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Perry Mason

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One of TV's most successful and best-loved dramatic series--not to mention one of the few black-and-white, hour-long series to flourish in syndication well into the 21st century--Perry Mason was the brainchild of lawyer-novelist Erle Stanley Gardner, who introduced the character of defense attorney Perry Mason in 1933. Though not all of Perry's literary appearances involved murder, all were mystery-oriented, and all were built around the premise of a brilliant, methodical lawyer with sharply-honed deductive and observational skills, who never lost a case. The weekly TV version of the property made its CBS debut on September 21, 1957. It was a rare instance of a "perfect" ensemble cast, headed by Raymond Burr, heretofore typed as a movie villain, as Mason (Legend has it that Burr originally read for the role of Perry's perennial adversary, prosecutor Hamilton Burger, but Erle Stanley Gardner took one look at the burly, velvet-voice actor and declared "That's Mason!") Barbara Hale was Perry's ultraloyal, ultraefficient secretary Della Street; William Hopper (son of Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper) was Perry's associate, private detective Paul Drake; Ray Collins was the irascible Lt. Tragg until his retirement in 1964 (he died one year later); and William Talman, who like Burr was typecast in heavy roles, was eternally luckless prosecuting attorney Hamilton Burger. After Collins left the series, the official police were represented by Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson and Richard Anderson as Lt. Drumm. With few exceptions, Perry Mason adhered to a rigid, virtually inviolate formula throughout its nine-season run. The murder victim was a nasty, disreputable sort who, in the words of Sam White--who for several years coproduced the series with former actress Gail Patrick Jackson)--"needed killing." The accused murderer, invariably a client of Perry Mason, was entirely innocent despite a preponderance of circumstantial and material evidence. With the assistant of Della and Paul, and despite the resistance of Lt. Tragg (who never could be convinced that Mason was anything less than ethical), Perry would piece together the clues and draw up a list of potential perpetrators, many of them witnesses for the prosecution. During the climactic courtroom sequence, Mason would call forth one of the witnesses (or sometimes even a mere courtroom spectator), and through intense cross-examination would prove that the person in question was the guilty party--whereupon said party would break down and confess on the spot! The result: Mason emerged victorious yet again, and Hamilton Burger glowered in defeat. (Only on three occasions did Perry lose a case on TV, and only one of those was a murder case--but in each instance he rallied to prove his client's innocence beyond question). Yes, it was a formula. . .but an extremely solid and durable one. Prior to the TV version of Perry Mason, Warner Bros. produced six medium-budget "Perry Mason" films of wildly variable quality between 1934 and 1936, with three different actors--Warren William, Ricardo Cortez, Donald Woods--essaying the title character. A "Perry Mason" radio series, introduced in the 1940s, ultimately evolved into the long-running soap opera The Edge of Night. Seven years after the cancellation of the Perry Mason TV series in September of 1966, the property was revived, with an entirely different cast headed by Monte Markham as The New Perry Mason, which proved to be one of the biggest disasters of the 1973-74 season. Far more successful were the occasional "Perry Mason" TV movies produced by Fred Silverman and Dean Hargrove (the same team responsible for Matlock) between 1985 and 1993, with Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale reprising their original roles, and with occasional contributions by Ms. Hale's real-life son William Katt as Paul Drake Jr. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Episodes

