- For the TV series starring Raymond Burr, see Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American TV series produced by Paisano Productions that ran from 1957 to 1966. Perry Mason was played by actor Raymond Burr. The title character is a fictional Los Angeles, California, defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
.
Perry Mason is a fictional character, a
defenseIn civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions under the common law, a defendant may raise a defense in an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability...
attorneyA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver...
who originally was the main character in numerous pieces of
detective fictionDetective fiction is a branch of crime fiction in which a detective , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder...
authored by
Erle Stanley GardnerErle Stanley Gardner was an American lawyer and author of detective stories, who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J...
. Perry Mason was featured in more than 80
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s and short stories, most of which had a story line which involved his client being put on trial for
murderMurder, as defined in common law countries, is the unlawful killing of another human being with intent , and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
. Typically, Mason was able to establish his client's innocence by demonstrating the guilt of another character. Gardner, who was one of the best-selling authors of all time, had "135 million copies of his books in print in America alone in the year of his death" in 1969. The character of Perry Mason was portrayed each weekday on a long running
radio seriesPerry Mason adaptations for radio were broadcast on CBS Radio from 1943-1955. The series was adapted into Edge of Night which ran on television for an additional 30 years.....
, followed by the well-known depictions on film and television, including "television's most successful and longest-running lawyer series" from 1957 to 1966, another series in 1973-1974, and more than 25 made-for-TV movies from 1985 to 1993.
Character
The name "Perry Mason" dates to creator Gardner's childhood. As a child, Gardner was a reader of the magazine
Youth's CompanionThe Youth's Companion was an American children's magazine. It was published for over one hundred years until it finally merged with American Boy in 1929....
. The magazine, best known for producing the original
Pledge of AllegianceThe Pledge of Allegiance to the United States is an oath of loyalty to the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892. The Pledge has been modified four times since then, with the most recent change adding the words "under God" in 1954...
in 1891, was published in Boston, Massachusetts, by the Perry Mason Company (later renamed "Perry Mason & Co." after the founder died). When Gardner created his fictional attorney, he borrowed the name of the company that published his favorite childhood magazine.
Gardner provided more information about Mason's character in the earliest novels, although his character is largely taken for granted in later novels, as well as the television series and movies. In the first novel (The Case of the Velvet Claws, 1933), Perry Mason describes himself as follows:
- You'll find that I'm a lawyer who has specialized in trial work, and in a lot of criminal work. ... I'm a specialist on getting people out of trouble. They come to me when they're in all sorts of trouble, and I work them out. ... If you look me up through some family lawyer or some corporation lawyer, he'll probably tell you that I'm a shyster
A shyster is a slang word for someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law and politics.-Etymology:...
. If you look me up through some chap in the District Attorney's office, he'll tell you that I'm a dangerous antagonist but he doesn't know very much about me.
Gardner depicts Mason as a lawyer who fights hard on behalf of his clients and who enjoys unusual, difficult or nearly hopeless cases. He frequently accepts clients on a whim based on his curiosity about their problem, for a minimal retainer, and finances the investigation of their cases himself if necessary. In The Case of the Caretaker's Cat
(1935), his principal antagonist, District Attorney Hamilton Burger, says: "You're a better detective than you are a lawyer. When you turn your mind to the solution of a crime, you ferret out the truth." And in The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink (1952), a judge who has just witnessed one of the lawyer's unusual tactics says: "Mr. Mason ... from time to time you seem to find yourself in predicaments from which you extricate yourself by unusual methods which invariably turn out to be legally sound. The Court feels you are fully capable of looking after your own as well as your clients' interests."
Another frequent antagonist, Lieutenant Tragg of the Homicide Squad, has a discussion with Mason about his approach to the law in The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito (1943). Mason is recovering from having been poisoned, and Tragg is investigating. He says:
- "How does it feel to be the victim for once? ... You've been sticking up for criminals and now you can see the other side of the picture."
- "Not 'sticking up for criminals'," (Mason) protested indignantly. "I have never stuck up for any criminal. I have merely asked for the orderly administration of an impartial justice. ... Due legal process is my own safeguard against being convicted unjustly. To my mind, that's government. That's law and order."
