Perry Mason

[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.

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 9/18/2022 at 10:28 PM, Egg McMuffin said:

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

True, but I don't think Chachi had exposed himself as the asshole he turned out to be in real life. I very much doubt Dick Van Dyke would put up with someone of his ilk.

I'm pretty sure the movie (whose name I'm blanking on) with Ken Moses' real life wife at the time, Tracy Nelson, but I know her as Ricky Nelson's daughter-will air soon. Another one about reporters. How many of these movies dealt with sleazy editors, sleazy reporters, asshole reporters and reporters who ended up being the murderer??

Too late now, but I would have loved to have Constance Towers appear in one of the movies, as she was a regular on the original series. And it would have been kewl if one of the cases from the series was tied into a case in the movies. Siiiiiigh.

Edited September 21, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[Maverick]

 Tracy Nelson. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

43 minutes ago, Maverick said:

 Tracy Nelson. 

Right-it’s the movie name I’m blanking on. Oops, looks like I forgot to add Tracy’s name in my original post!

All fixed now!

[Schnickelfritz]

12 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Right-it’s the movie name I’m blanking on.

The Case of the Reckless Romeo

[dttruman]

Did anyone see the one about the Blushing Pearls where Mr Sulu shows up? At the 40:45 mark of the episode, where Perry, Della and Paul come walking down an alley. Did anyone notice Paul's shoes? The last time I saw shoes like that, my father had golf shoes in that style. Were they kind of outlandish for a P.I.?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.36afeb2a-045d-b58f-506f-80d6a49d4ea3?ref=imdb_web&autoplay=1&ref_=imdbref_tt_wbr_fdv&tag=imdbtag_tt_wbr_fdv-20

[peacheslatour]

I'm watching The Case of the Bartered Bikini and I noticed the main thing that has always bothered me about OG Perry Mason. All the women under thirty are portrayed as insipid, whimpering, wishy washy morons. Why did they make this choice. Are they like that in the books?

Edited September 29, 2022 by peacheslatour

[dttruman]

9 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I'm watching The Case of the Bartered Bikini and I noticed the main thing that has always bothered me about OG Perry Mason. All the women under thirty are portrayed as insipid, whimpering, wishy wahy morons. Why did they make this choice. Are they like that in the books?

I would just say very naive and mostly emotional, but Perry is more or less like a trusting uncle to them. There have been a few young heiresses that are head strong in what they want, but it's always Perry who is telling them "what they can do and can't do" or in another way, "what is legal and is not legal".

[peacheslatour]

29 minutes ago, dttruman said:

I would just say very naive and mostly emotional, but Perry is more or less like a trusting uncle to them. There have been a few young heiresses that are head strong in what they want, but it's always Perry who is telling them "what they can do and can't do" or in another way, "what is legal and is not legal".

Maybe it's just young people in general that they show in a bad light. All the young men seem to be impetuous dunderheads as well.

[dttruman]

What I have always liked about the Old Perry Masons are the judges and how they are so well written. Some times the judges have a few lines in the trial that make the courtroom scenes so much better, whether it's related to an objection or there is a little conference up there by the judges bench. The judges actions contribute to good courtroom scenes.

5 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Maybe it's just young people in general that they show in a bad light. All the young men seem to be impetuous dunderheads as well.

Can you imagine a self assured young person who doesn't need help going into Perry Mason's office and asking for help. Kind of defeats the purpose of Perry's job.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

Can you imagine a self assured young person who doesn't need help going into Perry Mason's office and asking for help. Kind of defeats the purpose of Perry's job.

Why not? Self assured middle aged and elderly people did. He was still just as avuncular with them. My favs were when rich assholes tried to order him around and get him to be unethical and would refuse to take their case. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

7 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Why not? Self assured middle aged and elderly people did. He was still just as avuncular with them.

Not all were bumbling dunderheads. Just watched season eight's "The Case of the Wrongful Writ" with the oh so handsome Robert Shigeta as Perry's client.

[dttruman]

3 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Why not? Self assured middle aged and elderly people did. He was still just as avuncular with them. My favs were when rich assholes tried to order him around and get him to be unethical and would refuse to take their case. 

What bothered Perry the most were Injustice and clients who thought they owned him "Lock, Stock, and Barrel" with a large retainer.

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

The aspect of the times the show was made that always bugs me is when Paul sees a good looking woman and stands dazed for several minutes all but drooling on his shoes. 

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, Ghost of TWOP Past said:

The aspect of the times the show was made that always bugs me is when Paul sees a good looking woman and stands dazed for several minutes all but drooling on his shoes. 

Yes! They have him act like a 12-year-old. It's embarrassing. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh blech. "The Case of the Broken-Hearted Bride" aired this past Sunday. Why are most of Perry's clients such petulant whiners?

And please, PLEASE tell me that they were NOT inferring that Caitlyn was Perry's child?! I must have missed all that subtext and constant lines about how her father really loved her and she reallllyyyyy loved her father and that her mother and Perry "knew" each other back in the day when Caitlyn's parents were going through a rough patch.

Oh Really? Must have been offscreen, because I don't remember Perry EVER being involved with anyone during the show's initial run--and this "relationship" along with the one with Jean Simmons's character, would have taken place then.

And Poor Perry. He had such a KEWL car during the show's initial run, and in the movies, now drives a boring sedan.

[alvajon]

16 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Oh blech. "The Case of the Broken-Hearted Bride" aired this past Sunday. Why are most of Perry's clients such petulant whiners?

And please, PLEASE tell me that they were NOT inferring that Caitlyn was Perry's child?! I must have missed all that subtext and constant lines about how her father really loved her and she reallllyyyyy loved her father and that her mother and Perry "knew" each other back in the day when Caitlyn's parents were going through a rough patch.

