who played perry mason attorney at law

by Ralph O'Reilly V 8 min read

Nearly eighty additional novels followed. Then between 1934 and 1937, Warner Brothers produced six Perry Mason feature films. Three actors played the crafty attorney: Warren William (1895–1948), Ricardo Cortez (1899–1977), and Donald Woods (1906–1998). The radio series ran from 1943 to 1955.

Who was Perry Mason's Attorney?

The Principal Cast For the Defense Raymond Burrplayed the eponymous attorney Perry Mason who never, except sort of a few times, lost a case. Barbara Halewas Perry's very capable private and proper secretary Della Street. These pictures from episodes #25 and #130.

Is Perry Mason the only actor to play the part?

Raymond Burr Was Best Known As Perry Mason, But He Wasn’t The Only Actor To Play The Part In fact, Burr was both preceded and followed by other actors in the role, at least in relation to his successful TV series. (No one has took the role since Burr’s death.)

Who played Perry Mason in the case of the Killer Kiss?

The Case of the Killer Kiss was Burr's final portrayal of Mason. The film 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.

Who are the actors in the restaurant on Perry Mason?

restaurant run by Terrance Clay, a recurring role played by Dan Tobin. Karl Held appeared in 9 episodes as David Gideon, a law student working with Perry. Lee Miller, Raymond Burr's stand-in on the set, appeared as Sgt.

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Who was the other lawyer on Perry Mason?

HBO's Perry Mason The adversary is district attorney Maynard Barnes, a character created for the series, played by Stephen Root. Burger, meanwhile, is depicted as helping Mason study for the bar exam.

Is William Talman still alive?

August 30, 1968William Talman / Date of death

Why did William Katt leave Perry Mason?

Q Why wasn't William Katt on the last Perry Mason TV movie? A Katt has left to pursue a movie career. He has been replaced by William R. Moses as Ken Malansky, Perry Mason's new assistant.

What happened to the prosecuting attorney on Perry Mason?

William Talman died of cardiac arrest due to complications from lung cancer at West Valley Community Hospital in Encino, California, on August 30, 1968, at the age of 53.

Was William Hopper married?

Jeanette J. Hopperm. 1959–1970Jane Gilbertm. 1940–1959William Hopper/Spouse

Did Perry Mason ever kiss Della Street?

At the end of the movie Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) and Della Street (Barbara Hale) share the first on screen kiss between the two characters.

Was the cast of Perry Mason friends?

The on-air chemistry between Hale and Burr and the affection their characters had for each other helped endear the show to viewers for decades. They remained close friends until Burr's death in 1993 at age 76.

Who made the most guest appearances on Perry Mason?

George E. StoneGeorge E. Stone had the most credited guest appearances in the series with 45. He played the court clerk.

Was William Katt on emergency?

"Emergency!" Weird Wednesday (TV Episode 1972) - William Katt as Wally Lytton - IMDb.

Was William Talman a smoker?

Long after he had married Flanigan in 1958 and gotten his life in order, Talman continued to smoke cigarettes, a habit he had begun at age 12. Indeed, despite growing warnings about the dangers of smoking, Talman smoked as many as three packs per day.

Why was Bette Davis on Perry Mason?

Bette Davis was a huge fan of the series and thus was more than happy to oblige when asked to fill in for the ailing Raymond Burr. Jerry Oddo's next to last television appearance. His final appearance was in another Perry Mason (1957) episode, Perry Mason: The Case of the Floating Stones (1963).

Why was Hamilton Burger on crutches in Perry Mason?

Just before this episode was shot, William Talman injured his right leg and was fitted for a cast. The writers had no choice but to work this into the script--Hamilton Burger wears a cast and ambles about on crutches throughout the episode.

Personal Details

Stage Play: Spring Again. Written by Isabel Leighton and Bertram Bloch. Directed by Guthrie McClintic. Henry Miller's Theatre (moved to The Playhouse Theatre from 10 Jan 1942- close): 10 Nov 1941- 10 Jan 1942 (241 performances). Cast: Ann Andrews (as "Edith Weybright"), Betty Breckenridge (as "Elizabeth"), Joseph Buloff (as "William ... See more »

Did You Know?

He was actually fired from the Perry Mason (1957) series after a party at which he was a guest was raided by Los Angeles police. Although he denied any wrongdoing, he was fired from the show due to the morals clause in his contract. Although the cast and crew persuaded the network to rehire him, it damaged his acting career.

How many episodes of Perry Mason were there?

Several years after Perry Mason was cancelled, a new series, The New Perry Mason, aired in 1973 featuring Monte Markham in the title role. A total of 15 episodes aired before being cancelled halfway through its first season.

How many Perry Mason books are there?

Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a client being charged with murder, usually involving a preliminary hearing or jury trial. Typically, Mason establishes his client's innocence by finding the real murderer.

What are the names of the characters in Perry Mason?

