1. | Perry Mason: Season 1 | 1957 |
2. | Perry Mason: Season 2 | 1958 |
3. | Perry Mason: Season 3 | 1959 |
Perry Mason
There are few actors so closely tied to a persona than Raymond Burr as Perry Mason. This long-running series was built upon Erle Stanley Gardner´s many novels about a brilliant defense lawyer and his staff, that solved many a crime with surprise witnesses and stern cross-examinations.It was the first mystery series to feature chalk or tape outlines to mark the spots where bodies were found. Filmed almost exclusively in the Los Angeles area, Raymond Burr had Gardner's seal of approval in the role. The cases were usually won by way of pivotal confessions of witnesses, solicited by Perry Mason (Burr's) surgeon-like examination or with last-minute, key evidence brought into the courtroom by private investigator, Paul Drake (William Hopper). Della Street (Barbara Hale), Perry´s faithful secretary, was always at Perry's side in the courtroom where hapless Hamilton Burger (William Tallman) was the Los Angeles District Attorney who never seemed to win. As to the myth that Perry Mason never lost, there were 2 episodes where it did occur... but you'll have to watch to find out.The show was revived in 1973-74, with other actors in the familiar roles (Monte Markham as Mason), and then again with the some of the original cast, in a string of feature length TV films from 1985 until Raymond Burr´s death in 1993.
Raymond Burr | Perry Mason | |
Barbara Hale | Della Street | |
Ray Collins | Lt. Tragg | |
William Hopper | Paul Drake | |
William Talman | Hamilton Burger | |
Lee Miller | Sgt. Brice | |
Don Anderson | Bailiff | |
George E. Stone | Court Clerk | |
Edwin Rochelle | Courtroom Spectator | |
Flower Parry | Courtroom Spectator | |
Jack Stoney | Courtroom Spectator | |
Jack Chefe | Courtroom Spectator | |
S. John Launer | Judge | |
Robert Haines | Stenotype Operator | |
Richard Gaines | Judge | |
Morris Ankrum | Judge Bates | |
Frederick Worlock | Judge | |
Michael Fox | Dr. Hexie | |
Jon Lormer | Autopsy Surgeon | |
Pitt Herbert | Autopsy Surgeon | |
R.G. Armstrong | Harry Bright | |
Norman Alden | Darrel Reed | |
Franklyn Farnum | Restaurant Patron | |
Vaughn Taylor | Harry Folsom | |
Bill Hickman | Blake's Messenger |
A man that faked his death has been exposed and is blackmailed. With help from Perry, he plans on returning to his wife. But, before that can happen, he is found dead and a woman he had a relationship with is charged and needs Perry's help.
Ted Balfour is convicted of vehicular manslaughter and given a suspended sentence through a plea bargain. When the police discover the victim actually died of a gunshot wound to the head, Ted is charged with first-degree murder.
Nicky Renzi, a fourteen-year-old, finds the loot from a robbery and consults Perry about the legality of keeping it. His grandfather, Gramp Renzi, is adamant about reporting it to the police, but then charged with grand theft and murder.
Major Frank Lessing, an Army payroll officer, is found murdered and Sgt. Joseph Dexter is charged with the crime. The case hinges on a payroll robbery committed in the Philippines years before but the bills are now appearing on base.
Rhoda Reynolds is blackmailed by Artie Kane for a past indiscretion which she would like to keep from her weakling husband Carl and his overbearing father Philip. When Artie turns up dead, Rhoda is charged with his murder.
Jack Hardisty steals $100,000 from the bank where he works and asks his father-in-law, Dr. Blane, the chairman of the board, to repay it to avoid a scandal. While investigating, Drake discovers Dr. Blane rifling Jack's home and Jack dead.
Danny Harrison, a schoolteacher, holds a second job at Luke Hickey's diner to make ends meet. Frank Curran comes to the diner flashing a wad of cash, which is tempting to Danny. When Curran is robbed and killed, Danny is charged.
Jockey Tic Barton's wife tries to persuade him to throw a race to please gambler Johnny Starr, with whom she is having an affair. Tic refuses, but he loses the race anyhow. When Starr is killed, Tic is charged with murder.
Art collector Rufus Varner has bought a famous painting from dealer Milo Girard, but the painting may be a forgery by Aaron Hubble, and Girard's wife, Evelyn, consults Perry for protection against any involvement in the suspected fraud.
