what kind of lawyer was perry mason

Is Perry Mason a real lawyer?

Perry Mason, fictional American trial lawyer and detective, the protagonist of more than 80 mystery novels (beginning with The Case of the Velvet Claws, 1933) by American attorney Erle Stanley Gardner. Mason, who almost never lost a case, also had a successful legal career in film, radio (1943–55), and especially on television,...

What is Perry Mason famous for?

Perry Mason is an American fictional character, a criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in more than 80 novels and short stories, most of which involve a client's murder trial.

Did Perry Mason ever win a case?

Contrary To Popular Belief, Perry Mason Did Not Win Every Case According to The Perry Mason TV Show Book, the unbeatable defense attorney actually did lose three cases (that we know about) during his career. In “The Case of the Witless Witness,” Mason loses a non-murder case, a “matter of civil law,” the site notes.

Who is Perry Mason’s secretary?

Perry Mason is assisted by Della Street, his faithful secretary, and private investigator Paul Drake.

Was Perry Mason investigator or a lawyer?

While the character on whom he's based was a lawyer, at the start of HBO Max's adaptation of Perry Mason, the titular character is working as a detective.

Did Perry Mason have a law degree?

The 'Real' Perry Mason Didn't Need Law School That led to him dropping out, moving back to California, studying for the bar on his own, and passing it in 1911. And while he enjoyed litigation and developing trial strategy, he was ultimately bored by legal practice itself.

Was Perry Mason a defense attorney?

For decades, Raymond Burr's Perry Mason, a criminal defense attorney who almost always emerged from the court victorious was America's most loved lawyer.

Is the new Perry Mason a lawyer?

After weeks of watching Matthew Rhys play Perry Mason as a crumpled paper bag of a man, tonight the character finally started to take flight as a hotshot attorney. Sure, he had a coughing fit during his opening statement and bumbled a number of a legal moves, but HBO's Perry Mason is officially a lawyer.

What was Perry Mason's fee?

He was high-priced; $5,000 retainers were not uncommon, and he charged $100 just to write a will. But money spoke differently to Perry.

Why were there guest lawyers on Perry Mason?

When Raymond Burr missed several episodes due to illness, he was replaced by several guest attorneys who were played by Bette Davis, Walter Pidgeon, Hugh O'Brian, Michael Rennie, and Mike Connors.

Was Perry Mason a private detective?

The radically different and welcome Perry Mason in the new HBO series is a scruffy, down-on-his-luck private investigator in Los Angeles in 1931, who comes with the great advantage of being played by Matthew Rhys.

Did Perry Mason ever sleep with Della?

The evidence for a deep romantic attachment between Perry and Della. In the books there are many instances of romantic (but not sexual) intimacy between the two.

Was Perry Mason based on a real person?

The character was inspired by famed Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Earl Rogers. The character of Perry Mason was adapted for motion pictures and a long-running radio series. These were followed by the best known adaptation, the CBS television series Perry Mason (1957–1966) starring Raymond Burr.

Why did Perry Mason get a blue ticket?

In 1914, the military turned to blue discharges (also called blue tickets) to remove soldiers even suspected of being gay from the military. These discharges were printed on blue slips of paper—and being removed from the military with one was considered somewhere between honorable and dishonorable.

Why was Della Street missing from some Perry Mason episodes?

Barbara Hale was absent from 8 episodes of the 271 episodes of the show Perry Mason (1957) bringing her total count to 263 episodes of the series acting her famous role of Della Street, but she did appear in the credits of all 271 episodes, due to what is known in the television industry as "credit only.".

What's Perry Mason's real name?

William Raymond Stacy BurrWilliam Raymond Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917 – September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside.

Who is Perry Mason?

Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, HBO Max's Perry Mason was created by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald. The series stars Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason, Juliet Rylance as Della Street, Chris Chalk as Paul Drake, Shea Whigham as Pete Strickland, Eric Lange as Gene Holcomb and Justin Kirk as Hamilton Burger.

Who helped Perry study for the bar exam?

Della forges a document from E.B. claiming that Perry was actually apprenticing under him. She enlists the help of assistant district attorney Hamilton Burger, who helps Perry study for the bar exam by, basically, giving him all of the answers, as the questions have changed in decades.

What did Perry do in Emily's case?

Perry successfully passes the bar exam and becomes a lawyer. And while initially Perry struggles with actually doing his job as a lawyer, he soon settles into things and is able to successfully Emily's case to a mistrial. By doing so, Perry helps to honor E.B.'s memory and start down a new path towards a better life.

What season is Perry Mason on HBO Max?

Perry Mason: How the Titular Detective Becomes a Lawyer. Here's how Perry Mason went from detective to defense attorney in Season 1 of the HBO Max series. While the character on whom he's based was a lawyer, at the start of HBO Max 's adaptation of Perry Mason, the titular character is working as a detective.

Who is Emily Dodson's lawyer?

However, a major tragedy soon forces Perry to step up and defend Emily Dodson, who has been charged with the death of her son, Charlie. Initially, E.B. Jonathan serves as Emily's lawyer, and he hires Perry to help him collect evidence to prove her innocence.

Is Perry Mason a lawyer?

Initially, Perry doesn't really seem the type to become a lawyer, as he's struggling with trauma, alcoholism and more. However, a major tragedy soon forces Perry to step up ...

What is the story of Perry Mason?

HBO’s ‘Perry Mason’ follows the story of a criminal defense lawyer who gets a chance for a breakthrough in his career when the case of a child’s kidnapping is brought to his desk. Mason is the kind of person who doesn’t hesitate from bending some rules and making a lot of exceptions when it comes to doing what’s best for his clients.

