Show152

Twilight Zone: I have to wonder if there isn’t a deeper reason for the mentioning of Rod Serling in this episode, as he had worked for CBS until his series The Twilight Zone was cancelled in 1961. Submitted by gracenote, 7/21/2011.
+ Cross Over to The Twilight Zone: There is more evidence of interaction between the two series! In the delightful Twilight Zone ep#90 "The Fugitive" (aired 9 March 62) six of the eight credited actors were also in at least one P. M. episode (the other two were child actors, as was Stephen Talbot seen in P.M. #101 here):
- J. Pat O'Malley, Episodes #83 and #138;
- Nancy Kulp, Episodes #36 and #66;
- Russ Bender, Episodes #64, #97, #115 and #150;
- Paul Tripp, Episodes #153 and #157;
- Stephen Talbot, Episode #101; and
- Wesley Lau, first PM appearance in #125 (16 Sep 61) as "Amory Fallon", before becoming Lt Anderson in ep#127 (7 Oct 61).
Wesley Lau has a prominent, detective-like role in Twilight Zone "The Fugitive" and is instantly recognizable. He looks like he walked straight off the Mason set and portrays the same personality and character-type (One of his early lines is "eh, If you don't mind, we'll ask the questions."). His partner in pursuit of "The Fugitive" is Paul Tripp seen in P.M. here. Lau also wears EXACTLY THE SAME HAT in "The Fugitive" as you see here, here and elsewhere in P.M.. Since Twilight Zone was shot at MGM, I guess the rule for freelance actors playing plain-clothes cops was "Yuh shows up wit' yer own hat, flat-foot!". I regret that I can't provide gracep any "deeper reason" for the mention of Rod Serling in this episode but nevertheless, it appears that there were close friendships between the two shows. I wonder if there was ever any plot to transport the Mason Principal Cast over into the Twilight Zone! Added by Gary Woloski 10/27/11.
+ Technically, The Twilight Zone was cancelled in 1962 but it returned mid-season the following year for a half year of hour-long episodes. Following another season of half-hour episodes it was cancelled in 1964. [Some sources say TZ had a sixth season in 1964-65 but these were all reruns broadcast by CBS.] Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 7/01/12.
+ Fiction meets reality: we learn that Perry knows Rod Serling personally. Serling was one of TV’s best-known writers in the 1950s and 60s. His original Twilight Zone ran on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The fifth season of Perry Mason appeared Saturday nights on CBS while Twilight Zone, in its third season, had a Friday night slot. Submitted by Dan Tritle, 9/21/2011.
+ I must also mention that at least one of our "Who is That?" actors, Sasha Magaloff was seen in the Twilight Zone episode "What's in the Box" (1964)as one of the neighbors who comes into the apartment at the end of the episode. Submitted by Kenmore 7/1/2012
+ Another frequent uncredited actor who appeared in the Twilight Zone was Don Anderson. In the amusing episode "A Penny for Your Thoughts" star Dick York is given the power to read the minds of others, which he uses to get a better job and a new girlfriend, frequent Mason player June Dayton. At the end of the story, somewhat to his relief, he loses the power, but checks out his loss by grabbing several passers-by, the last one being Anderson wearing the familiar Alpine-type hat he wore so often in PM. Submitted by FredK, 4 July 2012.

Information Please: During Paul Drake’s interaction with the bartender (approximately 29:35 on the DVD) we get a glimpse of how Paul accomplishes much of his detective work: Cash. Submitted by Dan K, 17 February 2019.

Perry’s visit to Nelly Lawton’s patio is a remarkable scene in which Nelly, despite her perennial smile, launches into a lengthy sarcastic monologue that seems to disparage most of the major characters in the episode, and Perry barely gets a chance to ask her a single question throughout the whole thing. Submitted by Dan K, 16 February 2020.

One wonders why Mr. Corby is so intent on working on the rewrite to the script to "Mr. Nobody!" Ed Zoerner, 12/16/12

Look out for the appearance of the most commonly-selected supposedly-random two-digit number, 37, in this episode. --Submitted by 10yearoldfan, 26 August 2013.

The early dialogue about saving money using stock footage is amusing. Regular viewers recognize dozens of stock clips used over and over, including many that, judging by cars and clothes, are decades old. DOD 01/13/23

Jackson Gillis, who was Associate Producer and wrote several stories for Perry Mason, was the writer of the seventh episode of Lost In Space. It had the title "My Friend, Mr. Nobody". Submitted by H. Mason 12/12/14

Geraldine Brooks would later play a very important role in the pilot for Raymond Burr's next series "Ironside". Her character Honor Thompson would shoot Ironside and thus permanently disable him. Submitted by D. Tlougan 1/10/15.

From the look on Mason's face at the end, one wonders whether he really enjoyed Mrs. Simms' chicken soup. It's as if that jar had Aunt Bea's pickles in it! TriviaSleuth, 8/12/19

'A Really Odd Thought: I wonder if Rod Serling, who was supposedly being hired as a ghost writer by Corby on "Mr. Nobody", might not be a pseudonym for our otherwise unknown screenwrter, the "Nobody" Peter Martin -- and that the constant use of the name of Rod Serling in the script might not be an in-joke, pay-off, or tip-off of sorts. Just an idea. submitted by catyron, May 22, 2021.

Make Mine Arsenic: Yet again we learn of the manifold uses of the miracle poison, arsenic trioxide -- so many that Perry can ensnare several suspects with their gardening, mining, rodenticide, and blueprinting activities, and now film processing. (The Internet tells us it also has some valid medical applications.) Asbestos is similarly flexible in its uses, but I suppose not fast-acting enough for a 60-minute drama. JohnK, December 29 2021