Perry Mason

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Perry Mason
Perry-Mason-Crying-Swallow-1.jpg
Robert W. Douglass illustrated "The Case of the Crying Swallow" for the August 1947 issue of The American Magazine
First appearanceThe Case of the Velvet Claws (1933)
Last appearance Perry Mason (2020 HBO series)
Created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Portrayed by Warren William
Ricardo Cortez
Donald Woods
Bartlett Robinson
Santos Ortega
Donald Briggs
John Larkin
Raymond Burr
Monte Markham
Matthew Rhys
In-universe information
OccupationLawyer
NationalityAmerican

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 four 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. The character was inspired by famed Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Earl Rogers. [1]

Contents

The character of Perry Mason was adapted for motion pictures and a long-running radio series. [2] These were followed by the best known adaptation, the CBS television series Perry Mason (1957–1966) starring Raymond Burr. 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 up to his death in 1993. [3] A third television series, HBO's Perry Mason starring Matthew Rhys, aired from 2020 to 2023.

The Perry Mason series ranks third in the top ten best selling book series. In 2015, the American Bar Association's publishing imprint, Ankerwycke, began reissuing Gardner's Perry Mason books, which had been out of print in the United States.

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. [4] 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:

"You'll find that I'm a lawyer who has specialized in trial work, and in a lot of criminal work...I'm a specialist on getting people out of trouble. They come to me when they're in all sorts of trouble, and I work them out ... If you look me up through some family lawyer or some corporation lawyer, he'll probably tell you that I'm a shyster. If you look me up through some chap in the District Attorney's office, he'll tell you that I'm a dangerous antagonist but he doesn't know very much about me." [5]

Gardner depicts Mason as a lawyer who fights hard for his clients and who enjoys unusual, difficult or nearly hopeless cases. He frequently accepts clients on a whim based on his curiosity about their problem, for a minimal retainer, and finances the investigation of their cases himself if necessary. In The Case of the Caretaker's Cat (1935), his principal antagonist, District Attorney Hamilton Burger, says:

"You're a better detective than you are a lawyer. When you turn your mind to the solution of a crime, you ferret out the truth."[ citation needed ]

In The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink (1952), a judge who has just witnessed one of the lawyer's unusual tactics says:

"Mr. Mason...from time to time you seem to find yourself in predicaments from which you extricate yourself by unusual methods which invariably turn out to be legally sound. The Court feels you are fully capable of looking after your own as well as your clients' interests."[ citation needed ]

Another frequent antagonist, Lieutenant Arthur Tragg of the homicide squad, has a discussion with Mason about his approach to the law. Mason is recovering from having been poisoned, and Tragg is investigating. In The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito (1943) he says:

"How does it feel to be the victim for once? … You've been sticking up for criminals and now you can see the other side of the picture."
"Not 'sticking up for criminals,'" (Mason) protested indignantly. "I have never stuck up for any criminal. I have merely asked for the orderly administration of an impartial justice ... Due legal process is my own safeguard against being convicted unjustly. To my mind, that's government. That's law and order."[ citation needed ]

Other than what is learned of his character from the novels themselves, very little is known about Perry Mason. His family, personal life, background, and education are not depicted, although according to the first chapter of The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece (1935), his astrological sign was Leo. Mason has a professional relationship with Paul Drake. Della Street is Mason's only evident (though not sharply delineated) romantic interest. It is known that he lives in an apartment because he is occasionally awakened from sleep to go to his office; he does not entertain anyone at home. His tastes in food are known because many scenes take place in restaurants, and that he is an excellent driver as shown by his participation in the occasional car chase. Other than those sketchy facts, there is so little physical description of him that the reader is not even sure what he looks like.[ citation needed ]

The 1930s films were not closely based on the character of Perry Mason as revealed in the books, and contain plot and character developments which are not accepted as canonical in the remainder of the books and adaptations. For instance, in one film, Mason marries his longtime secretary Della Street, while Paul Drake turns into comic sidekick Spudsy Drake. [6]

