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Back to Show 75 | Summary | Credits | Trivia | Comments

The famous and award-winning Jerry Goldsmith “composed and conducted” music for this episode. Submitted by Wilson Maffetano, 7/22/2003.

An instrumental version of the song playing in the murder room and heard elsewhere in this episode is used as background music for the pool scene in #18, TCOT Cautious Coquette. Submitted by Charles Richmond, 3/4/2005.
+ It can't be a coincidence that in an episode very much dependent on jazz music one of the characters is Tad Dameron, undoubtedly named after jazz pianist and composer Tadd Dameron. Submitted by BobH, 14 July 2016.

Basil Ruysdael makes his only appearance on Perry Mason as the patriarch of the Dameron clan. Old-time radio fans better remember Basil Ruysdael as the announcer who was forever singing out “L/S/M/F/T” on The Jack Benny Program. Submitted by PaulDrake33, 23 June 2008.
+ This was, I believe, the earliest born actor to appear on PM? There were a number born in the early 1880's but he seems to be the only born in the 1870's. Notcom 022224.

Vanessa Brown makes her only appearance on Perry Mason in this episode. Vanessa Brown used her birth name of Smylia Brind when she frequently appeared on the radio show The Quiz Kids in the 1940s. Smylia reportedly had an IQ of 165. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 15 August 2008.

I know everyone will say the unnamed policeman who testifies during Paul’s trial has a really familiar face. That is James Callahan, who for 73 episodes in the late 80s played Walter Powell, the father on Charles In Charge. Submitted by PaulDrake 33, 19 August 2009
+ Actually, he is named. The "2nd Policeman" walks past Drake and the "1st Policeman" to the dead body and remarks to the 1st Policeman, "Better watch him, Harry." Later, on the stand, Mason refers to him as Officer Wilson. So his name was "Officer Harry Wilson." Much earlier than Charles in Charge, James Callahan appeared for two seasons on the sitcom The Governor & J.J., which premiered in 1969 and co-starred Julie Sommars ("The Case of the Careless Kitten" and the Perry Mason-inspired Matlock) and Nora Marlowe ("The Case of the Fatal Fortune"). Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 6/02/13.

Location: The house that Paul visits to see Mrs. Colin appears to be the same one that Tragg visits in #97. It’s located at 812 N. Las Palmas Avenue. Picture here. Submitted by daveb, 4/2/10.

Perry cites a case “…decision of the Supreme Court of the state of Colorado reported in 339 Pacific Second page 993…” regarding the dermal nitrate test not being reliable. This appears to be legitimate, but I was not able track down that exact source. This legal talk is a bit obscure. Submitted by daveb, 5/23/2010.
+ Actually, this case is still being cited. An example here is from PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. WIDHALM, Defendant-Appellant. No.97CA1077, decided February 18, 1999 which quotes: “As a general rule, when an appeal has been perfected, the trial court is divested of jurisdiction to issue any further orders in the case. BROOKE V. PEOPLE, 139 Colo. 388, 339 P.2d 993 (1959).” Submitted by Crimson Lips, 16 August 2011.

Sightings: The first three subjects on the Who Is That? page can be seen lurking about in the courtroom gallery. [At the time of posting this referred to Little Old Lady #1, Distinguished Gentleman #1, and Quiet Old Man (#1).] Submitted by daveb, 9/10/10. Updated by gracenote, 9/4/2011.
+ Yes indeed, and the Little Old Lady, in particular, at one point sits between Charles Dameron and Donna Kress. Submitted by gracep, 9/12/2010.
++ Blue Collar Guy appears as Mr. Colin, the hit-and-run victim. Submitted by alan_sings 26 Sep 10.
+++ “Miss Carmody” is seated behind the Dameron family during courtroom closeups. Late in the episode, she can also be seen immediately behind Burger when he stands to raise an objection. Submitted by alan_sings, 3 Oct 2010.
++++ Also in the courtroom gallery are Distinguished Lady #2 and Little Old Lady #2, and later Distinguished Gentleman #2. Submitted by gracenote, 9/4/2011.

This episode features a rare glimpse into Paul Drake’s office. Submitted by gracep, 9/12/2010.
+ Yes, it also appeared in "Nervous Accomplice," "Barefaced Witness" & "Lonely Heiress" (see Summary). Mike Bedard 7.13.18.

CARS. (1) Thatcher's black 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV 4-Door HardTop Lic RJY 937.

