Perry Mason

For other uses, see Perry Mason (disambiguation).

The Case of the Demure Defendant, a Perry Mason novel by Erle Stanley Gardner

Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense attorney who was the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason was featured in more than 80 novels and short stories, most of which had a plot involving his client's murder trial. Typically, Mason was able to establish his client's innocence by implicating another character, who then confessed. 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 series, followed by well-known depictions on film and television, including "television's most successful and longest-running lawyer series" from 1957 to 1966 starring Raymond Burr; another series in 1973–1974, starring Monte Markham and Brett Somers; and 30 made-for-TV movies filmed 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 Companion. The magazine (best known for producing the original Pledge of Allegiance in 1891) was published in Boston, Massachusetts, by the Perry Mason Company (renamed "Perry Mason & Co." after the founder died). When Gardner created his fictional attorney, he borrowed the name of the company which published his favorite childhood magazine. Gardner provided more information about Mason's character in the earlier novels; knowledge of his character is largely taken for granted in the later works, the television series and movies. An alternative story, which appeared in some obscure magazine many years ago, said that Gardner liked and used pens made by a company owned by one Mr Perry and one Mr Mason; but this would be very difficult to verify. In the first novel, Mason describes himself:

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. 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.

—Erle Stanley Gardner, The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933)

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 Arthur Tragg of the homicide squad, has a discussion with Mason about his approach to the law. 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."

—Erle Stanley Gardner, The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito (1943)

Other than what we learn of his character from the novels themselves, we know very little about Perry Mason. We are told nothing about his family, his background, his personal life or his education. In the first season of the television series, Perry helps out an old friend from World War II. He mentions that he was in a company that was at Normandy on D-Day. Mason has a professional relationship with Paul Drake, although after The Case of the Velvet Claws fees are seldom discussed. Della Street is Mason's only (unacknowledged) romantic interest. We only know that he lives in an apartment, because he is occasionally awakened 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 sketchy facts, there is so little physical description of him that the reader is not even sure what he looks like. 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. The 1930s films were not closely based on the character of Perry Mason as revealed in the books, and contain plot and character developments which are not accepted as canonical in the remainder of the books and adaptations. For instance, in one film, Perry marries his longtime secretary Della Street, while Paul Drake turns into comic sidekick Spudsy Drake.

Novels

Main article: Perry Mason (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 fiction of the sort that began Gardner's writing career, they are 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 devoted to a 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 to mislead the police--but (except for the very earliest novels) always in an ethical fashion:

"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."

—Erle Stanley Gardner, The Case of the Long-Legged Models (1958)

The influence of the television series has given the general public the impression that Mason is highly ethical. In the earliest novels, however, Mason was not above skulduggery to win a case. In The Case of the Counterfeit Eye (1935) he breaks the law several 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."

—Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor, A Catalogue of Crime

In the 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 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.
• The trial begins.
• In a courtroom coup, Mason introduces new evidence and often elicits a confession from the lawbreaker.

Adaptations

Movies

• The Case of the Howling Dog (1934), with Warren William as Perry Mason and Helen Trenholme as Della Street
• The Case of the Curious Bride (1935), with Warren William and Claire Dodd as Della Street. Notable for the first-released American screen appearance of Errol Flynn as the corpse, who is seen alive but not speaking in a brief flashback
• The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935), with Warren William and Genevieve Tobin as Della Street
• The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936), with Warren William and Claire Dodd as Della Street Mason
• The Case of the Black Cat (1936) (from The Case of the Caretaker's Cat (1935)), with Ricardo Cortez as Perry Mason and June Travis as Della Street
• The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1937), with Donald Woods as Perry Mason and Ann Dvorak as Della Street
• Granny Get Your Gun (1940), extremely loosely based on The Case of the Dangerous Dowager (1937) and not containing Perry Mason or any similar character. With May Robson as Minerva Hatton

Radio

Main article: Perry Mason (radio)

Perry Mason was adapted for radio as a 15-minute daily crime serial. It had little in common with the usual portrayal of Mason, so much so 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, with a different title and characters, as Edge of Night. In 2008 Colonial Radio Theatre began a series of adaptations of Gardner's novels, scripted by M. J. Elliott.

