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Rating:  - Indict me Please Mr Mason
Perry Mason, a mans man, a lawyer to die for, or without. Perry Mason always had something up his sleeve. Della Street, his high profile secretary, I still think they should have hooked up. Of course, who can forget Paul Drake, Mr Suave. Great series Worth getting. The show the made Law and Order
Rating: - Perry Mason---A Childhood TV Hero
I think Raymond Burr and Perry Mason inspired a generation. My earliest childhood memories include sitting on my dad's lap while my parents watched Perry Mason and the show ignited a personal interest in studying law (although I later switched to accounting while in college). Only Raymond Burr could ever possibly be Perry Mason and the legion of admirers are happy that restored epsiodes---in broadcast order--- are now coming out. But the process is painfully slow. While TV seasons in the 50's and 60's may have been comprised of 30 - 35 episodes each year (supposedly justifying half season volumes)---why is CBS taking so long to release them?
But a cautionary note----don't fall for the ads advertising the complete series being available on DVD--these have been literally taped of certain cable channels. The have been edited for TV and the image quality is poor.
Rating:  - Interesting late 1950's courtroom drama
Perry Mason was one of the first of its kind. An interesting mix of lead-up to the crime, a host of likely suspects, and then the deft and well-scripted courtroom drama. Raymond Burr is excellent in this role, but other characters are equally good. Barbara Hale as his assistant Della Street, and William Hopper as his investigator Paul Drake, are low-key but perfect, and often provide some humor in their flip interaction with the ever-cranky and cynical prosecutor Hamilton Burger, superbly cast with William Talman.
True, in this age of CourtTV and televised trials, some of the acting seems stilted and overdramatic, and the antics Mason gets away with both in the Courtroom and out stretch our credibility, but this is more than made up for by the dramatic music, excellent acting of the major characters, and the sometimes - unintentionally - funny coincidences that lead to the surprise outcomes. Yes, we know Mason (usually) wins, but it's HOW he will trap the real killer that captures our interest.
Some of the episdes involved ( in writing or production - not sure which) one of the masters of 1960's drama: Stirling Silliphant (Naked City, Route 66). And this alone makes watching this series worth it.
Rating: - Perry Mason DVD
Perry Mason - Season One, Vol. 1
Was thrilled to finally get Perry Mason on DVD. I bought this as present for my husband. He has been a Mason fan for the past 40 years. They are extremely clear...somewhat better the the television versions. It was fun to see what we could remember as we were viewing them. Also he loves the vintage cars from the 50's. A must for any Mason enthusiast. Can't wait to purchase the second half of season one. Eventually will own the entire collection!
Rating: - The Original Courtroom Drama
These TV films from the late 1950s are the simplified and condensed versions of the original novels by Erle Stanley Gardner. The books are more complete and informative but the films still tell stories about life that is not experienced by most people. The books can tell you why certain things are done, the films only show you what happened (when Paul Drake takes the next sheet of a telegraph message pad). The books tell you about "ropers", rough or smooth shadows, and how to evade surveillance and avoid leaving a back trail. Some may question the legality and ethics of Perry Mason's tactics but most stories were written before the modern legal rules of the 1960s. The backgrounds tell about life in Los Angeles. It is difficult to film a scene at night but easy to describe it in a book.
Some of the stories and names were changed for TV. The theme music is typical for the late 1950s. Note the style of clothing and culture; ladies wore white gloves. People seldom lock their doors. The prices date these films. One advantage is seeing the many automobiles from the 1950s. How many can you identify? Note the slimness of people then, and the casual handling of pistols. Smoking was very common [a tobacco sponsor]. Watch how the actors express their emotions by their facial expressions. Don't blink or sneeze! The camera sharpness and quality is excellent on these films. There is nothing like these entertaining and dramatic stories on today's broadcast TV. When was the last time you saw a trial lawyer as a hero? These stories often use the misinterpretation of circumstantial evidence to provide dramatic effects. If a girl's clothing is found in the apartment of a murdered man what does that prove? The question is how the clothing or fingerprints got there. The courtroom scenes are usually the Preliminary Hearings (to save the cost of extra actors).
This lists the titles of the 19 stories with the date of publication of the novel. Note how much output was used in one year of TV series. You can note changing tastes in the books. All titles begin with "The Case of the ".
Restless Redhead (1954); Sleepwalker's Niece (1936); Nervous Accomplice (1955); Drowning Duck (1942).
Sulky Girl (1933); Silent Partner (1940); Angry Mourner (1957); Crimson Kiss (1971*).
Vagabond Virgin (1948); Runaway Corpse (1954); Crooked Candle (1944); Negligent Nymph (1950).
Moth-Eaten Mink (1952); Baited Hook (1940); Fan Dancer's Horse (1947);, Demure Defendant (1956).
Sun Bather's Diary (1955); Cautious Coquette (1949); Haunted Husband (1941).
* "Crimson Kiss" was a magazine story that was published posthumously.
[See the book on the Perry Mason TV Show.]
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