This episode marks the last live-action television acting role by Penny Singleton, who has been acting in film since 1930, and on television since 1950, and continued in voice-over animation for several years to follow.
Cesare Danova, acting since 1945, and Hank Rolike, acting since 1973, have also unfortunately since passed.
After Calhoun "Cal" Fletcher (Peter Bonerz) relocates to New Orleans, Louisiana, he faithfully corresponds with his Aunt Mildred (Penny Singleton), who remains alone with her pet terrier in her comfortable surroundings, but one day realizes that she hasn't heard from Cal in some three or four months.
Aunt Mildred, therefore, notifies Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to report her fears that Calhoun may be in some sort of danger. After explaining his relationship as a cousin to Jessica's late husband, Frank, Mildred requests that Jessica swing around to New Orleans to check in on Calhoun during her forthcoming book tour to Houston.
Jesssica arrives in New Orleans amid the hustle and bustle of its celebration of its last evening Mardi Gras Week, or "Fat Tuesday," as costumed revelers fill the streets and halls, as well as hotels at which no reservations are available for her to stay. And so, with the able assistance of Taxi Driver (Hank Rolike), who guides her around the city, she locates the address of a club known as Lafitte Mansion, at which Cal reportedly celebrates the festivities.
Johnny Blaze (George DiCenzo) operates the club given as Calhoun Fletcher's address although he rents a small apartment nearby, which Jessica initially doesn't learn about, as she sorts through costumers, some amicable, some distant, who ignore her requests to point out her cousin-in-law, who is said to be disguised at Cyrano de Bergerac, with the cap, cape and pale mask sporting a protruding proboscis.
Before spotting any such Cyrano de Bergerac, Jessica meets partiers, such as a Costumed Harem Dancer, a Madame Dracula, a Napoleon, a Sir Walter Raleigh, a Roman Catholic Cardinal and a Lady MacBeth, the latter of whom, Rosaline Gardner (Barbara Babcock) sneaks into a drawing room office, and returns passing Jessica, without speaking to her.
After spotting a Cyrano de Bergerac, she call for his attention amid the commotion of the evening, but he ignores her, draws a sword, and enters the office drawing room, as others often begin to notice once the pings of a sword fight escalate from within.
But once the room is unlocked, Jessica enters with a few of the others, to discover a body lying upon its floor, an open window, and no sign of Cyrano de Bergerac.
NOPD Lieutenant Edmund Cavette (Cesare Danova) and NOPD Sergeant Baxter (Morgan Jones) are assigned to the case, as they try to track down Calhoun Fletcher as primary suspect. Lieutenant Cavette's son had previously been murdered by someone obviously associated with this outfit at Lafitte Mansion, which turns out to be a secret gambling operation, and so he is bent upon finding any killers.
Jessica manages to track down Calhoun at his humble apartment by morning light, as he attempts to recover from a hangover and denies staying at the party by the time of Jessica's arrival. She believes him but informs him that he must speak to the police, which proves unfortunate for Calhoun, as Lieutenant Cavette considers him the prime suspect, based upon the testimony of witnesses who report that Cal, as Cyrano, has done it.
Kitty Manette (Lisa Langlois), the fiancée of Calhoun Fletcher, had been in attendance at the party, but offers conflicting testimony, as she has been unfaithful with him, by running around with gambler Gilbert Gaston (Robert Forster), who helps to operate the club.
Attorney Mitch Payne (David Hedison), who has secret dealings with the gambling operation and has previously won a court case to acquit Johnny Blaze of charges in the murder of Eric Cavette, agrees to defend Calhoun Fletcher in similar fashion, or at least to work with Jessica in the process of posting bail.
Jessica tracks down Rosaline Gardner and her husband, Congressman Brad Gardner (Granville Van Dusen), who's up for re-election and has been involved in the gambling operation, a fact which could damage his chances in the polls. She initially denies entering the locked room on the night of the murder, but eventually reveals that she has done so in order to attempt to purchase Brad's gambling IOU's.
Jessica then tries to tie together all of the conflicting testimony to prove Calhoun's innocence, by snooping around the gambling house for additional clues, before gathering the suspects to stage a final showdown for the costumed Cyrano de Bergerac, who has made the hapless Calhoun Fletcher "The Perfect Foil."
The cast is rounded out by Wendy Oates as Costumed Madame Dracula, Raf Mauro as Costumed Napoleon, Guerin Barry as Costumed Sir Walter Raleigh, Richard Brose as Headsman, Sherry McFarland as Receptionist, and Joe Ross as Desk Clerk.
