Show104
Anomaly: Jeanette Nolan, listed as Emma Benson, is called Martha on two occasions and Mrs. Benson the rest of the time.
Laurie Perreau makes her only appearance on Perry here playing the lead role, Peggy Smith. Laurie Perreau had a very abbreviated acting career in the 60s, but most people remember her more famous sister Gigi Perreau. Gigi Perreau, who also appeared in two episodes of Perry was a very active child actor in movies and on television. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 21 August 2009.
+ Laurie and Gigi Perreau also have a brother who guest starred on Perry Mason. Richard Miles played Jimmy Morrow the defendant in TCOT Spanish Cross (#67, 2.28). Submitted by Charles Richmond, 9/26/2013
The venerable Eleanor Audley makes her second appearance her. You may know her better as the voice of a wicked stepmother (Cinderella) or an evil fairy (Sleeping Beauty) in the movies. See trivia item for episode #42, TCOT Pint-Sized Client. Curiously enough, in both episodes, Mason’s client is a child. Submitted by gracep, 10/25/2010.
Frances Helm who played Helene Osborne in this one, was first married to Brian Keith. They subsequently divorced after 6 1/2 years and on the same day they divorced (06/23/1954), Brian Keith married his 2nd wife Judith Landon. WOW! Submitted by mesave31, 05/07/15.
The Jeffers family patriarch is played capably by Francis X. Bushman, a big star in silent films. Wikipedia tells us he drove horses and chariots in the first Ben Hur, and was billed as "The Handsomest Man on Hollywood" before that title was conferred on Clark Gable. Mr. Bushman also appeared in TCOT Flighty Father, episode 95, as the elderly uncle (and later appears in episode 199, TCOT Nervous Neighbor) and plenty of other more modern movies and TV. JohnK, 5 October 2015.
Sightings: If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of “Miss Carmody” and Distinguished Gentleman #1 in the courtroom gallery. Find out who they and other regulars are, and the mystery behind them, here. Submitted by gracep 10/25/2010.
+After the first court break, we find the Little Old Lady in the Hat and Distinguished Lady #4 in the back row viewing the action. Bill767, 1/3/16.
++Mediterranean Woman gets a lot of face time in this hearing. In the first session she finds a seat right behind Mason, but she is bumped to the second row for the dramatic closing. JohnK, 19 November 2022
Two cups from the Curious Coffee Set make an appearance in the restaurant in Geneva. More info here. Submitted by daveb, 12/30/10.
+Correction: The restaurant was in Gstaad, Switzerland. The bank was in Geneva. Added by H. Mason 11/4/14
CARS. No Cast Cars but four background cars, all small European imports, are incidentally parked in front of Westcroft School early in the episode. The nearest is
- (a) possibly a light-colored 1958-'60 Fiat 500, and
- (b) the furthest away is definitely a medium-colored Volkswagen Beetle.
These cars indicate the strong and growing demand for small economy cars in the US at that time, a demand that was largely filled by European automakers. Assuming that the Staff parked behind the school, it appears that the average visitor to Westcroft didn't drive a Caddy. Added by Gary Woloski, 9/22/12.
Location: The building in the opening shot is Los Angeles City Hall. At the time of the original airdate of this episode, this edifice was the tallest building in L.A. We see it in nearly every episode through Perry’s office window, and it is frequently seen in many other TV series, including Dragnet.
+ And fans of the '50s TV show The Adventures of Superman will recognize it as the Daily Planet building. Submitted by francis, 9/03/14.
TCO Extraneous Europe If I am not mistaken, this is Perry's first trip "overseas" - he had earlier journeyed to Canada and Mexico - and with the little they do with it, one wonders why the script writers even bothered (though perhaps the cliche of Swiss secrecy might be considered an excuse). In Perry's two subsequent returns, the European setting will become a key part of the action, but here there's just a stock establishing shot of Geneva, a few indoor scenes and another stock shot of a return flight home (a Super Constellation prop-plane, no less...a concession to plausibility for a series that just a few episodes back had a character flying from LA-Carmel on Pan Am !!) Submitted by Notcom, 111915.
+ Having now seen the unedited version, an apology - or at least a more accurate comment - seems in order: there are actually several stock scenes after Perry's bank meeting (a train exterior, a view from a train, some landscapes and a shot of a village); I don't know if they're actually accurate as to what the trip would be, but it definitely conveys a feeling of being in Switzerland (cuiously, Perry seems to take a train into Gstaad, but flies out of it). Notcom, 032123.
+ The original tickets are for "non-stop" LAX to LHR, a 5,500 mile trip. Jets back then could not fly that far. (Correct me if I am wrong!) Did the writers check if actually possible? (Maybe it was?) I suspect his trip was LAX -> Idlewild (now JFK) -> London (LHR). Rick P. 10/12/21
> The evidence is ambiguous: in 1960, TWA ads clearly stated - as Rick theorized - flights were routed thru New York; but ads from Alitalia proclaimed nonstop to London (one big difference: the latter flew DC-8's, and Douglas had introduced that year the DC8-40, capable of a 5500 mile run). But it's possible the ad appeared in all U.S. papers, and non-stop wasn't LA>UK; it's also possible that "stop" only referred to a revenue stopover, not a refueling one. Within a year however, there was no longer any doubt: Boeing had added its long-range version, and multiple airlines now advertised just the itinerary mentioned. Notcom 101321.
John Banner was born into a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria, in 1910. He moved to the United States before World War II and served in the Army Air Corps until 1945. John Banner passed in Vienna in 1973 at the age of 63...MikeM. 8/23/2016
This is the third of five PM appearances for Robert Karnes, who would appear in six episodes of Ironside...MikeM. 11/30/2016
As Perry is leaving his office for his trip, Paul says, "Perry, it's getting late; we'd better get going." Perry then says, "Have you got the tickets, Della?" and she responds "right here" as she removes the tickets from an envelope. Perry then picks up his briefcase, Paul picks up Perry's suitcase, and they both depart, leaving Della still holding the tickets. Submitted by Dan K, 11/30/16.
As he is preparing to depart in the first scene, Perry is wearing a hat. This is the first appearance of Mr. Mason in headwear in a long time. Is it the last? OLEF641 2/19/21