My husband and I started watching this show a couple of months ago on Amazon Prime. (I’ll talk about its cancellation down at the bottom of this blog entry.) We had both seen several of the shows years ago – since they seem to have been in syndication for years and years and years! When I was in high school and college, I remember catching a show every once in a while.
Getting back to this great television legal crime show…
For those of you who never channel-hopped and found one of these gems, Perry Mason is a defense attorney who is so good at his job that when he introduces himself, people almost fawn over him. Because of his terrific notoriety, doors are opened to him. He’s able to talk to almost every suspect, and what’s even better than that, they talk back to him!
For my husband and me, the fact that this show only deals with that week’s particular crime, and doesn’t rely on being a soap opera of sorts, is a bonus. The crime and legal case are the highlights of the show. I have to admit that now that we are watching the series chronologically, I have noticed what a tight bond exists between Perry and his absolutely phenomenal secretary (more like a paralegal to me), Della Street. Perry is played by Raymond Burr, and I can’t imagine anyone else who could portray him better! As a fan of old black and white movies, I see what a 180° change this role is from the bad-guy roles Burr usually played in those movies. (I absolutely love seeing Raymond Burr smile in these shows – very unlike his previous enforcer/bully roles.)
As for Della Street, Barbara Hale is perfect! I know I mentioned no soap-opera storyline, but Della and Perry always seem like they are so perfectly connected that it leaves me wondering about their off-duty relationship. (My husband has heard me talk about this many times, but he knows that it isn’t important to the show, so he just sits through my speculations…) Perry doesn’t seem to have to instruct Della on what to do because she already knows (through telepathy?) what he wants to be done.
William Hopper (aka Paul Drake) is the private detective who Perry trusts to get the background scoops. Drake seems to stop at nothing to get the information Perry needs in order to get his clients acquitted. Drake has connections throughout the country and he puts a lot of mileage on his car driving all over California in order to track down leads and histories.
Most of Perry’s cases are against District Attorney Hamilton Burger. William Talman manages to portray Burger as a very capable and smart lawyer who, unfortunately, goes up against Perry on a rather regular basis. My husband and I have seen Burger actually change his mind about the accused person and almost join Perry in order to put the real culprit in prison. William Talman portrayed Burger as a very honest man.
Ray Collins starred as the homicide detective who almost seemed to follow Perry and Paul from one crime scene to the next. As the lead detective, Lt. Tragg doggedly pursued Perry’s clients. As you will see (if you watch the shows), Perry isn’t above putting incriminating evidence in his pocket before trying to leave the scene of a crime. However, even before the days of GPS or social media, Lt. Tragg seems to magically appear just as Perry is exiting the scene. (These accidental encounters usually bring a smile to my face.)
Perry Mason is the creation of Erle Stanley Gardner. He was a prolific author and self-taught lawyer. Gardner’s Perry Mason novels were published during the 1930s to 1970s. Gardner also managed to write other series but Perry Mason was his most popular. (Take a look at the Erle Stanley Garner page on my site to see his list of books.)
I strongly recommend the 1950s/1960s Perry Mason TV series starring Raymond Burr. Unfortunately, CBS is the owner of the rights, and they have pulled the series from Amazon Prime – (I’m guessing) in an attempt to get subscribers for their streaming channel. This is something my husband and I do not plan to do! The CBS streaming includes advertisement interruptions in their shows unless you are willing to pay a premium for not having ads. Also, I am not crazy about the idea of every channel charging for their streaming – why can’t they leave shows on the actual channels? So we ended up buying the entire boxed set series. My husband (aka as one of my “tech guys” – along with my son) had to reconnect our DVD player, but after a couple of weeks without Perry, Della, Paul, Burger, and Lt. Tragg – it sure was good to reconnect! 😀
Also, I understand that there will be a new HBO Perry Mason series. I wonder if the shows will just focus on the legal aspects or if it will be soap-opera-ized…
P.S. As someone who has watched a whole lot of Star Trek TV series over the years, I am also sorry CBS has added them to their only-on-our-streaming- service channel. 🙁
Teressa says
Perry Mason is in MeTv twice daily! My husband loves to watch. My in-laws watch it in a different retro tv channel. Also, it is Della Street not Reese. Different person!!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Teressa, yes, thank you, I fixed the name.
Jeffrey Grossi says
I been watching Perry Mason reruns for years! After all these years I realized about Hamilton Burger’s name.. if you shorten his first name to Ham as a nick name.. he could be called..” Ham Burger”…. Wonder if the author exercising his jovial personality.
Deborah Silverman says
It is also on FETV at 4pm, 5pm, 8pm, 9pm daily.
Sherri says
I absolute love Perry Mason. It’s my night time calming down show. Perfect actors. Barbara Hale was perfection.
Janice says
So true. It’s my favorite TV show. Barbara Hale and Raymond Burr were the best! William Hopper, too!
C Russell says
It’s also on fetv twice a day!
Susie Knese says
I absolutely LOVE PERRY MASON. The show is my favorite binge show I have watched.
I love old movies and have watched Raymond Burr in every movie he was in. It’s funny but Raymond in those old movies is perfect as the villian you LOVE TO HATE.
I’ve read a biography of Raymond Burr. He is the only actor that could be Perry’s role, along with each actor on the show. They’re all great!!!
I also watch Perry Four times a day on FETV. once on Saturday and wish they’d go back to 2 times on the weekend.
DeLillie says
I have watched Perry Mason and his crew most of my life. First when I was a kid and reconnected with it on MeTv. I love the way everything plays out. The formula is so great and each episode stands on it’s own. My Pastor has his college age granddaughter hooked who’s studying to be a lawyer. How cool is that!! My husband and I watch Perry every night with a glass of wine.
Antoinette B. Smith says
I love watching Perry Mason. It was on TV before I was born yet I absolutely love it too. He was so handsome and smart. He won every case and was unstoppable when it came to solving a case.
