Erle Stanley Gardner wrote crime fiction, and while many of his 100 or so works are unknown to most of us, he created a character that has become as identified with criminal lawyers as any other in fiction. It was in these crime novels that Perry Mason first faced a courtroom. He developed a style where he would investigate these terrible crimes his clients were on trial for. He would find the real killer, and in what has become a Hollywood cliché, reveal his findings in a crucial moment during the trial. While we may not remember the novels, we all remember the man in the persona of Raymond Burr. Burr had a commanding presence on our screens and enjoyed a well deserved 11-year run as the clever lawyer. What makes this run so amazing is that the show followed pretty much the same pattern the entire time. We always know what’s going to happen, but we wait eagerly for that gotcha moment when Perry faces the witness on the stand. We know when he’s got the guy squarely in his sights, and we can’t sit still waiting for him to pull the trigger. OK, so maybe that’s a little over the top, but so was Perry Mason. From the moment you heard that distinctive theme, the stage was set. To say that Perry Mason defined the lawyer show for decades would be an understatement. Folks like Matlock and shows like The Practice are strikingly similar to Perry Mason. If you haven’t checked this show out, this is your chance. See where it all began.
At this rate, it’s going to be quite some time before you complete your collection. I’m not even sure that DVD will still be a viable format before the end of the series on DVD. It’s another half season, and the episodes continue to fly at us at a snail’s pace. But slow and steady wins the race, and as long as the quality episodes continue to deliver that classic Mason charm and style, I guess folks like us will continue to come back for more.
Raymond Burr did not carry the show on his own. There was a very fine cast of supporting characters. The most famous has to be his faithful secretary Della Street, played by Barbara Hale. The two were inseparable. Perry had the help of a good private investigator in the Raymond Chandler style. William Hopper played the tough-as-nails Paul Drake. One of Orson Welles’ famous Mercury Theater Players took on the part of Police Lt. Tragg. Ray Collins starred in Citizen Kane as the political party boss Gettys. He was a fine example of top talent working in television. Mason was often pitted against prosecutor Hamilton Burger, whose name too often reminded me of hamburgers. There wasn’t anything funny about Burger, however. He was a worthy opponent who drew the short straw most of the time because he was up against Perry Mason. The task was accomplished with a lot of style by William Talman, a one-time evangelistic preacher.
Here you’ll find the last episodes of the 5th season. So, what kinds of cases was Perry up against then? You get 15 more episodes on 4 discs. In The Case Of The Glamorous Ghost Perry must defend a woman who claims to have amnesia and was seen running from the scene of a murder. How can a simple case of pen pals lead to hostile corporate takeovers and murder? That’s what Perry has to figure out in The Case Of The Poison Pen-Pal. A man tries to get even with the culprit he believes stole a million bucks from him and left him crippled. But when the guy shows up dead, that makes Perry’s client the number one suspect and a tough case for Perry with The Case Of The Crippled Cougar. In The Case Of The Melancholy Marksman Perry must defend the man accused of killing his wife, after discovering that she killed his first wife. A real death occurs at the theatre when Perry shows up to watch his buddy appear in Romeo and Juliet. But a fight scene leaves a genuine corpse and Perry’s friend on the hot seat with hundreds of apparent witnesses, including Perry and Della. It’s all in The Case Of The Ancient Romeo.
Video
Each episode of Perry Mason is presented in its original full-frame broadcast format. The episodes are in black & white. The picture quality is pretty good when you consider the age. Black levels are completely solid, allowing clean definition in the shading so necessary to a black & white presentation. The brightness is a little low at times, but nothing that muddles or damages an otherwise good-looking print.
Audio
The Dolby Digital 2.0 track is basically there to service the dialog, and it does. There is some distortion during the theme when the music is considerably loud. If you keep in mind the source material, you can’t expect anything more than this.
Special Features
Nothing.
Final Thoughts
Perry and Della are at it again saving the innocent from the gas chamber in the last of the 5th season of Perry Mason. Through all of the years the show has remained consistent and entertaining. Strap yourself in for yet more courtroom action. This is where the courtroom show started. It’s a piece of history and it’s modestly priced. “The defense rests.”