Other than what we learn of his character from his actions in the novels, we know very little about Perry Mason. We are told nothing about his family, his background, his personal life, or his education. In Season One of the television series, Perry helps out an old friend from World War Two. He mentions that he was in a company that was at
D-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. Paul Drake seems to be his only friend, and
Della StreetDella Street was the fictional secretary of Perry Mason in the long-running series of novels, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner....
his only (unacknowledged) romantic interest. We only know that he lives in an apartment because he is occasionally wakened from sleep to go to his office—he does not entertain anyone at home. We know his tastes in food, because many scenes take place in restaurants, and that he is an excellent driver, because he participates in the occasional car chase. Other than those scanty facts, there is so little physical description of him that the reader is not even really sure what he looks like.
The movies from the
1930sThe 1930s was the decade that ran from January 1, 1930, to December 31, 1939. The first few years of the decade was marked by the Great Depression that had a traumatic effect worldwide. In response authoritarian regimes emerged in several countries in Europe, in particular the Third Reich in...
were not closely based on the character of Perry Mason as revealed in the books and contain plot and character developments which are not taken as canonical in the remainder of the books and adaptations—for instance, in one film Perry marries his long-time secretary Della Street, while Paul Drake turns into comic sidekick Spudsy Drake.
In one episode of the TV series,Perry meets an old friend from his childhood, and we learn that at least part of it—the part when he knew her—was spent in Oregon.
Novels
Erle Stanley Gardner "had spent more than twenty years practicing law in California, and the knowledge he gained was put to good use in the Perry Mason stories, which hinge on points of law, forensic medicine or science as clever as a watch mechanism ... and also the total lack of characterization". While the Mason novels were largely a form of
pulp fictionPulp magazines were inexpensive fiction magazines. They were widely published from 1896 through the 1950s. The term pulp fiction can also refer to mass market paperbacks since the 1950s....
of the sort that began Gardner's writing career, they are somewhat unusual in that the whodunnit mysteries usually involved two solutions: one in which the authorities believed (whereby Mason's client was guilty) and an alternative explanation (whereby Mason's client was innocent). The second half of each novel is invariably devoted to a lengthy courtroom scene, during which Mason arrives at the alternative explanation and proves it to the satisfaction of the court. "It is perfectly true that our author works to formula; in one sense, the plot never varies. Having said this, one must add that the variety of persons and circumstances and the ingenuity in contriving the details that Gardner dreamed up in his dozens of cases are astonishing and entrancing."
A hallmark of the stories is that Perry Mason (with the assistance of his devoted secretary Della Street and his faithful private investigator, Paul Drake), once embarked on a case, will juggle the evidence using unusual, even bizarre tactics, in order to mislead the police—but (except for the very earliest novels) always in an ethical fashion. From "The Case Of The Long-Legged Models" (1958):
"It's my contention, Della, that an attorney doesn't have to sit back and wait until a witness gets on the stand and then test his recollection simply by asking him questions. If facts can be shuffled in such a way that it will confuse a witness who isn't absolutely certain of his story, and if the attorney doesn't suppress, conceal, or distort any of the actual evidence, I claim the attorney is within his rights."
The influence of the television series has given the general public the impression that Mason is highly ethical. In the earliest novels, Mason was not above skulduggery to win a case. In The Case of the Counterfeit Eye
(1935), he breaks the law a few times including manufacturing false evidence (glass eyes). Mason manipulates evidence and witnesses, resulting in the acquittal of the murderer in The Case of the Howling Dog
(1934). The Case of the Curious Bride (1934) is:
"...a good Perry Mason except for one great flaw, which the author would scarcely have been guilty of later on: he tampers with the evidence, by having a friend move into an apartment and testify to the state of the doorbells. ... One is left with the uncomfortable idea that maybe the murder did not take place as Mason reconstructs it."
In later novels, the only crime which he can be seen to commit might be illegal entry, when he and Paul Drake are searching for evidence, and even then he would expect to put up a strong and effective defense leading to an acquittal. Hamilton Burger is constantly under the impression that Mason has done something illegal, but has never been able to prove it.
