Show251
Continuity Error: At the end of the show, Paul gets into a right-hand drive foreign car and is taken for a ride. Look close! The car on the track is not the same one he got into! It’s a modified Corvette. That same straightaway run is also seen when Perry goes for his ride about midway through the show. See more here. Submitted by Julie Corson, 2/21/2005.
+ Another continuity error is made in the very first scene, where Marge Leonard, in a rear-angle shot, removes her sunglasses upon being introduced to Perry and then, in a frontal close-up, again removes her already-removed sunglasses. Submitted by BobH, 1 July 2017.
++ Another minor continuity error occurs at the beginning when Perry is entering the race track. A closeup of Perry shows him nodding to the attendant to his left. But in the wide shot the attendant is actually on the right side of his car. Submitted by Kilo 1/28/2018.
The car crashes into a block wall, grandstands in the background. Neither the wall nor the grandstands are seen when burning car is hosed down, nor in any other scene. DOD 06/17/24
This seems to be an unusual case in that while Ham Burger appears, there is no courtroom scene in the episode (any others?). It is not clear to me how “official” the racetrack meeting at the end is; Pete Griston is there in handcuffs, while Burger had to ask to attend the proceedings.
The character of Harvey Rettig, played by Anthony Caruso, may have been inspired by real-life team owner and race promoter J. C. Agajanian. See here. Submitted by D. A. Supernaw, 9/29/2005.
Location: Towards midway, Perry and Paul drive up to Olivers Stone’s estate in Paul’s Corvette. The house is actually “The Magic Castle” in Hollywood. See here. Submitted by D. A Supernaw, 10/28/2005.
+ Listen for this odd exchange when Perry and Paul visit Oliver Stone at his estate. Paul: “Now Professor, will you tell the audience what’s written inside the lady’s watchband?” Perry: “One dollar, forty-nine.” Paul: “Right you are, Professor.” This sounds like the dialog from a lame clairvoyant act. Look here for the connection. Submitted by D. A. Supernaw, 10/28/2005.
Goof: At the hospital, Ms. Leonard says, “All I know is that Mike is upstairs in some room with people trying to mend his burned body.” Her husband’s name, however, is Blake, but the actor playing him is Michael Harris. Submitted by gracenote, 5/18/2011.
+ Yours is a plausible interpretation. The line is at about 06:30 on the 2013 Region 1 Paramount DVD. I hear closer to "Blake" than "Mike", and Jan Shepard repeats "Blake" other times in the scene. I also wonder if she and the other actor, Hank Brandt, are glancing at an off-camera teleprompter. Both do play the scene well, IMHO. Submitted by (lowercase, with a comma and period) masonite, 07/07/13.
++ FWIW, I was watching a copy of this from Hallmark Movie & Mysteries and the closed caption showed "Mike". Submitted by mesave31, 03/14/15.
Goof (sort of <grin>): With all the closeups of folks when driving in their race cars, you never see anything even slightly move from the high wind speed. LOL, check out when Perry is riding w/Pappy Ryan, his long helmet strap just gently hangs there during their entire ride. ;-> Submitted by mesave31, 03/14/15.
How times have changed: Perry slips into the competition modified Corvette passenger seat rather deftly and dons goggles and helmet, but no lap belt? SCCA rules required a lap belt from 1954,(in competition). Submitted by JoeB, 04/04/19.
Goof: While putting on his helmet in the final scene, Pete sees Paul seated in the racecar. Pete quips, " I didn't know I was going to have a passenger on my first drive!". Della responds, "Guest? He'll probably try to drive!"
+ On my DVD copy she says "Company?..." Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 11/07/17.
Sightings: If you look carefully, you can discern the Pencil Mustache Man chatting with a group of friends at a table behind Mason, Drake, Burger, and Drumm at Clay’s Grill (or someplace similar). Submitted by gracenote, 5/18/2011.
+ It also looks like Don Anderson at the table as well sitting to the right of Pencil Mustache man. Perry Baby 12/23/13
++ TCOT Missing Mustache Pencil Mustache Man seems to be clean-shaven in this scene. Submitted by Miss Carmody, 1 May 2024.
+++ "Miss Carmody" is seated at a table to the left in the cafeteria when Perry, Rettig, and Pete are at the counter talking, possibly drinking from one of the curious coffee cups. Submitted by Miss Carmody, 1 May 2024.
According to "the interwebz," this is Paul Winfield's first appearance on either the big or small screen. Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 2/18/14.
This is the fourth of four PM appearances for Jan Shepard (Marge Leonard), who married actor/production designer Ray Boyle...MikeM. 3/17/2017
It's interesting that Pappy's car (driven by Pete) has a license plate: Idaho 65, 8B20355, Famous Potatoes. Normally race cars don't have license plates since they're never driven on the street. Also the car seen in the closeup of Pete is not the same car seen in the wide shots. Submitted by Kilo 1/28/2018.
This is the last of four PM appearances for Michael Harris (Blake Leonard), who also appeared in one episode of "Ironside"...MikeM. 3/23/2018
It's for you! Oliver Stone not only answers his own phone despite his apparent wealth, but the call is not even for him--it's for Paul Drake. Submitted by Miss Carmody, 1 May 2024.
Location: The racetrack is the Paramount Ranch Raceway, known for its unusual overpass. The course was located high in the Santa Monica Mountains, north of Malibu, south of the San Fernando Valley, and the ranch was also used for the filming of Westerns. See old photos here and here, and modern photos plus a track map here. The raceway was officially closed in 1957, after a fatal accident, and if you look closely during the race scenes, you will see that the road surface was already beginning to deteriorate in some sections by 1965. Submitted by catyron, July 26th, 2018
This is the second of two PM appearances for Hank Brandt (Pete Griston), who also made two appearances on the "Ironside" television series. Hank Brandt had a recurring role as Leonard Waggedorn on the "Julia" television series. Hank Brandt passed in 2004 at the age of 70...MikeM. 7/27/2018