Show196
By far the best part of the episode is at the end when Della shows a little jealousy at Perry having taken Kadar's receptionist out for drinks. "I don't know as I like that." Then when Perry takes out the picture of the Scottie woman, Della interjects with, "Not uh...?" With a wry smile, Perry reassures her that the picture was taken fully-clothed. Classic!
It's amazing how an experienced lawyer and his private detective never seem to notice when they are being tailed by the police. This happens over and over again. Paul & Perry will show up somewhere closely followed by Andy. With the ham-handed, blundering way the police follow "suspects," you would have to be blind to miss them. Of course it's used a plot device, but a pretty unrealistic one. DellaMason
The wife of the candidate for ambassador says any scandal linking him to "calendar art" would be fatal. At a time when Americans had seen their beloved president linked to affairs with Marilyn Monroe and then subsequently murdered, links to nude models would become a lot less shocking to voters. DellaMason
The music is absolutely fantastic! It really adds to the excitement of the show. Submitted by gracenote, 3/4/2011.
You have to love the euphemism “calendar-art pictures” used throughout the show. Nowadays, it seems such pictures don’t have same kind of power to ruin lives, and sometimes even help show-biz careers (at least in the short run). Submitted by gracenote, 3/4/2011.
While testifying, Mark Dempsey looks remarkably like Warren Beatty. DOD 03/01/22
Most PM murders occur after a lengthy exposition detailing why the victim was an awful person with a lot of enemies. This show's opening scene is one of the best introductory scenes, most interesting murders, and sets the story in motion immediately. This is followed by: (a) the jazzy wonderful driving scene, and (b) an office scene with the client sitting behind Perry's desk, beside Perry. Note the camera work and placement of Perry and Paul in the following studio scene and the lighting in the second office scene. Film Noir writer Jonathan Lattimer and regular PM director Hibbs outdid themselves. cgraul 10.30.12
Technical Note. If you do not see the illuminated "PERRY" sign at the extreme Top Right corner of your screen at 05:11 it's because that part of the image has been cropped off by your viewing device and/or the current settings on the device. If you're still watching on a tube (CRT) TV, you're out of luck and will never see it. If you're using a 21st-Century non-CRT TV, altering your screen settings might allow you to see more of the edges of the image available on the DVD. But if you want to see the complete image recorded on the DVD, you'll need to view on a computer media player. I, for example, can't quite get the full height of the letters "PERRY" on my DVD-player/LED-TV combo but I can get the full height using my computer media player (typical home system for year 2014). For a technical explanation, see this article on "overscan". Given the built-in cropping due to overscan plus the rounded corners of the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) TV of the analog broadcast days, I'm sure that the studio sign could not be seen by home audiences back in the 1960's. Added by Gary Woloski, 9/3/14.
Fingerprint History: "In 1686, Marcello Malpighi, a Prof. of Anatomy at the Univ. of Bologna, noted in his treatise Ridges, Spirals & Loops in fingerprints. He made No mention of their value as a tool for individual identification. A layer of skin was named for him: 'Malpighi' layer, which is app. 1.8 mm thick...In 1823, John Evangelist Purkinji, a Prof. of Anatomy at the Univ. of Breslau, published his thesis discussing 9 fingerprint patterns, but he too made No mention of the value of fingerprints for personal identification," usmarshals.gov/usmsforkids observes. Mike Bedard 3.11.15.
Sound Effect: When Judith arrived at the Ames house she rang the doorbell. After she entered there were chimes on the wall that should have made a different sound. Submitted by H. Mason 3/12/15
Exit: Where were they going? When Mrs. Ames, Penny and Norman left Perry's office after offering to pay for his services they went into Della's area and turned right instead of going to the visible door to Gertie's reception area. Submitted by H. Mason 3/12/15
It is almost physically impossible for someone to commit suicide by shooting themselves that way. Your wrist would have to be triple jointed. And for someone shot in the heart, there was a curious lack of any blood. DOD 12/06/18
+ Actually, if you put your thumb on the trigger, it is definitely possible to shoot yourself in the chest/heart. As for the blood things were WAY less graphic, especially on television, in those days. OLEF641 6\29\21
Every time the plot involves scandalous photos, I am reminded of the French diplomat who was discreetly shown some compromising photos of him and his secretary. His response was to order some 8x10 glossies.