Perry Mason: Season 01 (1957)
Here's one for the "Trivial Pursuit" crowd: What was the title of the first episode of Perry Mason, and who was Mason's first client? The answer: "The Case of the Restless Redhead", based on Erle Stanley Gardner's 1954 novel of the same name; and Evelyn Bagby, played by Whitney Blake, the mother of Meredith Baxter and later cocreator of the sitcom One Day at a Time. Needless to say, Evelyn is innocent of the murder charge--and of course, defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) proves his client's innocence by exposing the actual miscreant in the middle of the trial, to the bewilderment of hapless prosecutor Hamilton Burger (William Talman). In addition to Burr and Talman, all the familiar Mason regulars are on hand from the beginning: loyal secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale), private detective Paul Drake (played along more rough-hewn lines than in later episodes by William Hopper) and phlegmatic police lieutenant Arthur Tragg (Ray Collins). Also making their earliest appearances this season are semi-regulars George E. Stone as the ubiquitous court clerk (he would make 45 appearances in all, more than any other actor, but seldom had a line to speak), Connie Cezon as Perry's receptionist Gertie, and Morris Ankrum and Kenneth MacDonald playing the first of their many nameless judges. Among the noteworthy guest performers this season are Angie Dickinson in "The Case of the One-Eyed Witness"; Fay Wray (King Kong) in "The Case of the Prodigal Parent", Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie) in "The Case of the Angry Mourner"; Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show in "The Case of the Crimson Kiss", Werner Klemperer (Col. Klink on "Hogan's Heroes" in "The Case of the Desperate Daughter"; and, in "The Case of the Lazy Lover", Neil Hamilton and Yvonne Craig, cast as father and daughter long before their similar roles on Batman. Finally, Season One yields one of the few times that Perry Mason loses in court, in "The Case of the Terrified Typist"...but fear not, he ultimately triumphs on a technicality. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: Season 02 (1958)
Despite a less than spectacular showing during its first season, the marathon courtroom series Perry Mason quickly built up an enthuastic following, and by Season Two the series was ranked 19th in TV's "Top 25", just one notch below the western Cheyenne. Joining stars Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William Hopper, Ray Collins and William Talman this season is an impressive guest lineup. Edgar Buchanan (Petticoat Junction) and Joe Kearns ("Mr. Wilson" on Dennis the Menace are seen in "The Case of the Perjured Parrot", with the voice of Mel Blanc as the title character. Future Happy Days mom Marion Ross is Perry's client in "The Case of the Romantic Rogue". Singer Frankie Laine and jazz great Bobby Troup figure prominently in "The Case of the Jaded Joker". Longtime movie favorite Ann Rutherford (one of Scarlett O'Hara's sisters in Gone with the Wind) is in "The Case of the Howling Dog"; and the ubiquitous Tom Browne Henry, who'd once been Raymond Burr's teacher at the Pasadnea Playhouse, shows up in "The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom". Finally, real-life jockey (and TV quiz show winner) Billy Pearson essays the title role in "The Case of the Jilted Jockey". Perry Mason's prestige received an enormous boost this season when both Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale received Emmy awards for their work. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: Season 03 (1959)
By the time Perry Mason rolled into its third season in the fall of 1959, the series was the 10th most popular program in America, and the uncontested leader in its Saturday night timeslot--despite formidable competition from the upstart NBC western Bonanza. Ironically, Perry Mason would ultimately wither on the vine in its ninth season when once again CBS moved it opposite the by-now extremely profitable Bonanza, but that was still several years in the future. Ratings and popularity, aside, the series' star Raymond Burr and his costars Barbara Hale, William Hopper and Ray Collins had ample reason for complaint this season, thanks to a corporate decision by parent network CBS. In March of 1960, William Talman, who played defense attorney Mason's friendly adversary, prosecutor Hamilton Burger, was hauled into jail for throwing a wild party (marijuana may or may not have been involved). Though Talman was never charged with anything, the network invoked the "morals clause" in his contract and fired him on the spot. Only the combined protests of the cast members--led by Burr, who threatened to quit the show if Talman wasn't reinstated--and tons of supportive fan mail compelled CBS to reverse its decision in December of 1960. By this time, however, Talman had missed several episodes (most of which were seen in the series' fourth season). March 1960 Talman had his wild party. Fay Wray murdered in "The Case of the Watery Witness", "The Case of the Lucky Legs", in "The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor", Burger asks Mason's help to clear an old friend on a murder charge. Otherwise, things moved smoothly on the series, with Perry Mason consistently proving the innocence of his clients and and exposing the real murderer on a weekly basis. Also, as in previous years, Season Three had its share of noteworthy guest performers, ranging from old-timer Francis X. Bushman to comparative youngsters Barbara Bain, Bert Convy and future Oscar winner Louise Fletcher. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: Season 04 (1960)
