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Perry Mason (TV series)
 
 
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Perry Mason is an Emmy
Emmy Award

The Emmy Award, also known as the 'Emmy', is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards....
-winning American TV series that ran from 1957
1957 in television

The year 1957 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1957....
 to 1966
1966 in television

The year 1966 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1966.For the United States TV schedule, see: 1966-67 American network television schedule....
. Perry Mason
Perry Mason

Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense Lawyer who originally was the main character in numerous pieces of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner....
 was played by actor Raymond Burr
Raymond Burr

Raymond William Stacey Burr was a Canada Emmy-winning actor, primarily known for his roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside ....
. The title character
Perry Mason

Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense Lawyer who originally was the main character in numerous pieces of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner....
 is a fictional Los Angeles, California, defense
Defense (legal)

In civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions under the common law, a defendant may raise a defense in an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability....
 attorney
Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an Attorney at law, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice fraud." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver justice....
 who originally appeared in detective fiction
Detective fiction

Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction in which a detective , either professional or amateur, investigate a crime, usually murder. Detective fiction is the most popular form of both mystery fiction and hardboiled crime fiction....
 by Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner

Erle Stanley Gardner was an United States lawyer and author of crime fiction, who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M....
. The show is "television's most successful and longest-running lawyer series." Another series ran from 1973-1974, and 30 made-for-TV movies aired from 1985 to 1995.

episode's plot 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.






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Encyclopedia


Perry Mason is an Emmy
Emmy Award

The Emmy Award, also known as the 'Emmy', is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards....
-winning American TV series that ran from 1957
1957 in television

The year 1957 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1957....
 to 1966
1966 in television

The year 1966 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1966.For the United States TV schedule, see: 1966-67 American network television schedule....
. Perry Mason
Perry Mason

Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense Lawyer who originally was the main character in numerous pieces of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner....
 was played by actor Raymond Burr
Raymond Burr

Raymond William Stacey Burr was a Canada Emmy-winning actor, primarily known for his roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside ....
. The title character
Perry Mason

Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense Lawyer who originally was the main character in numerous pieces of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner....
 is a fictional Los Angeles, California, defense
Defense (legal)

In civil proceedings and criminal prosecutions under the common law, a defendant may raise a defense in an attempt to avoid criminal or civil liability....
 attorney
Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an Attorney at law, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice fraud." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver justice....
 who originally appeared in detective fiction
Detective fiction

Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction in which a detective , either professional or amateur, investigate a crime, usually murder. Detective fiction is the most popular form of both mystery fiction and hardboiled crime fiction....
 by Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner

Erle Stanley Gardner was an United States lawyer and author of crime fiction, who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M....
. The show is "television's most successful and longest-running lawyer series." Another series ran from 1973-1974, and 30 made-for-TV movies aired from 1985 to 1995.

Synopsis

Each episode's plot 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 put on trial for murder
Murder

Murder 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....
, but Perry establishes his client's innocence by dramatically demonstrating the guilt of another character. The murderer nearly always breaks down and confesses to the crime in the courtroom, if not on the witness stand or in the arms of the bailiff, who blocks the murderer's effort to escape into the hallway. In the trial process, other malefactors (blackmailers, frauds, forgers, etc.) are frequently forced into confessions by Perry's relentless badgering just before he exposes the killer. 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, symbolizing the defeat and oblivion meted out by Perry Mason. Afterward, the cast is often seen at an L.A. eatery listening to Perry explain how he solved the case. Ever the good sport, Perry often invites District Attorney Hamilton Burger and police Lt. Arthur Tragg to these informal victory celebrations. On several occasions Burger and Tragg are shown assisting Perry and Paul as they team up to catch the killer. On one occasion, Burger obtains a conviction only to end up helping Perry reverse the decision just as Perry's innocent client is being prepared for the gas chamber.