Katherine Ames's defiant response to her would-be blackmailer may have been inspired by the Duke of Wellington. In 1824, a publisher threatened to release details of the Duke's love affairs. His famous response: "Publish and be damned!" DOD 01/20/19
+ While I applaude her defiant attitude, it flies in the face of her statement in Perry's office that her husband's political future would be jeopardized by an association with calendar art. jfh 11May2023
Speedy Trial: At approximately 38:30, after the trial is already well underway and there have been several courtroom scenes, Paul Drake finally tracks down “the woman with the Scottie” who saw Judith Blair fleeing the scene of the murder. Irene Grey responds, “Mr. Drake, what I saw last night can’t possibly help Judith Blair; it can only hurt her.” In most Perry episodes, the trial occurs fairly soon after the crime, but to have it begin the day after the murder would be quite remarkable. Submitted by Dan K, 3/30/16.
I noticed that too. I wonder if the actress just misspoke her line. Maybe she was supposed to say "that night" but due to the filming schedule, she mistakenly said "last night" and no one caught it. The police need to investigate, the lab needs to run tests, witnesses have to be questioned, and those take time--especially when the first examinations concluded that it was a suicide. --yelocab 17JUN19
Nun but the brave once Irene Grey does make it to the stand (see above) and after Perry has declined to cross examine her, she volunteers information. Normally such unsolicited testimony is silenced, either by the judge or one of the counsel, but such was not the case here... presumably because it was the easiest way for the writers to to introduce the next witness, yet still preserve Perry's chivalry. Notcom, 060119.
I got a good laugh at that line. 'Calendar-Art'. I remember my father's photography magazines, and the ads from Peter Gowland and Bunny Yeager, as well as the more artful nudes you'd see in the issues. I guess it could have put a hitch in someone's career then - but not now! Submitted by MikeReese, 4/9/2016.
The police found the negatives in Judith's apartment, but if she had taken them that night, they wouldn't have been developed yet. Developing film takes time, and the negatives have to dry. I'm not an expert on those types of cameras/film used, so someone correct me if I am wrong. --yelocab 17JUN19
+ Lt. Anderson does not say the negatives found were developed, only that they were exposed. The police darkroom is where the print of Judith holding the gun was developed, presumably the negatives were developed there. OLEF641 6/29/21
After getting the report from the lab Tragg tells Anderson "They all match: the expended shell you found, the pistol, and the bullet in the dead man's heart." The gun was a revolver. Expended shells are retained within the gun. Tragg's statement made it sound like Anderson had to search the room to find the shell. Kilo 3/8/2020.
The Signature Door Latch There is a door knob/door latch sound effect that is used loudly and repetitively throughout the series, and it’s very noticeable in this episode. We first hear it when Judith leaves Karl Kadar Studio after Jacob is killed. Then, at the Ames’ home, when Katherine enters the bedroom to tell Judith there’s a telephone call (even though the door did not make that same sound when Penny entered moments before). We hear it again at the Kadar studio when Perry, Paul, Karl and Harper Green are brought in by Sgt. Brice for questioning by Lt. Anderson. When Paul later returns to the Kadar studio to investigate, it’s heard when the model Karl has been photographing leaves the studio; when Karl and Paul enter the darkroom; when a woman of the studio enters the darkroom to tell Paul he has a phone call; and when Irene enters the darkroom to speak with Karl, revealing that the door not only doesn’t have a turning knob or lever, it doesn’t have a door latch. Later, when Perry enters Burger’s office, it does not make the recognizable sound, but moments later it does when Lt. Anderson opens the same door. St. James 323, 9/13/21
The Signature Throat Clearing is the other sound effect that is scattered through the series, usually added in when there is an extended period of silence in court because characters are moving around. Not used in this episode, as far as I could tell. Clothears, 27th Feb 2022.
Dead Body, So What? When Irene and Karl find Jacob’s dead body they seem peculiarly unfazed by this discovery. St. James 323, 9/13/21.
The Romantic Police Department The establishing shot of the exterior of the police department is paired with an oddly romantic-sounding music cue. St. James 323, 9/13/21.
Invisible Glass The sliding glass door in Karl Kadar Studio does not appear to have any glass in it. St. James 323, 9/13/21.
Another Capering Camera The ‘spiritual picture’ scene of Irene portraying a [g]un is shot from the side, past Irene to the child. But when the director yells ‘Cut!’, the camera is shown shooting it from directly in front of her. St. James 323, 9/13/21.
Hold The Photo Still of the Photo Studio Still Please The exterior of Karl Kadar Studio immediately after the ‘spiritual picture’ scene appears to be a still photograph, and it wiggles. St. James 323, 9/13/21.
Tiresome trio tho perhaps not uttered as frequently as "Puple Woman" or "Weary Watchdog", the phrase "high fashion model" wore out its welcome (And who knows?? Maybe it was as frequently...you'd need an abacus to keep count!) Notcom 071322.