GaToR says
Raymond Burr would not have chased Della Street because in real life he was totally 100% gay !! Nevertheless, I love Raymond Burr and its portrayal of Perry Mason – as a boy I rushed home after school to watch it every afternoon !
JF De Los Santos says
Perry Mason is on Directv FETV channel323 4 times a day during the week.
Big Al says
Hello, my name is Allan, I just wanted to let you know that Perry Mason, can also be seen on Ch.323 on 5:00 to 6:00 to 7:00 PM
Have a BLESS Day.
Wiz Johnson says
I’ve been watching the original PMs since the 60s; watched it as a child!
The theme music says it all!
Jancy says
When I was growing up my mother always told me that she got my name from the Perry Mason show sadly she’s pass on now and I never did find out which season/episode, I assume it was in 1964 because that was the year I was born she said she got my name from a little girl that was on the show in one episode. Wish I could find it! If anyone knows I would love to find out please.
Cindy says
I think it was the case of the nine dollars
Nathan Black says
I found out the best way to get party Mason is to get a fire stick or Roku stick and you can get all of the party Mason on the CBS streaming.
Michelle Regan says
It’s also on CBS All Access on Prime – you have to pay for the channel only about $4.95 per mo.
Kim says
The books are also terrific. There is mention of the “sort of” romance between Perry and Della. Della wanted to remain as his secretary because she believed that, if they ever became romantic partners or he became his wife, that she would no longer be able to take part in his crime solving mysteries.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kim, that’s interesting – I don’t remember that sort of thing in the series, which is almost always very focused on the cases. Though, there are so many episodes, I might just be forgetting something.
mary may says
I’ve watched Perry Mason as a child and still do. My daughter in law downloaded audio books for me so I could listen to the Perry Mason series. I was born in 1950 so my mother and I watched the show from the beginning.
Julie Mink says
I loved the Perry Mason Series and I don’t think I missed many. I think it lead to my love of mysteries and especially legal mysteries.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julie, it’s certainly a great entry point to legal dramas for new viewers.
Cecile says
My family & I watched Perry Mason when it first aired. We loved it! I have rewatched syndicated reruns off & on thru my life, sometimes with my husband & kids. Great drama!
I agree with you about the streaming charges. I feel betrayed by the networks & Disney. I am a lifelong Trekkie but I won’t pay for stream…no money for it for one thing!
Roy Stillwell says
How about that intro music to me it’s sets the up the drama perfectly love it.
Bob O says
I’ve been addicted to watching these as an escape from the stress of everyday life. They completely relax me. Yes, I watch them on CBS. I don’t mind paying their $6/month fee as they give me a lot of other viewing through the internet. I live in the mountains and either satellite or internet is my only venue
Zarayna Pradyer says
Thank you so much for the reminder of happy times.
Reading your blog even brought back that dramatic theme tune that heralded a thrilling, nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat, will Perry and his team bring justice for the accused? of each episode.
Needless, to say, I also enjoyed the fact that it was a team effort however charismatic Perry was.
Super stuff (as was Star Trek).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Zarayna, it’s definitely a great series – I’m glad it brought it back to mind for you!
Bob O says
I’ve been addicted to watching these as an escape from the stress of everyday life. They completely relax me. Yes, I watch them on CBS. I don’t mind paying their $6/month fee as they give me a lot of other viewing through the internet. I live in the mountains and either satellite or internet is my only venue
Henry Peresie says
I watch them all the time on FETV.
GaToR says
Yes, Raymond Burr was very charismatic ! I wish the series ran longer than the 1960s.
Zarayna Pradyer says
So do I!
At least we have happy memories. xxx
Lydia says
My hubby and I enjoy watching this show, too. If you get an area MeTV station, they show it twice daily (in the morning and evening). They show it in order, but the two shows are out-of-sync, so you get different episodes on the same day. These have commercial breaks, though and they have been edited.
Oh, it’s Della Street (not Reese). 🙂 Yes, they had a great stellar cast for the show.
I understand that Raymond Burr was extremely dedicated to the show. Did you know that William Hopper auditioned for the role of Perry? You can find the screen tests on Youtube.
We laugh now, at how Lt. Tragg just bursts into Perry’s office to arrest the suspect (Parry’s client). The man never knocks! LOL
I think this will always be a top favorite TV show of mine.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lydia, thanks – I fixed the name.
Jeff Ryan says
Lydia, thanks for mentioning Tragg. There were a couple of episodes where we get insight into how he and Perry really feel about each other.
In one early episode, someone bugs Mason’s office, with the result that Burger, et al, know Mason’s moves in the case before he makes them. When the truth comes out, Tragg explains that it was some young eager-beaver cop that was behind it, and that he was as surprised as anyone. Tragg leans over Perry’s desk and makes this clear, and hopes that Mason believes him. Perry says the thought that Tragg would do such a thing never crossed his mind.
It’s a very brief moment, but it showed how important to Tragg it is that Mason believes him. And it shows that Perry was telling the truth – he knew Tragg would never stoop so low.
It is a great moment, where we see that for all the friction and battling, these are two men who like and respect each other and, significantly, that at bottom they trust each other.
The depth of this brief moment showed why this was such a great series. It never settled for cartoonish good/evil contrasts. It recognized that people are complicated and that few people are totally bad or totally good. This, for its time, was unusual.
Doug Buff says
William Hopper got the job as Paul Drake by auditioning for the role of Perry Mason. I believe he is the son of Hedda Hopper.
Lynda says
You can also see Perry Mason on the Hallmark channel but they are the ones from the seventies
Keith says
I am a huge Perry Mason fan, as well. Many of the early shows were based on the books. It is one series that I have been hoping to be able to buy on DVD (although the complete set is quite expensive). I do have all of the Perry Mason movies (which came out in one DVD set not too long ago) which follow the same format as the TV show episodes. Absolutely loved the theme song, too!!