Barbara Hale
Barbara Hale

Barbara Hale is an Emmy Award-winning United States actress known for her role as Della Street, the loyal secretary of Perry Mason....
 (known for being in a number of RKO B grade war films where she was menaced by leering Japanese captors) played Perry's confidential secretary, Della Street
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....
, known as "Beautiful" by Detective Paul Drake, played by William Hopper
William Hopper

William Hopper was an United States actor. He is probably best-remembered for playing Paul Drake on television program's Perry Mason ....
. 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.

William Talman played Mason's perennial adversary, District Attorney
District attorney

In many jurisdictions in the United States, a district attorney is the local public official who represents the government in the Prosecutor of alleged criminals....
 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"; and Ray Collins
Ray Collins

Ray Collins may refer to:*Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins *Ray Collins - see WIVB-TV and WTVT-TV...
 played the part of the crusty, dedicated police lieutenant, Arthur Tragg, who often frustrated Mason. In later years of the series, Collins' age (he was 67 when the series began) caused him to appear less and less, and he was succeeded by Wesley Lau
Wesley Lau

Wesley Lau was an United States film and television actor. He was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.During his acting career, Lau was probably best known as Lt....
 as Lt. Andy Anderson, and later Richard Anderson
Richard Anderson

Richard Norman Anderson is an American actor in film and television.Anderson was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, the son of Olga and Harry Anderson....
 as Lt. Steve Drumm.

Among the actors appearing as judge
Judge

A judge, or arbiter of justice, is a lead official who presides over a court of law,which is operated by the local, state, and/or federal government....
s were John Gallaudet, S. John Launer (the father of Dale Launer
Dale Launer

Dale Launer is an United States comedy screenwriter. His best known films include Ruthless People, Blind Date , Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and My Cousin Vinny....
, who wrote My Cousin Vinny
My Cousin Vinny

My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 in film comedy film written by Dale Launer, and directed by Jonathan Lynn, starring Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio and Marisa Tomei, and featuring Fred Gwynne in his final role....
), Bill Zuckert and Kenneth MacDonald
Kenneth MacDonald (American actor)

Kenneth MacDonald , was an American film actor. Born in Portland, Indiana, MacDonald made over 220 film and television appearances between 1931 in film and 1970 in film....
, well-known for his appearances as a villain in Three Stooges
Three Stooges

The Three Stooges was an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid?20th century best known for their numerous short subject films....
 shorts. Connie Cezon
Connie Cezon

Connie Cezon was an American film actress. Born in Oakland, California, Cezon made over 30 film and television appearances between 1951 in film and 1966 in film....
, who had a recurring role as Gertrude "Gertie" Lade, Perry's receptionist, had also appeared in a number of Three Stooges short films.

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. This first appeared in the episode "The Case of the Perjured Parrot," which aired in 1958. However, Gardner used this idea in a much earlier book, Double Or Quits (1941) written under his pen name of A. A. Fair.

The theme music
Theme music

The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio programming, television program, or movie. It is a Musical composition that is often written specifically for that show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits....
, "Park Avenue Beat," by Fred Steiner
Fred Steiner

Fred Steiner is an American composer, conductor, orchestrator and arranger for television, radio and film, born February 24, 1923, in New York, New York....
, is one of television's most recognizable themes.

When asked why Perry Mason won every case, Burr said, "But madam, you see only the cases I try on Saturday."

One episode during the final season ("The Case of the Twice-Told Twist", broadcast February 27, 1966), was filmed in color, while all the other episodes were filmed in black and white. The episode begins with a teenager cajoled into going along with a ring of car thieves. Perry and Della take a trip up Angel's Flight in downtown Los Angeles, California, and return ten minutes later to find Perry's car, a then-current model Lincoln Continental, stripped down to the frame.

