Show226
Several times in his questioning of witnesses, Burgers either puts words in their mouth or corrects their testimony. Jazbo says Amy Jo was upset and crying and Burgers says, "she was actually hysterical." How would he know? He wasn't there. Then when Jazbo says he let her stay at his house, Burger kept saying he was hiding her there. What right does Burger have to correct testimony? Even if Jazbo said something different in Burger's office, perhaps he gave it some more thought and realized he was previously mistaken. Burger does this quite a lot and it's almost never objected to. Does a prosecutor have the right to change a witness testimony or its meaning on the record? And once again it's worth mentioning that even hostile witnesses will somehow admit to things Burger never would have known otherwise. Private interactions, conversations, etc. In a real court, people often claim they don't remember something and there's very little the DA can do about it. It makes absolutely no sense that anyone would admit to something that might hurt the defendant. It's not purgery if you don't remember.
Mark Goddard’s Southern accent is terrible. Bonnie Jones’s isn’t much better. Submitted by gracenote, 4/20/2011.
Always a treat to see versatile Robert H. Harris. Among his seven PM appearances, he played the murderer three times, the murder victim once, and the defendant once. Submitted by Paul'sGal.
Fender Telecasters were not exactly the guitar of choice for folk ensembles of the day (though they have always been a staple in blues and country music). Even more amusing is the opening jam. The audio track is one acoustic guitar playing chords and electric guitar (presumably the Telecaster) picking a lead. Despite that sonic reality, the Telecaster guitar is not plugged into an amp and the guitarist is happily strumming chords along with Jazbo.
Submitted by Mason Jar, 9/12/2011.
+ The actual opening jam is quite nice -- sort of a Carter Family tune played ala Doc Watson and Chet Atkins. I wonder if the guitarist playing this piece (and the rock'n'roll dance number later on) was Glen Campbell. In any case, i liked it a lot. I cannot say as much for the doleful delivery of "Greensleeves" or "Careless Love" that follow. Ugh. Submitted by catyron, June 28th, 2018
An unusual number of noirish closeups in this episode.
Anything to sell more newspapers -- The Los Angeles Chronicle has a big photo of the face-up dead body, above the fold on page 1, below the big headline HOLLYWOOD AGENT SLAIN. Something for parents to explain to their kids, 4 weeks after Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Submitted by (lowercase, with a comma and period) masonite, 12/17/12.
+ MLK, the youngest recipient up to that time, donated the prize $ to the Civil Rights movement [nobelprize.org]. "Put a king on our currency: His face, rather than Jackson's, would make the $20 bill a valuable reminder" appeared on The Philadelphia Inquirer Commentary Page 1.19.2004. Mike Bedard 4.24.15
Only 3 weeks previously, Mississippi's Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America 1959, starred in TCOT Blonde Bonanza. She, rather than New York's Bonnie Jones, could have more convincingly played the freckleless hillbilly, giving the show's promoters 2 recent Miss Americas in the same episode. (And the feckless Mr. Bronson could have had both under contract at the same time.) Submitted by (lowercase, with a comma and period) masonite, 12/17/12.
Names: Perry's client, Amy Jo Jennings, made me think of Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo Bradley who were characters on Petticoat Junction, a show that was on CBS at the same time this story was first shown. Submitted by H. Mason 4/19/15
Bad Acting:Is it me or does Joyce Meadows appear to be forcing the drunk person a little too hard? Submitted by HamBurger 10/08/2016.
+YES! I thought the same thing. She had exactly 3 scenes in the show. The first two were her drunk and hungover. She played them both exactly the same way: slurring and stumbling with heavy-lidded eyes. Her performance became really annoying very quickly. Very unlikeable. DM 1/24
Deja pyew! This episode appeared about six months after the Twilight Zone episode "Come Wander With Me", in which Crosby also played an under-talented folk-singer (unconvincingly, suggesting you have to have talent to play someone who...doesn't). Did PM's writer's see - somehow - genius in that earlier portrayal, or were they just mad at the world that week ?? Queried by Notcom, 071319.
Mistakes: Summary above had two mistakes. Party was at Hilldale Country Club (somebody tried to cross out mistake) and victim wasn't dead when Amy Jo thought he was asleep. Submitted by H. Mason 4/19/15
Blackmail 101: Another dumb blackmailer killed by his payer.
Maybe I missed it, but do we ever learn the basis for the blackmail? DOD 04/12/22
+Lionel Albright claimed that before he was an actor, he was "not a nice guy." He doesn't elaborate on what he meant, but perhaps he had been in jail before? - DM 1/24