Other adaptations

The Perry Mason character has appeared in comic books and a short-lived (October 16, 1950–June 21, 1952) comic strip. He was also the inspiration for The Whole Truth (1986) by James Cummins, a book-length collection of sestinas. The daytime soap opera The Edge of Night was originally meant to be a daytime version of Perry Mason, until Gardner had a falling-out with CBS network officials. He was later mollified enough to allow TV production of the most famous incarnation of the character. The character is also an inspiration for the TV show Adaalat on Sony TV India. Narayan Sanyal, a famous Bengali author, has created P. K. Basu, a detective character, being inspired from Mason.

Television series

Main articles: Perry Mason (TV series) and The New Adventures of Perry Mason

The best-known incarnation of Perry Mason came in the form of a CBS TV series which ran from 1957 to 1966, with Raymond Burr in the title role. Also starring were Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, and Ray Collins. The familiar theme song was Park Avenue Beat by Fred Steiner. Several years after the first series' cancellation a new series, The New Adventures of Perry Mason, aired in 1973 which featured Monte Markham in the title role. It was unsuccessful, and its reruns are not seen in syndication.

Current availability of the television series

As of January 2013, the TV series starring Raymond Burr is shown weekdays on both Me-TV and the Hallmark Movie Channel and in various local markets. KPTV television station broadcasting from Portland, Oregon was airing reruns of Perry Mason weekdays during its noon time slot, but relocated the show to sister station KPDX weekdays at 8:00 AM on September 4, 2012; KPTV had broadcast the show in the weekday noon timeslot since 1966. Perry Mason has also been syndicated on three New Orleans Stations. The show ran on WVUE (then ABC) weeknights at 10pm before the local news in the late 1960s; on WGNO in the mid 1970s, again at 10pm weeknights; and on WWL-TV from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Currently, WVUE (now FOX 8) owns local rights to air Perry Mason and it is broadcast on Monday Mornings from 1 AM to 5 AM and Tuesday through Saturday Mornings from 4 AM to 5 AM. The series is distributed by CBS Television Distribution (originally by CBS Films, then Viacom Enterprises, Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Paramount Domestic Television).

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

TV movies

American television producers Dean Hargrove and Fred Silverman resurrected the Perry Mason character in a series of TV movies for NBC beginning in 1985 (they would create the Matlock series a year later). Hargrove and Silverman brought back the two surviving stars of the TV series – Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale (reprising their roles as Mason and Della Street respectively) – for the first telefilm, Perry Mason Returns; Mason, now an appellate court judge, resigns his position to successfully defend his secretary Della on murder charges. William Katt (Hale's son) was cast as Paul Drake, Jr. (William Hopper, 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, Mason used the services of attorney Ken Malansky (played by William R. Moses).

Because of lower production costs, many of the later TV Movies were filmed and set in Denver, Colorado rather than Mason's traditional locale of Los Angeles, California. Although set in Colorado, a courtroom wall shown at the end of the opening credits bears a Seal of Los Angeles County, California.

The Perry Mason series of TV movies continued until Burr's death from kidney cancer 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 to Burr's memory. Thereafter, the title of the series was changed to A Perry Mason Mystery and starred either Paul Sorvino or Hal Holbrook as lawyers and friends of Mason. Hale continued her role as Street, while Mason was ostensibly out of town. William R. Moses continued as Ken Malansky.

