his attorney Arthur Crinston (Robert Griffin), and his secretary Donald Graves (William Schallert). This episode is based on a 1933 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1957
While on a fishing trip, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) and Paul Drake (William Hopper) reel in a most unusual "catch": a beautiful girl named Sally Fenner (Peggy Castle), who had jumped into the ocean while fleeing a pack of guard dogs on the island estate of George Alder (David Lewis). Naturally, Alder turns up murdered, and Sally is charged with the crime. Assuming Sally's defense in court, Perry finds that there is no shortage of people who would liked to have seen Alder dead--including someone who was very, very close to him. This episode is based on a 1950 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner, and would be refilmed in 1965 as "he Case of the Impetuous Imp". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1957
After witnessing an automobile accident, Perry (Raymond Burr) and Della (Barbara Hale) see a young Mexican woman fleeing the scene. Perry later discovers that the girl is exotic dancer Cherie Chi-Chi (played by Judy Tyler in one of her last appearances before her death in a real-life car accident). He also finds out that the girl is in big trouble, and the reason is a fellow named John Callender (Hugh Sanders), who is quite dead. Based on a 1947 novel by series creator Erle Stanley Gardner, this was the first Perry Mason episode to be filmed, but not the first shown. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1957
A mysterious veiled woman hands Perry (Raymond Burr) $2000 in cash, and one-half of a $10,000 bill, as a retainer to defend a woman on a murder charge. Shortly therafter, Perry pays a visit ot embezzling businessman Albert Tydings (George Neise), only to find the man's body stuffed in his closet. Now Perry must earn his money by proving that Carol Stanley (Judith Braun), whose trust account Tydings was handling, is innocent of his murder. Counterpointing the drama is a humorous subplot wherein faithful secetary Della (Barbara Hale) nurses Perry through a vicious cold. This episode is based on a 1940 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1956
Held back from release for nearly a year, The Female Jungle finally received bookings on the strength of its "star", Jayne Mansfield. In fact, Jayne plays the relatively minor role of a trashy nympho; the emphasis is on neurotic police dectective Lawrence Tierney. Circumstantial evidence suggests that Tierney is responsible for the murder of a gorgeous film star--and since he was drunk at the time of the killing, even Tierney suspects himself. For a while, the number one candidate for the gas chamber is slimy gossip columnist John Carradine, but he's a bit too obvious to be culprit. Without giving away the ending, it can be noted that the murderer is played by a member of the film's production staff. Female Jungle was later reissued as Hangover. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lawrence Tierney, John Carradine, (more)
- 1956
Containing a wealth of stock footage from the earlier Fuelin' Around (1949), this Three Stooges two-reeler features a gang of spies who mistake Larry for the inventor of a top secret rocket fuel. Christine McIntyre, who had retired from films in 1954, Philip Van Zandt, and Jock Mahoney all appeared in the stock footage, while new scenes were filmed featuring Gene Roth, Connie Cezan, Evelyn Lovequist, and Andre Pola. Producer/director Jules White should have stuck with the comedy's working title: "They Gassed Wrong." ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1953
While the Three Stooges are best known for their violent brand of slapstick -- and director Jules White generally played the boys' physical aspect for all it was worth -- this comic short also contains quite a few very funny lines. The Stooges are detectives, but they're more interested in their card games than they are in actually putting anyone behind bars. This infuriates their chief, who insists that they find an at-large murderer within 24 hours -- or else. They actually have a man who confesses to the crime: "I am the culprit who perpetrated this incident!" he insists. The Stooges, however, don't understand his multi-syllable confession and believe he's giving them a bunch of double-talk. The next man they bring up is a witness, an organ grinder with a monkey. Although he looks Italian, the moment he opens his mouth, he reveals a British accent. Shemp takes a call regarding a bootlegging charge that was dismissed -- "The DA says we can't make a case out of 11 bottles of whiskey." The real killer finally arrives and starts shooting up the place. The Stooges are pretty much helpless amidst the gunfire, but the monkey manages to knock the guy out cold. Because Shemp has taken a number of the gunshots, Moe tries reviving him with some whiskey. But he springs several leaks and a veritable shower pours from his chest. Moe and Larry take the hint and promptly don shower caps. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi
- 1953
This Shemp Howard-era Three Stooges comedy was a remake of the boys' 1937 film Three Dumb Clucks, made when Curly Howard was part of the lineup. The only real difference (other than the lineup change) is that this time around the Stooges aren't in jail, they're living with their mother. She wakes them up with the lament, "Now that I'm old your father has divorced me!" Pop Stooge (Shemp in gray hair and muttonchop sideburns) is getting ready to marry Daisy (Connie Cezon), a golddigger. But he's unaware that she's part of a gang who plan to murder him for his money. The Stooges don't realize this either, and when Pop goes to the barber's to shave off his sideburns and dye his hair, they have Shemp impersonate him for Daisy. Too late, Shemp discovers the murder scheme and the moment the wedding is over he tries to make an escape. This is complicated -- for the crooks, at least -- by the fact that Pop Stooge has arrived. Just when the crooks get rid of one Shemp, another Shemp appears. All three Stooges try to make an escape by climbing a flagpole, which the crooks break over the side of the high rise apartment building. The boys are headed towards the pavement but their fall is broken first by an awning, and then when they fall on somebody -- it's their Pop, who emerges from a patch of wet cement with his cigar coming out of his nose. "I'm mortified!" he barks in a Jimmy Durante rasp before the boys cart him off to Ma. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi
- 1952
Like many Three Stooges comedies, this one seems to be divided into two parts: the first one involves the inept trio cleaning their house and looking forward to the day when they'll be married and have wives to do all the domestic chores (a politically incorrect statement now, but a typical attitude in the 1950s). Their attempts to fix up their home are predictably disastrous -- Shemp hammers a nail in the wall with the butt of a loaded gun (Moe's hair gets a new part), and when they reupholster a davenport, Moe winds up with a buttload of tacks -- then he swallows a mouthful. Larry and Shemp desperately try to remove them -- "They won't come out," says Larry. "Maybe they're income tax," replies Shemp. There's a reason for all this hard work -- the boys are all engaged and they want to impress their girls. The only problem is that, unbeknownst to them, it's the same girl (Connie Cezan) -- a cynical gold digger. One by one, the boys show up at her door with diamond engagement rings and they get the same treatment -- "I knew you were coming, so I baked you a cake," the girl says before hustling them into another room before the next Stooge shows up. Eventually the boys all find out about each other and a fight ensues -- need it be said that the girl winds up with a faceful of cake? While she's changing, the Stooges knock each other senseless, and she breezes by them out the door. This short was remade with Joe Besser in Shemp's place as 1957's Rusty Romeos. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi
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