The Case of the Alliterative Attorney: Guide to the Perry Mason TV Series and TV Movies

“The key to Perry Mason was that it was a game show. It was ‘Who Killed Cock Robin?’ You had five suspects, each of whom had their own scene [opposite Mason] in the course of each show—and each of whom had a chance to ‘one-up’ Mason in that scene. So when it got to court in the second half of the show, the imprint of the characters was so strong that the game persisted. That, with outstanding scripts and direction, plus the chemistry between Raymond Burr and the rest of the cast, are the main reasons for the show’s popularity.” ~Arthur Marks, producer of the original CBS series, director of seventy-six episodes of Perry Mason (more than any other director) “The underlying dynamic behind the appeal of Perry Mason is that it was a show about innocent people who are unjustly accused. Everyone would like to have a ‘Godfather,’ and to some extent Raymond Burr filled that part. It was an indestructible formula.” ~Dean Hargrove, writer of Perry Mason Returns, executive producer of the NBC Perry Mason movies Based on the best-selling novels of Erle Stanley Gardner, Perry Mason was an idealized portrayal of our legal system—a reminder that, in the end, what matters is that justice is truly served. Part whodunit, part courtroom thriller, both the long-running original series (CBS, 1957-1966) and the equally successful made-for-TV movies (NBC, 1985-1995) have not only captivated audiences around the world since their respective premieres, but continue to attract new viewers every day via cable and DVD. THE CASE OF THE ALLITERATIVE ATTORNEY tells you everything you wanted to know about the iconic TV series that made Raymond Burr a star. Featuring a comprehensive episode guide to both the original CBS series and NBC movies, the book includes interviews and commentaries from such esteemed Perry Mason alumni as Barbara Hale (“Della Street”) and Richard Anderson (“Lieutenant Drumm”); guest actors Ruta Lee, David McCallum, H.M. Wynant, Jacqueline Scott, June Lockhart and Margaret O’Brien; producer/director Arthur Marks; writer/producer Dean Hargrove; directors Ron Satlof, Christian Nyby II and James Sheldon; and many, many others. Plus: insight into the writing and production of both the CBS and NBC series; fun and interesting factoids for every episode; behind-the-scenes photographs; and a whole lot more. Read more