Perry Mason is an American legal drama series aired on CBS from September 21, 1957, to May 22, 1966. The title character, played by Raymond Burr, is a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner. Many episodes were based on stories written by Gardner.
Perry Mason was one of Hollywood's first weekly one-hour series filmed for television, and remains one of the longest-running and most successful legal-themed television series. During its first season, it received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Dramatic Series and it became one of the five most popular shows on television. Burr received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Barbara Hale received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Mason's confidential secretary Della Street. Perry Mason and Burr were honored as Favorite Series and Favorite Male Performer in the first two TV Guide Award readers' polls. In 1960, the series received the first Silver Gavel Award presented for television drama by the American Bar Association.
Perry Mason has aired in syndication in the United States and internationally ever since its cancellation, and the complete series has been released on Region 1 DVD. A 2014 study found that Netflix users rate Raymond Burr as their favorite actor, with Barbara Hale number seven on the list.
The New Perry Mason, a 1973 revival of the series with a different cast, was poorly received and ran for 15 episodes. In 1985, Burr returned to play Mason in a successful series of Perry Mason television films airing on NBC. A total of 30 films were made; Burr starred in 26 of them before his death in 1993. Another series, also titled Perry Mason, focusing on Perry Mason's origin story began airing in 2020 on HBO, with Matthew Rhys in the title role.
Plot Perry Mason is a distinguished criminal-defense lawyer practicing in Los Angeles, California, most of whose clients have been wrongly charged with murder. He is ably assisted by his confidential secretary Della Street and by private investigator Paul Drake. The innocent suspect is usually prosecuted by district attorney Hamilton Burger, though the prosecution is handled by a local district attorney when the murder takes place outside Los Angeles County. In the early seasons, the police investigation is usually led by the homicide detective Lt. Arthur Tragg. (Later, other homicide detectives appear with increasing frequency.)
In a typical episode, the first half of the show introduces a client, who often hires Mason on non-murder related business, or becomes acquainted with him in some other way. The prospective murder victim and other important figures in the case are introduced, and then the client is wrongly accused. Once the crime has been committed, while Tragg and Burger work to gather evidence against Mason's innocent client, Mason, Paul Drake and Della Street engage in a parallel investigation in order to exonerate him or her.
In the second half, Mason and Burger spar in the courtroom. This usually takes place during the preliminary hearing because Mason's technique is to clear a client before they are bound over for trial (based on novels). Jury trials are rarely seen, with "The Case of the Terrified Typist" being an exception. As the courtroom proceedings advance, while Burger and Tragg often uncover new evidence or a new witness that would seem to seal the fate of the accused, Mason's team continue their parallel investigation in what seems to be an increasingly hopeless effort. As the investigation or examination progresses, Mason and sometimes Burger uncover the morally ugly or even illegal conduct of some of the witnesses or participants, thus complicating the moral and legal intrigue of the case.
Eventually, some detail is uncovered, a different interpretation of the evidence is found, or a remark is made inside or outside the courtroom which gives Mason the clue he needs to discover the identity of the real murderer. (For example, in "The Case of the Lazy Lover", the prosecution's case relies on a complicated set of footprints left at the crime scene. Mason notices that the prints left by a neighbor's dog were inconsistent with Burger's interpretation, leading Mason to realize that the neighbor's testimony was contrary to the truth.) Armed with this new insight, Mason then usually embarks upon a line of questioning that reveals the surprise perpetrator, often causing them to break down and confess to the crime in the courtroom. In the closing scene or epilogue, Paul and Della, and sometimes Burger and Tragg, ask Mason what gave him the clue he needed; after Mason explains, he or someone else makes a humorous remark.
Cast and characters
Perry Mason – played by Raymond Burr – defense attorney. Della Street – played by Barbara Hale – Mason's confidential legal secretary. Paul Drake – played by William Hopper – owner of the Paul Drake Detective Agency, which employs a number of operatives, and is located in the same building as Perry's law practice. Often, Drake and his operatives do the legwork that allows Perry to assemble the clues that will clear his client. Hamilton Burger – played by William Talman – district attorney. Absent for parts of seasons 3 and 4. (Talman was briefly suspended from the show for violating CBS's morals clause, but was reinstated at the request of executive producer Gail Patrick Jackson and star Raymond Burr, after a letter-writing campaign from viewers.) LAPD homicide detectives: Lieutenant Arthur Tragg – played by Ray Collins – a police homicide detective and lead police official on the series. He appeared in all but a handful of episodes in seasons 1–3. Illness forced him to appear in fewer and fewer episodes in later seasons: nineteen episodes in season 4, eleven episodes in season 5, nine episodes in season 6, and three episodes in season 7. Collins continued to be billed in every episode through the end of season 8, though he ceased to appear midway through season 7. His last episode was "The Case of the Capering Camera" (season 7, episode 15; first broadcast January 16, 1964). Lieutenant Anderson – played by Wesley Lau – police homicide detective and lead police official on the series, known as Andy to his friends. Lau started appearing in the fall of 1961, when Ray Collins began to reduce his participation in the show due to illness, and gradually became more prominent. Some episodes featured Tragg, some Anderson, and some both, with Anderson's appearances generally increasing in proportion to Tragg's appearances being shorter or less often. Lau had previously appeared as another character in "The Case of the Impatient Partner" (season 5, episode 2; first broadcast September 16, 1961). Lt. Anderson was seen in seasons 5–8, beginning with "The Case of the Malicious Mariner" (season 5, episode 4; first broadcast on October 7, 1961) and ending with "The Case of the Mischievous Doll" (season 8, episode 30; first broadcast May 13, 1965). Lieutenant Steve Drumm – played by Richard Anderson, replacing Wesley Lau – police homicide detective and lead police official on the series, who appeared in the final season. Anderson had appeared previously as other lead characters in "The Case of the Accosted Accountant" (season 7, episode 14; first broadcast on January 9, 1964) and "The Case of the Paper Bullets" (season 8, episode 2; first broadcast October 1, 1964).
