Show168
This would be the final of four appearances on Perry for Barbara Pepper playing Mrs. Williamson. Her first appearance was way back in 1957, TCOT Vagabond Vixen. Hard as it may be to believe now, Ms. Pepper began her career as a chorus girl for Ziegfeld Follies. She was a platinum blonde blue-eyed knockout until her husband’s accidental death in 1949. After that she took to the bottle and let herself go until she became the person you see in this episode (she was only 48 when this episode aired). Her final significant role would be as Doris Ziffel, the mother of a pig on the cornfield comedy Green Acres. She died at the age of 54 in 1969. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 9 September 2009.
+ She was a good friend of fellow dancer Lucille Ball, who often put her in extras and bit parts in her I Love Lucy series. And Pepper did have a knack for comedy. Submitted by gracep, 11/24/2010.
++ She also played small roles in Lucille Ball's films, such as "Fuller Brush Girl." cgraul 1.8.13.
+ She also appeared in cameo on the Three Stooges short Three Smart Saps as Woman on Dance Floor (uncredited) HamBurger 07/16/2016
+++I will add that Barbara Pepper appeared in Hitchcock's 1940 Foreign Correspondent as Dorene, Robert Benchley's girlfriend. JohnK 20 May 2021
Barry Atwater played Vulcan Founding Father Surak in Star Trek's "Savage Curtain" episode, March '69. Trekker Mike Bedard, 2.3.15.
Location: Looking for Sally Sheldon about 27 minutes into the episode, we see a quick exterior shot of the Culver Hotel. This is a very famous hotel. Read more about it here and visit its website for the full story. Posted by Eric Cooper, 27 May 2010.
+ The Culver Hotel was also featured about 3 minutes into TCOT Romantic Rogue, episode #56. The hotel is also seen briefly 13:20 into the DVD of episode #128 TCOT Crying Comedian. Submitted by Eric Cooper, 4 January 2011.
+ The name on the large sign is actually "Hotel Culver City." Sumbitted by catyron, May 5th 2018
Euclid College: TCOT Brazen Bequest (#135, 5.12) and TCOT Prankish Professor (#168, 6.15) are both set at Euclid College. In fact, the opening sequence, showing the sign that says "Euclid College" and a man (probably a student) walking up the steps into a building behind the sign... is the *same* lead-in sequence used in *both* episodes! Submitted by Charles Richmond, 8/29/2012
+In episode 135 the school seemed to be out of the jurisdiction of the LAPD since the police work was handled by Sgt. Landro. That murder did happen away from campus and in this story Mr. Hewes was killed at his home which was walking distance from the campus. The school and town could be in different police territories and that would account for what seems like an inconsistency. Added by H. Mason 1/14/15
++ As an alumna of the school, I'm certain the opening establishing shot was taken at the front entrance of the Administration Building, aka "Ad Hill", of the University of Redlands. OLEF641 5/19/21
Yes, we have no Lt. Tragg, today, except in the credits. Submitted by gracep, 1/22/2011.
Sightings / Uncredited Actors: The only familiar face in the courtroom gallery today is that of Little Old Lady #1. However, early on we catch a glimpse of Bert Stevens as he exits the bookstore and nearly runs into Prof. Hewes in process! Submitted by gracep, 1/22/2011.
+ Little Old Lady #2 also appears in this episode, in a hat that makes her almost unrecognizable.
Submitted by gracep, 1/25/2011.
+ Bert Stevens also reemerges at the Hotel Culver City. Wearing the same wide-brimmed hat as before, he walks (with an escort) behind Della. Submitted by gracenote, 7/24/2011.
In the back row of the gallery is the fellow who looks a lot like Leonard Nimoy. Check the notes on #166, “Shoplifter’s Shoe”. DOD 01/06/21
Character Names: Sally Sheldon’s maiden name is Lawrence, and Prof. Hewes’ first name is Ronald. Submitted by gracep, 1/22/2011.
“Only the names have been changed, to protect the innocent.” So says Sally Sheldon to the pretentious professor. The line entered the popular lexicon many years earlier in the radio and TV program Dragnet, which proclaimed in the opening theme that every story was true. Submitted by gracenote, 7/24/2011.
NO CAST CARS. Only Background Cars appear in this episode. Professor Hewes walks home right after Sally Sheldon asks him where he got "such a silly nickname". As he passes the front of his neighbour's house (Mrs. Williamson's) we see:
- (a) a medium color 1951 Ford Sedan parked on the street (It looks like Ford transplanted the '51's twin grill bullets to the '55 TBird!) and
- (b) a black 1962 Cadillac Coupe De Ville parked in what appears to be Mrs. Williamson's driveway. Factory price was $5385; Perry's '62 Galaxie 500 Sunliner only cost $2924.