It truly is interesting to see Burr in a nice guy role. Did you know he originally auditioned for the Hamilton Burger role?
I am sure you are right about Amazon losing the series to CBS. It seems that CBS is going to the way of Hulu, Netflix, and Disney Plus. Sad, because I hate to have to pay for a stream of a show. I would rather spend the money and buy it so I can watch it anytime! I love that many of my favorite series are available on DVD.
The new HBO series is supposed to revolve around Perry’s character prior to the series. Everything I read said it would be Perry in law school or something like that. While I think this is a cool idea, I have found that many of these attempts to show us what a character was like before usually tarnish the character for me. Gotham did that for the Commissioner Gordon character. I really hope that the HBO show doesn’t make Perry this scumbag sex-crazed womanizer.
Great write up! One small correction, though. Della’s last name was Street.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Keith, yes, the series can be unfortunately expensive on DVD – it’s a lot of television, though, so it’s an understandable price tag relatively compared to some DVDs ($20+ for a 90 minute movie usually feels like too much to me). I do hope that the new series is good, though I certainly don’t expect it to hold up to the original in quality.
Jeff Ryan says
Perry Mason runs five days a week, twice a day, on MeTV. It’s on 7 days a week on FETV. I get MeTV on free, over-the-air digital television, and MeTV is available in a lot of places.
I grew up with Perry Mason, which was considered “adult” television. It was a welcome respite from the nonstop parade of Westerns that dominated network TV in the ’50s and into the ’60s. (CBS’ refusal to broadcast Perry Mason in color, after putting it up against Bonanza, which WAS in color, helped kill the show. Burr found out the show had been cancelled when he read about it in the trade papers.)
Someone argue that William Hopper was the glue that made the series what it was. Hopper’s Paul Drake could be counted on to find witnesses and evidence, once being dispatched to South America in the middle of a trial to learn one important fact. Drake played the role of skeptic as a foil to Mason: He often believed, at the start, that Perry’s client was guilty, bringing a necessary counterpoint to Perry’s rosier view. But most importantly, he was always quick with a quip and cheerfully available to do whatever was needed, no matter where, or what time of night it was.
Gardner lost one battle, at least, with the writers: Gardner had a real animosity toward prosecutors, and wanted Hamilton Burger to be written as an unrelenting jerk. This was apparently due to one prosecutor Gardner had crossed swords with in real life. The writers resisted, and made Burger an often obnoxious adversary, but one who was truly committed to justice and not just winning. And he and Mason had great respect for each other, and were in fact friends. This was the right choice. Gardner’s Burger would have been a cartoon villain, and audiences would have tired of him. It helped that they gave him honor and dimension.
Tragg was also an antagonist we came to love and respect, because at bottom he respected Perry, and because Tragg was totally honest and focused on justice. Who doesn’t smile the second Tragg makes his inevitable appearance?
Also, this was a very happy cast. Burr and Hale were extremely close offscreen (Burr, of course, was not interested in her romantically). When CBS pulled Talman from the show after he was caught at a party where marijuana was used, Burr swung into action and didn’t rest until Talman got his job back. Mutual respect and personal loyalty were hallmarks of the cast.
As a former prosecutor and defense attorney, I was surprised, when rewatching the series, at how accurate some of the courtroom procedures were. The secret to a lot of the show’s success is that the overwhelming majority of the shows took place in preliminary hearings, not jury trials. You can get away with much more when there’s no jury present.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jeff, it’s certainly interesting how many great details about this sort of show can be discovered if you’re interested enough in reading or hearing about it! Thanks for sharing.
Jeff Ryan says
I used to be a prosecutor, a judge and a defense attorney. So I take a more than normal interest. Obviously.
Patti Berg says
Wow, Jeff! Thanks for all the insight on Perry Mason. I remember watching it in the 50s and I imagine my family never missed an episode. In the 90s I watched the made-for-TV movies and Perry and Della were still just as wonderful. I missed Paul Drake. That trio was so terrific in the original shows, but it was fun to see Barbara Hale’s real-life son playing Paul Drake Jr.
To me, Perry Mason is just plain downright good TV. I imagine that’s the reason it has lasted so long and why you can watch the same episode over and over again without getting tired of it.
Escholzia says
At least some of the show’s seeming authenticity may be attributed to the fact that Erle Stanley Gardner employed highly qualified researchers when he wrote the books. I met a woman who had graduated from U.C. Berkeley Law School (then and now one of the best in the country) in the ’30’s, and she told me about working as a researcher for him.
Incidentally, this says as much about the reluctance of the legal profession to hire women, no matter how highly qualified, “back in the day” as it does about Gardner’s writing process.
Michael Sabol says
Mike
I watch the show on METV, M-F. The storylines are always great. As long as the viewer realizes its all fantasy. Everybody connected to Mason’s team have got to be the greatest at their jobs, who ever lived.. Then you have Tragg, who manages to run into Perry always at the most timely manner and Burger, who is an excellent DA, but once Mason starts reconstructing the entire case at the witness stand, after all involved had been called to the stand. His goose is cooked. In that respect, the shows have the same familiar pattern throughout every different case.. But its refreshing, because the cases stick to the storyline associated to the crime and courtroom findings. Unlike the drama of todays shows, that bring in other storylines that have nothing to do with the actual case.
Jim says
I don’t remember there being any actual trials. The culprit usually spilled the beans at the hearing. The prosecuting attorney found out what it was like to play for the Washington Generals (Harlem Globetrotter’s opponent!
LEXI PASSMORE says
Thank you for your very accurate review of Perry Mason. I so enjoy watching this show every night, Monday through Friday on MeTV.
I love recalling a time when foul language was not a normal part of discourse, when parking was impossibly easy compared to today, when business fashion was more formal. I love the vintage Ford automobiles, the classic architecture and the lovely interiors of the stately homes.