Regular characters

Recurring characters in the Perry Mason stories include:

• Perry Mason: The title character played by Raymond Burr in Perry Mason and the first twenty-six TV Movies listed below. Monte Markham played Mason in The New Adventures of Perry Mason.
• Della Street: Mason's confidential secretary (originated in 1943 by Joan Alexander on radio,) who was played by Barbara Hale in Perry Mason and all of the TV Movies listed below.
• Paul Drake: private investigator played by William Hopper in Perry Mason.
• Paul Drake, Jr.: Paul Drake's son (also a private investigator), played by William Katt in nine of the TV Movies listed below; Katt is the son of actress Barbara Hale (see above).
• Ken Malansky: replaced Paul Drake, Jr., played by William R. Moses in twenty-one of the TV Movies listed below.
• Hamilton Burger: District Attorney played by William Talman in Perry Mason, and by Charles Macaulay in one of the films listed below.
• Lt. Arthur Tragg: Police homicide investigator played by Ray Collins in Perry Mason.
• Lt. Andy Anderson: Police homicide investigator played by Wesley Lau in Perry Mason; Lau eventually replaced the ailing Ray Collins.
• Lt. Steve Drumm: Police homicide investigator played by Richard Anderson on the final season of in Perry Mason.
• Terrance Clay: Restaurateur and friend of Perry played by Dan Tobin in eight episodes of the final season of Perry Mason.
• 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 by Connie Cezon in Perry Mason and Brett Somers in the The New Adventures of Perry Mason.
• David Gideon: Young legal assistant working with Mason and played by Karl Held. Gideon first appeared as a suspect in The Case Of The Grumbling Grandfather and later appeared in eight episodes.
• Sergeant Holcomb: Homicide detective, often featured in the novels.
• Carl Jackson: Junior attorney in Mason's law firm. He appeared in a few episodes of Perry Mason as well as in the novels.
• Lieutenant Ed Brock: Police commander played by James McEachin in several of the TV Movies listed below.
• Michael Reston: Another district attorney played by David Ogden Stiers in eight of the TV movies listed below.
• Amy Hastings: Ken Malansky's girlfriend and assistant to Perry in three of the TV movies listed below.
• Judge Elinor Harrelson: A judge played by Pam Ward in three of the TV movies listed below, and by Betsy Jones-Moreland in seven of the TV movies listed below.
• Barbara August: Yet another District Attorney played by Valerie Mahaffey in two of the TV movies listed below.

Title listings

See also: Perry Mason (novels) and List of Perry Mason episodes

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 Raymond Burr's death four movies were produced in a series entitled A Perry Mason Mystery, in which Barbara Hale continued to star as Della Street and William R. Moses continued as Ken Malansky. Hale only had a cameo in the final film:

• The Case of the Wicked Wives (1993), starring Paul Sorvino as Anthony Caruso
• The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle (1994), starring Hal Holbrook as "Wild Bill" McKenzie
• The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994), again starring Holbrook in the same role
• The Case of the Jealous Jokester (1995), again starring Holbrook

In popular culture

The Butthole Surfers' song "Perry", included on the album Rembrandt Pussyhorse, borrows the title tune from the TV show. The Blues Brothers recorded a cover version of the song, called "Perry Mason Theme", which was included in Made in America. It was later used in the film Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), where it was played during a scene where Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) and Mack (John Goodman) leave two members of the Russian mob unconscious in an alley.

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera stretched Gardner's character by creating "Perry Masonry" in the episode of The Flintstones in which the Rubbles adopt Bamm-Bamm. Masonry's opposing counsel was named "Bronto Burger".

Mad Magazine spoofed the 1950s TV series with "Perry Masonmint". Fast Forward also spoofed the 1950s series. Jack Benny once did a sketch about Perry Mason actually losing a case.

During a case in the TV law drama Boston Legal, a method of proving reasonable doubt was credited to Perry Mason with much success. In Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, the MASON system plays a key part in the final case of the game, being used by Phoenix Wright.

The Ozzy Osbourne album Ozzmosis contains a track titled "Perry Mason". The song's opening melody is the same as that of the theme music to the television series, and the lyrics carry a story similar to that of an episode of the series and even make mention of the titular character in the song's chorus: "Who can we get on the case? We need Perry Mason. Someone to put you in place. Calling Perry Mason, again".

External links

• Perry Mason at the MBC Encyclopedia of Television
• Database and cover gallery for the Dell Comic book based on the TV show
• The Perry Mason TV Show Database
• The Perry Mason TV Series Wiki
• Perry Mason radio shows in the public domain