Roddy McDowall guest stars in this episode as a failed child actor, desperately attempting to revive his career. He tours the country with a group of players who call themselves 'the impromptus'.
During this episode, one cast member mysteriously dies and Ironside tries to solve the case.
In the middle of the investigation, McDowall's character "Jamie" is questioned by Fran in his apartment.
She is sifting through a box of photographs and commenting on how many he has.
Jamie makes a comment about how the pictures are all of him from age 6 to 16 "That's when I outgrew the movies; oh, so my agent said."
This is a slightly truthful line, as McDowall's own agent did in fact tell him when he was 17 years old that he had outgrown the movies and would have to search for something else to do as he was no longer "cute enough" to be a success.
This seriously frustrated McDowall and he set out to prove his agent wrong. He succeeded in the 1960s, when his career in movies skyrocketted after his role in Octavian in Cleopatra (1963). His career then remained a highly successful one until the end of his life in 1998.
The statement "Jamie" makes in this scene about the pictures all being of him from ages 6 to 16 are also true. In a later close up shot in this scene you can clearly see that the photographs on the mantle are indeed of a very young to adolescent Roddy McDowall. Many are promotional stills from films like "Thunderhead: Son of Flicka"; "Lassie, Come Home" and "How Green Was My Valley". Others are professional head shots of the youth from between films.
This seriously frustrated McDowall and he set out to prove his agent wrong. He succeeded in the 1960s, when his career in movies skyrocketted after his role in Octavian in Cleopatra (1963). His career then remained a highly successful one until the end of his life in 1998.
The statement "Jamie" makes in this scene about the pictures all being of him from ages 6 to 16 are also true. In a later close up shot in this scene you can clearly see that the photographs on the mantle are indeed of a very young to adolescent Roddy McDowall. Many are promotional stills from films like "Thunderhead: Son of Flicka"; "Lassie, Come Home" and "How Green Was My Valley". Others are professional head shots of the youth from between films.
When the character played by Barbara Hale asks Ironside (Raymond Burr) if he has found any leads in the murder, he answers, "That's privileged information", so he can't share it with her. They share a knowing look and smile, reminding us of her role as Perry Mason's confidential secretary. She then tries to offer him money for their date the previous evening; on Perry Mason, he always paid for everything.
When the character Myra St. John (Anne Archer) asks Ed Brown (Don Galloway) his date of birth, Ed replies July 27th. This is Don Galloway's real date of birth.
Guest star Barbara Hale appeared in the role of faithful private secretary Della Street in Raymond Burr's series Perry Mason (1957).
Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale went on to appear together in 26 Perry Mason movies, from 1985-1993, the year that Raymond Burr passed away. When first approached about making the first movie, he refused unless Hale also agreed to appear.
In the first movie, "Perry Mason Returns", Perry turns down a Judgeship to defend his beloved former secretary Della against a charge of murder.
As William Hopper, who played private investigator Paul Drake in the original Perry Mason TV series had passed away, Hale's real life son, William Katt, played Paul Drake Jr. Katt is also known as the star of the TV series, "The Greatest American Hero", (1981-1983).