Show45
This is one of my favorite episodes, because it involves pre-digital camera technology and because there is a quite a twist to it, involving the title, as you will see from the spoiler below. (This I moved from the Summary section because it is a spoiler.) Submitted by gracep 11/4/2010.
This is the second of two consecutive episodes where an alarm clock plays a crucial role. In both episodes we see Perry winding the clock in court (although at least it's not the same clock). Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 5-8-14.
Thankfully Fredd Wayne does not affect one his usual iffy accents. DOD 07/16/20
There's something about the looks of both Charles Cooper and Fredd Wayne ... both of them, especially Cooper, make me think of characters in a 'Tijuana Bible' comic. Submitted by MikeReese, 11/27/2020.
When Beaton is describing his camera reset procedure in court, he neglects to say that he inserts the dark slide into the film holder before removing the film holder from the camera (if you don't insert the dark slide, the film will be ruined when the holder is removed from the camera). This is strange, because he does say that he removes the dark slide after turning over and re-inserting the film holder into the camera. Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 5-9-2014.
A rare case of continuity in the series. Perry and Sheriff Elmore mention they were acquainted (episode 7 TCOT Angry Mourner with a different actor as sheriff) and the same with Mr. Hale. Submitted by H. Mason 10/13/14
+ Also, actor Jamie Forster plays the judge in both episodes, implying that he is the same judge. However in ep. 7 he was not named (nor credited), but here he is credited as Judge Norwood. Added by alan_sings, 12/6/2014.
++ Yes, JF Judged 4 Perrys: "Angry Mourner" ('57 uncredited), "Buried Clock"/"Petulant Partner" as Judge Norwood ('58/'59) & "Potted Planter" ('63 generic Judge) [IMDb]. Mike Bedard 6.1.16.
+++We found Mr. Forster's performance in this episode eccentric, but most entertaining. Aside from apparently forgetting to put in his teeth that morning, he seemed to be having a hard time staying awake. Leaning forward, he would chew his gums, bulge his eyes, and dart them back and forth between Mason and the prosecutor. The overall effect was not unlike that of Foster Brooks, from the Dean Martin show, or Otis, the perennial guest of the Mayberry jail on The Andy Griffith Show. Submitted by Vladimir Estragon, 18 Oct 2020.
Incorrect show summary: According to Perry, Beaton's camera did not take the killer's picture. Submitted by Duffy, 8 May 2014.
+I think it must have been Beaton’s camera that took the killer’s picture. Just at different time. Submitted by Wick 12/16/2021
Moved from Summary: Perry does some fascinating courtroom work in this episode. He finds out that a wildlife camera, triggered by a buried clock, took misleading pictures of the real killer to “prove” the man was not at the murder scene.
+ In my considered engineer’s opinion, that unsecured clock would have pulled itself off the table and onto the floor before triggering the camera. Opined by daveb, 11/8/10.
++ According to Newton's third law of motion, you are correct. Duffy, 8 May 2014.
++++And the alarm stem is way too thin to pull all that line. Submitted by Wick 12/16/2021
+++ Also, although not all alarm clocks work alike, Perry first sets the alarm at 7:30 then proceeds to move the time backwards until a little before 7:30. Wouldn't the alarm sound immediately while it was still in his hands? Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 7/24/12.
++++ That high-tech alarm clock seems to have an alarm on/off switch. Perry seems to turn it on right before he puts the clock face down on the table. Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 5-9-2014.
Note to daveb:(EDIT) I was thinking the same thing about the clock not being on the floor, as it would have been on (well, under) the ground in the scheme. I noticed that there seemed to be a rubber band in the line from the shutter lever and the tripwire, probably to keep the line from pulling the camera over as well. I should have added that I did freelance photography for a few years, and my father did as well for many years. The rubber band would have absorbed the sudden shock of the trip wire/string and allowed the shutter to release a little more slowly. The camera would still have to have been firmly planted.. Submitted by MikeReese, 8/6/2013, edited 8/16/2014.
It's strange that neither Perry nor anyone else mentions the obvious error: Philip Strague is walking along the trail and supposedly trips the camera accidentally. Yet he has his head turned to the right, looking directly at the camera as the flash goes off. It would have been impossible for him to turn and look that fast, unless he deliberately tripped the wire and knew ahead of time where the camera was. Which he did. It's a damning piece of evidence that no one seems to notice. Submitted by Scarter, 12/14/13
Footprints: Why didn't Philip leave tracks when he attached the camera to the clock? How about when he retrieved the clock? Submitted by H. Mason 10/13/14
+ I submit that Philip covered his tracks when he attached the camera to the clock and subsequently removed them. But he had to keep the tracks along the trail, otherwise it would be really suspicious. A better question however is why the camera is so close to the trail. Given the trip delay, a deer or other animal would most likely be out of frame. Given the picture of Philip and how close it was, I think it would miss most any animal. After all, a wider shot could be cropped in during the development of the picture. Submitted by Kenmore 10/18/2020.