Show144
TCOT Mystified Miner (this current Perry Mason episode) was based on the Erle Stanley Gardner novel titled ''The Case of the Spurious Spinster". Submitted by Charles Richmond, 26 April 2013.
Location: The establishing shot of where the Corning Company offices are (presumably) located is the former Tishman building at 615 S. Flower. (The lettering at the top of the building probably says “Tishman 615”). Nowadways it also has an entrance at 811 Wilshire. The building was built circa 1960 and at the time was one of the tallest buildings (22 stories or so) in LA. I think LA used to have a prohibition against really tall building because of the earthquake danger. When these images where taken, the building had a rather striking blue applied ceramic tile exterior. It was remodeled in the early 1990s and has a travertine facade now. While the lines of the building are the same, it looks very much different. Not sure what direction the Perry Mason image is taken from at present, though. Today it’s dwarfed by much taller buildings which, IMHO, have ruined the character of places like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Submitted by billp, 23 November 2010.
+ If you want a good idea of what the building looked like circa the time of this episode, watch the beginning of the cult sci-fi classic, The Omega Man, which was filmed circa 1971. The building features prominently in that film’s opening. See here for how the building used to look, about 42 seconds into the excerpt. Note the YouTube poster has edited another musical selection onto the clip. It actually used “A Summer Place.” For other pics, see also here and here. Submitted by billp, 23 November 2010.
About 45:44 into the episode, we see a police car travel down East 1st Street, heading in a roughly southeasterly direction. The camera starts shooting near the entrance to City Hall South, travels southeast with Parker Center on the left, etc. Submitted by billp, 25 November 2010.
LOCATION: About midpoint Perry tells Della and Paul he's going to see if he can find a movie that just got out. We see a shot of Hollywood Blvd with a FOODTOWN Neon sign. Next to that sign you can see a half barrel shaped protrusion from the 2nd floor and barely read the words Sy Amber. Well, the Sy Amber clothing store is now Amber Enterprises. Its at 6646 Hollywood Blvd near Cherokee St. and if you google the address you can still see that half barrel shaped protrusion at 6636 Hollywood Blvd. Eric Cooper 21 Oct 16
Uncredited Actors: Very fleetingly, as Paul strolls through a restaurant’s dining room to Perry’s table, we see Bert Stevens at a table with a lady companion. Later, Lee Miller makes a cameo as the tight-lipped Sgt. Brice. Submitted by gracenote, 7/19/2011.
Sightings: In the back row of the courtroom gallery, we find Little Old Lady #1 and Quiet Old Man #1, not to mention Distinguished Gentleman #1 on the other side of the courtroom. These are some of the many favorite frequent faces to lurk in the background of this long-running series. Submitted by gracenote, 7/19/2011.
Words of the day: Campbell uses two fancy words for embezzlement when speaking of Ms. Fisher: peculations and defalcations. Submitted by gracenote, 7/19/2011.
CARS. (1) Paul's black 1962 Thunderbird Convertible, top down.
- (2) Perry's NEW, white 1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible, top down. To identify, compare front aspects of the '61 and '62 Lincolns together here (grill screens, headlamp surrounds, bumper guards). At the Service Station (26:35) the car is seen to have no rear licence plate but has a large paper Temporary Permit pasted to the rear bumper, right side. The car has no front license plate either (28:21)!
- (3, 4) two 1962 Ford Galaxie 4-Door Sedans, POLICE B&W at murder scene with Anderson.
- (5) 1962 Buick Electra 225 4-Door HardTop, medium color with white roof, rented by Paul as per Perry's direction. Could be the same car as Car (2) in Episode 143.
- (6) 1959 Ford Custom 300 4-Door Sedan, POLICE B&W, takes Tragg, Lt Anderson & Brice to "Miss Cindy Hastings" apartment (#308) during the recess requested by Perry.