Gardner prefaced many of his later novels with tributes to coroners and forensic pathologists whose work was instrumental to solving cases. Gardner inserts his ideas about the importance of proper autopsies into many of his Mason novels. In The Case of the Fugitive Nurse, for instance, close scrutiny of dental records in the identification of burned bodies is a key point. In that same story, the possible use of additives to track illegal resale of medical narcotics is examined.
However, a study of Gardner’s novels by critic Russel B. Nye (The Unembarrassed Muse, Dial, 1970) did expose a pattern. Nye called Gardner’s novels as formal as Japanese Noh drama. He described fairly rigid plot points:
- Attorney Perry Mason’s case is introduced.
- Mason and his crew investigate.
- Mason’s client is accused of a crime.
- Further investigations ensue.
- Then the trial begins.
- In a courtroom coup, Mason introduces new evidence and often elicits a confession from the lawbreaker.
List of Perry Mason novelsThe following is a list of Perry Mason novels by Erle Stanley Gardner.-Novels:Many Perry Mason novels were first published in serial format in The Saturday Evening Post, some with different titles. 16 appeared in the Toronto Star Weekly in condensed form. All books were first published by William...
Movies
- The Case of the Howling Dog
The Case of the Howling Dog is a 1934 American mystery film directed by Alan Crosland. The film stars Warren William and Mary Astor. This was the first in a series of films in which William played Perry Mason.-Plot:...
(1934) with Warren WilliamWarren William was a Broadway and Hollywood actor, born the son of Freeman E. and Frances Krech, Warren William Krech in Aitkin, Minnesota. He had a certain physical resemblance to John Barrymore. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts...
as Perry Mason and Helen Trenholme as Della Street.
- The Case of the Curious Bride
The Case of the Curious Bride is a 1935 mystery film, the second in a series starring Warren William as Perry Mason. A woman learns that her first husband, presumed dead, is still alive, which makes things awkward for her since she has remarried.-Cast:...
(1935) with Warren William and Claire DoddClaire Dodd was an American film actress.Born Dorothy Anne Dodd in Des Moines, Iowa, Dodd's father was a doctor who abandoned her and her mother before she was ten years old...
as Della Street. Slightly notable for the first-released American screen appearance of Errol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian film actor, known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Background and early life:...
as the corpse, who is seen alive but not speaking in a brief flashback.
- The Case of the Lucky Legs
The Case of the Lucky Legs is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer. A woman wins a contest, but has trouble collecting her prize when the promoter turns up dead.-Cast:...
(1935) with Warren William and Genevieve TobinGenevieve Tobin was an American actress.The daughter of a vaudeville performer, Tobin made her film debut in 1910 in Uncle Tom's Cabin as Eva. She appeared in a few films as child, and formed a double act with her sister Vivian. Their brother, George, also had a brief acting career...
as Della Street.
- The Case of the Velvet Claws
The Case of the Velvet Claws is a 1936 mystery film, the fourth and final appearance of Warren William as famed defense attorney Perry Mason...
(1936) with Warren William and Claire Dodd as Della Street Mason.
- The Case of the Black Cat
The Case of the Black Cat is a 1936 black-and-white film, based on a novel by Erle Stanley Gardner, starring Ricardo Cortez as Perry Mason. The film co-stars June Travis and Jane Bryan....
(1936) (from The Case Of The Caretaker's Cat) with Ricardo CortezRicardo Cortez was an American film actor who began his career during the silent film era.Born Jacob Krantz in New York City into a Jewish family, he worked on Wall Street before his looks got him into the film business...
as Perry Mason and June TravisJune Travis was a motion picture actress from Chicago, Illinois.-Background:Born as June Dorothea Grabiner, she was the daughter of Harry Grabiner, vice-president of the Chicago White Sox in the 1930s....
as Della Street.
- The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop is a 1937 Drama directed by William Clemens, starring Donald Woods and Ann Dvorak. Donald Woods starred as Perry Mason, with Ann Dvorak as his loyal secretary Della Street and Edward McWade, as the stuttering Bishop William Mallory.-Cast:* Donald Woods as Perry...