Characters

  • Perry Mason
    Perry Mason

    Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense Lawyer who originally was the main character in numerous pieces of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner....
    , defense attorney (played by Raymond Burr
    Raymond Burr

    Raymond William Stacey Burr was a Canada Emmy-winning actor, primarily known for his roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside ....
    )
  • Della Street
    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 (played by Barbara Hale
    Barbara Hale

    Barbara Hale is an Emmy Award-winning United States actress known for her role as Della Street, the loyal secretary of Perry Mason....
    )
  • Paul Drake, private investigator (played by William Hopper
    William Hopper

    William Hopper was an United States actor. He is probably best-remembered for playing Paul Drake on television program's Perry Mason ....
    )
  • Hamilton Burger
    Hamilton Burger

    Hamilton Burger is the fictional Los Angeles, California 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 legal defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner....
     - District Attorney (played by William Talman)
  • Lieutenant Arthur Tragg - Police homicide investigator (played by Ray Collins
    Ray Collins (actor)

    Ray Bidwell Collins was an United States of America actor in film, stage , radio, and television. One Collins' best remembered roles was that of Lt....
    )
  • Lieutenant Steve Drumm - Another police homicide investigator (played by Richard Anderson
    Richard Anderson

    Richard Norman Anderson is an American actor in film and television.Anderson was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, the son of Olga and Harry Anderson....
    )
  • Lieutenant Andy Anderson - Yet another police homicide investigator (played by Wesley Lau
    Wesley Lau

    Wesley Lau was an United States film and television actor. He was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.During his acting career, Lau was probably best known as Lt....
    )


Episodes


Series Facts

  • Perry Mason's office phone number is MA 5-1190.
  • 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, Paul gets out of a car on Wilshire Boulevard and goes into an apartment building; in the distant background, you can see the lights and cameras from the filming set of an episode of Peter Gunn. There are numerous sweep shots of the iconic Los Angeles City Hall
    Civic Center, Los Angeles, California

    The Civic Center neighborhood of Los Angeles, California is the administrative core of the Los Angeles, California and a complex of city, state, and Federal government of the United States government offices, buildings, and courthouses....
    , the Hall of Justice
    Hall of Justice

    A Hall of Justice is an occasional term for a city's police headquarters, and exists in cities across the United States. In some cases, the facility may also house courts as well as prisons....
     building (now being converted to condos) and the Los Angeles County Court House. All these buildings are still standing.
  1. In "The Case of the Sun-bather's Diary (Season 1 Episode 17 - Original Airdate: January 11, 1958)," Perry Mason places an ad in the paper, in order to find a stolen trailer for a client, which states: "WANTED - Used Biltmore Trailer, De Luxe Model. Will pay top dollar for one in excellent condition. Phone Perry Mason, MA 5-1190." Emphasis added.
  2. In "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse (Season 1 Episode 22 - Original Airdate: February 15, 1958)," Lieutenant Arthur Tragg offers Mrs. Morris "Madison 5, 1 1 9 0" as the number to Mr. Mason's office. Emphasis added.
  3. As per "The Case of the Fanciful Frail (Season 9 Episode 24 - Original Airdate: March 27, 1966)," Perry Mason's office was located at "Brent Building Suite 904" with a phone number of "MA 5-1190." Emphasis added.


Syndication

The original series was a staple in syndication
Television syndication

In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows to multiple individual stations, without going through a broadcast network....
, running for many years on local television stations, TBS
TBS (TV network)

TBS is an United States cable television TV network owned by media mogul Ted Turner that shows sports and a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy....
 and most recently on the Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel

The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts in over 100 countries. They specialize in series and film that are appropriate for the whole family....
. It is still shown in local markets and is distributed by CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution

CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, a merger of CBS Corporation's three television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount International Television, and King World Productions including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment....
, originally CBS Films, Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises

Viacom Enterprises was a television distribution company formed in 1971 as the successor to CBS Films, and spun off in 1973 due to now-repealed Federal Communications Commission fin-syn....
, Paramount Domestic Television
Paramount Domestic Television

Paramount Domestic Television was the television broadcast syndication arm of United States television production company Paramount Television, once the TV arm of Paramount Pictures....
 and CBS Paramount Domestic Television
CBS Paramount Domestic Television

CBS Paramount Domestic Television was an United States television distribution/production that was formed on January 17, 2006 and owned by CBS Corporation....
.