Unfortunately, everyone smoked and drank rather heavily, except for Della Street. Interestingly, all the smokers are dead from lung cancer in their 70s whereas Della lived well into her 80s.
I will purchase the entire DVD set to pass on to my aspiring legal eagle daughter.
Mike Fox says
Perry’s secretary is Della STREET, not Della Reese, the R&B Singer.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mike, thanks, I fixed the name.
Cathi says
You can also watch Perry on Me TV. Mornings at 9:00 and evening at 11:30.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cathi, thanks for the suggestion – I think we get METV. I’ll have to check.
Roger says
RW says the times on MeTV are 8:am and 11:30pm M-F
Bonnie Drummond says
I don’t know what cable company you have Danna but I found Perry Mason on MeTV and on FeTV on Dish. I love watching him and these are the old ones black and white. They had colored ones on one night when he was a little older and the show was older but I didn’t like them that much. Hope this helps.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Bonnie, I think we do get METV, though I’ll have to check.
Kathleen S. says
I love these shows and was around for the original airing. I do believe, however, her name is Della Street.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kathleen, thank you, I fixed the name.
Sue says
I have to tell you, my husband and I NEVER miss these reruns every morning at 9 on METV! Even though we grew up watching them, and in my case reading the pocketbook/paper back editions at my grandparent’s home, we never tire of them…no matter how many times we have seen them. We even watch the remakes made in the late 70s and early 80s…
The same goes for the Star Trek series (all of them) and we too are disappointed that their reboots are strictly on another pay to view only streaming service..
So glad to know we aren’t alone!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sue, it’s definitely disappoint to not really be able to try the new series at the moment – we’ll probably subscribe for a bit at some point to try to watch as much as possible as quickly as possible.
GerriB says
I agree with everything you said about both Perry Mason and Star Trek. I’m lucky enough to live in a city, St. Paul, MN, where I can watch Perry Mason twice a day during the week on a cable channel called MeTV. It has lots of older shows.
I also own all the Perry Mason episodes on DVD. In that way, I can watch them whenever I want.
I also have a great many of the Perry Mason novels written by Earle Stanley Gardner. It’s really interesting reading a book that was used for one of the episodes and to see the differences between them. Sometimes the changes are obvious because there are too many characters or the plot, as is, was too complex to be condensed one episode. Other times, I couldn’t figure out why they made the changes. The plot, as is, seemed fine to me.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Gerri, it’s understandable when most changes are made to a series like this – what works in a novel often doesn’t in a tv show, particularly for reasons of length.
joppy says
Some of these old b/w episodes were available in the UK recently, but the now seem to be on a loop, with the same stories popping up in rotation. I love reading the books as well, Perry does seem to work on the edge sometimes. By the way, Della was Street, not Reese.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Joppy, thank you – I fixed the name.
Tullita says
Danna
I agree this is a wonderful show. We have a nostalgia channel METV it is called (I think it’s a network of sorts not streaming for sure) that we watch on. I work from home and make myself get up from the desk and take a lunch break every day. We record these and enjoy them with our meal.
I’m not sure what your local nostalgia channel is locally but I bet you have one. As a friend of mine said, we grew up in the time of the best TV, best movies and best music and we’re all ready to enjoy it again.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tullita, I think we have METV as well – I’ll have to check to see for sure.
Wendy T says
Great summary of the Perry Mason series, of whom I’m a huge fan. However, Perry’s secretary is Della Street. Della Reese was a singer/actress known for Touched by an Angel TV series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Wendy, thanks, I fixed the name.
GiGi says
Danna,
Barbara Hale’s character was Della Street, not Della Reese. We, too, enjoy watching these shows and often have interesting discussions about the cases. Thanks for sharing this terrific series!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Gigi, thanks – I fixed the name.
Rickee d says
Love the Perry Mason series. We watch it in b&w and whenever there are the ones in color. I agree, Della was a mind reader.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rickee, it’s certainly a great series worth watching.
Caroline Bookaphile says
I watched Perry Mason on CBS All Access. I don’t.mind paying a little more for no ads because I watch a lot of shows there so it is worth it.. I never have seen the full series because it gets pulled by CBS to go to other services like Prime. I am glad to hear it’s coming back to CBS. It is such a great show! One of my friends grew up in L A and loves seeing the external footage they used. Authentic!
Question: Was Prime showing ALL seasons or just the first two.like CBS does? I think the only place you can see the full series is on OTA TV which is why I was wondering. . My brother has been watching it on what is our CW channel and he said they showed episodes during the day and at night! I agree that if a person is a fan of the show, buying the full collection is worth the price. I will watch the HBO version but I know it can never match the original.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Caroline, if you’re interested in several shows from the same channel, I suppose it makes more sense to subscribe to it. We haven’t reached the point where there would be enough to keep us interested in a full time subscription though.
Lee Owens says
Amazon Prime showed the entire series ….sadly I didn’t start watching them till right before CBS moved to their All Access Channel…so didn’t see the last 2!seasons
Jeff Ryan says
I actually prefer the ads. Sounds crazy, I know, but when I was a kid watching the show the first time around, it was on TV with ads. I think I’d feel lost without the ads.
Mary C says
I recently read an article where the author talked about the number of streaming services her family subscribed to in order watch older shows. When she added up the cost, it was approximately $120/month. Her conclusion – it would be more cost effective to buy the DVDs.
Love watching Perry Mason – I’ve been able to borrow the DVDs from my library.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary, it certainly seems like we’re headed toward that sort of bill if things keep going if we were to actually get everything we wanted from streaming at this point.
