Perry Mason finds himself defending his private investigator Paul Drake against a charge of murder. It all began when Frank Thatcher hit a pedestrian walking on the side of the road and kills him. He...
John Brooks arrives at the elderly Stone sisters' home saying he knew a nephew who was declared illegitimate as a youth. Due to his recall of facts they think he is really their nephew. Ernest Stone ...
Della is on the hook to Perry for $25,000 but more importantly may go to prison for helping a friend charged with murder who was being blackmailed. Perry must not only prove his client but his ...
Mannix worked originally for Wickersham at Intertect and then struck out on his own, assisted by Peggy Fair (whose cop-husband had been killed) and Police Department contact Tobias.
Ben Matlock is a very expensive criminal defense attorney, who charges one hundred thousand dollars to take a case. Fortunately, he's worth every penny, as he and his associates defend his clients by finding the real killer.
Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains.
Dr. Mark Sloan has a knack for getting into trouble, negotiating the twists and turns of mysteries and solving crimes with the help of his son, Steve, a homicide detective.
Stars:
Dick Van Dyke,
Barry Van Dyke,
Victoria Rowell
Frank Cannon is an overweight, balding ex-cop with a deep voice and expensive tastes in culinary pleasures; he becomes a high-priced private investigator.
Stars:
William Conrad,
Patrick Culliton,
Tom Pittman
Perry Mason is an attorney who specializes in defending seemingly indefensible cases. With the aid of his secretary Della Street and investigator Paul Drake, he often finds that by digging deeply into the facts, startling facts can be revealed. Often relying on his outstanding courtroom skills, he often tricks or traps people into unwittingly admitting their guilt.Written by
Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>
Initially, when Raymond Burr was selected for the role of Perry Mason he was sixty pounds overweight. Burr then went on a crash diet and lost a considerable amount of weight, and that helped him earn the role. See more »
Goofs
Perry Mason's office is given as on the 9th floor of the fictional "Brent Building" in Los Angeles, and has a distinctive terrace outside (as does the next-door office in S.8 Ep. 30). However, establishing shots of the exterior use a photo of a plain-sided office building with no balconies or terraces on the 9th floor, or anywhere else. See more »
Quotes
Della Street:
[a simple question]
What do you know about art?
Paul Drake:
[astonished]
Me? I don't even know what I like!
See more »
I guess I'm dating myself, but I used to watch "Perry Mason" back in the 1960s and when I compare it to today's shows, nothing else even comes close. This series had it all:
--Established actors who were perfect for their roles; --A galaxy of 1950s-60s guest stars, all old pros; --Stunning B&W cinematography; --Crisp direction, no matter who was at the helm; --Literate,intelligent scripts that made the viewers think; --A great sense of humor; --Professional music scores; and above all --A show that had respect for its audience!
I won't go into how perfect Burr, Talman, Collins, Hopper, Hale, et al were for their roles, it's all been said before.
After the story line was established, the courtroom drama took over, leading to the usual twist ending that kept the audience guessing until the last minute. The difference between "Perry Mason" and today's shows is that you actually had to pay attention to the story and anticipate what might happen. This series was true classic that will never be equaled, because television no longer respects its audience's intelligence and now relies on laugh tracks and silly dialogue. Catch it if you want to exercise your mind--skip it if you prefer to watch reruns of rubbish like "Charlie's Angels" or "Three's Company".
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I guess I'm dating myself, but I used to watch "Perry Mason" back in the 1960s and when I compare it to today's shows, nothing else even comes close. This series had it all:
--Established actors who were perfect for their roles; --A galaxy of 1950s-60s guest stars, all old pros; --Stunning B&W cinematography; --Crisp direction, no matter who was at the helm; --Literate,intelligent scripts that made the viewers think; --A great sense of humor; --Professional music scores; and above all --A show that had respect for its audience!
I won't go into how perfect Burr, Talman, Collins, Hopper, Hale, et al were for their roles, it's all been said before.
After the story line was established, the courtroom drama took over, leading to the usual twist ending that kept the audience guessing until the last minute. The difference between "Perry Mason" and today's shows is that you actually had to pay attention to the story and anticipate what might happen. This series was true classic that will never be equaled, because television no longer respects its audience's intelligence and now relies on laugh tracks and silly dialogue. Catch it if you want to exercise your mind--skip it if you prefer to watch reruns of rubbish like "Charlie's Angels" or "Three's Company".