Perry Mason - General Discussion

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy!

As I am going through season one and am watching “The Case of the Moth Eaten Mink,” it pains me that both Silverman and Hargrove made Paul, Jr. a failure of a detective. Compared to his father, who had his own associates and detectives he trained, not only in California, but Nevada and Oregon.

And on a shallow note, I hate Perry’s hair cut that Raymond clearly got between this episode and the previous one (No. 12) “The Case of the Negligent Nymph”).

On 7/19/2022 at 5:31 PM, Egg McMuffin said:

But it’s a shame they’re still editing - didn’t they expand the time slot to 65 minutes? What was the point if they’re not showing it unedited.

 But they have always edited the episodes and movies. All shows are edited when run in syndication. MeTV was the only one with the least editing. 

[Egg McMuffin]

2 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

All shows are edited when run in syndication. MeTV was the only one with the least editing. 

Not always. Nick at Nite ran I Love Lucy unedited years ago. Grit has shown The Virginian unedited - albeit in a longer time slot. And Antenna TV has run some shows unedited, such as Valerie/The Hogan Family. There are other examples here and there.

[GHScorpiosRule]

17 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

And on a shallow note, I hate Perry’s hair cut that Raymond clearly got between this episode and the previous one (No. 12) “The Case of the Negligent Nymph”).

Quoting myself because after this episode, Perry's hair is back to its thick and wavy wonderfulness. Which leads me to believe they filmed out of order and aired it that way. Meaning "Negligent Nymph" was probably filmed at the end of the season, but aired in between. It's the only thing that makes sense.

[chessiegal]

It never occurred to me that shows aired in a different order than the order they were filmed, but it seems to happen. Not sure how common, but I know it happened on The Wild Wild West.

Edited July 28, 2022 by chessiegal

[alvajon]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Perry's hair is back to its thick and wavy wonderfulness

I simply love your description of Perry’s hair.  I am a Scorpio too--great minds think alike...

[GHScorpiosRule]

41 minutes ago, alvajon said:

I simply love your description of Perry’s hair.  I am a Scorpio too--great minds think alike...

I just loooove Perry. And Raymond. Before I knew he played for the other team.

I'm actually a Pisces. The Scorpios refers to the characters on General Hospital: Robert!Fucking!Scorpio! and Robin!Fucking!Scorpio! The new show runner has ruined Anna, so I don't count her anymore.

[dttruman]

42 minutes ago, alvajon said:

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Perry's hair is back to its thick and wavy wonderfulness

I simply love your description of Perry’s hair.  I am a Scorpio too--great minds think alike...

I thought Perry always had the combed back thicker hair, until much later when it was cut short and they did a comb over. as in the colored version episode

Here is the combed back look

https://www.classicfilmtvcafe.com/2017/02/color-perry-mason-episode.html

Here is the combed over look

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0673417/mediaviewer/rm2450018560/?ref_=tt_ov_i

[GHScorpiosRule]

Well, my provider just added FeTV to my package and now I'm getting double dose of Perry Mason and the Perry Mason movies! I know I'd set up the show for just MeTV before it was shifted to an HD channel, so while it also airs on other networks, I only wanted the MeTV, because it's the one that is edited the least.

It looks better on FeTV, but I'm not sure if they edit more out, because the length of the recording is 1 hour, but on MeTV it's 1:05, without me having added the extra five minutes.

Another plus is that the movies and shows fill up my entire television screen on FeTV, as opposed to a "square" where I can see the black bars on either side on MeTV. I assume that's because the show and movies weren't in HD originally. Weird. And the closed captioning on FeTV is so much better. Before moving to HD, MeTV's closed captioning was very good, except, of course for XXing out suspicious, cocktail, Dick, Hispanic, because Censors! as you had "s***" in suspicious and Hispanic, and well "cock" is self-explanatory, and "Dick" is stupid, since that's a shortened version for Richard. But what can you do?