Several of the episodes in Perry Mason's fourth season did without the services of costar William Talman (aka luckless prosecutor Hamilton Burger), who as a result of a wild and highly publicized party at his home was fired from the series by CBS. Raymond Burr, who of course headed the cast as defense attorney Perry Mason, rallied his coworkers Barbara Hale, William Hopper and Ray Collins, demanded that Talman be reinstated, threatening to quit the show himself unless CBS reversed its decision. Ultimately of course, Talman was rehired, but not before such guest actors as Walter Burke and Paul Fix filled the gap by portraying various one-shot prosecutors. Outside of these backstage intrigues, Season Four was distinguished by a wealth of familiar faces in the supporting-player category, beginning with a young Robert Redford in the season opener "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee" and including in later episodes such future Oscar winners as Louise Fletcher and James Coburn. Also seen were quite a few TV-series stalwarts, including Sue Randall (Miss Landers on Leave It to Beaver), Connie Hines (Carol Post on Mister Ed), John Banner (Sgt. Schultz on Hogan's Heroes), Adam West (Batman himself) and Gavin McLeod (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mister Ed). Despite a shaky start, the season ended on a high note, with Raymond Burr winning his second Emmy Award. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: Season 05 (1961)
Season Five of Perry Mason marked the series' last stand in its traditional Saturday-night timeslot. Though ratings were quite good (the series ended the season in the Top Five), the CBS executives thought that the show would be more valuable on Thursdays, where the network had been floundering--so Thursdays it was, beginning with Season 6. Raymond Burr of course is still in harness as the fabulously successful defense attorney Perry Mason, with Barbara Haleas secretary Della Street, William Hopper as Paul Drake and William Talman (now fully reinstated after the unpleasantness of Season 3, during which the actor had been briefly fired because of his off-camera shenanigans) as prosecutor Hamilton Burger. Ray Collins is also on hand as irascible Lt. Trag, though illness had forced the veteran actor to curtail his appearances. The guest star roster this season includes Denver Pyle in the opener, "The Case of the Jealous Journalist"; Burt Reynolds in "The Case of the Counterfeit Crank", James Coburn in "The Case of the Angry Astronaut; future TV icons Alan Hale Jr. (Gilligan's Island) and DeForest Kelley (Star Trek) in "The Case of the Unwelcome Bride"; and James Drury, one year removed from his ascent to stardom as The Virginian, in "The Case of the Missing Melody". Significant to the overall Perry Mason saga is the presence of Bill Williams, real-life husband of series regular Barbara Hale, as the defendant in "The Case of the Crippled Cougar"; and Wesley Lau, who later joined the cast as Lt. Anderson, in a markedly different role in "The Case of the Impatient Partner". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: Season 06 (1962)
As a move to bolster up CBS' sagging Thursday-night schedule, the network's evergreen legal drama Perry Mason was moved from its traditional Saturday night slot in the fall of 1962, going head-to-head with ABC's popular sitcom lineup and the NBC hit Doctor Kildare. Unfortunately, to paraphrase the series' traditional episode-title format, Perry Mason's sixth season very nearly became "The Case of the Missing Star." Undergoing surgery early in the season, Raymond Burr was unable to make anything but token appearances in four episodes. To compensate for this, the scripters contrive to have Perry Mason, likewise hospitalized, briefly replaced by four of his most trusted associates, played consecutively by Bette Davis in "The Case of Constant Doyle", Michael Rennie in "The Case of the Libelous Locket", Hugh O'Brian in "The Case of the Two-Faced Turnabout", and Walter Pidgeon in "The Case of the Surplus Suitor". For many years thereafter, these four Mason-less episodes were missing from the series' syndication package, and only recently have been restored. Other guest stars this season include Adam West of Batman fame in the opener, "The Case of the Bogus Books"; Leonard Nimoy (of you-know-what fame) in "The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe", future film favorite Ellen Burstyn (billed as Ellen MacRae) in "The Case of the Dodging Domino", veteran movie funnyman Stuart Erwin in a surprising characterization in "The Case of the Double-Entry Mind", and, in his second series appearance, Bill Williams, the husband of series regular Barbara Hale (Della Street) as the murder victim in "The Case of the Bluffing Blast". Worth mentioning for historical purposes are the Season Six episodes "The Case of the Velvet Claws", adapted from the very first Perry Mason novel, written in 1933 by Erle Stanley Gardner); and "The Case of the Greek Goddess", in which defendant is played by John Larkin, who portrayed Perry Mason on radio. And finally there is the season closer, "Case of the Witless Witness", marking one of the few times that Mason loses a case (albeit NOT a murder case). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: Season 07 (1963)