(1937) with Donald WoodsDonald Woods was a Canadian film and television actor whose career spanned six decades.Born Ralph L. Zink in Brandon, Manitoba, Woods moved with his family to California and was raised in Burbank. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and made his film debut in 1928...
as Perry Mason and Ann DvorakAnn Dvorak was an American film actress.She was born Anna McKim in New York City, and as a child appeared in several films....
as Della Street.
- Granny Get Your Gun (1940), extremely loosely based on The Case Of The Dangerous Dowager, and not containing Perry Mason or any similar character. With May Robson as Minerva Hatton.
Radio
The character was adapted to radio as a 15 minute daily crime serial. It had little in common with the common portrayal of Perry Mason, such that Gardner withdrew his support for a TV version of the daytime serial, in favor of the Prime Time Emmy Award winning courtroom drama. The general theme of the radio serial was continued under a different title, with differently named characters, as Edge of Night
.
In 2008, Colonial Radio Theatre began a series of faithful adaptations of Gardner's novels, scripted by M. J. ElliottBorn in Preston, Great Britain in 1969, M. J. Elliot is a British writer and performer, sometimes credited as Matthew J. Elliott. Many of his credits are for US radio series.- Books :Curious Incidents 2 - Mad For a Mystery, 2003...
.
Other adaptations
The Perry Mason character appeared in comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
s, and a short-lived (October 16, 1950–June 21, 1952) comic stripA comic strip is a sequence of cartoons that tells a story, often humorous, though adventures and soap opera-like dramas are also prevalent. They are written and drawn by a comics artist or cartoonist, and many are published on a recurring basis in newspapers and on the Internet.In the UK and the...
. He was also the inspiration for The Whole Truth
(1986) by James CumminsJames Cummins is an American poet.Cummins teaches at the University of Cincinnati and is the curator of the Elliston Poetry Collection. He is married to the poet and art critic, Maureen Bloomfield . They have two daughters.His poems have appeared in The Best American Poetry series in 1994, 1995,...
, a book-length collection of sestinaA sestina is a highly structured poem consisting of six six-line stanzas followed by a tercet , for a total of thirty-nine lines...
s.
The daytime soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on television or radio. The name "soap opera" stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Edge of NightThe Edge of Night was a long-running American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
was originally meant to be a daytime version of Perry Mason, until Gardner had a falling-out with
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
network officials. He was later mollified enough to allow production of the most famous incarnation of the character.
Television series
Perhaps the most famous incarnation came in the form of a
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
TV series that ran from 1957 to 1966, with
Raymond BurrRaymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside and his lead role as Steve Martin in Godzilla, King of the Monsters and Godzilla 1985.-Early life:He was born Raymond William Stacey Burr in New Westminster, British...
in the title role. Also starring were
Barbara HaleBarbara Hale is an American actress best known for her role as Della Street, the loyal secretary of Perry Mason.-Personal life:...
,
William HopperWilliam Hopper was an American actor. He is probably best-remembered for playing Paul Drake on TV's Perry Mason.-Biography:...
,
William TalmanWilliam Whitney Talman, Jr. was an American television and movie actor most notably remembered as the Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the long-running series Perry Mason.-Family and education:...
, and
Ray CollinsRay Collins may refer to:*Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins...
. The familiar theme song was Park Avenue Beat
by Fred SteinerFred Steiner is an American composer, conductor, orchestrator and arranger for television, radio and film, born February 24, 1923, in New York, New York. He received a degree in music composition from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1943...
.
Several years after the first series' cancellation, a new series, The New Adventures of Perry Mason
, aired in 1973, featuring Monte MarkhamMonte Markham is an American character actor. During his career, Markham has appeared in film, in television, and on Broadway....
in the title role. It was not successful, and reruns are not seen in syndication.
TV movies
Television producers Dean Hargrove and Fred Silverman resurrected the popular Mason character in a series of TV movies for NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
beginning in 1985. (They would create the Matlock
series one year later.) Hargrove and Silverman were able to bring back the two then-surviving major stars, Raymond BurrRaymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside and his lead role as Steve Martin in Godzilla, King of the Monsters and Godzilla 1985.-Early life:He was born Raymond William Stacey Burr in New Westminster, British...
and Barbara HaleBarbara Hale is an American actress best known for her role as Della Street, the loyal secretary of Perry Mason.-Personal life:...
