Raymond Burr died shortly after this movie was aired, and a poignant tribute to his body of work was aired on NBC, hosted by a grieving Barbara Hale and supportive Bill Cosby.
At the end of the movie Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) and Della Street (Barbara Hale) share the first on screen kiss between the two characters. Perry Mason's line is "I've waited a long time for this." He is supposedly referring to a cup of hot cocoa which Della has made for him and which he says he hasn't had since he was a boy.
Raymond Burr made a rare live appearance with Fred Roggin and Fritz Coleman on their regular evening broadcast on KNBC Channel 4 when "Telltale" aired. His pointed humor enlivened what could have been a standard promotional appearance.
"Fred Fisher" and "Fritz" are real-life newscasters on the NBC affiliate in Los Angeles. Fred Roggin is an Emmy-award winning sportscaster and Fritz Coleman is a long-time weatherman and comedian who has had several one-man shows in the LA area.
Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, who is not credited by the Writers Guild of America for this teleplay.