Although Perry Mason was showing signs of fatigue as the series entered its seventh season, the producers were able to stir up a great deal of publicity and audience interest with the announcement that, in the season's fourth episode "The Case of the Deadly Verdict", the unthinkable would happen: Brilliant defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) would finally lose a case to prosecutor Hamilton Burger (William Talman), and his client (played by Julie Adams) would be sentenced to death). Not to give anything away, but it can be noted that Mason loses only because his client withholds information--a fact that affords our hero the opportunity to clear the poor woman in a second trial. Otherwise, Season Seven is fairly undistinguished, save for the always solid performances of supporting players Barbara Hale (as Della Street), William Hopper (Paul Drake), and Ray Collins (Lt. Tragg), who makes his final appearance this season due to illness. Of the guest stars, standouts include little Billy Mumy (pre-Lost in Space, and very pre-Babylon Five) in "The Case of the Shifty Shoebox", future superstar Ryan O'Neal in "The Case of the Bountiful Beauty", Oscar-winnner-to-be Strother Martin in "The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito", Man From UNCLE's David McCallum in "The Case of the 50 Millionth Frenchman", ventriloquist Paul Winchell as the murder victim in "The Case of the Nervous Neighbor", and Jerry Van Dyke in his first non-comic role in "The Case of the Woeful Widower". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: Season 08 (1964)
Perry Mason may have slipped out of the "Top Thirty" TV series during its seventh season on the air, but CBS decided to renew it for an eighth year all the same, acknowledging the fact that the series still had a loyal cotillion of fans and strong sponsor support. That Raymond Burr was growing tired of his Perry Mason role was evidently only in his conspicous absence in two episodes this season, in which he is replaced by Mike Connors and Barry Sullivan, respectively cast as "guest attorneys" Joe Kelly and Ken Krammer. Otherwise, Burr's performance is as sharp as ever, and the same can be said for costars Barbara Hale, William Hopper and William Talman. Likewise registering well is series newcomer Wesley Lau, cast as Lt. Anderson, successor to Mason's perennial adversary Lt. Tragg (actor Ray Collins had retired in late 1963; he died one year later). Guest stars this season include June Lockhart, between her Lassie and Lost in Space assignments; former Miss Americas Mary Ann Mobley and Lee Meriwether; future movie-studio executive Lynn Loring; and celebrity offspring Gary Crosby. Also, Bill Williams, the husband of series regular Barbara Hale, makes his third guest appearance in "The Case of the Murderous Mermaid". Although Perry Mason's improved slightly this season, the network opted to move the show to the Sunday-night suicide slot opposite Bonanza for its ninth (and is turned out, its final) year on the air. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perry Mason: Season 09 (1965)
Show business is full of ironies. Back in 1961, the NBC western Bonanza was moved from a Saturday to a Sunday slot to avoid the heavy competiton of the popular CBS legal drama Perry Mason. By 1965, Bonanza was riding high in the ratings and the nine-year-old Perry Mason was slowly withering. Thus, when Mason was moved to Sundays opposite Bonanza, guess what happened? Though the handwriting was on the wall, the cast and crew of Perry Mason rallied sufficently to offer some of the series' finest hours during its terminal ninth season. The two best-remembered offerings of the year are "he Case of the Dead Ringer", in which Raymond Burr essays the dual role of Perry Mason and a cockney murderer; and the series' only color episode, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist", a mordernized Oliver Twist with the redoubtable Victor Buono as the Fagin counterpart. (This episode was initially removed from syndication, but restored in the early 1990s). Also of interest is the addition of a new cast member, Richard Anderson, as Lt. Steve Drumm, replacing Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson--who in turn had replaced longtime regular Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg. Also, there are some fascinating guest stars this season, among them former "Captain Midnight" Richard Webb, future Hill Street Blues star Dan Travanti, and the multitalented Cloris Leachman--not to mention several members of the LA Rams football team (including Roman Gabriel) in "The Case of the Impetuous Imp". The series wraps up its 271-episode run with, appropriately, "The Case of the Final Fade-Out", which in addition to exposing one of the most suprising murderers in the show's history also features several members of the Perry Mason production staff (including producer and former film star Gail Patrick Jackson) in minor roles, and series creator Erle Stanley Gardner as a judge. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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Perry Mason (TV series)

