Show139
Location: About 8:43 into the episode, Janice Wainwright and Della arrive by taxi at Union Station. The street with the traffic is N. Alameda. The actual access/exit road is N. Los Angeles. It loops in front of the station. Union Station looks much as it did then, a mixture of Art Deco and interpreted Spanish Colonial. See here for an interesting interactive panorama. The lockers by the entrance seem to have gone in the interim. The buildings seen opposite the entrance to Union Station as the ladies exit the taxi don’t seem to be there anymore, either, as far as I can tell. Submitted by billp, 26 & 28 November 2010.
Location: About 17:48 we see an image that could very well be the Union Pacific Railroad Station in Las Vegas. It was at the west end of Fremont Street at Main Street. The Union Plaza Hotel Casino was built on the site in 1971. The pan from Hotel Fremont to the station might be in place at the station. See here for how the station looked. Submitted by billp, 26 November 2010.
The City of Los Angeles passenger train mentioned in the episode did stop in Las Vegas. See here for more details. Today there is no rail service between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Submitted by billp, 26 November 2010.
Location: Note that according to the envelope that contained the supposed blackmail note, Morley Theilman lives/works at 1040 N. Las [Palmas?]. See here for more information on this oft-occurring address in Perry Mason. Submitted by billp, 26 November 2010.
Continuity: We’re treated to another out-of-body experience here as Mason cross examines bookkeeper Fred Carlyle (James Callahan). At one point there is a cut for reaction to the face of Henry Battle (Ray Hemphill) in the first row of the gallery that shows Carlyle rather disinterestedly watching two rows behind Battle. Submitted by FredK, 28 Nov 2010.
+ The cut to Henry's face was during Burger's direct examination. Unless it was cut out, Mason didn't cross-examine him. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 6/11/12.
This episode marks the ninth and last appearance of Karl Held as David Gideon, Perry Mason’s dapper young assistant. Submitted by gracep, 12/13/2010.
+ Hallelujah! Submitted by francis, 5/6/12.
+"Nothing in the show became him like his leaving it." Submitted by BobH, 28 March 2017.
+ Perhaps the David Gideon character didn't work as well as intended, but it did tend to make the series more realistic (Mason would indeed have an assistant as he did in the early novels/episodes (usually Jackson)), just as the disappearance of Burger in the third/fourth seasons (would the district attorney really handle so many preliminary cases?) and the losing cases such as "The Case of the Deadly Verdict." Seems like some people complain about the program not being realistic while others complain about the realistic parts! Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 4/14/15.
+ To me, David Gideon always looked hung over. JohnK, 15 October 2015
+ I think the problem is the character was uneccessary; the plot could have have moved forward without him or by others; some of his scenes seem tacked on. If the point was to present a young person, it's too bad his delivery could have been presented by a 40 year old. There didn't seem to be much of a youth angle to his character, IMHO. Submitted by Wjones 2/19/2016.
He really doesn’t do much this episode, and is noticeably absent from the closing scene. DOD 11/12/19
+ I actually liked David. Clearly he was put in to attract the "youth"even in a ham-handed way. In TCOT Renegade Refugee he even propels the plot although Perry is clearly annoyed.
+ + By Season 5, Raymond Burr was ready to quit the series. Perhaps the character of David Gideon was introduced to test audience reaction to a new lead attorney. jfh 03Oct2016
+Despite his hung-over look, David Gideon revealed himself to be a true Renaissance Man over the course of his brief run as Perry's legal eager beaver. He displayed his legal expertise in maritime law (TCOT Malicious Mariner), his athletic prowess in arm-wrestling (TCOT Malicious Mariner, again) and handball (TCOT Left-Handed Liar), and his general know-it-all familiarity with how to detect whether someone might have ESP (TCOT Meddling Medium) and whether a painting might be a forgery (TCOT Posthumous Painter). The only thing he seemed unable to demonstrate was why he should remain an ongoing series character. Submitted by BobH, 11 April 2017.
