Show49
It's not too surprising that the progressive producers of PM cast the partly ethnic-African, Frank Silvera, in an important role as a "White" man. According to Wikipedia, Silvera's mother was a Jamaican of African descent, but his father was a Spanish Jew. Wiki says that, on the stage, the versatile Silvera played the fathers of actors Ben Gazzara and Anthony Franciosa. He also played Mexicans and even a Polynesian. Tragically, Silvera was electrocuted, at age 55, while repairing a kitchen garbage disposal. As a World War II Navy veteran, he was buried at Long Island National Cemetery. Submitted by MikeM, 10/24/2012
+ Just to add to MikeM's comment above, noted Black Conservative Thomas Sowell said in a column that appeared a few years back in the Chicago Sun-Times, that he enjoyed both Perry Mason and Law And Order shows, but preferred Perry Mason because he thought that Law And Order was trying to teach him social lessons he didn't want to learn .. so the oddness of this episode, as well as the one with the Black actor portraying a judge (with no dialogue, yet) must have gotten by him. Or maybe not? Submitted by MikeReese, 9/4/2014
The Set for the Brewster home with that distinctive paneling was used in the previous show, ‘TCOT Purple Woman’. So who was Charles Brewster taking to Mexico City? Odd that Hyett was so angry about Ellis being wrongly convicted of embezzlement, but he was willing to see him tried for murder! When Hyett calls the police from the murder scene, there is a fireplace behind with distinctive squiggly andirons. Those same andirons are seen in Perry’s apartment. DOD 07/09/19
Where was Lee?: Burr stand-in and longtime supporting actor Lee Miller seems to have been away from the set for this episode, for the role of Sgt. Brice was filled by one Chuck Webster. Odd that for one episode they wouldn't just find another name for the sergeant in the script. Submitted by francis, 07/05/14.
TIME TUNNEL: Original viewers may have heard Conway Twitty's "It's Only Make Believe," the # 2 song in both the US & UK the 2nd week of 1958. Mike Bedard 6.2.16.
Work-Life Balance : Perry surprises staff, looks at wrist-watch : "Its only six-thirty, we have half the day ahead of us". Asta69 9-20-24
Goof Burger announces his next witness will be "Mrs. Martin Ellis," but then proceeds to tell us she isn't legally his wife: he should refer to her either as "Mrs. Viktor Pulaski" or by her maiden name; (curiously, he continues the reference throughout her testimony, while Mason notes the inconsistency and does the opposite...thus each giving implicit support to the legal argument of the other). Observed by Notcom, 091516.
Well, he obviously had to use "Mrs. Martin Ellis" so as not to spoil the big reveal. Also, it is the name she had been using for several years, so it was the name she was commonly known by. I wonder what the legalities are, if she can be referred to in court by her alias, even if it is not her legal name.--yelocab 20NOV18
As in “Buried Clock”, our victim is a neer-do-well man who embezzled from a family firm and then attempted a form of blackmail to return part of the money. DOD 09/06/23
What happened to Carolyn?: This is another episode that is slightly frustrating. The last scene on many of the stories should have been used to mention the fate of some of the characters in the story. Carolyn was accused of helping Brewster embezzle the money. Wasn't she also guilty of withholding evidence? Was she charged with any crime? Submitted by H. Mason 10/14/14
+ Did I miss something? Why did Mrs. Ellis (I'm going with that name) send herself the microfilm that freed her husband? If she were going to kill Brewster, it would have made sense to set him up as the fall guy, but she didn't! Scratching my head.... Submitted by JazzBaby, 8/5/2019.
I find it odd that Tragg said he could not detain Hyett at the crime scene to be sure he was not involved (he was) or removing something from the crime scene (which he did). He had no cause? Hard to believe. Submitted by Perry Baby 2/1/15
I feel the same here. I would think that the police would at least wipe his hands (check for gunpower residue) and do a cursory search of him, just to eliminate him as a suspect.--yelocab 21NOV18
+ Remember: Tragg wasn't aware - officially anyway - that a crime had been committed...Hyett reported discovering a suicide. Implicit, too, in PM is that while the hoi poloi often had their rights trampled on in this period, the wealthy and powerful usually received more deference. Notcom 120420.