Likewise the TV series diverges at times significantly from the books, which was a practical necessity considering that there were only about 80 Perry Mason novels written altogether and over 270 episodes of the TV series. Thus there was a need for a great deal of invented material, background, plots, and characters – none of which material Gardner incorporated into his ongoing series of Perry Mason novels. In fact, Gardner would write over 30 more Perry Mason novels from between 1957 when the TV series began up until his death in 1970.[ citation needed ]

The television series contains some hints of what Mason did in the past. In The Case of the Misguided Missile, he says that he served in the Navy on Ulithi atoll during World War II. In The Case of the Travelling Treasure, he says that he served aboard a minesweeper.[ citation needed ]

The HBO series presents him as being a private detective, becoming a lawyer by necessity in order to salvage the case he's working on. In this series, he lives on what remains of a dairy farm which has been in his family for at least two prior generations. He is also a veteran of World War I, having been discharged with a "blue ticket" (i.e. with negative connotations), probably because he mercy-killed some comrades who were about to die from a poison gas attack which they were too severely wounded to escape. Episode 1 shows Mason with a tattoo of the Cross of Lorraine with the number 79 and the inscription "infantry", indicating he was an infantryman in the 79th Division whose emblem of the cross signifies its service in France during the war. Mason is also an alcoholic, divorced father who is struggling to maintain ownership of his deceased parents' farm.

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". [7]

While the Mason novels were largely a form of pulp fiction of the sort that began Gardner's writing career, they are unusual in that the whodunit mysteries usually involved two solutions: a very plausible but inaccurate one in which the authorities believed (wherein Mason's client was guilty) and an entirely alternative (and true) explanation, wherein Mason's client was innocent and another party had committed the crime. Almost always, the second half of each novel is devoted to a courtroom scene, during which Mason arrives at the alternative explanation and proves it to the satisfaction of the court. "It is perfectly true that our author works to formula; in one sense, the plot never varies," wrote Jacques Barzun. "Having said this, one must add that the variety of persons and circumstances and the ingenuity in contriving the details that Gardner dreamed up in his dozens of cases are astonishing and entrancing." [8]

A hallmark of the stories is that as soon as Perry Mason (with the assistance of his secretary Della Street and private investigator Paul Drake) accepts a case, he will juggle the evidence using unusual (even bizarre) tactics to mislead the police – but (except for the very earliest novels) always in an ethical fashion:

It's my contention, Della, that an attorney doesn't have to sit back and wait until a witness gets on the stand and then test his recollection simply by asking him questions. If facts can be shuffled in such a way that it will confuse a witness who isn't absolutely certain of his story, and if the attorney doesn't suppress, conceal, or distort any of the actual evidence, I claim the attorney is within his rights.

Erle Stanley Gardner, The Case of the Long-Legged Models (1958)

The influence of the television series has given the general public the impression that Mason is highly ethical. In the earliest novels, however, Mason was not above skulduggery to win a case. 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

… a good Perry Mason except for one great flaw, which the author would scarcely have been guilty of later on: he tampers with the evidence, by having a friend move into an apartment and testify to the state of the doorbells. … One is left with the uncomfortable idea that maybe the murder did not take place as Mason reconstructs it.

Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor, A Catalogue of Crime [8]

In the later novels, the only crime which he can be seen to commit might be illegal entry, when he and Paul Drake are searching for evidence. And even then, he would expect to put up a strong and effective defense leading to an acquittal. Hamilton Burger is constantly under the impression that Mason has done something illegal, but is never able to prove it. Gardner prefaced many of his later novels with tributes to coroners and forensic pathologists whose work was instrumental to solving cases. Gardner inserts his ideas about the importance of proper autopsies into many of his Mason novels. In The Case of the Fugitive Nurse, for instance, close scrutiny of dental records in the identification of burned bodies is a key point. In that same story, the possible use of additives to track illegal resale of medical narcotics is examined.

