Show184
Found this story very convoluted and difficult to follow. All the talk of phony mine sales and "salting the mines" was not explained properly. Still not sure how either of those worked. How could a mining company sell phony mine claims? Where did they get them? If they used stockholders' dividends to buy them, how was that a profitable venture? Even Grant's allegiance to the townspeople was confusing. Why did they feel that the Boler Mine belonged to them if it hadn't even been found yet? And how did Grant's wife have controlling interest in HIS company? Half interest maybe, but wouldn't it revert to her husband upon her death? In fact, wouldn't she leave it to her husband rather than a wastrel son? Even some of the characters were unnecessary and confused matters. Pretty much all the female characters could have been eliminated without changing the plot. I found myself checking the cast list against IMDB again and again to figure out who each new character was. I'm sure ESG's original story was great, but the writers of this episode seemed to overcomplicate things without adequately explaining them. Not one of the better episodes. DellaMason
Just before they walk away for the lunch break, Perry asks Ban what would happen to the mine if anything happened to him. Ban answered that a little mosquito would tell Sandy where the mine was, that Sandy would know what that meant. It seems to me that anyone in a mining town would know what that meant. jfh 15Jan2020
During the lunch break, when the sheriff informs Perry that Sommers could not have committed the murder because of the mileage readings on Sommers' jalopy, Perry asks, "Could the speedometer have been tampered with?" then continues to refer to the "speedometer" mileage readings throughout his questioning of Sommers. It's a vehicle's odometer, not speedometer, that measures distance. jfh 14Dec2016
At the episode’s end, Paul, Perry, and Della drive off in a jeep—with Della in the back seat! Not very chivalrous by today’s standards! Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 8/23/2010.
+ Not particularly chivalrous back then either! But if Perry let Della ride up front, they wouldn’t have gotten to show off Della’s shapely gams as she climbed, unassisted, into the jeep’s back seat . . . while wearing her White High-Heel Shoes! This is the second or third time the trio came out to the desert in the jeep and Della wore high-heels each time! (And it really was the desert! These scenes were shot on-location.) Submitted by Gary Woloski, 2 December 2011.
+Actually it looks like these scenes were not filmed in the desert, but at Malibu Ranch. This was an area owned by the studio for outdoor scenes. It's the same place they filmed M*A*S*H. DellaMason
+ Perry seemed to be enjoying the view as Della climbed into the jeep. And he was assisting her with his right hand on her left arm. Submitted by DellaFan, 11/21/2013.
++ You can see Della say "Ow!" when Paul presses on the accelerator and she falls back a little! And she taps him on the shoulder for it, too! Submitted by Welshwoman 04/11/15
+++ We also see Della say "Ow" as she drops into the back seat, she either sat down too hard or Paul leaned back on her hand as she steadied herself getting settled. jfh 12Feb2023
There is a middle-aged woman in a dress who somewhat resembles Barbara Pepper, but I don’t believe it is she. Does anyone recognize her? Submitted by gracenote, 2/16/2011.
Della (in dark mine shaft): “It’s dark in here.” Paul: “What did you expect, streetlights?” [Unidentified submission.]
+ 1. Guess what footwear Della is wearing down in the mine? RIGHT! High-Heel Shoes!
2. The production crew gets my accolades for adding the realistic reverb to the recorded dialogue in the mineshaft scene! (Shot in studio, not a mine, I’m sure. Barbara Hale couldn’t have climbed down a real mineshaft in those shoes!) Submitted by Gary Woloski, 2 December 2011.
+ Paul was just getting back at Della for her having referred to him as "stupid" in #149, Borrowed Baby. Submitted by DellaFan, 11/21/2013.
This episode has everything but a courtroom: Paul Drake being sarcastic, the “town coot,” the “western town feisty older woman,” Mason’s stock manipulation, shots ringing out in the middle of the night, too many names to keep straight, and Paul wearing feminine-looking sunglasses. Quite enjoyable. Submitted by cgraul, 9/26/2011.
+The 3 "M" episodes - Military, Mining, Maritime - are among my favorites due to their Different VENUES & Characters. Mike Bedard 2.24.15.
++ Paul is definitely sporting the ZZ Top "Cheap Sunglasses". Submitted by HamBurger, 7/8/2021
Speaking of letters, I found the writers had the fondness for surnames beginning with B. In this episode, we have Boler, Bowen, and Braddison. I recall previous episodes with Balfour, Baskim. Beechum, and Baxter. I will have to do a study. Submitted by Perry Baby 8/18/16
This episode appears to use some of the same sets in the previous episode, "Shifty Shoebox", down to the wallpaper. Clinton Sundberg appeared in many a big MGM musical, including "Easter Parade", "Annie Get Your Gun", and "Good News". DODay 12/21/17
When the "posse" follows Paul out of town the station wagon following the pickup truck has a headlight out. In the next scene both headlights are working. After Paul pulls off to the side to hide to let the posse go by we see the pickup truck then the station wagon pass behind the clump of bushes. The station wagon comes out the other side but the pickup truck has disappeared! Kilo 5/28/2019.
+ Whoops! On second viewing I see the truck was partially hidden in a cloud of dust. Kilo 11/24/2020.