So I still get some Paul Drake Junior in FeTV's airing of "Case of the Sinister Spirit" an hour before MeTV's "Case of the Poisonous Pen" at 8! The latter is the first without that annoying Amy, but just as they didn't explain Paul's sudden disappearance, no mention of what happened to Amy.

"Case of the Sinister Spirit"

I loved the guest stars in this one! The Amazing Robert Stack! Well okay, just the main guest star. I like Kim Delaney okay, but she was just awful in here. I've never cared for Dwight Schultz. and OMGEE, the doctor that testified about "David Hall" is the same dude who did the voice overs for the original JAWS trailers! The deep, baritone voice that told viewers to watch and then go swimming!😝

I'm going to have to re-watch because I can't remember why they were trying to scare her off. What a pathetic little ninny.

"Case of the Poisonous Pen"

And Ken again proves what an inept investigator he is. I really, reallllly wanted to fast forward his scenes, but my parents are visiting and we are all Perry Mason fans. So I suffered.

But what an amazing roster of guest stars! David Warner! I got so verklempt, because we just lost him! Tony Lo Bianco! An Italian American pretending to play a Latino! Of course we didn't learn that until almost the end. I remember rolling my eyes when it first aired. And Shirley Feeney Cindy Williams! I even liked the actor they got to play prosecutor.

This was in the mid to late 80s (the movies) and now I'm wishing Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan had guest starred!

Whaaat?????

[tvfanatic13]

4 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Well, my provider just added FeTV to my package and now I'm getting double dose of Perry Mason and the Perry Mason movies! I know I'd set up the show for just MeTV before it was shifted to an HD channel, so while it also airs on other networks, I only wanted the MeTV, because it's the one that is edited the least.

It looks better on FeTV, but I'm not sure if they edit more out, because the length of the recording is 1 hour, but on MeTV it's 1:05, without me having added the extra five minutes.

Another plus is that the movies and shows fill up my entire television screen on FeTV, as opposed to a "square" where I can see the black bars on either side on MeTV. I assume that's because the show and movies weren't in HD originally. Weird. And the closed captioning on FeTV is so much better. Before moving to HD, MeTV's closed captioning was very good, except, of course for XXing out suspicious, cocktail, Dick, Hispanic, because Censors! as you had "s***" in suspicious and Hispanic, and well "cock" is self-explanatory, and "Dick" is stupid, since that's a shortened version for Richard. But what can you do?

So I still get some Paul Drake Junior in FeTV's airing of "Case of the Sinister Spirit" an hour before MeTV's "Case of the Poisonous Pen" at 8! The latter is the first without that annoying Amy, but just as they didn't explain Paul's sudden disappearance, no mention of what happened to Amy.

"Case of the Sinister Spirit"

I loved the guest stars in this one! The Amazing Robert Stack! Well okay, just the main guest star. I like Kim Delaney okay, but she was just awful in here. I've never cared for Dwight Schultz. and OMGEE, the doctor that testified about "David Hall" is the same dude who did the voice overs for the original JAWS trailers! The deep, baritone voice that told viewers to watch and then go swimming!😝

I'm going to have to re-watch because I can't remember why they were trying to scare her off. What a pathetic little ninny.

"Case of the Poisonous Pen"

And Ken again proves what an inept investigator he is. I really, reallllly wanted to fast forward his scenes, but my parents are visiting and we are all Perry Mason fans. So I suffered.

But what an amazing roster of guest stars! David Warner! I got so verklempt, because we just lost him! Tony Lo Bianco! An Italian American pretending to play a Latino! Of course we didn't learn that until almost the end. I remember rolling my eyes when it first aired. And Shirley Feeney Cindy Williams! I even liked the actor they got to play prosecutor.

This was in the mid to late 80s (the movies) and now I'm wishing Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan had guest starred!

Whaaat?????

Scorpio- love your posts it he GH forum. What is FeTV? 

[chessiegal]

10 minutes ago, tvfanatic13 said:

What is FeTV? 