(reprising their roles as Mason and Della Street, respectively) for the first telefilm, Perry Mason Returns, in which Mason, now an
appellate courtAn appellate court is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In most jurisdictions, the court system is divided into at least three levels: the trial court, which initially hears cases and reviews evidence and testimony to determine the facts...
judge, resigns his position to successfully defend his secretary, Della, on murder charges.
William KattWilliam Theodore Katt is an American film and television actor, best known as the star of The Greatest American Hero...
(Hale's son) was cast as Paul Drake, Jr. (
William HopperWilliam Hopper was an American actor. He is probably best-remembered for playing Paul Drake on TV's Perry Mason.-Biography:...
, who played private investigator Paul Drake in the original television series, had died years earlier; Hopper's photograph appears on Paul Drake Jr's desk.) In the later TV Movies, Perry Mason used the services of attorney Ken Malansky (portrayed by
William R. MosesWilliam Remington Moses is an American actor.-Early life:He is the son of the late actress Marian McCargo and advertising executive Richard Cantrell Moses, Sr. who divorced in 1963. Marian remarried in 1970 to the late former Republican Congressman Alphonzo Bell, Jr....
). Also, these movies were set in
DenverThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
rather than Mason's traditional locale of
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
due to Denver's considerably lower production costs.
The Perry Mason series of TV movies continued until the death of Burr in 1993. The episode entitled The Case of the Killer Kiss
was Burr's final portrayal of Mason. The episode aired after his death and was dedicated in Burr's memory. Thereafter, the title of the series was changed to A Perry Mason Mystery and starred either
Paul SorvinoPaul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He is the father of actress Mira Sorvino. A portrayer of authority figures on both sides of the law, his best known film role was Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas .- Early life :...
or
Hal HolbrookHarold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
as lawyers and friends of Mason. Hale continued her role as Street while Mason was ostensibly out of town.
Recurring characters
Recurring characters in the Perry Mason universe include:
- Della Street
Della Street was the fictional secretary of Perry Mason in the long-running series of novels, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner....
, Mason's confidential secretary (originated in 1943, by Joan AlexanderJoan Alexander was an American actress known for her role as Lois Lane on radio's The Adventures of Superman from the early 1940s to 1951.-Early life and career:...
on radio, and played by Barbara HaleBarbara Hale is an American actress best known for her role as Della Street, the loyal secretary of Perry Mason.-Personal life:...
on the 1957-1966 TV series, as well as in the made-for-TV-movies).
- Paul Drake, private investigator (played by William Hopper
William Hopper was an American actor. He is probably best-remembered for playing Paul Drake on TV's Perry Mason.-Biography:...
on the TV series).
- Paul Drake, Jr. - his son, also a private investigator (played by William Katt
William Theodore Katt is an American film and television actor, best known as the star of The Greatest American Hero...
in nine TV movies. Note: In real life, actor Katt is the son of actress Barbara HaleBarbara Hale is an American actress best known for her role as Della Street, the loyal secretary of Perry Mason.-Personal life:...
).
- Hamilton Burger
Hamilton Burger is the fictional Los Angeles district attorney who is the nemesis of Perry Mason in the long-running series of novels, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner...
- District Attorney (played by William Talman on the TV series)
- Lieutenant Arthur Tragg - Police homicide investigator (played by Ray Collins
Ray Bidwell Collins was an American actor in film, stage, radio, and television. One of Collins' best remembered roles was that of Lt. Arthur Tragg in the long-running series Perry Mason.-Biography:...
on most of the episodes of the first TV series)
- Lieutenant Steve Drumm - Another police homicide investigator (played by Richard Anderson
Richard Norman Anderson is an American actor in film and television.-Life and career:Anderson was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, the son of Olga and Harry Anderson...
on the final season of the first TV series)
- Lieutenant Andy Anderson - Yet another police homicide investigator (played by Wesley Lau
Wesley Lau was an American film and television actor. He was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.During his acting career, Lau was probably best known as Lt. Andy Anderson in the series Perry Mason. He appeared more frequently during the latter part of the show's run, especially during times when...
