Chubby is Fatty and Other References to Real Life People and True Crimes

[Door County Cherry]

There are characters and storylines which appear to be based on real life people or cases.  This is a thread to compare and contrast the Perry Mason version with the real life version. 

[Epeolatrix]

The kidnapping case is inspired by that of Marion Parker. Sister Alice is based on Aimee Semple McPherson.

[shapeshifter]

Chubby Carmichael from Chapter One is based on Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (wikipedia.org/wiki/Roscoe_Arbuckle).
IMDb is only showing him in the first episode: imdb.com/name/nm6129629/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t26

[shapeshifter]

Since Raymond Burr and Perry Mason are nearly synonymous in the viewer zeitgeist, and since Raymond Burr was a very closeted gay man, and since TPTB of the show decided to totally reimagine Perry Mason, I wonder if they considered making him a closeted gay man in the 1930s (wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Burr#Personal_life). 

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

On 6/30/2020 at 8:50 AM, shapeshifter said:

Since Raymond Burr and Perry Mason are nearly synonymous in the viewer zeitgeist, and since Raymond Burr was a very closeted gay man, and since TPTB of the show decided to totally reimagine Perry Mason, I wonder if they considered making him a closeted gay man in the 1930s (wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Burr#Personal_life). 

Doesn't look like it, and I'm not sure Burr would have approved anyway. Remember how they made Sulu gay in the Star Trek theatrical reboot as a nod to George Takei? It backfired slightly when Takei publicly criticized the decision, saying that while he personally was gay, he'd understood the character of Hikaru Sulu was not, and had never played him that way.

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

Doesn't look like it, and I'm not sure Burr would have approved anyway. Remember how they made Sulu gay in the Star Trek theatrical reboot as a nod to George Takei? It backfired slightly when Takei publicly criticized the decision, saying that while he personally was gay, he'd understood the character of Hikaru Sulu was not, and had never played him that way.

Burr is not around to complain, but I guess it could be considered disrespectful of his wishes anyway since he did choose to stay in the closet long after it was socially and professionally necessary. But since this show is turning out to be so thoughtfully constructed (IMO—at least, so far) I would have liked to see a gay Perry Mason as a sort of tribute to Burr and his long term relationship with a man he cared for. 

[WendyCR72]

7 hours ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

Doesn't look like it, and I'm not sure Burr would have approved anyway. Remember how they made Sulu gay in the Star Trek theatrical reboot as a nod to George Takei? It backfired slightly when Takei publicly criticized the decision, saying that while he personally was gay, he'd understood the character of Hikaru Sulu was not, and had never played him that way.

It's called acting!  🙂

If a character is meant to be gay, that's fine! But just because an actor that plays a character is, it does not mean a character will be.

[Domestic Assassin]

I just learned from this article that the character of Lupe was loosely based on a real person, Florence Lowe aka Pancho Barnes.  (Sorry if I'm the last person to learn this). I really like this character and hope she sticks around in season two.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Domestic Assassin said:

I just learned from this article that the character of Lupe was loosely based on a real person, Florence Lowe aka Pancho Barnes.  (Sorry if I'm the last person to learn this). I really like this character and hope she sticks around in season two.

Great article, @Domestic Assassin, and Pancho Barnes was amazing!
I don't think any of the documentaries or this characterization have really done her justice, but that makes sense since she had such a long and complicated life --which I can relate to on a lower key level, heh.
It seems they took the pilot and land grab parts of Pancho's life and gave them to Perry. I'm not sure how I feel about that. 
Hopefully equally-skilled writers, directors, actors, and other crew will someday (post-pandemic?) do a series based on Florence Lowe/Pancho Barnes. Her (their?) life really deserves a multi-season series rather than the short works and parts her life has been granted thus far.
Thanks for sharing. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a33079270/perry-mason-episode-3-girard-meaning-true-story-woodland-hills/

Apparently Girard put the lie to "If you build it, they will come."

[Thalia]

About 10 years ago I read a book by Adela Rogers St. John about her father, Earl Rogers.  Final Verdict I(1962)  He was a defense attorney who tried 77 murder trials and won all but three.  Erle Stanley Gardner said he based the character of Perry on Rogers.  As I recall, he more or less introduced the idea of a defense attorney investigating the case and introducing forensic evidence in order to inspire reasonable doubt in the jury.  He was also an inspired orator during trial.  The book itself is fascinating.  Unfortunately, Rogers had a fatal flaw, alcohol.   I've wished ever since that I could see a movie version of Final Verdict with Treat Williams playing Rogers.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Rogers