Karen N says
I watch Perry Mason almost every day on FETV and METV, both available on most basic cable and satellite packages. I’m old enough to have watched when it was originally shown back in the late 50s into the 60s. I think it premiered in 1957 or 58. Movies were made as far back as the 1930s when the character portrayals were quite different. I have to make one correction tho. It’s not Della Reese but Della Street. Two very different people!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, thanks, I fixed the name.
Yvonne Edwards says
I have been watching Perry Mason for years and I too love this show, I often find myself yelling at the t.v. telling Burger and Tragg to sit down, shut up and pay attention.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Yvonne, I certainly know what you mean!
J Wilson says
It’s DELLA STREET – not Della Reese.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
J, thanks, I’ve corrected the name.
P. Dicocco says
The show is on cable all the TIME. Great show with great cast. Couple of things you may not know. Raymond Burr was gay in real life. Barbara Hale was a pin up in her early years.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
P, yes, I know – thanks for sharing the interesting trivia!
Kimbra says
Barbara Hale played Della Street not Della Reese.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kimbra, yes, I fixed the name.
B Robin says
Barbara Hales character was Della Street. Della Reese was a singer!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
B, thanks, I fixed the name.
Linda Isenhour says
I love watching Perry Mason on MeTV. I record them before viewing so I can skip the commercials. I remember watching with my father who loved them. I have watched them for years and my siblings make fun of me since I already know who the murderer is.
I recently found put that Barbara Hale’s real life son played the young detective in the TV movies that were made later.
Linda Shepard says
Great review of a series my husband and I also watch. Just one correction, Perry’s secretary is Della Street, not Della Reese. (Della Reese was a wonderful singer.)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, thanks – I fixed the name.
Don R Sechelski says
Perry Mason is on Cable on FETV daily and on MeTV daily. Star Trek is on weekly on MeTV.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Don, thanks – I don’t have FETV but I do think we get METV. I’ll have to take a look at that.
Sally Fortney says
I grew up watching Perry Mason and read most of Erle Stanley Gardner’s books. I agree about the streaming services. They may drive a lot of people to buy DVD’s or borrow them from the library. I get Netflix now through a deal with Comcast but don’t plan on paying for CBS, NBC, etc.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sally, I do wonder if there are increases from DVD sales from the increase in the number of small streaming services.
Robin Adair says
Perry’s secretary was Della STREET, not Della Reece,Reece was very talented vocalist of the 50’s and 60’s. Barbara Hale was the wonderful actress who played the role of Della STREET in the Perry Mason series.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Robin, thanks – I fixed the name.
Debra Lawson says
I, too, love the Perry Mason show and try never to miss it (I am a huge fan of black and white movies and program). Your synopsis of the show is spot on and yes, it is pleasure to see Raymond Burr in this role as opposed to the heavies he typically portrayed in movies! It is well acted and, in my book, perfectly cast. You always could count on the show to focus on the case at hand, without soap-opera type treatment. The latter isn’t necessary if a show is well-written, like Perry Mason.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Debra, it’s definitely a great example of a legal drama show that knows what that knows that sometimes the most important thing to focus on is the legal case.
Scott Morton says
The secretary was Della Street, not Della Reese.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Scott, thanks, I fixed the name.
James Belinski says
Della Reese? Really? Her name is actually Della Street… Perry and her have worked together for so long she knows,almost instinctively,what to do and what is coming. My mother watched Perry Mason when I was but a little boy. Now,in my 60’s I watch it on METV… Court adjourned
Danna - cozy mystery list says
James, yes, thank you – I fixed the name.
Joy says
Della’s last name is Street, not Reese.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Joy, thank you – I fixed the name.
JO Mason says
Perry Mason is on twice a day on week days for sure on “MeTV”. We cut the cable and have enjoyed all these old shows. My husband watches Perry Mason and then Matlock!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jo, I think we have MeTV through our cable – I’ll have to check. We’re not quite at the cable-cutting phase yet – and last time we tried an antenna, it didn’t seem to work right (we live at the bottom of a valley – so reception for that sort of thing is often bad.
Cece says
Lol lol. I watch Perry Mason every day and night. My favorite thing to yell at the tv is shut up Burger and sit down. I watched this show so much that now I look at the title to see if I can remember the plot before it starts. All my family knows I have to be home by 11:30 so I can watch Perry on Metv. Never seen a Raymond Burr movie with him playing a bad guy that I remember. Happy watching to you all.
Leo says
Very nice round up of the show. Della’s last name is STREET. CBS is in charge of it’s distribution. They are Co-owners of the show along with the original producers of the show. Gardner, Jackson et. al.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Leo, yes, thanks, I fixed the name.
Scott says
It’s Della STREET, not Della Reese.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Scott, thanks, I’ve fixed the name.
Mike Opiola says
Della’s name is Street not Reese who was a singer years ago! I’m a big fan of the show and watch it every night on MeTv!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mike, thanks, I fixed the name.
Moira Shepard says
I’ve watched the early Perry Mason shows for years. They’re like hour-long film noirs. In the earliest shows, you’ll see Perry occasionally wearing a checked jacket, lighting up a cigarette, or coolly breaking into an apartment to gain evidence. These little quirks vanished as Perry’s character took on more gravitas, but it’s still a delightful series. I love the way it shows how people lived, dressed, and talked in my hometown of Los Angeles in the 1950s and early 1960s – a veritable time capsule come to life, in glorious black and white.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Moira, it’s certainly interesting to watch a character evolve with this sort of long-running series.
ANITA LEHIGH says
I loved Perry Mason ever since I was a young pre teen.. still love him n Della n the whole crew! Your blog was great..
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anita, thanks! It’s definitely a great show worth revisiting.
ANITA LEHIGH says
I’m 66 now!! ❤
Greg B. says
The name of Barbara Hale’s character is Della Street, not Reese. Della Reese was a well known actress.
On YouTube you can find the audition tapes done by Raymond Burr and William Hopper for this show.
Currently, Perry Mason is shown twice daily on MeTV.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Greg, thanks – I’ve fixed the name.
