Show32
The dictating machine in Mr. Dale’s office appears to be the same one on the credenza behind Perry in his office. Submitted by billp, 1/17/2009.
Carl Houser appropriately get his money out of the file drawer labeled M. I presume that’s for “money.” Submitted by billp, 1/17/2009.
Probably the same files sometimes seen in Della or Gertie's office - the ones with a single drawer for the first 12 letters of the alphabet. DOD 06/03/18
+ Or possibly (unluckily for him) "murder." Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 4-18-2014.
At about 6 minutes into the episode, Anna Houser (Lurene Tuttle) tells Perry and Della about a portrait on the stateroom dresser. You can plainly see one of these curious tripod bowls I have previously mentioned in “Corresponding Corpse.” Submitted by billp, 1/17/2009.
When the captain opens the Houser cabin door to talk to the men across the hall, Distinguished Gentleman walks by.
Just before the “man overboard” announcement, there is a brief shot of the ship in a storm. It looks like a different ship from the previous shots - the stacks are taller and thinner.
The Houser cabin has a curious mix of art - a seascape, a Renoir repro, and what looks like a Miro/Kandinsky mashup. DOD 06/03/18
+ I've seen this episode many times but this is the first time I've noticed the painting you call a mashup. Before I saw your note I was thinking Calder or Dali. An internet search turned up nothing. Maybe another viewer can name the artist. Kilo 12/22/2018.
“455 Alder Lane in the Palisades.” Does anyone recognize the house Perry and Paul left their fingerprints in? Submitted by billp, 1/17/2009.
+According to Jim Davidson's "The Perry Mason Book", no written record could be found of the 455 Alder Lane location. But assistant director Art Marks said that the house was not in the Palisades, but was located "up the coast about three miles north from Malibu"...MikeM. 6/4/2018
Speaking of those fingerprints, note the date on them is 9/12/58. This date clearly occurs during the course of the episode’s trial. However, this episode was broadcast 5/10/58. So apparently we were getting a glimpse into the future. Submitted by billp, 1/18/2009.
Regarding the listing of the ship, at least during the storm, it appears the effect is achieved first by simply filming on the ship normally. Then in post-production, it is optically zoomed. (You may notice the film looks grainier and the shots on people are much, much tighter.) Then the frames are manually rotated one side to the other, and because they are zoomed they still fill the screen. Suggested by BenB & posted by gracenote, 9/3/2011.
I recently went on a week long cruise and (naturally) read the book while on board the ship. One thing is certain, today's cruise ships are absolute palaces when compared to ESG's description of the 1938 ship! Submitted by Bill-W2XOY on 08/26/13.
Della looked yummy in her Little Black Dress. Did the combination of dress, boat, and moonlight have its intended effect on Perry? Submitted by DellaFan, 4/21/2014.
+Definitely! And Burr is so flustered he gives us the rare opportunity of seeing Perry directly face front when he looks right at the camera at around 2:53 in the CBS DVD. You can almost see Burr realizing, "uh oh, I'm looking a the camera" as his eyes focus on the lens instead of the fake horizon. Fred Flintstone 12/20/2020.
+ Perry was caught looking at the camera in episode #1, TCOT Restless Redhead when he was on the phone in his apartment speaking with Evelyn Bagby. Kilo 3/15/2021.
FETV Today not only played the reels out of order, they also put the wrong credits up at the end of the show. Anyone seeing this episode for the first time would be completely confused. Submitted by Wick 4/17/2022.
Who brings photos of themselves and their family on a cruise? Maybe they were trying to make the cabin a little more homey? —yelocab 21NOV19
Maritime Jurisdiction: "Congress shall have power to define and punish PIRACIES and FELONIES COMMITTED ON THE HIGH SEAS," the Constitution states (Art. 1, Sec. 8). Mike Bedard 5.5.15
Oddly stated: Hamilton Berger stands up in court and states that Mr. Mason has predicated his defense on the premise that Carl Houser "is, or may be still, alive". If he is alive it necessarily follows that he definitely is still alive. jfh 09Oct2018
+ It's subtle, but what Burger actually says is, ". . is, or may be, still alive." i.e. is still alive, or may be still alive. OLEF641 11/11/2020
++ I believe the issue is the redundancy of "still", much as in nearby "by" is considered superfluous. Technicalities aside, tho, I think in both cases the usage coveys value in it's emphasis: so perhaps the line would sound more logical if it was "is, or may be, alive...still", since that would make clearer the surprising nature of the claim. Notcom, 111120.
In the novel, Evelyn Whiting was married to the Shreves character but in the episode she, her husband and Shreves were all involved making things more complicated. On the other hand, the episode was made simpler by having Laura be a witness taking the place of two characters in the novel: a person who doesn't appear in the episode and Della Street herself. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 8/20/13.
Early in the story we see Carl Houser taking money from a file in the bank and hiding it in a money belt under his shirt. Later we learn he didn't steal any money from the bank. The only possible reason for him to keep the cash there would be so his wife wouldn't find it in their house. Why didn't he use a safe deposit box? Submitted by H. Mason 10/8/14
+ Because his wife--or the authorities if they ever came looking for him in connection with his past--might have found out about the box. Submitted by Duffy, 10-9-2014.
+ I found that odd too. If you had $100,000 (or maybe that's more like $300,000 in today's dollars) would you store it at your office? What if someone found it? What if you got fired? Certainly in those days you could have gotten a safe deposit box under an assumed name.
(I thought I saw an episode where driver's licenses didn't have photos.) Or there are plenty of places around the house to hide money. (at least in my house there are). —yelocab 21NOV19
I find it hard to believe that Carl Houser would keep the money in such an obvious place at work. However, that may all be an assumption. Whose to say that he didn't keep the money somewhere else and only brought it to work that morning? It makes sense if he later acquired the money belt, put it on, and then loaded it with money after locking the door. So, we would never know where he kept the money all this time. Submitted by Kenmore 01/0/2022
The money: Was Anna allowed to keep the money after she was found innocent? Submitted by H. Mason 10/8/14
+ Interesting point. It wasn't stolen money, but it was payment for committing a crime; however, the actual criminal is dead. Also, apparently this elaborate ruse was designed to help Houser disappear - but he would be doing so without the $100,000.DOD 06/03/18
+Carl arranged it so his family would have the money, at least. Guessing he would contact Anna after the inquiry into his "suicide" and she could join him in flight. He could not inform Anna about beforehand because of her scruples, and he likely knew she would not be able to lie effectively during the "suicide" inquiry, anyway --Fred Flintstone 12/19/2020.
+Doesn't the state get to seize ill-gotten gains? --Fred Flintstone 12/19/2020.
> Ah, but which state ?? The bribery was in Illinois, he died in California. Notcom, 122020.
Look for fly on the bench during the examination of Laura Houser. Teleg, 12/9/22