Perry Mason (TV series)

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Perry Mason
Perry Mason Title Screen.png
title card
Format Dramatized court show
Created by Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Developed by Paisano Productions
Starring Raymond Burr
Barbara Hale
William Hopper
William Talman
Ray Collins
Wesley Lau
Richard Anderson
Theme music composer Fred Steiner
Opening theme "Park Avenue Beat"
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 9
No. of episodes 271 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Gail Patrick Jackson
Thomas Cornwall Jackson
Producer(s) Ben Brady
Herbert Hirschman
Seeleg Lester
Art Seid
Arthur Marks
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 45–48 minutes
Production company(s) TCF Television Productions, Inc.
Paisano Productions
CBS Productions (original series)
Intermedia Company/The Fred Silverman Company (1985-1995, tv movies only)
Strathmore Productions/Dean Hargrove Productions (1985-1995, tv movies only)
Viacom Productions (1985-1995, tv movies only)
Distributor CBS Television Distribution
Broadcast
Original channel CBS
Picture format Black-and-white
Color (one episode)
Audio format Monaural
Original run September 21, 1957 (1957-09-21)[1] – May 22, 1966 (1966-05-22)[2]

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

Contents

Overview [edit]

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

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

In a few episodes, Burger and Tragg are shown teaming up with Mason to catch the killer. In one episode, after Mason's client is convicted, Burger provides assistance to Perry which ultimately leads to the verdict being reversed just as the client is being prepared for the gas chamber.

Barbara Hale played Perry's confidential secretary, Della Street. Just when things were at their bleakest, Drake would often rush into the courtroom with vital information or evidence to turn the tables on the prosecution in the nick of time.

Scattered throughout the run were episodes that would take place beyond Burger's jurisdiction as District Attorney of Los Angeles. In 1960, when William Talman, who played Hamilton Burger, was suspended for allegedly violating the morals clause in his contract, several assistant prosecutors were seen in court. Talman had attended a party at which he was charged with having engaged in indecent activities.[6] He was later acquitted, and largely through the efforts of Burr, Talman was reinstated to the show.[6] Erle Stanley Gardner claimed that Raymond Burr originally auditioned for the role of Burger; Gardner said he intervened personally to ensure that Burr was picked to play Mason instead.

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

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

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

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

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

All but one of the episodes in the series were filmed in black and white. The episode "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist", an episode heavily influenced by Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist, was the sole exception. (Dickens did not receive screen credit.)

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

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

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

Characters [edit]

See also: List of Perry Mason cast members

Setting [edit]

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

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

Episodes [edit]

Main article: List of Perry Mason episodes

Broadcast history [edit]

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

Ratings [edit]

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

Syndication [edit]

The original series was a staple in syndication, running for many years on local television stations, TBS and on the Hallmark Channel. Originally, only 195 episodes (out of 271) were available to stations. These episodes included all of the first six seasons (except four from the sixth season where Raymond Burr only makes a brief appearance), four episodes of the seventh season and fourteen episodes of the ninth and final season including the final episode ("The Case of the Final Fade-Out"). It wasn't until the mid-1980s when TBS obtained the rights to the remaining episodes that these were also seen in syndication.

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 aired reruns of Perry Mason weekdays during its noon time slot since 1966. This unprecedented run ended on September 4, 2012, when KPTV ceased airing the show. It continues on another Portland station, KPDX, but airs in the 8 AM time slot.[20] The series was distributed CBS Films, then Viacom Enterprises, Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Paramount Domestic Television, and now by CBS Television Distribution.

CBS posted full 60-minute episodes on its website from the first and second seasons for viewing.[21]

DVD releases [edit]

CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released the first eight seasons of Perry Mason on DVD in Region 1. Each season has been released in 2-volume sets because each season of Perry Mason contains considerably more material than a modern TV series. The first season of Perry Mason featured 39 episodes, Season 3 had 26 episodes, and all other seasons had either 28 or 30 episodes; this compares with 22 for a typical modern series. In addition, Perry Mason episodes are 53 minutes long, as opposed to a typical running time of 43 minutes for a modern 1-hour TV show release. Season 9, volume 1 will be released on June 11, 2013.[22] Season 9, volume 2 will be released on August 13, 2013.[23]

In April 2008, a special 50th Anniversary DVD set was released with selected episodes from the 3rd through 9th seasons, as well as various bonus material that included the first of the 1980s Perry Mason TV movies (Perry Mason Returns), archived screen tests done for the 1957 TV series, interviews with the stars over the years, etc.

The DVDs contain the original full-length version of each episode (with one exception, the second season episode "Fancy Figures", which has about a minute of dialog missing in at least the Region 1 DVD release), while re-runs broadcast in syndication have usually been heavily edited down to allow for more time for commercials. However, later issues of the 2nd Season Volume 2 DVD set includes the full unedited version of "Fancy Figures".