Don't forget his skills at golf as shown in TCOT Roving River. Not only did he play golf but he ended up marrying his golf partner (at least in real life). Submitted by Paul's Operative. 1/11/2024.
++ David Gideon's irrelevance is confirmed by his ignominious absence from the wrap-up. Reported from New York City by JohnK, 5 August 2022
Sightings: Little Old Lady #1, with “Miss Carmody” beside her, watches the trial from behind the defendant and the first Mrs. Theilman. Read about her and other favorite frequent faces. Submitted by gracep 12/13/2010.
One of the few episodes with an actual jury trial rather than a preliminary hearing. Submitted by gracenote, 7/13/2011.
Uncredited Actors: Prominently featured among the jury is Arthur Tovey, who appeared in hundreds of films, but you never noticed him. Although we do not have him on our Uncredited Actors page yet, in 1984 People ran a story about him. Submitted by gracenote, 7/13/2011.
CARS. (1) 1961 Ford Fairlane 4-Door Sedan TAXI, light color with the fare rates on the front doors, takes Della and Janice to Union Station.
- (2) Perry's black 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie Skyliner, top down, Lic No RTS 277. Perry drives his old Skyliner to the Theilman house to see Mrs T. The street number on one of the stone pillars at the driveway entrance is 144.
Perry first drove the '59 Skyliner in Ep#59 and he traded it in after Ep#97 for the '60 Galaxie Sunliner he had for Ep#98. The '59 Skyliner did appear once more, however, in Episode #106. The shot seen in this ep#139 would seem to be old footage from Seasons 2 or 3. The Theilman house exterior and its street number 144 may be a clue to what episode the shot is from. Added by Gary Woloski, 2/28/13.
In this show we are made aware of a third L.A. newspaper. In earlier episodes (and this one) the L.A. Chronicle is mentioned or shown. The Los Angeles Star-News appeared in episodes 29 and 41. Here the L.A. Bulletin is mentioned as the source of letters and words cut and added to a blackmail letter. A copy of the newspaper is never shown. A fourth L.A. paper appears in episode 181. Submitted by H. Mason 9/26/14 + A reporter for a fifth L.A. paper is a character in episode 156 TCOT Playboy Pugilist. Added by H. Mason 9/29/14
Life Imitates Lights: At 21:30 or thereabouts on the DVD, we see Henry Battle, brother of the first Mrs. Theilman. In his Hank Williams outfit, which I bet was powder blue, he looks an awful lot like the lanky neon cowboy on the Vegas strip. JohnK, 15 October 2015
++The lanky neon cowboy in Las Vegas is not on the Strip but rather is downtown on Fremont Street where he still resides. His name is "Vegas Vic". See here for more details. Added by PD 4/08/2021
His character seems superfluous. He really doesn’t contribute to the story other than to steal the girl from Paul at the end. DOD 11/12/19
+ He's a good looking young man; that he "beats out" Drake for the gorgeous client makes for a great final scene. Rick P 10/12/21
Barbara Bain lookalike - and IMHO actalike - Barbara Lawrence makes here fourth and final PM appearance here; but she is not alone: the episode peppers itself with plenty of gorgeous dolls - as Paul might put it - and makes every effort - including, of course, the title - to make us aware of that. Submitted by Notcom, 011716.
A Mistrial?! This episode features a legendary Hamilton Burger courtroom meltdown. At approximately 46:20, Burger, in front of the jury, attempts to introduce additional evidence during his closing argument. This prompts Perry to rise to his feet and interrupt with, “I ask the court to declare a mistrial.” An exasperated Burger then shouts “A mistrial?!” at the top of his lungs. This same sound bite (Burger) is used in Episode #197 TCOT Ice-Cold Hands. Submitted by Dan K, 6/28/16.
This is the first of three PM appearances for Elaine Devry, who was married to Mickey Rooney for six years...MikeM. 10/12/2016
This is the third of three PM appearances for Dorothy Green, who had a recurring role on the television series "Tammy"...MikeM. 1/18/2017