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Perry Mason
Perry Mason Title Screen.png
Title screen
Format Legal drama
Created by Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Developed by Paisano Productions
Starring Raymond Burr
Barbara Hale
William Hopper
William Talman
Ray Collins
Wesley Lau
Richard Anderson
Opening theme "Park Avenue Beat" by Fred Steiner
Country of origin United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 9
No. of episodes 271 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Gail Patrick Jackson
Thomas Cornwall Jackson
Producer(s) Ben Brady
Herbert Hirschman
Seeleg Lester
Art Seid
Arthur Marks
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 45–48 minutes
Production company(s) TCF Television Productions, Inc.
Paisano Productions
CBS Television Network
Distributor CBS Television Distribution
Broadcast
Original channel CBS
Picture format Black-and-white
Color (one episode)
Audio format Monaural
Original run September 21, 1957 (1957-09-21)[1] – May 22, 1966 (1966-05-22)[2]

Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner. Many episodes are based on actual stories written by Gardner, others are based on characters created by him. At one time, the show was "television's most successful and longest-running lawyer series."[3] Another series starring Monte Markham as Mason ran from 1973 to 1974, and thirty made-for-TV movies aired from 1985 to 1995, with Burr returning as Mason in twenty-six of them.

Contents

Synopsis

Each episode's format is essentially the same: the first half of the show usually depicts the prospective murder victim as being deserving of homicide, often with Perry's client publicly threatening to kill the victim; the body is found (often by Perry and his investigator, Paul Drake, who through circumstance happen to stumble upon the body) surrounded by clues pointing to Perry's client. Perry's client is charged with murder, but (in the second-half courtroom setting) Perry establishes his client's innocence by dramatically demonstrating the guilt of another character.[4] The murderer nearly always breaks down and confesses to the crime in the courtroom – if not on the witness stand, then in the arms of the bailiff, who blocks the murderer's effort to escape into the hallway.

In most episodes, the identity of the guilty party was discovered without an actual trial being held. Instead, this occurred at the preliminary hearing stage, wherein the district attorney was only required to produce enough evidence to convince the judge that the defendant should be bound over for trial (this spared the company the expense of twelve extras in a jury box).[5] During this stage, other malefactors (blackmailers, frauds, forgers, etc.) were frequently forced into confessions by Perry's relentless and clever questioning, and the real killer was exposed. At this point, it is common for the camera to zoom in on the faces of the potentially guilty (visibly uncomfortable in their seats) as Perry slowly but surely moves to the climactic identification of the real murderer, who confesses, often to the accompaniment of a kettledrum-laden orchestral score, followed by a fadeout to black as the show went to commercial. In the closing scene (the epilogue), the characters often gather together, to discuss how the case was solved. Occasionally, Perry invites District Attorney Hamilton Burger and police Lt. Arthur Tragg to join them.

In a few episodes, Burger and Tragg are shown assisting Perry and Paul as they team up to catch the killer. In one episode, after Perry's client was convicted, Burger provided assistance to Perry which ultimately led to having the verdict reversed just as Perry's innocent client was being prepared for the gas chamber.

Barbara Hale (known for being in a number of RKO Pictures B grade war films where she was menaced by leering Jap captors) played Perry's confidential secretary, Della Street, known as "Beautiful" by detective Paul Drake, played by William Hopper. Just when things were at their bleakest for Perry's client, Paul would often rush into the courtroom with an envelope, the contents of which an appreciative Perry ("Good work, Paul!") would use to turn the tables on the prosecution and carry the day in the nick of time.

Scattered throughout the run were episodes that would take place beyond Burger's jurisdiction and Perry, Della and Paul would wind up in another courthouse defending an accused murderer arrested and prosecuted by unfamiliar authorities rather than the police and D.A. of Los Angeles. In 1960, when William Talman, who played the part of Hamilton Burger, was suspended for allegedly violating the morals clause in his contract, several assistant prosecutors were seen in court. Talman had attended a party at which he was charged with having engaged in indecent activities.[6] He was later acquitted, and largely through the efforts of Raymond Burr, Talman was reinstated to his position on the show.[6]

William Talman played Mason's perennial adversary, District Attorney Hamilton Burger, whose eyes bulged in anger and frustration each week as Mason defeated him yet again. Burger was noted for objecting to Mason's "courtroom theatrics and grandstanding" with the adjectives "incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial." Erle Stanley Gardner claimed that Raymond Burr originally auditioned for the role of Burger; Gardner said he intervened personally to ensure that Burr was picked to play Mason instead.

Burr and actor Ralph Clanton on the premiere episode of the show in 1957.
Burr with Robert Bray, 1962.