It's a retro tv channel.

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

If you watch Perry on demand through Comcast, it's the full original run time. Finding the show to watch it is a pain, though. Their system would prefer it if you used the voice recognition and told it what you're looking for. But I will not do that. 

THEY'RE LISTENING, I TELL YOU! 

Edited August 3, 2022 by Ghost of TWOP Past

[Egg McMuffin]

One of our local ambulance chasers, Jason Stone (“Better phone Stone!”) is now sponsoring our local MeTV station’s broadcasts of Perry Mason, with a special “sponsored by” tag. Shameful! I know Perry and Della wouldn’t approve.

[dttruman]

1 hour ago, Egg McMuffin said:

One of our local ambulance chasers, Jason Stone (“Better phone Stone!”) is now sponsoring our local MeTV station’s broadcasts of Perry Mason, with a special “sponsored by” tag. Shameful! I know Perry and Della wouldn’t approve.

I bet he found out that MeTV probably has good numbers there in Boston.

[GHScorpiosRule]

So very interesting that Karl Held, who had a recurring role as David Gideon, the former client and law school student, play a good guy on this show. In the 80s shows I watched, he always played a villain. Usually  a German one!😆😆

Of course, he first appeared as the son? Nephew? of the victim in an early season four episode.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Huh. FeTV has bungled the episode synopsis from last week. I’m catching up on those episodes and they’re airing Season Five. They had the description for “The Case of the Roving River”  as “The Case of the Renegade Immigrant” and that episode has the synopsis for “The Case of the Unwelcome Bride!” I hope the synopsis have corrected themselves for this week!

[dttruman]

On 8/11/2022 at 6:43 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

So very interesting that Karl Held, who had a recurring role as David Gideon, the former client and law school student, play a good guy on this show. In the 80s shows I watched, he always played a villain. Usually  a German one!😆😆

Of course, he first appeared as the son? Nephew? of the victim in an early season four episode.

I thought he made an even earlier appearance then that. Are you thinking of the one where the guy faked his own death, for the insurance money for his wife. but it turned out he was actually dying and his partner tried to cheat him out of a major business deal? That was one really complex plot. The only person honest in that plot was the wife, but I thought she maybe having the affair with the nephew.

[GHScorpiosRule]

46 minutes ago, dttruman said:

I thought he made an even earlier appearance then that. Are you thinking of the one where the guy faked his own death, for the insurance money for his wife. but it turned out he was actually dying and his partner tried to cheat him out of a major business deal? That was one really complex plot. The only person honest in that plot was the wife, but I thought she maybe having the affair with the nephew.

Yes, that’s the one.

[GHScorpiosRule]

UGH. I really, detest, loathe, hate, hate, hate, "The Case of the Lurid Letter" so so much. It's like television's version of Peyton Place.

And Jane is so stupid. Why would she want to remain in a town where the "women" were trying to run her out of town for "seducing" their oh so innocent boyzzzz? (Blech). Just a "Oh, we're sorry, please stay" when they had no compunction about how this would affect her own child, or that they were so willfully blind to the asshats that were their sons?

And that Pat Mangan his thugs of friends weren't charged or thrown in jail for running Jane and her child off the road, just pisses me off.

ETA: OMGEE!!!! Anna Lee, who played Lila Quartermaine on General Hospital, was on "The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle" and Susan Seaforth (now Hayes) was on "The Case of the Stand-In Sister" and so recognizable!

Edited August 16, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[dttruman]

15 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

UGH. I really, detest, loathe, hate, hate, hate, "The Case of the Lurid Letter" so so much. It's like television's version of Peyton Place.

And Jane is so stupid. Why would she want to remain in a town where the "women" were trying to run her out of town for "seducing" their oh so innocent boyzzzz? (Blech). Just a "Oh, we're sorry, please stay" when they had no compunction about how this would affect her own child, or that they were so willfully blind to the asshats that were their sons?