on the first TV series, often replacing the ailing Ray CollinsRay Collins may refer to:*Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins...
who continued to appear in the credits)
- Terrance Clay - Restaurateur and friend of Perry (played in 8 episodes by Dan Tobin in the later episodes of the first TV series)
- Sergeant Holcomb - Homicide detective often featured in the novels
- Jackson - A junior attorney in Mason's law firm (in the TV series, he appears in a few episodes also in novel book. )
- Lieutenant Ed Brock - police commander (played by James McEachin
James McEachin is an American actor, award-winning author, and known for his many character roles such as portraying police Lieutenant Brock in several Perry Mason television movies.-Military career:...
in the telemovies)
- Michael Reston - another district attorney (played in several TV movies by David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers is an American actor, voice actor, and musician, noted for his role in the television sitcom M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy...
)
- Gertrude "Gertie" Lade - Mason's switchboard operator, an "incurable romantic" rarely seen in the TV series but a common presence in the novels. She was played in the first series by Connie Cezon and in the second by Brett Somers
Brett Somers was a Canadian-born American actress, singer, and comedienne. She was best known as a panelist on the 1970s game show, Match Game.- Personal life :...
, later of Match GameMatch Game is an American television game show featuring contestants attempting to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
fame.
- David Gideon (played by Karl Held
Carl Held is an actor who has worked extensively in both American and British television....
), who first appeared as a suspect in a TV episode (The Case Of The Grumbling Grandfather, 1961), and later appeared in 6 episodes (all 1961) as a young lawyer working with Perry Mason.
TV movies
- Perry Mason Returns (1985)
- The Case of the Notorious Nun (1986)
- The Case of the Shooting Star (1986)
- The Case of the Lost Love (1987)
- The Case of the Sinister Spirit (1987)
- The Case of the Murdered Madam (1987)
- The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel (1987)
- The Case of the Avenging Ace (1988)
- The Case of the Lady in the Lake (1988)
- The Case of the Lethal Lesson (1989)
- The Case of the Musical Murder (1989)
- The Case of the All-Star Assassin (1989)
- The Case of the Poisoned Pen (1990)
- The Case of the Desperate Deception (1990)
- The Case of the Silenced Singer (1990)
- The Case of the Defiant Daughter (1990)
- The Case of the Ruthless Reporter (1991)
- The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991)
- The Case of the Glass Coffin (1991)
- The Case of the Fatal Fashion (1991)
- The Case of the Fatal Framing (1992)
- The Case of the Reckless Romeo (1992)
- The Case of the Heartbroken Bride (1992)
- The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal (1993)
- The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host (1993)
- The Case of the Killer Kiss (1993)
After the death of
Raymond BurrRaymond William Stacey Burr was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside and his lead role as Steve Martin in Godzilla, King of the Monsters and Godzilla 1985.-Early life:He was born Raymond William Stacey Burr in New Westminster, British...
, four movies were produced under the series titled "A Perry Mason Mystery" in which Barbara Hale continued to star as Della Street:
- The Case of the Wicked Wives (1993) starring Paul Sorvino
Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He is the father of actress Mira Sorvino. A portrayer of authority figures on both sides of the law, his best known film role was Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas .- Early life :...
as Anthony Caruso
- The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle (1994) starring Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
as "Wild Bill" McKenzie
- The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994) starring Hal Holbrook as "Wild Bill" McKenzie
- The Case of the Jealous Jokester (1995) starring Hal Holbrook as "Wild Bill" McKenzie
In popular culture
- The Butthole Surfers
The Butthole Surfers are an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but the core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been together since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
song "Perry", included on the album Rembrandt PussyhorseRembrandt Pussyhorse is the second full-length studio album by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in April 1986. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers, except "American Woman", which was written by Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, and Garry Peterson of The...
, borrows the tune from the TV show.
- The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live. Belushi and Aykroyd, respectively in character as lead vocalist "Joliet" Jake Blues and harpist/vocalist Elwood Blues,...
recorded a cover version of the song, called "Perry Mason Theme", which was included in Made in AmericaMade in America is the third album by The Blues Brothers. The second live album by the band, it was released in December 1980 as a followup to their hit film released that year, The Blues Brothers. Commercially and critically it did not fare as well as their previous two albums, 1978's Briefcase...