Who is Mason's secretary?

In the books, Mason has a complicated relationship with his secretary Della Street. Her character is a composite of Agnes Jean Bethell and her sisters. Agnes had served as a secretary for Gardner and they later got married. Her sisters had worked for him as secretaries as well.

Is Perry Mason based on a true story?

No, ‘Perry Mason’ is not based on a true story. It is based on the book series of the same name by Erle Stanley Gardner. It is adapted for HBO by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald. For creating the character, Gardner did not have to look very far.

Did Jones and Fitzgerald adapt the Mason series?

When Jones and Fitzgerald got to adapt it for the screen, they dove deep into his work and dug out all sorts of characters that have appeared in the Mason series. They knew they’d have to compete with Mason’s popularity and wanted to add a new twist to his story.

How many seasons did Perry Mason play?

After appearing as Perry Mason for nine seasons, Burr continued his portrayal of the lawyer for four decades. Burr appeared in 26 TV movies produced between 1985 and 1993. 6.

What episode does Mason lose his case?

The season six episode "The Case of the Witless Witness " opens with the jury handing down a guilty verdict to Mason's client. It's his only loss that wasn't reversed. Two more episodes see Mason losing a case, but the skilled lawyer was able to reverse the decisions handed down by the jury. 3.

Who is Raymond Burr?

One of the biggest draws was Raymond Burr, who has become synonymous with the role of the criminal defense lawyer who (almost) never lost a case.

Who did Lucy meet on the P.I. show?

Lucy met Mannix in one of the most unlikely TV crossovers Mannix was konked over the head again and again on his hit P.I. show. Elsewhere in TV land, Lucy met a constant stream of celebrity guest stars — from John Wayne to Superman — on hit sitcoms like I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show.

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.

What are some interesting facts about Perry Mason?

For close to a century, he has been one of the most famous, compelling characters in American culture. He has appeared in every storytelling medium that exists, and that iconic music from the long-running TV series is instantly recognizable to multiple generations of fans.

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.

When did Perry Mason die?

The Perry Mason character more or less died when Raymond Burr did in 1993. But in 2011, plans began in earnest to revive the crackerjack attorney and his cast of characters for a feature film starring one of the biggest movie stars in the world.

Who played Perry Mason in the movie?

Raymond Burr returned as Perry Mason, and so did Barbara Hale as secretary Della Street. The role of investigator Paul Drake, played by the deceased William Hopper, was reworked as Paul Drake, Jr., and Hale's real-life son, William Katt, took the part.

How many seasons of Perry Mason were there?

A pop culture sensation in the mid-20th century, the Perry Mason franchise most famously took the form of a 1957 to 1966 CBS series. For nine seasons, Raymond Burr portrayed Perry Mason (and won two Emmy Awards for his work), alongside Barbara Hale as his devoted secretary and confidante Della Street, William Hopper as Paul Drake, his private detective of choice, and William Talman as Hamilton Burger, the otherwise capable prosecutor that Mason defeated roughly 270 times. How did Mason always earn a client's freedom? The stern, driven, imposing Mason always came up with some little-known legal precedent, or he coerced a confession out of the real criminal on the witness stand — something which came to be known as a "Perry Mason moment."

How many Perry Mason movies were made?

A total of 26 Perry Mason movies aired between 1985 and 1993. Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss was the last project Burr would star in, and it aired two months after his death. The made-for-TV Mason movies were so reliable for NBC that the network kept the franchise going for two years after Burr's passing.

How long was Perry Mason on TV?

The Perry Mason radio program, a 15-minute serial that ran five afternoons a week from 1943 to 1955 on CBS Radio, more closely resembled Gardner's crime-and-action-filled novels, as opposed to the somber, courtroom-dominated 1957-1966 TV series.

How many copies of Perry Mason books did Garner sell?

After he passed away in 1970, the New York Times called Garner "the best-selling American author of the century," on account of how he'd moved 170 million copies of his Perry Mason books in the U.S. alone.

What episode did Perry Mason lose?

Mason's only actual loss came in 1963's "The Case of the Witless Witness," an episode that begins with the attorney losing an appeal on a case that wasn't the focus of that or any other Perry Mason installment.

Who played Mason in Ironside?

With time out for the series Ironside and a decade of incidentals, Burr played Mason in TV movies right up until his death in 1993. He never lost a case. Follow us on Twitter @globearts. Opens in a new window. Report an error Editorial code of conduct.

Who played Harry Lime in The Third Man?

Davis moved on to play a double role in the horror film Dead Ringer, O'Brian made the comedy Come Fly With Me, Pidgeon took a guest spot on Dr. Kildare and Rennie returned to his role as Harry Lime on the TV series The Third Man.

Who played Walter Pidgeon in the forbidden planet?

The next three episodes lent Burr's spotlight to Michael Rennie ( The Day the Earth Stood Still ), Hugh O'Brian (Wyatt Earp on the 1950s series of that name) and Walter Pidgeon ( Forbidden Planet) respectively, while Mason – who, like Burr, was said to be in hospital – appeared in brief scenes filmed in a hospital room.

Is Perry Mason season 6 out of season 2?

Paramount has been reliably meting out its nine-year Perry Mason series in half-season dollops, but this week's release, Perry Mason: Season 6, Part 2 (1963), is out of the ordinary. Mason, a defence lawyer who never loses a case, loses a case.