I know this is old news but I have only just gotten around to watching this episode. My interest has been peaked due to the fact that it was shown on television on the 28th July 1968. Just 3 days before the Z408 and a week before the “Zodiac Unveiled” letter. A numbers of things which some have been previously mentioned stuck out:-
1. The use of a flashlight taped to a gun and the almost identical description of its use.
2. The underlying theme being the collecting of dead objects and the actually hunting of them to add to the collection.
3. The use of the phrase “The Most dangerous game”.
4. The prominence of a Skelton, use of doomed and the protagonist shooting a victim in the eye all brought to mind the Halloween card (Specifically the FBI version with the strange mark on the left eye which mirrors this story.
5. The use of the phrase “Well it’s about time” (Riverside confession).
6. Hitchcock’s colloquialism’s, although not apparent in this episode, of using the word “Shall” and “This is Alfred Hitchcock speaking”.
7. Multiple knife references.
8. An attorney being one of the main characters throughout.
9. .22 Caliber weapon used
Anybody who want’s to watch the episode can do so with the below :-
That pic of Mel Belli and Elmer is from 1964.
Very interesting. It wouldn’t be the first time or the last time someone was influenced by the media.
Reminded me of a Perry Mason I watched recently. Cannot remember the name of the episode but
I do remember distinctly that saliva could be taken off a cigarette and tested for blood type. I believe
in this show the suspect had thrown his cigarette beneath a couch and the detectives made a big todo
about getting the blood type off of it. I could be a little off on this but this was the gist.
Perry Mason ended before the the Zodiac saga began. Not that I necessarily think that Zodiac
saw this show but the point is it was general knowledge that saliva would yield blood type.
And maybe this was why he did not lick his stamps. Not because he was necessarily close to
law enforcement or on the cutting edge of future dna breakthroughs. He just didn’t want to leave
his blood type.