. It was later used in Blues Brothers 2000Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 musical/comedy film and sequel to the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Directed by John Landis, the film featured Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman, with cameos by many musicians.-Plot:...
(1998) where it was played during a scene in the film where Elwood Blues (Dan AykroydDaniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning Canadian-American comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist...
) and Mack (John GoodmanJohn Stephen Goodman is an American actor. He is best known for his role on the television series Roseanne, as well as his film work with the Coen brothers.-Early life:...
) leave two members of the Russian mob unconscious in an alley.
- The 1995 Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English singer-songwriter, whose career has now spanned four decades. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead vocalist of pioneering British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and eventually achieved a multi-platinum solo career which revolutionized the heavy metal genre...
album OzzmosisOzzmosis is an album by British heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne. It was originally released on October 23, 1995, through Epic Records.After Osbourne's supposed retirement for four years, he regrouped with guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Mike Inez, drummer Randy Castillo, and producer Michael...
features the song titled "Perry Mason", whose lyrics allude to the character.
- In El Chavo del Ocho, there is an episode when Professor Jirafales suggests that they do a judgement of the Quico's cat murder case. And so, Don Ramón suggests that they do as in the TV series of "Perro Menso" ("Silly Dog"). And then, Jirafales corrects him, saying "PERRY MASON!"
- In the Portuguese version of El Chavo del Ocho, Don Ramón (Seu Madruga) suggests that they do as the TV series of "Pede Mais Um" ("Ask for another one"). And as in the original version of the series, Professor Jirafales corrects him, yelling "Perry Mason!!!".
- The Pixies paid tribute to the show by incorporating part of the theme tune into their song "Space (I Believe In)" on the album Trompe le Monde
Trompe le Monde is the fourth and final album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in 1991 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States...
. Singer Frank BlackBlack Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
announces "Now I'm going to sing the Perry Mason theme" before singing it under vocal distortion.
- In the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
sitcom May to DecemberMay to December was a British sitcom which ran for 39 episodes, from 2 April 1989 to 27 May 1994 on BBC One. The series was written by Paul Mendelson and produced by Cinema Verity....
, solicitorSolicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter apart from conducting proceedings in courts , with some exceptions. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers, and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
Alec Callender (portrayed by Anton RodgersAnton Rodgers was an English actor and occasional director, best known for his appearances in television sitcoms.-Life and career:...
) is a huge Perry Mason fan, and often speaks privately to a large poster of Raymond Burr hanging on his office wall.
- William Hanna
William Denby "Bill" Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, television director, television producer, and cartoon artist, whose movie and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century...
and Joseph BarberaJoseph Roland "Joe" Barbera ; was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose movie and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century...
stretched Gardner's character by creating "Perry Masonary" in the episode of The FlintstonesThe Flintstones is an animated American television sitcom that ran from 1960 to 1966 on ABC. The series was the first prime-time animated series aimed at adults. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions , The Flintstones is about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next door...
in which the Rubbles adopt Bamm-BammBamm-Bamm Rubble is the adopted son of fictitious characters Barney and Betty Rubble. He is most famous in his infant form on the animated series The Flintstones, but has also appeared at various other ages, including as a teenager on the early 1970s spinoff The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show and as...
. Masonary's opposing counsel was named "Bronto Burger".
- Mad Magazine did a spoof on the 1950s' TV series called "Perry Masonmint" (Perry lost because he had been tricked into trying a case on a Friday, rather than Saturday, when he was always successful).
- Fast Forward sent-up the 1950s' TV series.
- Jack Benny
Jack Benny , born Benjamin Kubelsky, was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
once did a sketch about Perry Mason actually losing a case. Benny is accused of not being funny, and Perry Mason is there to defend him, but unable to prove his client is indeed funny.
- In a dream sequence in a TV episode of The Jack Benny Program, Raymond Burr as Mason defends Benny on the charges of killing a rooster. In Benny's dream, Mason is incompetent and loses the case easily.
