Show19
CARS: 1957 Lincoln, 4dr sedan, black. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.
+ The producer's license plate was JPE 903; the license plate in Cautious Coquette was also JPE but 098. Mike Bedard 4.16.15
The Pitkin Principle (from Episode #18) Strikes Again: Michael Greeley's name in the original ESG novel was Adler Greeley. Submitted by BobH, 10 January 2016.
Oy Gevalt!: At the end of this episode, Lt. Tragg moans, “Oy gevalt” when Mason explains how he cracked the case. This a Yiddish expression that translates as a combination of amazing and awful. Any other examples of Yiddish in the series? Submitted by Rabbi Mayer Schiller, 7/23/2007.
+"Tsuris" by the Hollywood talent agent in the very last episode, and "mensh" by Dr. Hoxie, I believe it's in The Bogus Buccaneer. Submitted by Adam Kamil 6/30/2012
++ That final scene with Tragg neatly shows the camaraderie among the cast that makes Perry such a pleasure. The show lost much of its heart when Ray Collins left. DOD 06/10/20
+++ I couldn’t agree more, DOD. The Tragg-Mason dialogs were always a joy to hear. You can easily see how much fun they were having. Submitted by Rickapolis 07/11/22
+++"Oy gevalt!" literally means, "Oh, violence!" and, as noted by Rabbi Mayer Schiller, it is an idiomatic Yiddish expression for a feeling of shock. Tragg uses it appropriately and in context, but where did he learn it? That's a mystery for the ages. Submitted by catyron, November 21, 2020.
++++ Read the trivia on episode #152, "The Promoters Pillbox". It's "script is filled to the brim and overflowing with old-school Jewish / Yiddish jokes and phrases, many of them mouthed, very poorly, by non Jewish actors."Joe B. 03/15/2023
At the beginning of the show Perry is wearing a light-colored (maybe it is tweed) suit coat instead of his usual dark-colored jacket. The coat definitely does not match his trousers. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 10 February 2010.
+He may have been following Paul Drake's lead as many if not all of his jackets never matched his trousers. Submitted by HamBurber, 9/3/2017
++ Not an expert in men's clothing, but I believe when the coat and trousers don't match, the coat is called a "sports jacket"; the style is considered somewhat more casual but still appropriate for most business situations by all but the most uptight -- hence Paul Drake's favoring of the sport jacket. OLEF641 10/23/2020
Uncredited Actors: This episode is another double bill for Don Anderson. In the murder investigation scenes, he wears a pair of glasses and a white lab coat to play a police lab man whom Tragg addresses as “Crane,” though Anderson has no line in return. In the courtroom scenes, he appears without the glasses as a spectator on Mason’s side of the courtroom. Submitted by FredK, 30 September 2010.
+ Was this Burger's Only visit to the Crime Lab? Mike Bedard 4.16.15
Character Names: Tanner’s frist name is Ernie. Submitted by gracenote, 8/29/2011.
Sightings: In the courtroom gallery sits a bespectacled man we call Distinguished Gentleman #1, in at least one close shot. But who is he? Submitted by gracenote, 8/30/2011.
+ Also among spectators we find Distinguished Lady #4. Submitted by gracenote, 9/6/2011.
++ Distinguished Lady #4 also shows up at the Murder hotel as she gets off the elevator. Submitted by BigBill767, Nov 11, 2016.
Visible Equipment:
When Perry and Paul are walking down a hall at the Gateview Hotel, there's visible equipment in the lower right corner. Not sure what it is, probably a microphone, but it swings toward them and wobbles a little up and down. Submitted by Scarter 12/14/13
+ It looks like a microphone to me. Timestamp 17:32. Submitted by catyron, November 21, 2020.
Newspaper: For the first time we see a photo of Perry's client on the front page of the Los Angeles Chronicle. Submitted by H. Mason 9/28/14
+ Yes, Twice: "Charged With Theft And Manslaughter" + "Claire Olger Out On Bail Perry Mason Defending." Mike Bedard 4.16.15
++ Perry Mason didn't know Claire Olger when the first picture appeared in the newspaper so she couldn't have been his client. To be accurate, his client had her photo on the front page only once. Added by H. Mason 4/17/15
+++ I just noticed that the newspaper taken from the rack
has the photo of Claire cut out from the first paper and
pasted on the front page. As a matter of fact, after Greeley removes the top paper you can see the next paper
doesn't have the photo. Also notice that he faked
putting a coin in the slot. There was no coin in his hand. Added by Kilo 5/20/2017.
++ That Claire got out on bail for a manslaughter charge warrants a huge above-the-fold headline? LA must have had a super slow news-day! Rick P 11/15/21
Magnum Pictures: Gerald Heywood and Michael Greeley both worked for that studio. In episode 1 TCOT Restless Redhead Helene Chaney was working on a movie at Magnum Pictures and Perry visited the property. Submitted by H. Mason 10/2/14
Wikipedia states that Herb Vigran had a law degree from Indiana University. MikeM 8/3/2016
Karen Steele was born in Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii, in 1931. She reportedly was in Honolulu when Pearl Harbor was attacked in December 1941...MikeM. 8/3/2016
+ According ti IMDb, Ms Steele "died of cancer in Kingman, Arizona, on March 12, 1988, little more than a week before her 57th birthday." 15Mar2023
First of two appearances by Karen Steele. She often played the Jane Mansfield type roles in her career. While "Marty" was the most famous film she was in, she was perhaps best known for her solid performance in the classic Star Trek episode, "Mudd's Women". Submitted by Kenmore 01/15/2022
Patricia Hardy was Miss Brooklyn, Miss Coney Island and Miss New York Press Photographer. In 1958, she married actor Richard Egan. They remained married until his death in 1987. They had four daughters and a son...MikeM. 8/3/2016
Phone number MAdison 5-1190 as Perry Mason's phone number even though it looks to be used as other numbers in other epidodes ( like the police in one). Funny how it is a variation of 911 (119(0)). Submitted by HamBurger, 9/3/2017
This is the first of three PM directing credits for Lewis Allen who was born in England on Christmas Day, 1905. Lewis Allen passed in Santa Monica on 3 May 2000 at the age of 94...MikeM. 5/16/2018
The power of "We" note Perry's comment to Della when she shows him the newspaper story: "this doesn't see like our kind of case"...there'll never be a clearer indication of how the office works as a team. Notcom 110821.
+ When Della responds, "I think you ought to talk to her", in my opinion, the full-face, straight-on camera shot of Della is the most beautiful image shown of her during the entire 9 season run. jfh 05Mar2024
The Long Way Around - Under cross-examination by Perry, Heywood states that the distance between Los Angeles and Fresno is "around 300 miles." I don't know how he goes to Fresno, but when I drive there it's more like 220. The roads have changed somewhat, but were essentially the same at the time of the episode as they are now. OLEF641 11/26/21