Recurring smaller roles Dr. Hoxie – autopsy surgeon (medical examiner) played by Michael Fox, seen in seasons 1 through 7; Fox also played other small roles in season 9. Police Sgt. Ben Landro - a homicide lead detective, played by Mort Mills. Sgt. Landro represents the law whenever the crime scene is remote from the city, and out of Lt. Tragg's jurisdiction. Seen infrequently (and never seen in an episode with Tragg, Anderson, or Drumm), Landro appeared in seven episodes during seasons 4, 5, 6, and 8. Sgt. Brice – a police officer, played by Lee Miller, who often accompanies Tragg, Anderson, or Drumm (but never Landro). Seen throughout the series run. Miller (who was Raymond Burr's on-set stand-in) also played other bit roles in seasons 1 and 2. Terrance Clay – played by Dan Tobin. Owner of the upscale Clay's Grill, where Perry, Paul, and Della (and sometimes Burger and/or Drumm) frequently gather in the final (ninth) season, usually during the story's epilogue. Perry, Paul, and Della (and sometimes Burger and Tragg) also frequented Clay's Grill in season 1 — but Clay was never seen in these early episodes. Gertrude "Gertie" Lade – Mason's frequently mentioned but rarely seen receptionist, played by Connie Cezon. Capable and friendly, if slightly ditzy, Gertie was seen mostly in seasons 1 and 2, with one appearance in season 4, and three episodes in season 7 (with Connie Cezon substituting for the temporarily unavailable Barbara Hale). Jonathan Hale – the rural district attorney, played by Paul Fix in five episodes. Whenever the crime scene is in a rustic county far from Hamilton Burger's jurisdiction, prosecutor Hale shrewdly—but quietly and good-naturedly—spars with defense counsel Mason. David Gideon – an eager young law student (and initially, a client of Mason's) who occasionally assisted Perry in researching a case. Played by Karl Held in seasons 4 and 5. Court clerk – Seen in the background during courtroom procedures. He handled exhibits marked for identification, and he called witnesses to the stand and swore them in. During the first two seasons the clerk was played alternately by Jack Harris and Jack Gargan. Midway through season 2 George E. Stone took over the clerk's role and remained with the series through season 6; Stone alternated with actors Charles Stroud, Olan Soule, and Hans Moebus. Judges – A rotating pool of judges was seen. The judges were not always consistently named, and were usually not given a name at all, only being referred to as "Your Honor." Each actor maintained a consistent personality during his sessions on the bench. Often seen were S. John Launer (33 episodes, 1958–1966), Kenneth MacDonald (32 episodes, 1957–1966), Willis Bouchey (23 episodes, 1960–1966), Morris Ankrum (22 episodes, 1957–1964), John Gallaudet (20 episodes, 1959–1966; his character was identified in later years as Judge Ben Penner), Grandon Rhodes (16 episodes, 1957–1966), Richard Gaines (14 episodes, 1958–1961), Charles Irving (11 episodes, 1961–1965), Nelson Leigh (9 episodes, 1959–1964), and Frank Wilcox (8 episodes, 1957–1960). For three cases the judge was a woman: Lillian Bronson (1958–1960). One notable judge was played by Vince Townsend Jr., who appeared in "The Case of the Skeleton's Closet" (season 6, episode 26; first broadcast on May 2, 1963); Townsend was an African-American who spoke no lines. He was an actual judge in the Los Angeles County Municipal Court and was also a minister in the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles. He was the only black judge to appear in the series.
Production Background
Erle Stanley Gardner had already allowed his Perry Mason character to be portrayed in other media. A series of Warner Bros. feature films was produced between 1933 and 1937, starring Warren William in four and Ricardo Cortez and Donald Woods in one each. A seventh Warner adaptation, based on Gardner's novel The Case of the Dangerous Dowager, was filmed in 1940 as Granny Get Your Gun, with the Mason character written out of the story entirely.
A radio series followed, which Gardner despised because it emphasized romance over legal matters. The radio series, without the Mason character, would be adapted for television as the long-running crime soap opera The Edge of Night. After the film and radio ventures, Gardner refused to license his popular character Perry Mason for any more adaptations.