Critic Russel B. Nye saw a pattern in Gardner's novels, calling them as formal as Japanese Noh drama. He described fairly rigid plot points:

The Perry Mason series ranks third in the top ten best selling book series, with sales of 300 million.[ citation needed ]

In June 2015, the American Bar Association announced that its new publishing imprint, Ankerwycke, would reissue Gardner's Perry Mason novels. The Case of the Velvet Claws, The Case of the Sulky Girl, The Case of the Lucky Legs, The Case of the Howling Dog and The Case of the Curious Bride were the first five novels announced for trade paperback release. [10] The Perry Mason books had been out of print in the United States. [11] :760

Adaptations

Film

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

The six Perry Mason films are available on DVD as a single-set release from the Warner Bros. Archive Collection. [12]

The 1940 Warner Bros. film, Granny Get Your Gun , was loosely based on the 1937 Perry Mason novel The Case of the Dangerous Dowager. May Robson stars as Minerva Hatton. The film does not include Perry Mason or any of the regular characters. [11] :1463 [13]

Radio

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 . [2]

William Hopper and Raymond Burr in the CBS-TV series Perry Mason (1957-1966) Perry-Mason-Hopper-Burr-1959.jpg
William Hopper and Raymond Burr in the CBS-TV series Perry Mason (1957–1966)

Television

Perry Mason (1957–1966)

The best-known incarnation of Perry Mason came in the form of a CBS TV series simply titled Perry Mason which ran from 1957 to 1966, with Raymond Burr in the title role. The series also featured Barbara Hale as Della Street, William Hopper as Paul Drake, William Talman as Hamilton Burger and Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg. The entire series has been released on DVD and reruns are a staple in syndication.

Paramount+ has made available most of the episodes from seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 on its website for streaming. [14]

The New Perry Mason (1973–1974)

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.

Television films (1985–1995)

American television producers Dean Hargrove and Fred Silverman resurrected the Perry Mason character in a series of television films for NBC beginning in 1985. The two surviving stars of the CBS-TV series, Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale, reprised their roles as Mason and Della Street. In the first telefilm, Perry Mason Returns, Mason is an appellate court judge who resigns his position to successfully defend his secretary Della on murder charges. William Katt, Hale's son, was cast as Paul Drake, Jr. William Hopper, who played private investigator Paul Drake in the original TV series, had died years earlier; Hopper's photograph appears on Paul Drake Jr.'s desk. In the later TV movies, Mason used the services of attorney Ken Malansky, played by William R. Moses.

The Perry Mason series of TV movies continued until Burr's death from kidney cancer in 1993. 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. Hale and Moses continued in their roles; Mason was ostensibly out of town.

Perry Mason (2020)

In August 2016, HBO announced a potential new series. [15] In August 2017 a change in the writing staff for the project was announced, with Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald taking over for Nic Pizzolatto. [16] [17] In January 2019, Robert Downey Jr. announced on his Twitter page that Matthew Rhys would be portraying Perry Mason in the new production; Downey was originally going to portray Mason, but was forced to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. [18] [19] The HBO revival and reboot adapted its setting to Great Depression-era Los Angeles, some twenty years earlier than the CBS show (but in line with the earliest novels by Gardner). [20] It features John Lithgow [21] and Tatiana Maslany [22] in additional roles. This miniseries was created with a budget of around $74.3 million and released its first episode on June 21, 2020. In July 2020, HBO announced that the mini-series had been picked up for a second season, and that the show would become a regular series.

Other adaptations

The Perry Mason character has appeared in comic books and a short-lived (October 16, 1950 – June 21, 1952) comic strip. He was also the inspiration for The Whole Truth (1986) by James Cummins, a book-length collection of sestinas.