And that Pat Mangan his thugs of friends weren't charged or thrown in jail for running Jane and her child off the road, just pisses me off.

ETA: OMGEE!!!! Anna Lee, who played Lila Quartermaine on General Hospital, was on "The Case of the Unsuitable Uncle" and Susan Seaforth (now Hayes) was on "The Case of the Stand-In Sister" and so recognizable!

Weren't they staying in that little town, because that is where her deceased husband was from? I can't remember for sure. They should have had a scene where all those mothers were eating crow and getting admonished, besides from just Perry. That school superintendent was worthless and he should have been held responsible too.

Kind of reminds us of what is going on today, where these parents are claiming their kids are angels even though they are caught on camera, vandalizing, looting, carjacking, and even murdering someone.

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, dttruman said:

Weren't they staying in that little town, because that is where her deceased husband was from? I can't remember for sure. They should have had a scene where all those mothers were eating crow and getting admonished, besides from just Perry. That school superintendent was worthless and he should have been held responsible too.

Kind of reminds us of what is going on today, where these parents are claiming their kids are angels even though they are caught on camera, vandalizing, looting, carjacking, and even murdering someone.

Yes, but she was always treated as an outsider even when her husband was alive. Plus, husband returned to his home town because he was dying or something.

The way every single person acted in that town contradicted what that judge/old geezer who refused to rock the boat said about that town: it was the opposite of friendly with "good values" considering the thugs and hoodlums they raised, and the gleeful gossipy teenage girls.

Jane stayed and fought to clear her name; then she and her son should have left.

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

I've been puzzled by odd little sounds while watching Perry and finally realized that they added a subtle sound effects track to the court room scenes. People shift in their seats, cough, clear their throats, and the like. But only in the court scenes. Odd. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 8/16/2022 at 11:02 PM, Ghost of TWOP Past said:

I've been puzzled by odd little sounds while watching Perry and finally realized that they added a subtle sound effects track to the court room scenes. People shift in their seats, cough, clear their throats, and the like. But only in the court scenes. Odd. 

Huh. I don’t notice that at all!

Just saw “The Case of the Bullied Bowler” and noticed just how long Mannix’s Mike Connors’s eyelashes were! In addition to being a gorgeous man. Downright criminal!

Bingeing on all these episodes just makes me feel for Perry: 99% of his clients are moronic idiots, who refuse to tell him the truth! How is he supposed to defend them if he doesn’t have all the information!?

[Milburn Stone]

19 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Bingeing on all these episodes just makes me feel for Perry: 99% of his clients are moronic idiots, who refuse to tell him the truth! How is he supposed to defend them if he doesn’t have all the information!?

😄 I love how exactly 32 minutes into every episode, Perry has this "difficult conversation" with his client. You can time your pizza delivery by it!

[dttruman]

7 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

On 8/19/2022 at 12:58 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

Bingeing on all these episodes just makes me feel for Perry: 99% of his clients are moronic idiots, who refuse to tell him the truth! How is he supposed to defend them if he doesn’t have all the information!?

😄 I love how exactly 32 minutes into every episode, Perry has this "difficult conversation" with his client. You can time your pizza delivery by it!

I always liked and try to guess what Perry means when he gives Paul a veiled or vague task to do so as to unmask the murderer. And for all those times I still haven't figured out one until after it happens at or near the end.

[dttruman]

I don't know if I just wasn't paying attention or if there was a little flaw in the story, but in "The Case of the Stuttering bishop". Was it Wallace Lang (the private detective) or Phillip Burroughs (the nephew) who killed Bishop Mallory?

[Schnickelfritz]

17 minutes ago, dttruman said:

I don't know if I just wasn't paying attention or if there was a little flaw in the story, but in "The Case of the Stuttering bishop". Was it Wallace Lang (the private detective) or Phillip Burroughs (the nephew) who killed Bishop Mallory?