Ray Collins played the part of the crusty, dedicated police lieutenant, Arthur Tragg, who often frustrated Mason. Collins' appearances diminished toward the end of the 1963–64 season (he was 67 when the series began and died in the summer of 1965), and he was assisted by Wesley Lau as Lt. Andy Anderson, who took the position by himself until the end of the 1964–65 season. Thereafter, Richard Anderson as Lt. Steve Drumm had the job. Several episodes took place outside the city of Los Angeles proper but still within the county (and Burger's jurisdiction), and often featured L.A. Sheriff's Department's Sergeant Ben Landro (Mort Mills) fulfilling the police detective's functions. Others took place even further away, with both prosecutor and police played by guest actors. One, "The Case of a Place Called Midnight" (November 12, 1964), was set in West Germany and Switzerland and featured no series regular other than Burr (the previous episode, "The Case of the Bullied Bowler", had been filmed without an ailing Burr, and this one reflected the excuse given there for Mason's absence).

Among the actors appearing as judges were John Gallaudet, S. John Launer (the father of Dale Launer, who wrote My Cousin Vinny), Bill Zuckert and Kenneth MacDonald, well known for his appearances as a villain in Three Stooges shorts. Connie Cezon, who had a recurring role as Gertrude "Gertie" Lade, Perry's receptionist, had also appeared in a number of Three Stooges short films. After the series ended, several of the actors who played different character roles during the series found roles working for Jack Webb in the 1967–70 Dragnet series. Author Erle Stanley Gardner played the judge in the last episode of the original series.

The series also set a precedent for future mystery series in being the first detective show to feature either a tape or chalk outline to mark the spot where the murder victim's body had been found.[citation needed] This first appeared in the episode "The Case of the Perjured Parrot." However, Gardner used this idea in a much earlier book, Double Or Quits (1941) written under his pen name of A. A. Fair.[7]

The theme music, "Park Avenue Beat", by Fred Steiner, is one of television's most recognizable themes.[8] When asked why Perry Mason won every case, Burr said, "But madam, you see only the cases I try on Saturday."[3]

All but one of the episodes in the series were filmed in black and white. The episode "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist", an episode heavily influenced by Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist, was filmed in color. (Dickens did not receive screen credit.) In the episode, Perry's car, a then-current model Lincoln Continental, was stripped down to the frame in a parking lot next to the Angels Flight incline railway by a ring of car strippers who had cajoled a teenager into going along.

In the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings of Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court nominee, during questioning by Senator Al Franken, Sotomayor said that watching the series had made her want to grow up to be a prosecutor. Franken noted that the prosecutor lost all the cases on the series but one.[9] Subsequent research by CNN found that the prosecutor won two cases against Mason rather than just one, and Mason himself lost in some form or manner in at least three cases.[10]

May the record reflect that Perry Mason did lose three cases of almost 300 – a record any lawyer would envy, especially since he got one of his losses reversed on appeal. His losses were: The Case of the Witless Witness,[11][12] The Case of the Deadly Verdict,[13][14] and The Case of the Terrified Typist.[15][16][17]

Mason also loses a civil case at the beginning of The Case of the Dead Ringer, partly due to being framed for witness tampering. Mason and his staff then spend the rest of the episode trying to prove his innocence. They eventually do, and—although this is not stated explicitly—the verdict of the civil case is presumably either overturned or declared a mistrial. In a July 15, 2009 interview on National Public Radio's program All Things Considered, Barbara Hale claimed that all of Mason's lost cases were declared mistrials off the air.[18]

Characters

Setting

The series was set in Los Angeles, California, and often included real-life street names. In the early years of the series, filming would be done on location in and around Culver City and a few downtown locales. In one episode, Drake gets out of a car on Wilshire Boulevard and goes into an apartment building; in the distant background, the lights and cameras from the set filming of an episode of Peter Gunn are visible. There are numerous sweep shots of the iconic Los Angeles City Hall, the Hall of Justice building (now being converted to condos) and the Los Angeles County Court House. All these buildings are still standing.

Mason's office was "Brent Building Suite 904."[19] Although his office is apparently located downtown, his office phone number is MAdison 5-1190 (625–1190). The MAdison or 62 exchange covers Hollywood and Huntington Park.

Episodes

Main article: List of Perry Mason episodes

Broadcast History

NOTE: The most frequent time-slot for the series is in bold text.