Maddy says
We have watched the series over and over again.
Della’s last name is Street, not Reese. Can”t imagine a smarter, more capable aide-partner- friend than Della!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maddy, thanks – I fixed the name.
Eva Graefinghoff says
Great article! I watch the show myself on MeTV. However, in your article the name of Perry’s secretary is incorrect, her name in the series is Della Street, just an FYI.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Eva, thanks – I’ve fixed the name.
Laurie B says
I’m in CT and on my cable company has FETV. This channel airs 3-4 episodes of this original series a day.
Not sure if this channel is available out of my area.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laurie – thanks for the suggestion. We don’t get FETV, but several other people have mentioned METV which I think we do get.
Nancy says
Yes, I feel like you. I watched the original as a child with my parents. I was delighted to find them on MeTV.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Nancy, it’s definitely a great show that has aged well!
Harold says
I agree with all the praise of the Perry Mason episodes. But you have to sympathize at least a little with Hamilton Burger, the DA who never wins a single case! By the way, at least in the NYC area, Verizon cable offers the show every night on the FETV (“Family Entertainment Television”) station.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Harold, I don’t think we get FETV, but some people say it might be on METV as well, which is available. We’ll have to check it out, though now that we have the DVDs we might just stick with those.
Curtis Watson says
Hi my name is Curtis, there are three cases Perry did lose I believe all to Hamilton Burger.
Cindy Green says
Hi I am a Big fan of Perry Mason as well. You have made a mistake on the name of his assistant. Her name is Della Street. Other then that I have to agree with not letting us see the full episodes. To one Perry Mason fan to another let’s go on watching!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cindy – thanks for the correction! I’ve fixed the name.
Colette M Keller says
I love this series. I bought the boxed set. Did you know that Erle Stanley Gardner will sometimes appear on the show as the judge.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Colette, yes, I know – though I don’t think it was very often, from what I recall.
jsrtheta says
Just once, on the final episode.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sherri, thanks, I fixed the name.
Denise says
My husband and I LOVE Perry Mason! We have a DVR that records the series and we watch up to 3 a night.
I get so upset when Tragg just walks in and takes the evidence or person away before Perry can do anything. I’m always complaining that the PD can’t get anything or anywhere on there own…they just follow Paul and Perry around!
My dad was a state police Chief, all 4 of my uncles were policemen and I married a policeman – who’s retired now. One of the things my husband did before he retired was to look after the judge while in court and fulfill the Bailiff’s job.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your piece here about the Perry Mason Show.
Have you checked out old time radio?
I am a silk artist and I love to listen to the stories while I’m painting.
Try Mercury Theater with Orson Welles and Ray Collins. There’s also an old time radio show, “The Black Museum” with Orson Welles. All true crime stories that took place in England and crucial evidence that is still on display at Scotland Yard. Good stories!
Thanks, again!
God Bless!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Denise, no, I haven’t heard the radio versions – I’ll have to check those out!
James Spears says
I have been watching Perry Mason on ME tv. I like these mysteries because they are clean and fun to solve. I am always on the lookout for Perry Mason mysteries.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
James, they’re definitely television worth watching.
MamaG says
My mother loved Perry Mason. Of couse, I was about 8 at the time and did not like to watch it! However, thanks to metv, I am watching it and love the memories it brings to me.
Chuck D says
I get my episodes on cable and dvr them. I watch often in search or episodes I havent seen, but since Ic’ve been a fan since the 60s don’t find many.
It’s just good acting and drama.
The cars and women are fabulous along with the excellent camera work.
Diane Zipay says
I record both the AM and PM Perry Mason shows on ME TV and watch them when I have time. These are the older black and white shows. Occasionally, I see one of the color shows set in Colorada instead of LA. Perry’s detective is played by Hale’s son, William Katz or the young actor who was on Little House on the Prairie. Katz’s character is Paul Drake, Jr. Hope I have that right, if not someone will correct me.
I enjoy the old black and white mysteries.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Diane, I think they’re all good. I believe most of those in color are actually made for TV movies made decades after the TV series – probably cut up into two episodes for television nowadays.
Randy says
As many have said, the episodes are available on ME TV and also FE TV. The original books are great, too. Be cautioned to remember the era they were written in. Some attitudes and kanguage would be unacceptable now.
Antonette Szabados says
I love watching Perry Mason on Me TV now and when my Mom watched it then. Great show
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Antonette, I certainly agree.
Rita says
I love Perry Mason. I used to watch it on MeTV but they recently dropped all of their shows on that channel in my area.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rita, I’m sorry to hear that – it’s always a shame when you lose access to a favorite channel.
Mike says
All episodes available on CBS all access app. $5.99 month all commercial free. Binge away & cancel or enjoy over & over.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mike, so I’ve heard. I just don’t like paying for individual channels like that. It’s easy to see how it might become overwhelming pretty quickly.
David says
Perry mason is on FETV 4 times a day
Danna - cozy mystery list says
David, thanks for the suggestion – I don’t get FETV, but others have also mentioned that it’s on METV about as often.
Mike Lambert says
My wife and myself found Perry Mason on Prime and began to watch the first season and were taken into a world of tv noir.. it was great. Then it was whisked away by CBS All Access and that was, seemingly, that. Boo hiss. Looking on ImDB revealed that future promise of great guest stars as the series achieved greater popularity. Well, we were definitely not going to get CBS All Access. Until Picard came along and my wife, an ardent Trekkie, could resist no longer.. so, resuming our acquaintance with Perry and Della we did not notice any commercial interruption of the episodes, we only noticed how good it was to be back in that world of late 50s noir, the suits, the style, the.. knowing.. glances that Della gives Perry. We figure that (and it DEFINITELY stops here) another six bucks a month isn’t going to break us. And there’s this added sweetener.. the entire, original, Hawaii 5-0 is on there too. We’ve seen all those and we miss them.. so it’s begin again!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mike, it sounds like you’re enjoying CBS all access. Well, I’m sure we’ll have to try it out sooner or later.