Regular characters. Recurring characters in the Perry Mason stories include the following: Perry Mason: Los Angeles attorney introduced in the 1933 novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws. Della Street: Mason's confidential secretary introduced in the 1933 novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws.

When did Perry Mason start on TV?

Perry Mason was adapted for radio as a 15-minute daily crime series that aired from 1943 to 1955 on CBS Radio. 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 that began airing on CBS in 1956. The general theme of the radio series was continued, with a different title and characters, as The Edge of Night.

What is Perry Mason's occupation?

Occupation. Lawyer. Nationality. American. Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a client being charged with murder, ...

When did Perry Mason come out?

A second television series, The New Perry Mason starring Monte Markham, ran from 1973 to 1974; and 30 Perry Mason television films ran from 1985 to 1995, with Burr reprising the role of Mason in 26 of them prior to his death in 1993. A third television series, HBO 's Perry Mason starring Matthew Rhys, started airing in 2020.

What case did Mason break the law?

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.

How many Perry Mason movies were there?

A series of 30 Perry Mason television films aired on NBC from 1985 to 1995 as sequels to the CBS TV series Perry Mason. After a hiatus of nearly 20 years, Raymond Burr reprised his role as Los Angeles defense attorney Mason in 26 of the television films. Following Burr's death in 1993, Paul Sorvino and Hal Holbrook starred in ...

How many movies were made after Burr died?

After Burr's death. 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 telefilms from 1993 to 1995.

Where was Perry Mason Returns filmed?

Budgeted at $3 million, Perry Mason Returns was filmed in Toronto, standing in for Los Angeles to save production costs. 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.

Who played Wild Bill in Perry Mason?

These four films were presented as A Perry Mason Mystery, with Sorvino starring as Anthony Caruso in the first film and Holbrook starring as Bill "Wild Bill" McKenzie in the remaining three. Their characters are introduced as both lawyers and close friends of Mason, who is ostensibly out of town.

Who played Perry Mason?

Raymond Burr starred as Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer Perry Mason, a character created by American author and attorney Erle Stanley Gardner. Television producer Dean Hargrove resurrected the Perry Mason character in a series of television films for NBC beginning in 1985.

Who played Ken Malansky in The Case of the Lethal Lesson?

In the later TV movies, Mason utilizes the services of Ken Malansky ( William R. Moses ), an attorney who works with him as a private investigator. Malansky's character is introduced in The Case of the Lethal Lesson (1989), as a law student who is defended by Mason on a murder charge.

Who played Paul Drake in Perry Mason Returns?

William Katt, Hale's own son, was cast as private investigator Paul Drake, Jr., the son of original series’ private investigator Paul Drake. William Hopper, who played Drake, died in 1970;

Who played Perry Mason in the movie?

In fact, Burr was both preceded and followed by other actors in the role, at least in relation to his successful TV series. (No one has took the role since Burr’s death.) The first person to play Perry Mason on film was Warren William, who starred in 1934’s theatrical feature The Case of the Howling Dog. He appeared three more times in the role before handing it off to Ricardo Cortez for 1936’s The Case of the Black Cat.

Who helped Perry Mason?

Just a short list of the people that Perry Mason helped put on the map, according to the Temecula website, include Barbara Eden, Burt Reynolds, Adam West, Dick Clark, Robert Redford, Angie Dickinson, Leonard Nimoy, James Coburn, Ryan O’Neal and Cloris Leachman.

How long was Perry Mason?

Each episode of the 1957 to 1966 Perry Mason television show ran 52 minutes. Multiply that times 271 episodes, and you get 14,092 minutes, or just over 234 hours. It would take an additional two days (approximately 47.5 hours) to watch the 30 additional tele-films.

Why was Perry Mason suspended?

He started on the same path, but was suspended from the Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana after just one month of attendance due to a “distracting interest in boxing ,” according to the New York Times.

How many seasons of Perry Mason were there?

The actor took on the role for the landmark television series and stayed with it for nine seasons and 271 hour-long episodes. The show ended in 1966 and Burr took a break from the character for 20 years but would later return to it in a series of memorable feature-length made-for-TV films. According to IMDB, there were 30 films in all. Burr starred in 26 of them.

How many times has Perry Mason's novel been adapted?

The First Perry Mason Novel Has Been Adapted Twice …. Once For Movies, Once For TV. Perry Mason made his literary debut in The Case of the Velvet Claws, which was published in 1933. Three years later, the novel was adapted for the big screen.

What happened to Mason in The Witless Witness?

In “The Case of the Witless Witness,” Mason loses a non-murder case, a “matter of civil law,” the site notes. In “The Case of the Terrified Typist,” Mason’s client is found guilty of murder, but he eventually manages to clear her name anyway.

What episode of Perry Mason did Ray Collins die in?

Ray’s final Perry Mason episode, The Case of the Capering Camera, aired on January 16th, 1964. Producers insisted his name remain in the title sequence because he still watched the show every week. Ray Collins died on July 11th, 1965 of emphysema in Santa Monica, California at the age of 75.

How long was Perry Mason?