  • Saturday at 7:30-8:30 PM on CBS: September 21, 1957—May 26, 1962
  • Thursday at 8:00—9:00 PM on CBS: September 27, 1962—May 16, 1963; September 24, 1964—May 13, 1965
  • Thursday at 9:00-10:00 PM on CBS: September 26, 1963—May 21, 1964
  • Sunday at 9:00-10:00 PM on CBS: September 12, 1965—May 22, 1966

Ratings

  • October 1957-April 1958: Not in Top 30
  • October 1958-April 1959: #19/27.5
  • October 1959-April 1960: #10/28.3
  • October 1960-April 1961: #16/24.9
  • October 1961-April 1962: #5/27.3
  • October 1962-April 1963: #23/22.4
  • October 1963-April 1964: #26/22.1
  • October 1964-April 1965: Not in Top 30
  • October 1965-April 1966: Not in Top 30

Syndication

The original series was a staple in syndication, running for many years on local television stations, TBS and on the Hallmark Channel. It is still shown in local markets as well as the Me-TV network, and is distributed by CBS Television Distribution (originally by CBS Films, then Viacom Enterprises, Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Paramount Domestic Television).

CBS posted full 60-minute episodes on its website from the first and second seasons for viewing.[20]

In Portland, Oregon, Perry Mason is enshrined as part of that city's television culture – KPTV has carried syndicated repeats of the show in its schedule since 1966, and at 12 Noon since 1970 (except for a brief period in 1974–1975, when it was on at 12:30 PM).[21]

DVD releases

CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released the first 6 seasons of Perry Mason on DVD in Region 1. Each season has been released in 2-volume sets because each season of Perry Mason contains considerably more material than a modern TV series. The first season of Perry Mason featured 39 episodes, Season 3 had 26 episodes, and all other seasons had either 28 or 30 episodes; this compares with 22 for a typical modern series. In addition, Perry Mason episodes are 53 minutes long, as opposed to a typical running time of 43 minutes for a modern 1-hour TV show release. Season 6, volume 1 was released on October 4, 2011.[22] Season 6, volume 2 was released on November 22, 2011.[dated info][23]

The DVDs contain the original full-length version of each episode, while re-runs broadcast in syndication have been edited down to allow for more time for commercials.

In Region 2, Paramount Home Entertainment has released the first two seasons on DVD in the UK.[24][25]

In Region 4, Paramount Home Entertainment has released the first two seasons on DVD in Australia/New Zealand. These releases are similar to the Region 1 releases whereby each season has been released in two volume sets.[26]

DVD Name Ep # Release dates
Season 1, Volume 1 19 July 11, 2006
Season 1, Volume 2 20 November 21, 2006
Season 2, Volume 1 15 June 19, 2007
Season 2, Volume 2 15 November 13, 2007
Season 3, Volume 1 12 August 19, 2008
Season 3, Volume 2 14 December 2, 2008
Season 4, Volume 1 14 June 9, 2009
Season 4, Volume 2 12 December 8, 2009
Season 5, Volume 1 12 April 20, 2010
Season 5, Volume 2 15 November 16, 2010
Season 6, Volume 1 14 October 4, 2011
Season 6, Volume 2 14 November 22, 2011

Series revival

An unsuccessful attempt to re-create the series was made in 1973. Starring Monte Markham and Brett Somers, The New Adventures of Perry Mason only lasted half a season.[27]

Made-for-TV movies

Television producer Dean Hargrove resurrected the Mason character in a series of television movies for NBC beginning in 1985. Hargrove was able to bring back the two then-surviving major stars, Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale (reprising their roles as Mason and Della Street, respectively) for the first telefilm, Perry Mason Returns, in which Mason resigns his position as an appellate court judge to defend Street on a murder charge. William Katt, Hale's real-life son, was cast as private investigator Paul Drake, Jr., the son of private investigator Paul Drake played by William Hopper in the original television series. Katt appeared in the first nine movies, after which he left and was replaced by William R. Moses as Ken Malansky, a law student who works with Mason investigating his cases. In Moses' first appearance as Malansky, Perry defended him on a murder charge. Fred Steiner's theme music was re-recorded by famed mystery music composer Dick DeBenedictis; Steiner himself arranged the theme at DeBenedictis's request.[28]

A total of 30 movies were made between 1985 and 1995, with Burr starring in 26. After Burr died in 1993, Paul Sorvino and Hal Holbrook starred in the final four episodes titled A Perry Mason Mystery.