Jeff Ryan says
If you like Perry Mason and TV Noir, may I recommend you catch Peter Gunn and Mr. Lucky. MeTV has them both, though Peter Gunn tends to be on in the early morning hours, and Mr. Lucky is on infrequently.
Great noir, nonetheless, and a good insight into the ’50s.
Tracy J Sandel says
I remember seeing this show on tv when I was little. I didnt care for it because I was young and only wanted cartoons. Ha! But let me tell you…. 40 years later….one late night while channel surfing….I came across it again. Wow! I am hooked. Its on 1130pm on MeTV and I never miss an episode. My family n friends joke about it but I love it!!
And I always thought it would have been Della & Paul gettin together. I love the way he always says ‘hey Beautiful!’ Hes so dreamy! Im so glad to know Im not alone in my love for this show and cast!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tracy, it’s always interesting when you run into something later in life where your tastes have changed – some things seem so much better, while you often wonder why you had been such a fan of others.
Elgronli says
My father was a State Attorney in Florida and in the mid 60’s he became a criminal court judge and this became a circuit court judge position. As you might imagine, Perry Mason was a show that I was a major fan of. I remember going to court to observe my father in a trial for the first time I was waiting for that “Perry Mason” moment but I was sorely disappointed! There was no jumping up in anger screaming OBJECTION! No AHA moment, no excitement at all. I was expecting all the court room drama you see on TV, but I found the real courtroom life to be very boring. That didn’t stop me from being a fan though. I’ve read every novel several times and I’ve watched the show in order many times as well. The Perry Mason series contributed greatly to my love of reading. The Perry Mason series was the first series I ever read just because I wanted to. I ordered the books through a subscription service back in the 60’s when I was in my early teens. While my peers were spending their allowance on records I was buying Perry Mason novels. I’m in my 60’s now and I’m re-reading the novels again (actually I’m listening to them in my car) as well as watching them in order on MEtv. I saw in an earlier comment that you remarked on the relationship between Perry and Della. In the tv series it was unspoken but in the books they were caught in a romantic kiss or embrace on more than one occasion.
Here’s some trivia for you. William Hopper was the son of Heda Hopper. He didnt want to be an actor but his mother, a frustrated actor turned gossip columnist, pushed him into it and he did it to appease her. I always thought he bore a striking resemblance to my father. He went prematurely grey due to an incident that occurred to him in the Navy. William Talman did the first anti-smoking commercials when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. This was at the same time the Surgeon General made the connection between tobacco and lung cancer.
Perry Mason is one of those shows that is a classic and will provide entertainment for generations to come.
I must say that I cant imagine anyone else having success with the show. Someone tried to bring the series back at one point and it was a resounding flop. The original cast made it work and I truly believe the show’s cast chemistry is what made the show the success it was.
Linda says
I was also disappointed when Perry Mason left Prime. The temptation to get CBS all access became too much when the promotions began for the new Star Trek series with Captain Picard. I was able to purchase a gift card at HEB and redeem it on the channel’s website. This might be an option for anyone who does not want a long term subscription.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, that’s definitely a possibility. For the moment, we’re good with the Perry Mason dvds, and plan on getting a brief subscription when most of the Picard show has aired.
Roger Froehle says
My wife and I watch Perry Mason every night when I get off work. I watched this show with my mom as I was growing up. Barbara Hale is fantastic and is always dressed so nice. William Hopper is my favorite. Does all the work and gets no credit. Wish there were more shows like this but it never happened.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Roger, it’s definitely a great show, one worth watching even today decades later.
Donna McLean says
There are a couple of retro themed TV stations that still show Perry Mason episodes, and the Hallmark Mystery channel showed all the TV movie versions recently, but I don’t know if they still do. It seems like most of the older TV shows didn’t go into details about the main character’s personal lives and focused on each week’s case instead, and to be honest, I tend to prefer that format to the modern one that does tend to lean toward soap opera type story lines because hey, I’m tuning in to match wits with the detective/lawyer/private eye/whoever and solve the mystery before they do!
By the way, did you know that in the TV movies, Paul Street Jr was actually played by Barbara Hale’s real life son, William Katt? I had such a crush on him back in the ’90s!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Donna, it’s definitely great when this sort of story focuses more on the case than the characters’ outside lives. It would be nice if that sort of thing aired a bit more these days. And yes, I did know that they cast Barbara Hale’s actual son as her stage son! An interesting bit of casting.
Betty Harnsberger says
I read all of the Erle Stanley Gardner books. He also wrote under the name of A A Fair. They were good but not like Perry Mason. Della’s real life husband, Bill Williams also appeared on the show several times. I loved the books and the show and watch the reruns every week day.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Betty, sometimes moving something a book to television can actually improve it – especially when a cast this good is assembled.
Barb says
I myself can not picture anyone but Raymond Burr to play Perry Mason. I watch it everyday even though I have seen each one a hundred times. I did come across another fellow that played Perry – I did kind of like him. In that movie he and Della married.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Barb, I know there have been a few other Perry Mason adaptations – one in the 1930s and one in the 1970s. I haven’t seen all of them.
Sadie H says
Here’s a funny story for you. Perry Mason was one of my mother’s favorite t v. shows back in the day. I remember as about a 5 or 6 year old laying on the floor thinking “I don’t like Perry Mason, there’s too many dead bodies.” Just as I thought that, someone opened up a car door and the dead guy falls out of the car. I went straight to bed….
Now I love the shows and watch whenever they show up during my channel surfing.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sadie, I can certainly see that – Perry Mason isn’t exactly a children’s show, though by today’s standards I doubt there’s much in there to object to compared to modern television – well, except for alcohol and tobacco consumption, probably!
