Show64
CARS: 1959 Ford Country Sedan wagon, medium & white color, 1958 Ford Thunderbird coupe, white, 1959 Lincoln Continental MkIV, 4dr hardtop, white, 1959 Cadillac series 62 convertible, black, black & white interior, top down (Mason), 1959 Ford Custom 300 4dr sedan, black & white (Police), Cameo: 1955 Oldsmobile 2dr hardtop, medium color & white. From The Cars by Greg Cockerill.
I believe this is the only episode Perry drives this model Cadillac. DOD 09/27/23
The iconic 1959 Cadillac is also in TCOT Spanish Cross. Joe B. 04/25/2024
Character Names: Salty Sims’s real first name was Walter, as mentioned in the episode. Submitted by gracep, 8/31/2010.
Sightings: Both Distinguished Gentleman #1 and Quiet Old Man #1 appear among the courtoom audience. More about them and other regulars here. Submitted by gracep, 9/1/2010.
+ The Thin Man appears as an Assistant District Attorney seated at the prosecution table. “Miss Carmody” is seated behind Nell Gridley and Chuck Clark in courtroom closeups.
++ On page 162 of "The Case of the Alliterative Attorney," Bill Sullivan and Ed Robertson write that the actor who plays the assistant DA here is named Luis Delgado. So I guess Luis Delgado is the Thin Man--all the more fitting, since "delgado" means "thin" in Spanish! Mr. Delgado's IMDB page does list a couple of uncredited Perry Mason appearances. I think the book is probably correct. Submitted by Ed Zoerner, 1/8/21
+++ Distinguished Lady #3 is behind Howard Roper near the door. Submitted by alan_sings, 9 Oct 2010.
++++ Little Old Lady #2 is seen taking shorthand as Court Reporter, and Distinguished Gentleman #2 is in the the courtroom audience. Submitted by daveb, 3/26/2011.
+++++ I'm pretty sure that Distinguished Lady #4 is sitting in the front row of the gallery next to nephew Bill Shayne. Submitted by JazzBaby, 8/17/2019.
Neither Ray Collins (as Lt. Tragg) nor William Talman (as Hamilton Burger) appear despite onscreen credit. Submitted by gracenote, 6/20/2011.
+ Credit is based on the actor's contract, Usually, a regular on a series will have his name on the credits regardless of whether he is actually in the episode. Perry Mason is no exception. There are exceptions to the rule when a contract specifically states the name only appears when the actor appears. This happened after William Talman's firing and rehiring. The continuous mentioning (here and many other series sites such as TV.com) that an actor doesn't appear "despite being credited" is irrelevant. Only the fact that a regular doesn't appear is noteworthy. The actor will be credited regardless. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 8/22/12.
I have also read that Burr and producer Gail Patrick kept Ray Collins’s on screen credit when he was too ill to work because they knew he would be watching and thought it would please him. DOD 07/30/19
+More importantly, it allowed Collins to be paid for his weekly non-appearances at a time when he undoubtedly needed money because of his illness. Wiseguy70005, 12/02/24.
Syndication cuts: Nell driving into the gas station and being told by Salty that Chuck is back; Mason driving to Clark's; Roper testifying about telling where a bullet enters the ground, Mason's test with decomposed granite and whether or not the bullet was a blank [usually a syndicated cut is evidenced by a fade out and fade in; in this case a single wipe across the screen was used]. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 8/22/12.
+ The Nell, Testimony & Test scenes were shown in MeTV's 6.29.16 airing. Mike Bedard.
++Once again, I wrote SYNDICATION cuts. In other words episodes shown on local stations not networks like MeTV, whose episodes may have different cuts. Also, currently MeTV shows the nighttime broadcast in a 65-minute time slot which allows more cut scenes to be included. People really need to learn what "syndication" means. Wiseguy70005, 12/02/24.
It's for you, Mr.Mason: This episode has a double header. Perry and Della are just sitting down to breakfast at the White Sun Guest Ranch when the waiter hands him the phone. It's Chuck Clark calling, and he says it's very important. Later, Perry has just returned to the ranch when the White Sun bellhop schleps a phone over to him. It's Paul Drake on the horn. Submitted by francis, 7/19/14.
Recycled newspaper trick: The paper Perry purchased before he tried to eat at the White Sun Guest Ranch had a headline from episode 60 TCOT Lost Last Act but the photo was from the paper in episode 54 TCOT Footloose Doll. Submitted by H. Mason 10/20/14
+ Recycled Presidential Portraits: The set of 5 from "Perjured Parrot" were hanging in the Desert courtroom.
Mike B.
The White Sun guest ranch was in Rancho Mirage, California. Submitted by vgy7ujm, 14 February 2015.
Stafford Repp appeared in 3 other Perrys before his iconic Chief O'Hara role in "Batman" [136 IMDb credits]. Mike Bedard 6.29.16.
This is the first of three PM appearances for William Wright (Chuck Clark), who was born in San Francisco in 1894. He passed in Los Angeles in 1962 at the age of 68...MikeM. 19/5/2016
+ [a brief two years after this PM appearance. jfh 30Jul2019].
This is the only PM appearance for prolific actor Myron Healey (Howard Roper), who served in the Air Corps during World War II...MikeM. 7/5/2017
This is the second of three PM appearances for Francis McDonald (Salty Sims), whose first wife was actress Mae Busch. Busch's affair with Mack Sennett led to Sennett's breakup with Mabel Normand, who was Busch's friend...MikeM. 10/25/2017
Equipment Visible: As Perry walks away from the gas pump toward Harry's house the shadow of a boom mic can be seen moving across his back. Submitted by Kilo 4/23/2018.
This is the second of three PM appearances for R.G. Armstrong (Harry Bright), who was born in Alabama in 1917. Armstrong had a recurring role as Captain McAllister in the single season television series "T.H.E. Cat". R.G. Armstrong passed away in Studio City CA in 2012 at the age of 95...MikeM. 7/17/2018
Chuck Clark's ultra-moderne sunken living room set, with its four wide steps down from the plate glass windows, will be seen again in just two episodes, in "TCOT Deadly Toy." Submitted by catyron, January 10th, 2021.
Gavel Tally - After 14 episodes with not a gavel bang to report, we have one, when the judge adjourns court after Sims' testimony. OLEF641 1/17/22