Background Cars. Across the street from Mrs Cullen's house when Paul parks there, there are:

  • (a) a light-color 1948 Buick Special Sedanette (2-door) and
  • (b) a black '59 Ford that looks identical to Perry's Skyliner (top up): not Perry's; he's not there.

Added by Gary Woloski, 8/7/12.

When Mason asks Anders how many times he's been married and he replies "Four times" we see William Talman smiling, almost laughing in the background. Whether this was meant to be seen on screen is unknown. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 6/02/13.
+ Burger was laughing, along with everyone else in the courtroom, because prior to admitting to four marriages, Anders had stated he prided himself on "getting along with everybody." Submitted by francis, 7/31/14.
++ IMHO Burger would not have found it amusing that his own witness was being discredited. jfh 20Jul2017.

Why does Della sneak down the stairs of the apartment building? At this point she wants to be seen as having been upstairs without Anders' knowledge. By the time Anders sees her she almost could have just entered the building and was making her way up the stairs and turned around. Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 6/02/13.

If you watch carefully, he looks at the stairs while he's showing Perry his 'rear-vision mirror'. So he knows Della wasn't already there. She was waiting for a vocal cue from Perry before coming all the way down. He knew she had just called him; HE recognized her name, and knew she didn't just come walking in. So, she obviously hadn't just turned around, & HAD to have called him from upstairs - maybe there's not even another phone nearby for her to have been able to come back that quickly from. Besides, Perry wasn't gonna use this as evidence, it was just to extract a confession from Marsden. So it only mattered that HE knew the truth. Submitted by Arisia, 2/22/18.
> The point is why is she sneaking?: given that the whole point is to make her presence known to the desk clerk, she should make her appearance as obvious as possible. Notcom 022224.

The Case of the Changing Headlines: Outside the apartment building the paper boy proclaims "Private Eye on Trial!" which we would assume is the headline, but the two-line headline reads "Wife Indicted for Husband's Murder." The copy he sells Anders has a one-line headline reading "Brewster...Bail." After Anders returns to the inside of the building, the one-line headline now reads "...Murdered." Submitted by Wiseguy70005, 6/02/13.
+ The same thing happens in the next episode #76 TCOT Golden Fraud. In several episodes old papers were reused. The first one in this story (Wife) came from episode 23 TCOT One-eyed Witness. The second (Brewster) originally appeared in episode 49 TCOT Fancy Figures. The third (Murdered) was in episode 24 TCOT Deadly Double. Added by H. Mason 9/28/14

Record Player Anomaly:
During the discovery of the body, there is a scene which shows a record player where the record on the turntable is playing in a continuous mode (the record keeps playing over and over again). It is shown with the record balancing arm down and near the spindle. This is not what I ever remember. In my youth, for a record player/changer to be in continuous mode the balancing arm needed to be lifted and to the far right. Submitted by HamBurger, 07/19/2014

Ballistics: Actor Norman Leavitt returned as the ballistics expert. He appeared in episodes 1 and 3. In episode 3 TCOT Nervous Accomplice he was given the name Alexander Redfield and was embarrassed by Perry. Perhaps during his 72 episode absence he was sent away for more training or just kept away from Perry Mason cases. (Note: he was mentioned in episode 27 TCOT Desperate Daughter). Submitted by H. Mason 10/24/14

Paul's Suite: The establishing shot PAUL DRAKE DETECTIVE AGENCY was used for the first time. It was different and more accurate than the one used in episode 20 TCOT Lonely Heiress. Submitted by H. Mason 10/24/14

Perry interviews Paul at Tragg's office. The sign on the door window, seen in reverse in the background, reads "Lt. Arthur Tragg, Homicide."...MikeM. 7/14/2016

Another appearance of Hamilton Burger's hideous spotted bow tie. jfh 01Aug2018.

This is the first of three PM appearances for Bruce Gordon, who played gangster Frank Nitti on The Untouchables...MikeM. 10/20/2016

This is the fifth of five PM writing credits for Al C. Ward. The first four were for teleplays. This episode was for story...MikeM. 7/20/2017

Weregild - $25,000 in 2022 money equals just under $250k. BTW, 'weregild' is Old English for “man payment”, the amount of compensation paid under law to the family of the deceased by the person committing the offense which caused the death. The purpose was to forestall revenge killings, which could evolve into long running feuds like the infamous "Hatfields and McCoys". OLEF641 2/25/22

Syndication Notes: This episode is missing from Paramount + Plus along with all of Season 9. Submitted by HamBurger, 1/22/2023

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