The Perry Mason series ran from 1957-1966 and spawned several TV movies. It was based on a series of novels by lawyer and author Erle Stanley Gardner. It was one of the first hour-long TV shows to ever air and most successful law shows of all time. Each Perry Mason cast member served as part of the show’s success.

How did Raymond Burr die?

He achieved this goal by playing inspirational characters. Raymond Burr died of liver cancer at his Northern California ranch at the age of 76.

How did Katt die?

A Facebook post from her son William Katt revealed her death. She died of natural causes surrounded by family and friends at her home in Sherman Oaks, California at the age of 94. She’s survived by her son, daughters Johanna Katt and Juanita King, 6 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.

Where was Wesley Lau born?

Wesley Lau was born on June 18, 1921, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. His acting career was successful there, but he was unknown everywhere else. He was a patient man and wanted to stretch his acting muscles. Wesley appeared on Perry Mason as client Amory Fallon in 1961.

Where was William Talman born?

William Talman was born in Detroit, Michigan. He founded the drama club at the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and acted while studying at Dartmouth College and The University of Michigan. After graduating college, William joined a stock company to begin his stage acting career.

Who played Amory Fallon in Perry Mason?

Wesley appeared on Perry Mason as client Amory Fallon in 1961. He then permanently joined the cast as Lieutenant Andy Anderson to replace Ray Collins as Lieutenant Arthur Tragg. The character was not part of the original Perry Mason novels but appeared in 82 episodes and lasted until the 8th-season finale.

What did Raymond Burr die from?

Ironside on television, died on Sunday at his ranch in Dry Creek Valley, near Healdsburg, Calif. He was 76. The cause was kidney cancer, said his doctor, Paul J. Marguglio. Mr. Burr started his career playing Hollywood heavies, most ...

How many times was Burr married?

According to the reference work Current Biography, Mr. Burr was married three times. His first wife, Annette Sutherland, an Englishwoman, was killed in 1943 when the plane in which she was traveling was shot down by the Germans.

How much did Burr weigh in 1946?

Mr. Burr left the Navy in 1946 weighing nearly 350 pounds, and he immediately landed work in films as a villain. His first screen role, in "Without Reservations" (1946), starring John Wayne and Claudette Colbert led to steady work. In all, he appeared in 90 films.

Was Perry Mason canceled?

In the 1960-61 season, the show was among the five most popular on television, and Mr. Burr twice won Emmy Awards for best actor in a series. Even after the show was canceled, Mason lived on in syndication. Mr. Burr recreated the role in "The New Perry Mason" in 1973, and in a television movie, "Perry Mason Returns," that was ...

Who played Perry Mason in the movie?

Mr. Burr started his career playing Hollywood heavies, most notably in Alfred Hitchcock's film "Rear Window.". But he captivated television audiences with his portrayal of the Los Angeles trial lawyer Perry Mason, who won his first case in September 1957 and continued an unbroken winning streak that lasted nine seasons.

Who played Ironside in Perry Mason?

One year after "Perry Mason" went off the air in September 1966, Mr. Burr stepped into the role of Robert Ironside, the chief of detectives for the San Francisco police department, who worked from a wheelchair after a would-be assassin's bullet left him paralyzed from the waist down. A Peripatetic Youth.

Who was the actor in Perry Mason?

In 1957, Mr. Burr was chosen over contenders including Fred MacMurray and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. to play the starring role in "Perry Mason," a CBS-TV series based on the mystery novels of Erle Stanley Gardner. In the 1960-61 season, the show was among the five most popular on television, and Mr. Burr twice won Emmy Awards for best actor in a series.

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Overview

Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a client being charged with murder, usually involving a preliminary hearing or jury trial. Typically, Mason establishes his client's innocence by finding the real mu…

Character

As a child, Gardner read the magazine Youth's Companion, published by the Perry Mason Company - a name Gardner later borrowed for his fictional attorney. Gardner provided more information about Mason's character in earlier novels while knowledge of his character is largely taken for granted in the later works, the television series and movies. In the first novel (The Case of the Velvet Claws, 1933), Mason describes himself in the following way:

Novels

Julian Symons noted that 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 writin…

Adaptations

Warner Bros. released a series of six Perry Mason films in the 1930s.
• 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 …

Regular characters

Recurring characters in the Perry Mason stories include the following:
• Perry Mason: Los Angeles attorney introduced in the 1933 novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws.
• Della Street: Mason's confidential secretary introduced in the 1933 novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws.

Influence

In her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee in July 2009, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor prefaced her remarks on the role of the prosecutor by saying that she was inspired by watching the Perry Mason television series as a child:
I was influenced so greatly by a television show in igniting the passion that I had as being a prosecutor, and it was Perry Mason … In one of the episodes, at the end of the episode … Perry s…

External links

• Perry Mason at the Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television
• Database and cover gallery for the Dell Comic book based on the TV show
• The Perry Mason TV Show Book by Brian Kelleher and Diana Merrill