Bubba says
Good show.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Bubba, I certainly agree!
DJBean says
Della street was my role model growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s. She was so smart and efficient, often giving Perry the idea that helped him defend his client. Della was very different from most women portrayed on tv in those days.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
DJ, she certainly does seem like a good role model – particularly for a woman in that era, as you say.
MikeV says
While the basic CBS streaming service isn’t commercial-free, the older shows seem to be. I regularly fall asleep to uninterrupted marathon Perry Mason binge watching sessions.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mike, that’s good to hear – another of the things that gets under my skin a bit is paying for a subscription and still seeing ads.
Jeanne Etling says
The best part IMHO, was seeing the guest stars. Robert Redford was one of them. The actress who played Aunt Bea was another. Obviously there were a lot of guest stars. The first 5 seasons were on Prime, and I had 1 more left when it was yanked.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jeanne, the guests definitely did bring something extra to the show – many of the shows in that era with a lot of guest starts is bound to make my day.
Bruce H says
Hi,
CBS paid site does not have season 6 or season 9. They have been broadcast of meta and fetv. Bummer!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Bruce, what an odd thing to exclude! You would think that all of them would be available.
Sheila UK says
I too love Perry Mason! He was probably an influence on my career choice! (I’m a lawyer, sadly we don’t actually get to visit crime scenes!) The old shows are currently being shown on one of our channels in the UK so I’m able to catch it from time to time. I also love Raymond Burr in Ironside.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sheila, Ironside is definitely another great Raymond Burr show! Not as great as Perry Mason, but that’s a hard level to match. I’m also not surprised to hear that there are some “creative liberties” taken with Perry’s legal activities!
Guy Moore says
I love to watch Perry Mason, I used to watch it on Amazon Prime CBS pulled it. I watch it on FETV, but it was much better on Amazon Prime because nothing was cut out to make way for those stupid ads. I don’t plan to subscribe to CBS service.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Guy, it certainly was better for us when it was on Amazon Prime as well. It’s definitely a shame it isn’t there now.
J. Boruff says
Did you know William Hoppers is Hedda Hoppers son? She was the stylist on most shows and movies then. He worked on stage in New York then moved to LA with his parents.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
J., no, I don’t think I knew that – certainly an interesting bit of trivia! There certainly were a lot of family connections in the business back then.
Bryan says
A number of actors and actresses appeared on the show. Among them were Angie Dickinson, Robert Redford and Dick Clark. There was one color episode that was televised early in 1966. William Hopper was the son of Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. The first defendant Perry defended was played by Whitney Blake, Mother of Meredith Baxter Burney. She also played Dorothy Baxter on another favorite, Hazel.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Bryan, it certainly was a great cast, which helps explain why it was such a great show.
PMasonfan says
Perry Mason? I ADORE Raymond Burr and Babs Hale as well as the rest of the crew! For years I have collected Perry Mason episodes and just recently purchased ALL of the made for TV PMs from 1985 up until Ray passed away. Great show that just about everybody loves. Unfortunately Ray passed one week before I could meet him. I have had the pleasure of meeting his business partner and many friends. Thanks for doing this cozy-mystery article.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
PMasonfan, it certainly was a great show! I don’t have the TV movies yet from the ’80s.
CHERYL WEBERMEIER says
I love Perry Mason. Raymond Burr also did Ironside. In that one he is in wheelchair. I believe Della Street also was his secretary in the series. Not sure if Paul drake was in it as investigator .
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cheryl, yes, I remember Ironside – not as good as Perry Mason, but also a very good show. It’s just hard to be as good as Perry Mason.
Jeff Ryan says
Barbara Hale was not on Ironside, nor was William Hopper (Paul Drake).
Hopper died quite young – age 55.
C Allen says
As a retired litigation paralegal, I absolutely love the show! I watch it every night on Me-TV. It is fabulous and yes Della is a paralegal to Perry would be today, as opposed to back then, a legal secretary or confidential secretary. I love the class and style of that era. I love how well-dressed everybody is, and the mannerisms that everyone had. I feel that today we have fallen severely short of that common manners and etiquette and courtesy. The show is fabulous. And I love when they redid that series in 2 hour movies here in Denver Colorado that they filmed in downtown back in the 90’s. I would be out on my lunch hour working from one of the law firms downtown Denver, and there would be the set right there you’d walk on the set they were filming and you have to be quiet; it was just awesome! 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
C, it’s definitely a great show – the movies were good as well from what I recall, though it’s been longer since I’ve seen them.
C.Lu says
We watch a lot of old television shows, Perry Mason included. Raymond Burr was also in another show called Ironside. I don’t remember much about it, but it seems it was a similar type of program.
If you like Star Trek and you can get a channel called “H&I” (Heroes & Icons), it has them all.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
C, I remember Ironside as well! Not as good as Perry Mason, but that’s a high bar to hit twice – it’s hard to go wrong with Raymond Burr.
Barbara V. says
My late husband and I watched the original “Perry Mason” series in the 1950s and 1960s. The casting was perfect; the teleplays well written, and the directing and editing exceptional. The later series, “The Return of Perry Mason” (1985-1993)with only Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale from the original cast, had scripts that did not follow the first series: i.e. why was Della Street working for another company for 8 years and not with Perry Mason after he became a Judge; why did Perry Mason have a passionate love affair with Laura. This was written after Erle Stanley Gardner had died in 1970.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Barbara, we haven’t gotten to the ’80s movies yet, but you’re certainly not the first person to mention that they’re different than the originals.
Angie says
Perry Mason has his own channel on PLUTO streaming service – it plays 24 hours a day. Endless episodes and it’s addicting.
I often wonder if Paul Drake & Della Street had an off screen romance as he always referred to her as “beautiful” on screen but he was twice married during the series so maybe I had it wrong.