- Roger Fox of the comic strip FoxTrot gets a speeding ticket, and mentions that he will try to come up with a Perry Mason routine to get out of it.
- During a case in the TV law drama, Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal drama-comedy created by David E. Kelley, which originally ran on ABC from October 3, 2004 to December 8, 2008. A spin-off of the long-running series The Practice, Boston Legal followed the personal and professional exploits of a group of attorneys working at the...
, a method of proving reasonable doubt was credited as being used before by Perry Mason, to much success.
- A mystery
Mystery, mysteries, or mysterious may refer to:-Religion:* Sacred Mysteries*Mystery play, a form of medieval European dramatic theatre dealing with religious themes-Genres:*Mystery , a genre of detective fiction...
novel by Barbara PaulBarbara Paul is an American writer of detective stories and science fiction. She was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1931 and was educated, inter alia, at Bowling Green State University and the University of Pittsburgh....
, But He Was Already Dead When I Got There (1987), is dedicated by the author to her viewing of the original Perry Mason TV series, and largely inspired by it.
- Author Susan Kandel wrote her debut mystery novel I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason (2005) about a woman, Cece Caruso, who is writing a biography of Erle Stanley Gardner.
- In Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, the MASON system plays a key part in the final case of the game.
- In the 1985 film adaptation
Clue is a 1985 comedy film based on the board game of the same name. The film is a murder mystery set in a Gothic Revival mansion, and is styled after Murder by Death and other various murder/dinner parties of mystery...
of the world famous board game ClueCluedo is a deduction board game originally published by Waddingtons in Leeds, United Kingdom in 1949. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk and part-time clown from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the United States game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired its U.S...
, the character of Miss Scarlet references Perry Mason to highlight Wadsworth's (played by Tim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is an English actor, singer, composer and voice artist, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
) crime solving capabilities.
- In Vincent Clark's novel Beyond a Reasonable Doubt the protagonist, a world-weary criminal lawyer, has a drunken outburst of anger at Perry Mason: "It's all fine for Mister Perry Mason to go off and find the real culprit, in book after book after book. The real culprit! The real culprit! In ninety nine percent of the cases I have taken, my client was guilty as hell, and I knew it, and what's more the jury knew it, too. It was my job to get the client off anyway, on one technicality or another. That's my job, that's what a lawyer is for, for God's sake. Damn Sir Perry Galahad Mason!"
- In The Jetsons
The Jetsons is a prime-time animated sitcom that was produced by Hanna-Barbera. The original incarnation of the series aired Sunday nights on ABC from September 23, 1962 to March 3, 1963.It was Hanna-Barbera’s space age counterpart to The Flintstones...
episode "Millionaire Astro", in order to save Astro, George JetsonGeorge Jetson is a fictional character who appears in the animated series The Jetsons. George is 38 years old and he's the husband of Jane Jetson and the father of teenage daughter Judy and elementary school aged son Elroy . George likes to watch Hill Stars Blues and Spaceball with Elroy...
says that they'll need a Perry Spaceson at the trial to win the case.
- On an episode of That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television sitcom that centered on the lives of a group of teenagers living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 1976 to 12:00 AM, January 1, 1980. It debuted on the FOX television network on August 23, 1998 and ran for eight consecutive...
entitled "Who's Been Sleeping Here?", Red is unable to watch Perry Mason. Kitty tells him "Guess what? Perry Mason wins!" and laughs while Red says angrily "It's not IF he wins, it's HOW, that's the magic, dammit!".
- On "Misunderstood" on the album Tha Carter III
Tha Carter III is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne released June 10, 2008 on Cash Money Records. The first three singles released from the album, , have all achieved top ten success on the Billboard Hot 100. The fourth single, "Mrs...
, Lil' Wayne raps: "Perry Mason facin'/ the barrel if he tattle/ my God as my judge, no gown no gavel".
- In the song, "Bitch Named Nina" Lil' Wayne raps, "and we hold court like Mason Perry, oops i meant Perry Mason, the weed got me dyslexic"
- During her Senate confirmation hearings, Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
revealed that she first became interested in the law while watching the Perry Mason television show with her mother.
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