Oh Really? Must have been offscreen, because I don't remember Perry EVER being involved with anyone during the show's initial run--and this "relationship" along with the one with Jean Simmons's character, would have taken place then.

I thought this too--must’ve been offscreen, if so, but I doubt it.  Kinda like no explanation where Paul Drake, Jr. came from, and not explaining his departure when they added Ken Malansky.  

[alvajon]

I watched "The Case of the Twice Told Twist tonight" (1966).  Loved seeing Raymond Burr’s beautiful blue eyes in this only color episode.

[dttruman]

On 9/30/2022 at 9:52 AM, chessiegal said:

On 9/29/2022 at 11:23 PM, Ghost of TWOP Past said:

The aspect of the times the show was made that always bugs me is when Paul sees a good looking woman and stands dazed for several minutes all but drooling on his shoes. 

Yes! They have him act like a 12-year-old. It's embarrassing. 

Those were different times, that are almost direct opposite of what we have today. Back then when a guy stares or whistles at a girl, it was considered acceptable as long as it wasn't obsessive. It showed a guys interests, but he was still expected to treat a lady with respect. Even the girl accepted it as a form of flattery. As for Paul he was considered a true blue red blooded American and that is what the producers wanted to portray him as a "Knight in Shining Armor".

[GHScorpiosRule]

5 hours ago, alvajon said:

Kinda like no explanation where Paul Drake, Jr. came from, and not explaining his departure when they added Ken Malansky.  

That has ALWAYS aggravated me--no explanation about where Paul Junior went. I also stated up thread, that he had to have been born while the show was still on the air, but we knew Paul wasn't seeing anyone, let alone thinking about marriage. And Paul wasn't a cad.

5 hours ago, alvajon said:

I watched "The Case of the Twice Told Twist tonight" (1966).  Loved seeing Raymond Burr’s beautiful blue eyes in this only color episode.

Oh, me too! I could DROWN in them!

And Della! Barbara was such a beautiful woman, and she looked stunning in that episode as well.

[GHScorpiosRule]

In two weeks we’ll see Raymond’s final episode as Perry in The Case of the Killer Kiss; not sure if they’ll air the remaining movies with Paul Sorvino and Hal Holbrook.

Edited October 17, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[GHScorpiosRule]

Cross posting! On my Face Book feed this morning came the memory that Raymond Burr and Angela Lansbury starred together in Please Murder Me! (1956) and now I'm disappointed that neither of them appeared on the other's show! Angela on this show (original series OR the movies) and Raymond on Murder, She Wrote!

Of course I'm going to hunt down this movie!

[GHScorpiosRule]

I found a a great price for Please Murder Me! So yay! Raymond Burr’s performance that would let viewers see what Perry Mason would be like. the movie came out a year before the series premiered!

[dttruman]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I found a a great price for Please Murder Me! So yay! Raymond Burr’s performance that would let viewers see what Perry Mason would be like. the movie came out a year before the series premiered!

It's got a little resemblance to Double Indemnity at the end. Angela Landsbury kind of reminds me of Constance Ford who was in 3 episodes of Perry Mason "The Deadly Double", "Potted Planter", and "The Shifty Shoebox".

[dttruman]

I hope you didn't pay for it yet, because it's on Youtube for FREE!

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, dttruman said:

I hope you didn't pay for it yet, because it's on Youtube for FREE!

I don’t mind buying the DVD. I’m not a fan of watching on YouTube if I can avoid it.

[dttruman]

7 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

I don’t mind buying the DVD. I’m not a fan of watching on YouTube if I can avoid it.

No problem, just trying to save you money. It's getting a little tight where I live.

[Egg McMuffin]

On 10/13/2022 at 3:35 AM, alvajon said:

I watched "The Case of the Twice Told Twist tonight" (1966).  Loved seeing Raymond Burr’s beautiful blue eyes in this only color episode.

It’s a treat to have gotten at least one color episode of the original series. Too bad they didn’t do a whole 10th season in color, but we have that one episode. I’ve always wanted to see a true color episode of other B&W series, like “I Love Lucy” or “Leave it to Beaver” (and not colorized versions - it’s not the same).

[dttruman]

If you're a big fan of Raymond Burr and you have GetTV on your cable, Dish or whatever, then I hope this makes you happy. Ironside will be shown on the GetTV channel in the middle of November sometime around the noon hour.

[Milburn Stone]

22 hours ago, Egg McMuffin said:

It’s a treat to have gotten at least one color episode of the original series.

I will have to attempt watching it again. The one time I did, I went "My eyes, my eyes!" and had to stop. It just seemed wrong, and I don't think this was due only to my not being used to it. Something about the noir-ish drama of the original series works in black-and-white and vanishes in color.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Milburn Stone

[chessiegal]

5 hours ago, dttruman said:

If you're a big fan of Raymond Burr and you have GetTV on your cable, Dish or whatever, then I hope this makes you happy. Ironside will be shown on the GetTV channel in the middle of November sometime around the noon hour.

It will be on 11 am ET starting November 14. It's replacing Hart to Hart.

[GHScorpiosRule]

5 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Something about the noir-ish drama of the original series works in black-and-white and vanishes in color.

I agree with this. Yet, yet. As someone who was desperately in love with Perry and Raymond Burr* when I first discovered this show as a teenager, I LOVED seeing the one episode in color because Burr’s eyes are so striking and beautiful. I could lose myself in those gorgeous eyes. Even in black and white, I can see how beautiful his eyes were.

Even later, when I saw him in Rear Window, the camera never focused on his eyes. For obvious reasons.

*I didn’t learn that he was gay until after he passed away.