tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post5790581964284322563..comments2024-03-25T18:01:05.147-05:00Comments on A Shroud of Thoughts: Perry Mason: The Case of the Disappearing Defence AttorneyTerence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-8478429140643595282019-07-18T07:35:24.266-05:002019-07-18T07:35:24.266-05:00I believe at least one Perry-less TV episode has b...I believe at least one Perry-less TV episode has been left out. I don't recall the actor who replaced Burr on that episode or the episode title--but I remember that Paul Drake did most of the heavy lifting in the case in which the guest attorney was trying to clear a dizzy ditsy young woman (I think it might have been the same actress who was the defendant in the Walter Pidgeon episode) whose career was doing all sorts of crazy stunts like bronc riding to jumping out of planes.<br /><br />I think the big reason Perry Mason became the success that it was, was due to the producers hitting the bullseye in casting for every single character (Perry only being one of them). And I believe the reason they couldn't duplicate it in the new Perry Mason series was because they never made a good casting for any regular role ever again. For instance, they never were able to replace Lt. Tragg once Ray Collins' health failed. The actor who played the Sgt. Andy character did a good job in the episode he played Perry's client, but he was too bland in trying to play Perry's frienemy on the force. An attempt to give Perry a junior partner of sorts didn't never really worked either (again, a good performance as Perry's client couldn't be replicated in a regular role, in hindsight the show might have been better off in the following decade if they had developed Perry's kid legal researcher in the books into a character who would do regular comic relief cameos, instead of having the Jackson character do just one colorless appearance in the second episode. Of course Collins' magic in his chemistry with Raymond Burr could never be reproduced, but Richard Anderson showed he could have done his own kind of frienemy role quite well when he later sparred off with Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner in the Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman episodes. Unfortunately he was just cast too late to develop that same kind of chemistry with Burr (he didn't develop it in his first season with Lee Majors either). As it turned out, Anderson would have done much more good for the show if instead of hia playing Perry's client for one episode, he had been called upon to do Lt. Drum character to begin with instead of the Sgt. Andy character. Unfortunately, the movies only used Anderson as a murder suspect instead of bringing him back as Lt. Drum. The restaurateur who furnished a watering hole for Perry, Hamilton and their other legal compatriots after court recessed could have been another great casting choice, again it was too bad they didn't do it earlier instead of waiting until it was too late for the character to make a real impression. I recall at the time the New Perry Mason Show aired, Monte Markham was regarded as a rising superstar, but it never really happened for him. He spent the rest of his career playing character roles (like a friend of Steve Austin's who was given the same bionic surgery, but just couldn't cut it as an agent or even in his old auto racing career--kind of ironic considering where Monte's career was heading at that time) or mostly villians or other unsympathetic characters on mystery shows.Gary L Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17770457763649172742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-71425951648513350452017-02-13T12:39:56.930-06:002017-02-13T12:39:56.930-06:00There were 30 Perry Mason movies featuring the lat...There were 30 Perry Mason movies featuring the late Barbara Hale. Apparently Raymond Burr didn't appear in the final few, and a replacement actor/character was used (similar to the show: Only Raymond ever played Perry in this series).Maiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11748529324212233024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-70152619729334836532013-01-13T17:29:59.682-06:002013-01-13T17:29:59.682-06:00There are a lot of made-for-TV movies that have go...There are a lot of made-for-TV movies that have gone down the memory hole. I don't think I've seen any PM movies. They started about the time I quit watching television. We do watch PM on MeTV every night these days, tho.lohwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09717459108343125487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-55045847361520361232013-01-12T11:13:28.470-06:002013-01-12T11:13:28.470-06:00I haven't seen too many of the "Perry Mas...I haven't seen too many of the "Perry Mason Mystery" films (as I seem to recall they were billed) reran. A shame, as I remember that they were fairly good!Terence Towles Canotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-65409112362902372742013-01-12T03:32:15.174-06:002013-01-12T03:32:15.174-06:00Do they show those last few TV movies in which oth...Do they show those last few TV movies in which other actors fill in for Burr? (Hal Holbrook and Paul Sorvino, not sure if there were others....) I'd like to see the Holbrook ones especially.Toby O'Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06999037844031101965noreply@blogger.com