Show198
The agent Ruben Casen's teeth are uncomfortably large and way too white. Time to go back to the dentist for a resizing of dentures.
Did anyone in the DA's office even attempt to explain how a girl of Deborah's size would have been able to drag Stephanie across a sandy beach to her car, then drag her again to Chet's swimming pool all by herself? It can't be a coincidence that the actress was about 50 lbs soaking wet. Incidentally, why didn't they just ASK Mia Farrow to play the part? She would have been preferable to the whiny Zeme North. DellaMason
Score another for classic overused stereotypes: the wicked stepmother. Submitted by gracenote, 3/7/2011.
This episode contains perhaps the greatest line in the series - “Someone spilled some claret on my favorite polar bear”. DOD 03/03/22
The music played on the phonograph while Miss Dearborn frolics at the seashore might be from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Submitted by gracenote, 3/7/2011.
+ I'm almost positive it's the final bars of the "Waltz of the Flowers". OLEF641 7/1/21
Does anyone recognize the voice on the telephone, whom Long addresses as Herb? It sounds familiar… Submitted by gracenote, 8/9/2011.
+ It sounds to me a little like Phillip Terry. Maybe Herb and Miriam ran off together before shooting was finished. Submitted by masonite, 12/3/12.
++ To me, it sounded more like three-time PM guest star John Stephenson, whose voice is perhaps most famous as Mr. Slate from The Flintstones. TriviaSleuth, 8/27/19
Speaking of shooting, look at the photo that Paul took (at 22:26 on the 2012 Paramount DVD). See the text in the background? Why did Paul have the image flipped horizontally? Submitted by masonite, 12/3/12.
+ I suspect it was done intentionally since if it wasn't flipped it would have been the wrong angle from where Paul was sitting. Submitted by Kilo 12/3/2017.
Outside the door to Deborah’s house is a screen with stylized stars. The same screen is in the same position at the door to Nancy’s house in the previous episode, “Ice Cold Hands”. DOD 03/03/22
Best of success to "20" year old Deborah Dearborn. Is her publisher trying to kill her book's sales with the blurb on the book jacket? Well well well: "The Widow speaks well for its young authoress, Deborah Dearborn. Well conceived, this novel reflects a fertile mind well-equipped to spin a novel of this nature." Submitted by masonite, 12/3/12.
Perry suggests to Rubin Cason that he could have gotten far more than $500,000 for the film rights to "The Widow". Actually, this would have been an enormous sum for a first book by an unknown writer. The rights to “Peyton Place” sold for $250,000, “Valley of the Dolls” about $200,000.
I just can’t see how breaking that small window would have given Carson access to the house, or how he even knew about any papers worth stealing. DOD 01/21/19
+ Break window, unlatch window, slide window open, climb in through window. It's plenty big enough for someone to squeeze through. OLEF641 7/1/21
Paul and Perry calmly stare at the body in the pool and make comments as though they were going to leave it there for the authorities, even though the body is floating on the surface and the nose and mouth are face up. But Perry (truthfully, of course) later tells the police that Paul eventually pulled the body from the pool and attempted to revive the lady. Submitted by MikeM, 9/25/2012
Zeme North is the author of a steamy novel reminiscent of Peyton Place. Which is ironic considering one of the stars of this episode is Ryan O'Neal who would go on to become famous by starring in the TV version of Peyton Place beginning 7 months after this episode aired. Submitted by PaulDrake 33. 5 March 2014.
+ 25 year old Zeme/Deborah is about 2 and 2/3 years older than Ryan/John, and every time that she is alone in the frame she looks to me to be in slightly soft focus -- apparently not necessary for 22 year old Ryan O'Neal, soon to spend 5 years (and 501 episodes?!) in Peyton Place. Deborah does seem to grow up during the episode. In the beginning, she is an "authoress" and Perry refers to her as a "young girl" while interviewing Stephanie Carew. But at the end of the episode Deborah refers to herself as a woman. lowercase masonite, 3/20/16.
++ Soft focus was almost de rigueur for close-ups of "pretty young things" in those days; I'm not sure why. OLEF641 7/1/21
+++ Perhaps they should have kept "softening" until they reached full blur: so painful was it to watch Ms. North bark out her lines in full pout for an hour. This was her only PM appearance - and one of only a handful overall - and it takes sadly little imagination to guess why, as "looks nice, acting ability not detectable" must assuredly have been in more than a few director's notes. Snarked by Notcom, 070121.
L.A. Phone Directory: In the mid 60s L.A. had a population of over 2 million. Hard to believe that the Los Angeles phone book would only have one listing each for "Martin" and "Mason". Submitted by H. Mason 3/14/15
Pictures: Photos on the wall in Rubin Cason's office were also at the entrance to the Karl Kadar Studio in episode 196 TCOT Capering Camera. Submitted by H. Mason 3/16/15
When talking about the cape Paul said "Looking in a closet is one thing, stealing's another." What about the dresses he took from a suspect's residence in episode 193 TCOT Badgered Brother? Submitted by H. Mason 3/14/15
Paul's Phone: When talking to Perry on Deborah's porch Paul said on the night of the murder he had to find a phone. What happened to his car phone seen in episodes 107, 157 and 191? Submitted by H. Mason 3/14/15
While talking to Gideon Long Perry said "I use the same device in my office...but not the same key word." When did Perry ever use a trick to try to get somebody to leave his office? Submitted by H. Mason 3/14/15
This is the episode that I used to adopt my name "Perry Baby" submitted by Perry Baby 9/19/16
+ I loved the “Perry Baby” lines as well, PB. A good name choice. Rickapolis 01/21/19
++ My favorite "Perry, baby" is still The Case Of The Velvet Claws, which was the first Perry Mason book, the fourth movie, and the 175th series episode. jfh 03Feb2020