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

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

DVD Name Ep # Release dates
Season 1, Volume 1 19 July 11, 2006
Season 1, Volume 2 20 November 21, 2006
Season 2, Volume 1 15 June 19, 2007
Season 2, Volume 2 15 November 13, 2007
Season 3, Volume 1 12 August 19, 2008
Season 3, Volume 2 14 December 2, 2008
Season 4, Volume 1 16 June 9, 2009
Season 4, Volume 2 12 December 8, 2009
Season 5, Volume 1 15 April 20, 2010
Season 5, Volume 2 15 November 16, 2010
Season 6, Volume 1 14 October 4, 2011
Season 6, Volume 2 14 November 22, 2011
Season 7, Volume 1 15 August 21, 2012
Season 7, Volume 2 15 October 23, 2012
Season 8, Volume 1 15 November 27, 2012
Season 8, Volume 2 15 January 15, 2013
Season 9, Volume 1 15 June 11, 2013
Season 9, Volume 2 15 August 13, 2013

Series revival [edit]

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

Made-for-TV movies [edit]

Raymond Burr with special guest star Diana Muldaur in Perry Mason and the Case of the Fatal Fashion (1991)

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

A total of 30 movies were made between 1985 and 1995, with Burr starring in 26. After Burr died in 1993, Paul Sorvino and Hal Holbrook starred in the final four episodes from 1993 to 1995. These post-Burr films were entitled A Perry Mason Mystery. with Sorvino starring in the first film and Holbrook starring in the remaining three. Their characters, Anthony Caruso, and Bill "Wild Bill" McKenzie, respectively, are both lawyers and introduced as close friends of Mason. Both Barbara Hale, and William R. Moses reprised their roles for all four films (although in the final film in 1995, Hale only contributed a small cameo, with Holland Taylor substituting for her.) Instead of killing off Mason for these films, his absence in these films was explained by having him out of town (for example, in the first film, The Case of the Wicked Wives, Perry's absence is explained by having him away doing business in Washington D.C while Sorvino's character uses his office for a few weeks.)

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

Perry Mason Mysteries (1993)

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

See also [edit]

References [edit]

 This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (May 2013)
  1. ^ Kelleher, Brian; Diana Merrill (1987). "Episode Guide – The First Season". The Perry Mason TV show book : the complete story of America's favorite television lawyer. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-00669-1. OCLC 15251393. Retrieved 2007-09-18. 
  2. ^ Kelleher, Brian; Diana Merrill (1987). "Episode Guide – The Ninth Season". The Perry Mason TV show book : the complete story of America's favorite television lawyer. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-00669-1. OCLC 15251393. Retrieved 2007-09-18. 
  3. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Earle Marsh (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, 1946–Present. New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-28248-5. OCLC 4496779. 
  4. ^ Leitch, Thomas (2005). Perry Mason. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0-8143-3121-1.  "It is never enough for Mason to establish a reasonable doubt of his client's guilt; he must clear the client absolutely by pinning the guilt on someone else, almost always by extracting a confession."
  5. ^ Perry Mason TV Show book, accessed April 30, 2010
  6. ^ a b "Perry Mason TV Showbook (Innocent as Charged)". Retrieved 2009-12-19. 
  7. ^ Fair, A. A. (1941). Double Or Quits. New York: W. Morrow. OCLC 3743209. "The coroner ... brought out a piece of chalk and said, ‘All right, now mark there on the floor right where the body was lying. Make a little diagram. Mark the position of his head, of his feet, and of his arms.’" 
  8. ^ Bank, Ed (2001-05-07). "Top TV songs are woven into the fabric of our lives" (archive, registration required). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2007-04-30. 
  9. ^ CNN coverage of Senate confirmation hearing coverage of Sonia Sotomayor, July 15, 2009. Viewed July 15, 2009
  10. ^ http://www.wendytech.com/moviesa-p.htm
  11. ^ List of Perry Mason episodes#Season 6
  12. ^ http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c905_e181.htm
  13. ^ List of Perry Mason episodes#Season 7
  14. ^ http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c906_e185.htm
  15. ^ List of Perry Mason episodes#Season 1
  16. ^ http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c900_e038.htm
  17. ^ http://www.perrymasontvshowbook.com/pmb_c209.htm.
  18. ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106666458
  19. ^ "The Case of the Fanciful Frail (Season 9 Episode 24 – Original Airdate: March 27, 1966),"
  20. ^ "Breaking 'Perry Mason' news: Reruns moving from KPTV to KPDX". Retrieved 2012-08-27. 
  21. ^ http://www.cbs.com/classics/perry_mason/
  22. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Perry-Mason-Season-9-Volume-1/18203
  23. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Perry-Mason-Season-9-Volume-2/18450
  24. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perry-Mason-1-DVD/dp/B001AHKH2I
  25. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perry-Mason-Series-2-DVD/dp/B0029KQNZK
  26. ^ http://www.dvdorchard.com.au/productfound.asp?Qno=TBCTIC0TPC0&SearchString=Perry+Mason&S1=True&S2=True&S3=False&NoCache=0.4034235M
  27. ^ The New Perry Mason '' at the Internet Movie Database
  28. ^ Bond, Jeff (1999), The Music of Star Trek, Los Angeles, Lone Eagle Publishing Company, ISBN 1-58065-012-0

External links [edit]

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