Spoiler

Phillip Burroughs

Edited September 5, 2022 by Schnickelfritz

[dttruman]

8 minutes ago, Schnickelfritz said:

  Reveal spoiler

Phillip Burroughs

Thanks! Are you watching right now also?

[dttruman]

7 minutes ago, dttruman said:

Thanks! Are you watching right now also?

Finally paid attention at the end to hear it.

[Schnickelfritz]

No, I've just seen the episode a few times. I think I might just pop in a DVD and enjoy PM until the ubiquitous bar-b-que this afternoon!

Happy holiday, everyone!

[Door County Cherry]

This show ended eons ago. No spoiler tags, please!  

[dttruman]

5 hours ago, Door County Cherry said:

This show ended eons ago. No spoiler tags, please!  

What about the grand children who are watching it with their grandparents for the very first time. They get to explain to the children what their great grandparents were like.

[GHScorpiosRule]

10 minutes ago, dttruman said:

What about the grand children who are watching it with their grandparents for the very first time. They get to explain to the children what their great grandparents were like.

But that has nothing to do with using spoiler tags when discussing the show on this site.

Noticed the other day that it’s the Board of Education that provides the closed captioning on MeTV, MeTV+, FeTV, and all of them, especially the two former, do a lousy job. 90% of the times, two words are mashed together so it looks like some foreign words! Other cable networks do a much better job. And the latter doesn’t xxx out letters for suspicious, cocktails, Dick (when it’s a name or even profession), like MeTV does for this show.

[Door County Cherry]

2 hours ago, dttruman said:

What about the grand children who are watching it with their grandparents for the very first time. They get to explain to the children what their great grandparents were like.

The board's guidelines are that once a show has aired on TV (or streamed) in its primary location, regardless of where that is (streaming, US, UK, 50 years ago...etc.) spoiler tags should not be used*.  It turns what should be free flowing discussion into a series of posts hidden with spoiler tags that aren't spoilers. 

*Some forums might have different rules which is why reading the pinned notes are essential.

So no spoiler tags should be used here while discussing the original Perry Mason show.  If you'd like to do a courtesy to people who haven't seen an episode, what people have done in the past is start by saying "I was watching title of episode and...." that way, anyone who wants to remain unspoiled can skip past your post if they haven't seen the episode.

But really, anyone who wants to remain completely unspoiled should skip this thread. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oooh! Watching the movies and the series at the same time, I’m playing the “Hey! So-and-So played X in the original series and also appeared in the movies!” Game.

*We had Richard Anderson, who appeared in the final season as Lt. Drumm and the killer in Perry Mason Returns.

*While not the same-Don Galloway-twice in two different movies-when he co-starred with Burr on Ironside.

*Just watched The Case of the Glass Coffin, and Julie Sommars played wardrobe person-she played Perry’s client in season 8’s “The Case of the Careless Cat”!

I really wish William Katt had been brought back after his show ended because Ken just SUCKS.

Aaaand! I never knew Barbara’s real life hubby appeared in several episodes of original series! From what I can remember, Della only had scenes and dialogue with him when he played a client! That was in “The Case of the  Crippled Cougar” I think the name of the episode was.

And Barbara had always said William looked just like his dad, Bill Smith, but I think he looked like his mama, Barbara.

Edited September 13, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[alvajon]

I’m enjoying MeTV’s current run of the Perry Mason Movies; however, I have to say that at least to me it seems that Perry’s personality has become much more serious, and grouchy, not as friendly.  And, he seems to be on the snippy side with Della--I don’t like that.  And I don’t like that they switched Ken Malansky for Paul Drake, Jr. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

25 minutes ago, alvajon said:

I don’t like that they switched Ken Malansky for Paul Drake, Jr. 

It’s the other way around-switched Paul out for Ken. But that was because William Katt got a show. I wish they had brought him back after it ended since it only lasted a season.

[dttruman]

15 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

15 hours ago, alvajon said:

I don’t like that they switched Ken Malansky for Paul Drake, Jr. 

