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Better Stick to Beauty Pageants Mary Ann Mobley's acting in this episode was absolutely terrible. In the beginning when she's pleading with Duke to take the body out of her apartment, she kept widening her eyes, gesticulating wildly, and overenunciating her words. It was embarrassingly bad, particularly for 1966 when acting was moving more toward realism. It was depressing to watch since I realize that she was going to be the main character. Hollywood always has a tendency to hire pretty faces for film jobs. Sometimes they get lucky and the person can act. Other times, we get Mary Ann Mobley's awful impersonation of a woman in distress. Disappointing for the one of the last episodes to have this poor acting. Perhaps if they had been told the show wasn't continuing before season 9 shooting wrapped, they could have hired better actors. Submitted by DellaMason
I was under the impression that since William Talman's arrest in 1960 that he would no longer be credited for episodes he did not appear in. Unless his part was cut out of the syndicated version of this episode, he did not appear but was credited. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 6/26/12.
+ I just watched the unedited print off of Season 9, Volume 2. William Talman does not appear, but is credited. Submitted by Bill-W2XOY on 08/28/13.
Jake Stearns’ lawyer certainly doesn’t inspire confidence. DOD 05/11/20
During the fight scene, actor Paul Lukather does a good job of throwing his punches with form suitable for a trained boxer. Usually fight scenes just have wild haymakers. Ed Zoerner, 8/16/20,
The scene of Perry & Paul in the Records office being helped by Lt. Drumm is interesting in the sense that Perry lights Lt. Drumm's cigarette while an "American Cancer Society" sign is featured prominently in the background. Submitted by Kenmore 11/4/2012
+ The placement is so obvious that it would have to be intentional. William Talman did an anti-smoking commercial that aired after his death but according the Internet it was not diagnosed until September 1967 so no connection. Perry Baby 1/30/14
++ The connection may have been to the death of Ray Collins, who had died from emphysema not long before this episode was shot. Submitted by francis, 5/6/14.
+++ Ray Bidwell Collins was Born December 10, 1889 in Sacramento & Died July 11, 1965 in Santa Monica [IMDb]. Mike Bedard 3.13.15
I was very proud of the woman in this scene who stood up for herself and told the police detective that her name was "Millicent" NOT "Honey"! So why in the credits is she just described as "Woman Clerk"! Not fair! Submitted by Welshwoman 03/16/15
Perry's Dilemma in Misguided Model is similar to the one in Capering Camera; "Misguided" was used in another of the 12 MM episodes: Misguided Missile; "Model" appeared in another title: Reluctant Model. Mike Bedard 3.16.15.
In a case of life imitating art, in the mid 80's adult film star Marilyn Chambers was revealed to be the face of Ivory Snow detergent. DOD 4/10/18
Close your eyes and you would be forgiven for mistaking Rita Lynn for Ann Baxter.
A couple unusual aspects to this episode - an African-American policeman, and Perry has no court time. DOD 4/10/18
Don't you love the way Lt. Drumm calls Sharon Carmody "Miss Snow Plow" ;-) Submitted by HamBurger, 6/26/2023
The Travelling Target Show. If I was handling a tense, armed standoff, I know just what I'd do: send up a handful of unneeded people - Fern, Paul - to the site ... and put them w/i firing range, no less! (Really the former's whole appearance in LA was gratuitous, but she showed such spunk I guess we can forgive it.) Notcom, 072517.
When the cops arrest Jake Stearns it appears they're going to drive off leaving the body of Art Grover on the sidewalk. Kilo 11/17/2018.
Just before Sharon's audition, Perry is about to be shown into the studio by an attractive blonde lady. Her dialogue appears to be dubbed. Submitted by Chief Kurtz, 20 January 2022.
Why the police car sirens on obviously remote country roads? Otto Gervaert, 6/9/22
Rudy Blair's (the agent) constant holding his head from the blow from Duke was a bit over done as it continued for all of his scenes. Submitted by Perry Baby 1/30/14
+ At first i thought he had a migraine and my husband thought he had a hangover, but eventually we both guessed "concussion," and it turned out that we were right.I was also surprised that the stunt actor who played Art Grover got no credit. I realize he had no lines, but he was in a fight scene and he died -- which should count for something! Submitted by catyron, August 16th, 2018
++ Why Art Grover was not credited: He was already dead behind that couch as a corpse so he didn't have any lines and was not involved in the fight as that was a different actor, Rudy Blair (the agent) as "Perry Baby" mentions just above. Submitted by HamBurger, 8/29/2020
+++ It's easy to see 'catyron's confusion: as was the case with TCOT Stand-in Sister, with the way the fight was staged, it just doesn't seem possible for the events to have been as Perry described: after Duke delivers his blow - sending Rudy tumbling over the couch - he almost immediately turns on the lights and investigates...there simply wouldn't have been time - or a place - for Rudy to have hidden. Notcom 100621.
> I'm going to backtrack on this...well, sort of: viewing it last night, I saw Duke walk out into the hall and have a conversation with Sharon before turning on the lights. Did I see this last year ?? I'm guessing not: I think it was cut; and while (even) the uncut version isn't entirely believable - after all Rudy (and Sharon) would have no guarantee that Duke wouldn't run right over and discover the two men both there - together with the other apparent cut (discussed below) it seems this episode had a bad case of the Syndication Cut Blues...and how this colors our perception of episodes. Revised 102122, Notcom.
++++ Thanks for straightening me out on that. Submitted by catyron, November 27th, 2021.
The wrapup seems to imply that Sharon herself had killed Grover. So does that mean she actually punched him out? Or did she hit him with some blunt object? The mechanics of his murder was never actually explained. Submitted by Wick 6/9/2022.
Also in the wrap-up: Perry tells Duke tbat attorneys always want to know thd truth from clients while, less than 30 episodes prior, Perry insists on "not knowing" what Minerva Minden wants to confess to him in ep 241 TCOT Mischievous Doll jfh 15Sep2022
Watching this again last night, I saw a scene I don't recall having seen before (whether I earlier saw edited versions or just missed the beginning I don't know): shortly after the shot of Sharon and Duke leaving their car, but before they enter her apartment, we catch a glimpse of Fern in the hallway. There's never any explanation given; OTC it seems completely at odds with the rest of the activity (which never even hints that all three of the "Badger Game" confederates had recently been in contact). Hmmm.... Notcom 100621.
+ Art had contacted Fern promising not to blackmail her anymore if she would let him have the incriminating photo showing Sharon with the victim of the "badger game". Sharon killed Art (with a blunt instrument) thinking he had the photo. jfh 15Sep2022
You are correct - Fern’s brief appearance is not explained. It may be connected to another mystery - why does Fern have that incriminating photo of Sharon? An educated guess - Fern went to Grover’s apartment, something to do with his blackmailing her, found him dead, searched for anything he had on her, found that photo and decided to take it away. I wonder if a scene was cut explaining all? DOD 06/09/22