Show39
CARS: 1956 Buick Century 4dr hardtop, 3-tone: dark color, white, black top, Cameo: 1958 Chevrolet 4dr wagon, 2-tone: medium color & white. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.
+ I don't know anything about the makes or models of cars, but at 03:32 there is a street scene with two parked cars on display and the one at left is all banged and crashed up and missing its gas cap. I do recall a few car crashes in the series, and a couple of over-the-cliff smash-ups, but i cannot remember any other PM in which a damaged car is parked on a city street. Submitted by catyron, December 12th, 2020.
+ IMO, the beat up car outside the hotel is used to suggest a shady clientele. jfh 16Jun2023
Mary Anderson, who was probably best known for her role of Alice MacKenzie in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Lifeboat, makes her only Perry Mason appearance. She plays the wife of Arthur Space even though she is 12 years his junior, and looks more like 20 years his junior. Submitted by PaulDrake33, 7/22/2008.
+ Age disparity seems to have been an unofficial theme of this episode: the actors playing the two lovebirds really were 20 years apart - or more precisely 18 - but happily for the episode it isn't readily apparent. Notcom, 092117.
In this episode we see Perry and Della walking into the courtroom before the trial starts. This is one of the few times we see this, as usually they are walking out of the courtroom. Submitted by PaulDrake33, 7/22/2008.
+ As the photographer snaps the picture, Perry and Della take a moment to pose, gazing into each other's eyes. jfh 08Mar2024
Alan Lee (Dave Kemp) was the newlyweds’ landlord in Rear Window, a classic Hitchcock film that Raymond Burr played in. Submitted by billp, 15 November 2009.
+ He reminds me of "Jake Blues" (John Belushi) in The Blues Brothers. Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 29 April 2014.
Location: About 35 minutes in, Paul and Perry arrive at the airport from Reno Nevada. This is Burbank Airport, now Bob Hope Airport, in Burbank. The tower has been modernized but the basic shape and horseshoe layout around the parking area is still the same. Burbank Airport also appears in Episodes #39, #99, #165, #220, and #258. Posted by Eric Cooper, 31 December 2009. Some pictures here.
Airliner: And the plane carrying them is a Douglas DC-4; it first saw service during WWII as the C-54 Skymaster and later was widely used by civilian carriers, as originally intended. This one is operated by American Airlines. (submitted by francis, 1/24/12)
+ "The Douglas C-54...was the first four-engine transport to enter USAAF service...[one] became the first 'official' presidential transport...in 1944 for use by President Roosevelt... During the Berlin Airlift, in 1948, every C-54 the USAF had was pressed into service... Many were later converted into litter-carrying planes...during the Korean Conflict, returning 66,000 patients to the U.S." StrategicAirCommand.com observes. Mike Bedard 5.19.16.
++ But the plane that then landed at Reno looked more like a 707. Submitted by Clothears, 17-Jan-2021.
++ Might be my old eyes, Im now older than Mr Reed's reputed age, but the 1st plane looks more like a 2-engine DC-3 and the landing aircraft a 4 prop DC-4. Asta69 09-05-24
Sightings: A man known as Distinguished Gentleman #1 serves as the court reporter during the habeas corpus hearing. Distinguished Lady #1 sits in the second row during the hearing regarding Lewis’s murder. When the hearing reconvenes, we can see the man with a pencil mustache in the front row, prosecutor’s side, whispering now and then. Can you spot them? Read more about recurring but inconspicuous and anonymous actors here. Submitted by gracep, 10/2/2010.
+ At the 31min mark when Perry is on the phone, we see the Distinguished Lady #4 and Distinguished Gentleman #1 playing slots in the background. They both turn up in court with their winnings. Submitted by BigBill767, 12/9/16.
Uncredited Actors: Additionally, the ever-uncredited Don Anderson wears a white suit as Mr. Metcalf’s assistant during the habeas corpus hearing. Submitted by gracep, 10/3/2010.
+ By my count, Anderson appeared in 23 of the 39 episodes in the epic first season of Perry Mason. Of course, in several episodes he had more than one role. Submitted by FredK, 15 Nov 2010.
Now we know where Sgt. Brice started his career: as a Nevada state trooper! Submitted by francis, 1/24/2012.
This episode--the last of the first season--is the first of two consecutive episodes featuring Joan Camden. She is also in the first episode of the second season--TCOT Corresponding Corpse. Her characters were unlucky--in both episodes, her boyfriend is the murder victim. Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 5-3-2014.
Della’s initial pendant appears in both these episodes as well. DOD 07/08/20
Telephone number: Millie's phone number was Holly 2-6231. In episode 9 TCOT Vagabond Vixen the number for John Addison at Fidelity Studios was Hollywood 2-6231. Submitted by H. Mason 10/10/14
Purse: The purse Donna used to carry money out of the bank came from episode 29 TCOT Hesitant Hostess. Submitted by H. Mason 10/10/14
This is the only PM episode for Edgar Stehli, who was born in Lyon, France, in 1884. He passed in New Jersey in 1973...MikeM. 8/31/2016
This is the first of four PM episodes for King Calder. He was born in Baltimore in 1897 and passed in Los Angeles in 1964...MikeM. 8/31/2016
This is the only PM episode for Mary Anderson. She passed in 2014 in Burbank CA, aged 96...MikeM. 8/31/2016
This is the first of four PM episodes for Kitty Kelly. She was a member of the Ziegfeld Follies. She passed in 1968 in Hollywood, aged 66...MikeM. 8/31/2016
This is the first of three PM appearances for veteran character actor Sid Tomack (Victor Kowalski), who appeared in 22 of the 26 episodes of the 1949-1950 version of "The Life of Riley" which starred Jackie Gleason...MikeM. 6/12/2018
A Clever Title - "TCOT Rolling Bones" might be the cleverest of ESG's book titles. In the novel, the title has a double meaning: the more obvious relates to the tossing of dice, the more subtle--a substantial clue to the identity of the murderer--to the "disposal of the remains." Submitted by BobH, 4 March 2019.
Left in Something unusual happens in this episode - Perry is the one bringing action - and it leads to something which I believe is unique in the series*: he's seated to the judge's left. (Is the seating of the defense on the right as standardized in real life as it was on the show?) Notcom 112020.*Patience, patience: had I waited a day - or simply had a better memory - I could have noted that Perry does indeed sit left again...it's in the very next episode! 112120.
In most courtrooms, the party with the burden of proof sits closest to the jury (or the jury box if there’s no jury.) that’s why Burger sits where he does in most episodes and why Mason sits where he does during the habeus corpus hearing. — submitted by judgebob1, 112420
I don't think the Willard Scott in this episode was ever a weatherman on one of the main networks. They don't look alike ;-). Submitted by HamBurger, 6/13/2021
Gavel Statistics For Season One: Gavel: 16/39 episodes (41%), No Court: 2 episodes, Pencil: 1 episode -- OLEF641 12/23/21
No Knocks: At about 18 minutes, Paul comes into Perry's office, but announces himself with just three knocks, rather than his usual jaunty 'shave and a haircut' riff. JohnK, 8 August, 2022