In 2008, The Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air began producing a series of full-cast audio theater dramatizations of Gardner's Perry Mason novels, adapted by M. J. Elliott. [23]

Regular characters

Recurring characters in the Perry Mason stories include the following:

Title listings

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 said to the prosecutor, "It must cause you some pain having expended all that effort in your case to have the charges dismissed." And the prosecutor looked up and said, "No. My job as a prosecutor is do justice and justice is served when a guilty man is convicted and when an innocent man is not." And I thought to myself that's quite amazing to be able to serve that role … [26]

The Perry Mason novels inspired Robert M. Bell, former Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, to become a lawyer. "I used to read those growing up," he recalled in 2012. "I got the sense that a lawyer could do good things for folk and was important to our community. That’s what I wanted to do." [27]

Cultural references

A British Solicitor references many Perry Mason novels in the BBC television show 'May to December' 1989. He even has a picture of Raymond Burr in his office with whom he talks. Raymond Burr portrays Perry Mason in the 1957 television series.

Notes

  1. See Chapter 1 of The Case of the Caretaker's Cat: "Perry Mason criminal lawyer, frowned at Carl Jackson, one of his assistants." See also Chapter 3 of The Case of Negligent Nymph: "'Well,' Della Street said, 'that's one consolation. Her beauty will be utterly wasted on Carl Jackson.'"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond Burr</span> American-Canadian actor (1917–1993)

Raymond William Stacy Burr was a Canadian actor who had a lengthy Hollywood film career and portrayed the title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Drake (character)</span> Fictional private detective in the Perry Mason novels and TV series

Paul Drake is a fictional private detective in the Perry Mason series of murder mystery novels by Erle Stanley Gardner. Drake is described as tall and slouching, nondescript, and frequently wearing an expression of droll humor. He often smoked cigarettes especially when he had a subject of interest under surveillance. He is friend and right-hand man to Mason, a highly successful criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erle Stanley Gardner</span> American writer and lawyer (1889–1970)

Erle Stanley Gardner was an American author and lawyer, best known for the Perry Mason series of legal detective stories. Gardner also wrote numerous other novels and shorter pieces as well as a series of nonfiction books, mostly narrations of his travels through Baja California and other regions in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Della Street</span> Confidential secretary of Perry Mason

Della Street is the fictional secretary of Perry Mason in the long-running series of novels, short stories, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Burger</span> Fictional district attorney

Hamilton Burger is the fictional Los Angeles County District Attorney (D.A.) in the series of novels, films, and radio and television programs featuring Perry Mason, the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner.

<i>Perry Mason</i> (1957 TV series) American legal drama series (1957–1966)

Perry Mason is an American legal drama series originally broadcast on CBS television from September 21, 1957, to May 22, 1966. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner. Many episodes are based on stories written by Gardner.

The New Perry Mason is a CBS TV series that ran from 1973 to 1974. It was a revival of the 1957 Perry Mason television series about Erle Stanley Gardner's brilliant defense attorney.

The following is a list of the Perry Mason novels and short stories by Erle Stanley Gardner, published from 1933 to 1973.

<i>The Case of the Howling Dog</i> 1934 film by Alan Crosland

The Case of the Howling Dog is a 1934 American mystery film directed by Alan Crosland, based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Erle Stanley Gardner. It is first in a series of six Perry Mason films Warner Bros. made between the years 1934 and 1937.

<i>The Case of the Curious Bride</i> 1935 film by Michael Curtiz

The Case of the Curious Bride is a 1935 American mystery film, the second in a series of four starring Warren William as Perry Mason, following The Case of the Howling Dog. The script was based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Erle Stanley Gardner, published by William Morrow and Company, which proved to be one of the most popular of all the Perry Mason novels.

<i>The Case of the Lucky Legs</i> 1935 film by Archie Mayo

The Case of the Lucky Legs is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer.

<i>The Case of the Velvet Claws</i> 1936 film by William Clemens

The Case of the Velvet Claws is a 1936 American mystery film directed by William Clemens and starring Warren William, Claire Dodd and Wini Shaw. It is based on the first Perry Mason novel (1933) by Erle Stanley Gardner and featuring the fourth and final appearance of William as defense attorney Mason.