In the Location Shot outside the Culver City Hotel (see Eric Cooper's "Location" entry above):
- (c) a medium color, 2-door 1941 Chevrolet Coupe makes a Left Turn from Screen Right and passes in front of the camera to Screen Left,
- (d) an all-white 1955 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, top up, is parked at Screen Left (only rear half seen),
- (e) a 1951 or 1952 Plymouth 2-Door Sedan crosses the intersection from Right to Left,
- (f) a medium color 1952 Cadillac Series 62 4-Door Sedan proceeds beside Car(e) and
- (g) a medium color Renault Dauphine (sold in US 1957-67) stops across the street.
From the Bottom Left Corner of Eric Cooper's (cropped) screenshot, going across the bottom edge to the Right are: a bit of the top of the white Caddy convertible, Car(d); roof of the old Chevy, Car(c); Car(f) and; Car(e). Car(g) is hidden behind the old Chevy. Added by Gary Woloski, 8/1/13.
Don Dubbins' character, Ned Bertell, says on the witness stand, "I refuse to answer on the grounds the answer might incriminate me." In episode 121, TCOT Duplicate Daughter, his character said "I refuse to answer" repeatedly on the witness stand. Submitted by 65tosspowertrap, 11/9/2013.
Della's impersonation: Miss Street registered at a hotel as Sally Sheldon and left some items in the room to make it look like somebody was staying there. Submitted by H. Mason 1/14/15
Telephone Number: The number Hollywood 2-0799 to Ronald Hewe's house was used in episode 76 for Doris Petrie, in episode 99 for Lucy Stevens and in episode 107 for the Henderson house. That number has one digit different from Della's number given in episode 8 (Hollywood 2-1799). Submitted by H. Mason 1/14/15
Wacky Waistcoat: Once again the tattersall vest makes an appearance on a character of some sophistication. Did men really wear those things, or was it a Hollywood symbol of some sort? And did the costume people have several vests of different sizes, or was there just one with elastic in the back? JohnK, 23 October, 2015
This is the first of two PM appearances for Joyce Van Patten, who was not only a member of the well known acting family, but was also married for five years to Martin Balsam...MikeM. 11/22/2016
+ One of the members of that well-known family - her half-brother Timothy - by a small coincidence will direct (yet another) revival of Perry Mason this year...it liveth still! Notcom, 050620.
This is the second of two appearances for Kent Smith who also had major roles in movies The Spiral Staircase (1946), Magic Town (1947) , Nora Prentiss (1947), My Foolish Heart (1949) and The Fountainhead (1949), opposite female stars such as Dorothy McGuire, Jane Wyman, Ann Sheridan, Susan Hayward and Patricia Neal. jfh 28Feb2017
+ Let us not forget one of the most memorable of horror films, “Cat People”.
++ and, since you mentioned it, let us not forget The Curse Of The Cat People. Love me some Kent Smith! jfh Cinco de Mayo 2020.
This is the third of three PM appearances for Patricia Breslin, who had ties to Cleveland and Baltimore due to her marriage to NFL team owner Art Modell...MikeM. 2/28/2017
This is the second of two PM appearances for Jack Searl, who had some success as a child actor. After serving in the US Army during World War II, he had some movie roles in the late 1940s, but apparently stopped performing in the 1950s. In the 1960s he appeared on numerous television shows, but rarely more than once or twice on any series. He apparently stopped performing on television in 1969 and passed in 1991...MikeM. 3/20/2018
Grad Student?? Don Dubbins was 34 when this was filmed, and while it certainly isn't impossible for someone that age to be in college, it does seem to be pushing it (it should be noted that within a few years he would be cast in PM in a recurring role as an Asst DA). Presumably his boyish looks impressed the producers. Notcom, 032118.
+ During his testimony, he says he was a graduate student who had taken the class before — judgebob1, 01/09/2021
It's for you, Mr. Mason: as usual, everybody knows where Perry is ... Submited by catyron, May 5th, 2018
+ It's usually Paul or Della for the most part. ;-) Submitted by HamBurger Jul. 7, 2019
++ In the days before cell phones, it was customary for lawyers and businessmen to leave information with their secretaries about where they would be when out of the office during business hours, including the phone number if it wasn't a regular haunt, so they could be contacted if necessary or important. Paul could easily have gotten the number from Della. OLEF641 3/19/21
Recycled Bookstore: The interior, neon signs (Travel, Art) are very similar to those in Kraft's Bookstore, seen in The Case of The Bogus Books. Even the Special at $2.50 matches the one seen in that episode. Chief Kurtz 12/13/2021