Cesare Danova, acting since 1945, and Hank Rolike, acting since 1973, have also unfortunately since passed.
After Calhoun "Cal" Fletcher (Peter Bonerz) relocates to New Orleans, Louisiana, he faithfully corresponds with his Aunt Mildred (Penny Singleton), who remains alone with her pet terrier in her comfortable surroundings, but one day realizes that she hasn't heard from Cal in some three or four months.
Aunt Mildred, therefore, notifies Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to report her fears that Calhoun may be in some sort of danger. After explaining his relationship as a cousin to Jessica's late husband, Frank, Mildred requests that Jessica swing around to New Orleans to check in on Calhoun during her forthcoming book tour to Houston.
Jesssica arrives in New Orleans amid the hustle and bustle of its celebration of its last evening Mardi Gras Week, or "Fat Tuesday," as costumed revelers fill the streets and halls, as well as hotels at which no reservations are available for her to stay. And so, with the able assistance of Taxi Driver (Hank Rolike), who guides her around the city, she locates the address of a club known as Lafitte Mansion, at which Cal reportedly celebrates the festivities.
Johnny Blaze (George DiCenzo) operates the club given as Calhoun Fletcher's address although he rents a small apartment nearby, which Jessica initially doesn't learn about, as she sorts through costumers, some amicable, some distant, who ignore her requests to point out her cousin-in-law, who is said to be disguised at Cyrano de Bergerac, with the cap, cape and pale mask sporting a protruding proboscis.
Before spotting any such Cyrano de Bergerac, Jessica meets partiers, such as a Costumed Harem Dancer, a Madame Dracula, a Napoleon, a Sir Walter Raleigh, a Roman Catholic Cardinal and a Lady MacBeth, the latter of whom, Rosaline Gardner (Barbara Babcock) sneaks into a drawing room office, and returns passing Jessica, without speaking to her.
After spotting a Cyrano de Bergerac, she call for his attention amid the commotion of the evening, but he ignores her, draws a sword, and enters the office drawing room, as others often begin to notice once the pings of a sword fight escalate from within.
But once the room is unlocked, Jessica enters with a few of the others, to discover a body lying upon its floor, an open window, and no sign of Cyrano de Bergerac.
NOPD Lieutenant Edmund Cavette (Cesare Danova) and NOPD Sergeant Baxter (Morgan Jones) are assigned to the case, as they try to track down Calhoun Fletcher as primary suspect. Lieutenant Cavette's son had previously been murdered by someone obviously associated with this outfit at Lafitte Mansion, which turns out to be a secret gambling operation, and so he is bent upon finding any killers.
Jessica manages to track down Calhoun at his humble apartment by morning light, as he attempts to recover from a hangover and denies staying at the party by the time of Jessica's arrival. She believes him but informs him that he must speak to the police, which proves unfortunate for Calhoun, as Lieutenant Cavette considers him the prime suspect, based upon the testimony of witnesses who report that Cal, as Cyrano, has done it.
Kitty Manette (Lisa Langlois), the fiancée of Calhoun Fletcher, had been in attendance at the party, but offers conflicting testimony, as she has been unfaithful with him, by running around with gambler Gilbert Gaston (Robert Forster), who helps to operate the club.
Attorney Mitch Payne (David Hedison), who has secret dealings with the gambling operation and has previously won a court case to acquit Johnny Blaze of charges in the murder of Eric Cavette, agrees to defend Calhoun Fletcher in similar fashion, or at least to work with Jessica in the process of posting bail.
Jessica tracks down Rosaline Gardner and her husband, Congressman Brad Gardner (Granville Van Dusen), who's up for re-election and has been involved in the gambling operation, a fact which could damage his chances in the polls. She initially denies entering the locked room on the night of the murder, but eventually reveals that she has done so in order to attempt to purchase Brad's gambling IOU's.
Jessica then tries to tie together all of the conflicting testimony to prove Calhoun's innocence, by snooping around the gambling house for additional clues, before gathering the suspects to stage a final showdown for the costumed Cyrano de Bergerac, who has made the hapless Calhoun Fletcher "The Perfect Foil."
The cast is rounded out by Wendy Oates as Costumed Madame Dracula, Raf Mauro as Costumed Napoleon, Guerin Barry as Costumed Sir Walter Raleigh, Richard Brose as Headsman, Sherry McFarland as Receptionist, and Joe Ross as Desk Clerk.