Perry Mason is a radio crime serial based on the novels of Erle Stanley Gardner. Broadcast weekdays on CBS Radio from 1943 to 1955, the series was adapted into The Edge of Night which ran on television for an additional 30 years.

<i>The Case of the Black Cat</i> 1936 film by William C. McGann

The Case of the Black Cat is a 1936 American mystery film directed by William C. McGann and an uncredited Alan Crosland, based on the 1935 Perry Mason novel The Case of the Caretaker's Cat by Erle Stanley Gardner. The film stars Ricardo Cortez as Perry Mason and co-stars June Travis and Jane Bryan in her film debut. The film is the fifth Perry Mason adaptation distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in the 1930s and the first in the series not to feature Warren William as Mason.

<i>The Case of the Stuttering Bishop</i> 1937 film

The Case of the Stuttering Bishop is a 1937 American mystery film directed by William Clemens and starring Donald Woods as Perry Mason and Ann Dvorak as Della Street, his secretary. Edward McWade plays the role of stuttering Bishop William Mallory. It is the sixth and final film in the Warner Bros. Perry Mason series. It is based on the novel The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1936) by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Perry Mason is a fictional criminal defense attorney, in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner.

<i>Perry Mason</i> (TV film series) Television movies (1985–1995)

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 the remaining four television films that aired from 1993 to 1995, with Sorvino playing lawyer Anthony Caruso in the first of these and Holbrook playing "Wild Bill" McKenzie in the last three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Case of the Restless Redhead</span> 1st episode of the 1st season of Perry Mason

"The Case of the Restless Redhead" is the premiere episode of the CBS television series Perry Mason. Adapted from the 1954 novel of the same title by Erle Stanley Gardner, this episode marked the beginning of Raymond Burr's long-running portrayal of the famous fictional lawyer.

<i>Perry Mason</i> (2020 TV series) 2020 American period drama television series

Perry Mason is an American period drama television series created by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald for HBO. Based on the character of the same name by Erle Stanley Gardner, the series stars Matthew Rhys in the title role and premiered on June 21, 2020.

References

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  2. 1 2 Lackman, Ron (2000) [1996, 2000]. "Perry Mason". The Encyclopedia of American Radio. New York: Checkmark Books. pp.  221. ISBN   0-8160-4137-7.
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  6. Warner Bros. (1936). The Case of the Velvet Claws (Warner Bros. Pressbook, 1936). Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research. Warner Bros. p. 8.
  7. Symons, Julian (1972). Bloody Murder. Faber and Faber. ISBN   0-14-003794-2. With revisions in Penguin Books 1974.
  8. 1 2 Barzun, Jacques (1989). A Catalogue of Crime. New York : Harper & Row. ISBN   978-0-06-015796-8.
  9. Nye, Russell B. The Unembarrassed Muse. Dial, 1970.
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  17. "Robert Downey, Jr. Is Officially Bringing Perry Mason Back To TV". MeTV.com. August 29, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  18. Downey Jr., Robert [@RobertDowneyJr] (January 14, 2019). ""Now it seems to me the place to start is at the beginning." Perry Mason ..." (Tweet) via Twitter.
  19. "Matthew Rhys to Play Perry Mason in HBO Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. January 14, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  20. Deggans, Eric (June 22, 2020). "HBO Releases A 'Perry Mason' Makeover". NPR.org. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
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  22. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (April 12, 2019). "Tatiana Maslany To Star In HBO's 'Perry Mason' Limited Series From Team Downey". Deadline. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
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  24. David Gideon at IMDB
  25. Terrance Clay at IMDB
  26. "Confirmation Hearing on the Nomination of Hon. Sonia Sotomayor, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States". U.S. Government Printing Office. July 13–16, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  27. Smith, Sam (October 2, 2012). "Chief judge recalls a court career that started with his arrest". Baltimore Post-Examiner. Retrieved July 7, 2015.