It’s the other way around-switched Paul out for Ken. But that was because William Katt got a show. I wish they had brought him back after it ended since it only lasted a season.

In America, it makes more sense the way Alvajon says it.

[GHScorpiosRule]

I’m participating in mock court today at work and I keep wanting the attorneys to say when they object: “”OBJECTION!  Incompetent, Immaterial, and irrelevant!”

🤪😂😂😂😂😂

Edited September 18, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[peacheslatour]

32 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I’m participating in mock court today at work and I keep wanting the attorneys to say when they object: “”OBJECTION!  Imcomptent, Immaterrial, and irrelevant!”

🤪😂😂😂😂😂

"...stating facts not in evidence, leading the witness,  hearsay, fruit of the poison tree and counsel is testifying!"

Edited September 17, 2022 by peacheslatour

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

"...stating facts not in evidence, leading the witness,  hearsay, fruit of the poison tree and counsel is testifying!"

The first three you stated were used!😂😂😂 All overruled!

Edited September 17, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[chessiegal]

My husband says that in his 30+ years as a federal prosecutor, he never once heard an objection based on "incompetent, immaterial, and irrelevant". Of course, he also says he never had anyone confess on the stand. He did say one time when a witness was asked to identify the person who committed the crime, the defendant raised his hand and waved. 😅

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

My husband says that in his 30+ years as a federal prosecutor, he never once heard an objection based on "incompetent, immaterial, and irrelevant". Of course, he also says he never had anyone confess on the stand. He did say one time when a witness was asked to identify the person who committed the crime, the defendant raised his hand and waved. 😅

I wonder if those phrases were used in the 50s and 60s? The law isn’t stagnant-it evolves and changes. We still have “immaterial” and “irrelevant” though.

[Milburn Stone]

I know that incompetent, in the Perry Mason context, doesn't mean "you don't know what you're doing, you blithering idiot." I just don't know what it does mean.

[dttruman]

2 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

My husband says that in his 30+ years as a federal prosecutor, he never once heard an objection based on "incompetent, immaterial, and irrelevant". Of course, he also says he never had anyone confess on the stand. He did say one time when a witness was asked to identify the person who committed the crime, the defendant raised his hand and waved. 😅

I wonder if those phrases were used in the 50s and 60s? The law isn’t stagnant-it evolves and changes. We still have “immaterial” and “irrelevant” though.

I would say those three words can be used to day. Maybe not in court, but mostly to describe some of the new TV programming they are putting out.

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

Why are my Comcast on demand choices suddenly reduced from most of the series to just part of season 5? 

RAGE

[GHScorpiosRule]

So “The Case of the Fatal Fashion” aired tonight-the one with Chachi as the ADA.

It took me aback to see the Twin Towers, as this was set in New York.

[Egg McMuffin]

The same producers hired Chachi to co-star in “Diagnosis Murder” about a year later.

[Broderbits]

On 9/17/2022 at 10:25 PM, Ghost of TWOP Past said:

Why are my Comcast on demand choices suddenly reduced from most of the series to just part of season 5?

A similar thing happened to me months ago - I was watching ad-free episodes from the beginning on Paramount+; then suddenly they were only available on Freevee, with ads. I guess Amazon bought the rights from CBS.

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

4 hours ago, Broderbits said:

A similar thing happened to me months ago - I was watching ad-free episodes from the beginning on Paramount+; then suddenly they were only available on Freevee, with ads. I guess Amazon bought the rights from CBS.

I was watching on Freevee with ads. Maybe they shuffled them back to Paramount? 

[Broderbits]

8 hours ago, Ghost of TWOP Past said:

I was watching on Freevee with ads. Maybe they shuffled them back to Paramount?

As far as I know Paramount+ only has a limited number of episodes, if any. They've gone to Freevee. But Paramount does own ad-supported Pluto TV which has a Perry Mason channel, so one can catch an episode any time.