Background Cars. Perry drives to the Service Station to get Della. Cars in the service bays are:
- (a) 1961 Mercury Comet, light color, Lic No Wxx 495 and
- (b) 1954 Lincoln Capri, light colored body with dark roof, Lic No DRA 411. See hood badge & ornament. Models: 4-door Sedan, 2dr convertible or 2dr coupe (hardtop).
Perry drives the rental Buick (5) to a drive-in restaurant and enters the parking lot behind a
- (c) light-colored 1962 Buick Invicta Station Wagon.
Left to Right around the parking lot, the cars parked on the nearest laneway behind seating area are:
- (d) MG TD, medium color, wire wheels, light colored top & side-curtains up with matching spare wheel cover.
- (e) 1960 Chevrolet Corvair 2-Door Sedan, white.
- (f) 1961 Ford Falcon 4-Door Sedan, white.
- (g) Citroën ID19 Station Wagon, 2-tone light & medium, available in USA starting 1961, brochure.
- (h) tail of indeterminate white car. Guess: 1962 Oldsmobile Cutlass F-85 2-Door Hardtop.
- (i) 1953 Pontiac Catalina Coupe, light color. Note the red dot on the fin, aft of the gas filler hatch. Too bad we can't see the illuminated Chief hood ornament.
- (j) 1962 Dodge Dart 440 Convertible, medium color with white top up . . . or it could be a 1962 Dodge Polara 500 Convertible instead. ID'd as "Convertible" by the roofline (fixed-roof '62 Darts and '62 Polaras had less substantial-looking C-pillars).
- (k) nose (& tailfins?) of indeterminate large white car, probably 1961 or 1962 Cadillac.
- (ℓ) 1950 or 1949 Pontiac Chieftan Sedan, dark color, it's a two-door. First seen in the drive-in shot at Screen Right before camera pans Left, then again when the boys push the rental Buick.
- (m) 1961 Mercury Comet 4-Door Sedan, white. It has a '61 Front Grill, seen at 29:48.
On the extreme Left, parked beyond the nose of the MG TD:
- (n) Jaguar Mark VIII Saloon, dark color, 1956-58. Possibly Mark VII or Mark IX.
- (o) Beside the Jaguar, a black-body/white-top car with the distinctive roofline of a 1958 or later Thunderbird Convertible.
The screenshot at the top of this page shows Perry and the rental Buick, Car(5), stopped ahead of the white Comet, Car(m). After Perry hands over $20 and his keys (pictured), the boys push the rental Buick (5) past the old '49 Pontiac, Car(ℓ). Added by Gary Woloski, 3/20/13.
I want to thank Gary Woloski for his careful identification of classic cars! I especially enjoyed reviewing each car in the parking lot scene. Submitted by 10yearoldfan, 19 July 2013.
As part of her ploy to entice information from the Service Station Attendant, Della says "Would you believe I'm 42?" On the original airdate, Barbara Hale was actually Jack Benny's age. Added by Gary Woloski, 3/22/13.
Goof: Soon after Miss Dow begins talking to Susan Fisher in the office, there is a moving shadow on her, as if someone had bumped into a light. It is quite obvious and I'm surprised the director didn't yell "Cut!" and start over. Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 10/19/2013.
It's for you, Mr. Mason: In Amelia Corning's suite, Perry's questioning the rather creepy Sophia Elliot when she fields a call for him from Della. Submitted by francis, 10/24/14.
The Big 3: near the end we got to see Lt. Tragg, Lt. Anderson and Sgt. Brice working with Perry and Paul. Submitted by H. Mason 11/25/14
This is the first of four PM directing credits for Francis Lyon, who was co-recipient of the 1947 Academy Award for Editing on "Body and Soul"...MikeM. 10/19/2016
This is the second of four PM appearances for Kathie Browne, who was married 34 years to Darren McGavin...MikeM. 1/25/2017
This is the second of six PM appearances for Bartlett Robinson, who was the first radio voice of Perry Mason...MikeM. 20/25/2017