Martin Ellis, a former employee of Jonathan Hyett, is serving time for embezzlement, a charge he strongly denies. New evidence curiously emerges that may cast doubt on Ellis' conviction, so his wife Caroline consults Perry about the case.
The only witness to a rich man's murder is his parrot, who keeps repeating the suspect's name. But in court, everyone is surprised at what the bird says next. Perry does his magic at an informal coroner's Inquest in a rural area.
Diamond cutter and confidence man Hans Breel owes a large sum to gambler William Walker. Breel convinces Irene Bedford to let him sell her diamond to raise money. He sells the diamond to Virginia Trent, but swindles Irene out of her share.
Attractive brunette Eva Martell interviews with Melvin Slater for a special assignment--to pose as Helen Reynolds. Eva takes the job chaperoned by her Aunt Agnes Nulty. Eva and Agnes find Slater dead and are charged with murder.
Rollins and Wyatt have discovered a cure for gill fever. As they plan to market the product, they find that Jack Huxley has bought the aquarium business and owns all patents and intellectual property. Huxley is murdered; Wyatt is charged.
Framed for embezzlement by her fiance, Millicent Crest decides to flee. She picks up another woman who causes them to have an accident. The woman is killed, so Millie takes her name but finds she has walked into a scandal.
D.A. Brander Harris is investigating graft in a hospital project. He meets with Leora Mathews to obtain proof. Leora disrobes and kisses Harris as a photographer takes a picture. It goes to political fixer Marshall Scott who is murdered.
Stacey Chandler gives Helen Harvey his mother's cameo as an engagement gift but Helen finds out that Stacey is a con man. Irene Wallace tries to involve Stacey in a con game against Helen, but he refuses. Irene is killed and Helen charged.
Fading funnyman Danny Ross has been promised a new television show, which he desperately needs for a comeback. Charles Goff, the executive who promised Danny the show, double-crosses the jaded joker and pitches the show for another talent.
Peter Baxter decides to test his heirs' loyalties. He pretends to change his will, cutting them all out and leaving his estate to his caretaker, James Hing, who is then supposed to burn down Baxter's house with a medical cadaver in it.
Bishop Arthur Mallory searches for a young woman who may be the heiress to $1,000,000 from the Charles Burroughs estate. Carol Delaney fits the bill. Mallory is beaten by Wallace Lang and his henchman to persuade him to drop the case.
An ex-gangster decides to pull out of a play the author is basing on a real-life, mob-related killing. His threatening request is recorded so when the playwright is murdered, he is charged with the murder as Perry sorts out the actors.
Dr. David Craig records his patients' sessions on tape. Peter Heywood reveals an affair on one of the tapes. Heywood's wife goes through mobster Ronnie Fowler to buy a copy of the tape from Mark Douglas, brother of Dr. Craig's nurse Edith.
A divorced woman escapes a sanitarium to retrieve money stolen by her ex-husband now married to her ex-sister-in-law. Her brother handles the problem but decides he wants his ex-wife back but when the ex-husband is murdered she is charged.
Contractor George Andrews meets with political strongman Wilfred Borden about resolving the arbitrary inspection problems on the job. As he leaves, Andrews sideswipes a car, throwing a young woman into the driveway and Borden is murdered.
Partners Harry Bright and Chuck Clark are at bitter odds with each other over Chuck's marriage to gold-digger Margaret. Harry consults Perry Mason, who advises dissolving the partnership; Margaret is killed, and Harry charged with murder.
Compulsive gambler Sylvia Oxman meets with casino man Danny Barker to repay IOUs. Her husband Frank wishes to acquire them as evidence in a suit for custody of their son. Barker is killed with Sylvia's gun, and she is charged with murder.
Claire Allison contacts Perry for help after Martin Selkirk sends her threatening letters and assaults her boyfriend Dick Benedict. Selkirk is romantically interested in her. When Martin is found shot, it's Claire who is charged.
A young delinquent with a criminal record for grand theft, Jimmy Morrow, is believed to have stolen an expensive jeweled cross owned by Curtis Runyon for whom he works. When Runyon is found dead, Jimmy is charged and Perry defends him.
A lovely blonde hops over the wall onto Perry Mason's terrace. When confronted, she says her name is Virginia Colfax claiming to be a secretary next door. Next door, majority stockholder Edward Garvin is in a proxy fight with his ex-wife.
Walter Prescott tries to extort all his wife Ruth's money to give her a divorce. As she leaves, a truck almost runs her down, instead crashing into a car and injuring the passenger. Ruth runs to a friend but returns to find Walter dead.