# Perry Mason Seaons 1 and 2 DVD review



## Richard W. Haines (Jul 9, 2007)

Just the facts for the record...

"Perry Mason" was a 9 season black and white TV show
that ran from 1957 through 1966. I didn't see it on it's
network broadcast but used to watch it in syndication in
the seventies. At the time I thought the show was a bit
confusing and hard to follow with choppy continuity. As it
turned out, this was the result of station editing. The original
show was 52 minutes and the syndicated version around 47 
minutes which meant parts where removed to incorporate more
commercials. Since the plots are based on tiny details that 
uncover the guilty party and the truth, any footage that's 
removed hurt the story.

Fortunately, these first two seasons are the uncut versions from the
original 35mm fine grain masters or possibly the black and white negatives. 
The quality of the photography and image is excellent. Some of the episodes 
have a 'film noir' look with very dramatic lighting and compositions.
Quite different than the standard flat television look of most shows of 
the era. There isn't any damage on the show and they look brand
new...not from any digital restoration but because the 35mm
elements were only used for one broadcast print back in the fifties
and thereafter shown in 16mm reduction copies.

Seen complete and in superb condition I discovered the series was much
better than I remembered it. Canadian actor, Raymond Burr, stars and he's sensational in
his defining role after spending many years playing bad guys and heavies
(i.e. "Rear Window"). He adds nuace to the character and you can actually
see him think and scheme his defense strategy. The rest of the cast is equally
good and by the second season, they had a real rapport. Barbara Hale plays
Mason's secretary and possible girlfriend. It's suggested in a number of shows
that she stays at his house, makes him dinners and nurses him when he's sick.
It's subtle but it appears that their relationship is more than employer and employee.
William Hopper plays Mason's Private Detective that he uses to dig up information
about his clients and other suspects. William Talman is the District Attorney
who has a friendly rivalry and respect for Mason although the tension is certainly there since
he never wins a case. Ray Collins plays the grumpy detective who despises
Mason since he always discredits the police theory about what really happened.
Collins is always trying to trap Mason and bring charges against him which
isn't surprising since Mason, Hale and Hopper break every imaginable law to
win their case. 

A number of the shows never even make it to a courtroom and are played out
as 'noir' mysteries. The defense team breaks into offices and rooms, evesdrops
on conversations and even threatens witnesses. All of it would be thrown out
of court in reality and Mason would be disbarred but it makes for an entertaining
TV show. None of these first two season episodes even make it to the jury
deliberation stage since he discloses the real culprit which clears his client.

Burr went into a similar detective series called "Ironside" after Mason left the
air. He looks stocky but reasonably fit in this show. By Ironside he had gained
a lot of weight and by the time he revived the Mason character for a series of
TV movies in the eighties and nineties he was obese. 

Aside from the blatantly illegal tactics that Mason and Hopper engage in, the other
entertaining aspect of this series is all of the guest stars. Every character actor in
Hollywood seems to have made an appearance as a victim or suspect. Elisha Cook
Jr. and William Shallert pop up and upcoming sitcom star, Barbara Eden ("I Dream of
Jeanne") is in one show. If you're an old movie afficianado you'll see many familiar
faces. It's also fun to see all the period clothing, cars and TV sets in the locations.
I still get a kick out of those tubes that are rounded like a ship porthole rather than
like a modern square or rectangular monitor.

So I highly recommend these two box sets if you like this type of entertainment.

And now for some off beat triva about the show...

As Perry Mason would say...

"Isn't it true that William Talman who played the district attorney was briefly
fired from the show for violating his morales clause?"

Yes it is. He was caught at a nude party which was busted by the police. But
the fans forgave him and they hired him back.

"Isn't it true that William Hopper who plays the Private Detective is Gossip Colluminst
Hedda Hopper's son?"

Yes it is and I suppose it was handy having him around. He's a pretty good actor or
at least good in this role and perhaps he asked his mother to go easy on the Talman
controversy. 

"Isn't it true that everyone chain smokes on this show which caused later health problems
for the cast?"

Yes it is true. Burr, Hopper and others suffered from smoking related health problems
in their later years. Hopper died at age 55 from the habit. It's dsiturbing watching him
chain smoke knowing what his fate will be. In most episodes cigarettes are lit one after 
the other although there's no question that smoking does look atmospheric in black and white.

"Isn't it true that sponsor ads were incorporated into the end credits?"

It's true for some episodes in Season Two. As the credits roll you see little pictures
of the products they were selling which was amusing. Obviously, this was removed 
from the syndicated version shown in the seventies.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I remember when I was just a kid... my sister and I could not wait to get home after school so we could watch Perry Mason. I think this show and The Monroe's was probably our favorites back then.


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## Richard W. Haines (Jul 9, 2007)

As Mason would say...

"Isn't it a fact that you and your sister delayed doing your homework 
because you were glued to tube?" as detractors would deride in TV Guide.

I certainly was. I did my homework in front of our set which was on all the time 
as long as someone was home. It was also wheeled into the dining room for 
dinner and to this day I cannot digest a meal unless I'm watching television. 
I'd covertly stay up to watch the Late Late Show with the sound very low, 
fall asleep on the sofa with the TV on and wake up to static after the station 
signed off. 

TV was considered a corrupting influence in the sixties and seventies. I'm glad
it corrupted me into becoming an independent film-maker.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I OBJECT! I NEVER did homework.


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## Richard W. Haines (Jul 9, 2007)

Case dismissed.


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