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

In Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States United States, near the confluence of the Willamette River and Columbia River rivers in the state of Oregon....
, Perry Mason is enshrined as part of that city's television culture -- KPTV
KPTV

KPTV is the Fox Broadcasting Company television affiliate serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. It broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 12, and its digital signal on UHF channel 30....
 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 12:30PM).

DVD releases

CBS Home Entertainment has released the first 3 seasons of Perry Mason on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Each season has been released in 2 volume sets due to the fact that each season of Perry Mason contains nearly twice the material of a modern TV series. Perry Mason episodes are 53 minutes long (as opposed to 43 minutes which is more typical of modern 1-hour TV show releases), and there are 39 episodes (compared to 22 for a typical modern series).

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.

Season 4, volume 1 will be released on June 9, 2009.

DVD NameEp #Release Date
Season 1, Volume 119 July 11, 2006
Season 1, Volume 220 November 21, 2006
Season 2, Volume 115 June 19, 2007
Season 2, Volume 215 November 13, 2007
50th Anniversary Collection12 April 8, 2008
Season 3, Volume 112 August 19, 2008
Season 3, Volume 214 December 2, 2008
Season 4, Volume 114 June 9, 2009


Series revival

An unsuccessful attempt to re-create the series was made in 1973. Starring Monte Markham
Monte Markham

Monte Markham is an United States actor.Markham was born in Manatee County, Florida, the son of Millie Content and Jesse Edward Markham, Sr., who was a merchant....
, The New Adventures of Perry Mason
The New Adventures of Perry Mason

The New Adventures of Perry Mason is a revival of the Perry Mason about Erle Stanley Gardner's brilliant defense attorney, but without the participation of any members of the original cast....
 only lasted half a season.

Made-for-TV movies

Television producer Dean Hargrove
Dean Hargrove

Dean Hargrove is an United States television producer, Television writer, and Television director. He specializes in creating mystery series. He frequently works with television producer Fred Silverman and television writer Joel Steiger....
 resurrected the popular Mason character in a series of Television movie
Television movie

A television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network....
s for NBC beginning in 1985. Hargrove was able to bring back the two then-surviving major stars, Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale
Barbara Hale

Barbara Hale is an Emmy Award-winning United States actress known for her role as Della Street, the loyal secretary of Perry Mason....
 (reprising their roles as Mason and Della Street, respectively) for the first telefilm, Perry Mason Returns, in which Mason, now an appellate court
Appellate court

An 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 of the case; at least one intermediate appell...
 judge, resigns his position to successfully defend his secretary, Della, on murder charges. William Katt
William Katt

William Theodore Katt is an United States film and television actor, best known as the star of The Greatest American Hero....
, Hale's real-life son, was cast as the son of Paul Drake (William Hopper
William Hopper

William Hopper was an United States actor. He is probably best-remembered for playing Paul Drake on television program's Perry Mason ....
, the former private investigator in the original television series, who had died years earlier). The original theme music was re-recorded by famed mystery music composer Dick DeBenedictis
Dick DeBenedictis

Richard ?Dick? DeBenedictis is an United States composer noted for composing music for television shows including Perry Mason , Police Story, Columbo , The Rockford Files, Hawaii Five-O, Diagnosis: Murder, and Matlock ....
, who would also compose the theme to Dean Hargrove's Matlock
Matlock (TV series)

Matlock is a long-running United States television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role. The show ran from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced the long-running series The A-Team to Friday nights, then on November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on American Broadcasting Company....
 a year later. A total of thirty (30) movies were made between 1985 and 1995, and Raymond Burr starred in twenty-six (26) of them. Raymond Burr died in 1993, and the final four (4) episodes were titled "A Perry Mason Mystery." Paul Sorvino
Paul Sorvino

Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor whose career has largely been the portrayal of authority figures, on both sides of the law, in television, stage, and film....
 and Hal Holbrook
Hal Holbrook

Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an United States actor. He is best known for his appearances in several TV series, such as Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt....
 starred in those.

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


External links