  1. Perry Mason Returns (1985) (TV)
  2. Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun (1986) (TV)
  3. Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star (1986) (TV)
  4. Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam (1987) (TV)
  5. Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love (1987) (TV)
  6. Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel (1987) (TV)
  7. Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit (1987) (TV)
  8. Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace (1988) (TV)
  9. Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake (1988) (TV)
  10. Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson (1989) (TV)
  11. Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder (1989) (TV)
  12. Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin (1989) (TV)
  13. Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer (1990) (TV)
  14. Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter (1990) (TV)
  15. Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception (1990) (TV)
  16. Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen (1990) (TV)
  17. Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion (1991) (TV)
  18. Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin (1991) (TV)
  19. Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991) (TV)
  20. Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter (1991) (TV)
  21. Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing (1992) (TV)
  22. Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride (1992) (TV)
  23. Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo (1992) (TV)
  24. Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal (1993) (TV)
  25. Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host (1993) (TV)
  26. Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss (1993) (TV)

Perry Mason Mysteries (1993)

  1. A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives (1993) (TV) (starring Paul Sorvino)
  2. A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle (1994) (TV) (starring Hal Holbrook)
  3. A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994) (TV) (starring Hal Holbrook)
  4. A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester (1995) (TV) (starring Hal Holbrook)

See also

References

  1. ^ Kelleher, Brian; Diana Merrill (1987). "Episode Guide – The First Season". The Perry Mason TV show book : the complete story of America's favorite television lawyer. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-00669-1. OCLC 15251393. http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c900_e001.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-18. 
  2. ^ Kelleher, Brian; Diana Merrill (1987). "Episode Guide – The Ninth Season". The Perry Mason TV show book : the complete story of America's favorite television lawyer. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-00669-1. OCLC 15251393. http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c908_e271.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-18. 
  3. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Earle Marsh (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, 1946–Present. New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-28248-5. OCLC 4496779. 
  4. ^ Leitch, Thomas (2005). Perry Mason. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0-8143-3121-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=zLi1H936-1kC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false.  "It is never enough for Mason to establish a reasonable doubt of his client's guilt; he must clear the client absolutely by pinning the guilt on someone else, almost always by extracting a confession."
  5. ^ Perry Mason TV Show book, accessed April 30, 2010
  6. ^ a b "Perry Mason TV Showbook (Innocent as Charged)". http://perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c603.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-19. 
  7. ^ Fair, A. A. (1941). Double Or Quits. New York: W. Morrow. OCLC 3743209. "The coroner ... brought out a piece of chalk and said, ‘All right, now mark there on the floor right where the body was lying. Make a little diagram. Mark the position of his head, of his feet, and of his arms.’" 
  8. ^ Bank, Ed (2001-05-07). "Top TV songs are woven into the fabric of our lives" (archive, registration required). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6897394.html. Retrieved 2007-04-30. 
  9. ^ CNN coverage of Senate confirmation hearing coverage of Sonia Sotomayor, July 15, 2009. Viewed July 15, 2009
  10. ^ http://www.wendytech.com/moviesa-p.htm
  11. ^ List of Perry Mason episodes#Season 6
  12. ^ http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c905_e181.htm
  13. ^ List of Perry Mason episodes#Season 7
  14. ^ http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c906_e185.htm
  15. ^ List of Perry Mason episodes#Season 1
  16. ^ http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c900_e038.htm
  17. ^ http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c209.htm.
  18. ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106666458
  19. ^ "The Case of the Fanciful Frail (Season 9 Episode 24 – Original Airdate: March 27, 1966),"
  20. ^ http://www.cbs.com/classics/perry_mason/
  21. ^ Tom Hallman jr., "The Case of The Popular 'Perry'", The Oregonian, February 28, 2009
  22. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Perry-Mason-Season-6-Volume-1/15675
  23. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Perry-Mason-Season-6-Volume-2/15865
  24. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perry-Mason-1-DVD/dp/B001AHKH2I
  25. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perry-Mason-Series-2-DVD/dp/B0029KQNZK
  26. ^ http://www.dvdorchard.com.au/productfound.asp?Qno=TBCTIC0TPC0&SearchString=Perry+Mason&S1=True&S2=True&S3=False&NoCache=0.4034235M
  27. ^ The New Perry Mason '' at the Internet Movie Database
  28. ^ Bond, Jeff (1999), The Music of Star Trek, Los Angeles, Lone Eagle Publishing Company, ISBN 1-58065-012-0

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