For all of us who grew up on PERRY MASON, the show will never end. However, there was an actual final episode, and this is it. And it's excellent.
Fittingly, it's set in Hollywood, not too far from Perry's office, at a movie studio. Why not? In fact, it was quite cost effect as the La Brea studio where the series was filmed was used. This is the real place. Today, the studio at 1416 North LaBrea, near Hollywood High School, is known as The Jim Hensen Recording Studios. Originally, Charlie Chaplin's famous silent film studio.
What a neat mystery. Producer Denver Pyle (Jackson Sidemark) is desperate to sign star Barry Conrad (played by popular James Stacy) to a new contract for his hit tv show. Conrad refuses to sign, leaving Sidemark in a terrible mess --and is promptly murdered. Open and shut case, right?
Wrong! What happens when Sidemark is also murdered? Enter Perry Mason and the crew.
Lots of terrific actors (and suspects) to boot, such as Dick Clark, who was a very good dramatic actor. He plays a character called Leif Early?? Versatile Jackie Coogan plays Desmond and 80 year old Estelle Winwood (simply the best actress) plays Winifred.
Best of the best, author Erle Stanley Gardner fittingly plays the judge, but plays it down, not to attract much attention to him. Gardner, who was an attorney long before turning to writing, said he based the character of Perry Mason on an actual Los Angeles lawyer who won 77 murder trials, and only lost 3. He was amazed, especially at the attorney's advanced crime solving skills.
Jesse Hibbs did a fine job of directing here (although I don't think Mr. Gardner needed guidence!). In all, Hibbs directed 44 episodes, then moving to the F. B. I. Tv series. An interesting note, is that Gardner himself picked Raymond Burr for the role after seeing his screen test. Burr also lost 100 pounds before the audition. But seemed to gain a lot back in later years.
It paid off well, as Raymond Burr, toward the end of the series run, was earning 1 million dollars a season. At the beginning of the show, each episode cost about $85,000, and by the 1960s was running close to $185,000 each, about 1.7 million dollars today (2023), which is about average.
Gardner sadly died a few years after this episode (of cancer) at his sprawling ranch at Temecula, about 60 miles north of San Diego. Strangely, William Hopper died about a week after him, also a long time smoker. I don't think I ever saw Hopper without a cigarette in any scene. Barbara Hale later commented that everybody smoked on the show, almost like a club, except her!
It was later revealed that there were plans to shoot the final season in color (wouldn't that have been spectacular!), but CBS dragged their feet. Money, money, money!
SEASON 9 EPISODE 30 remastered CBS dvd box set. Buy this one!
Fittingly, it's set in Hollywood, not too far from Perry's office, at a movie studio. Why not? In fact, it was quite cost effect as the La Brea studio where the series was filmed was used. This is the real place. Today, the studio at 1416 North LaBrea, near Hollywood High School, is known as The Jim Hensen Recording Studios. Originally, Charlie Chaplin's famous silent film studio.
What a neat mystery. Producer Denver Pyle (Jackson Sidemark) is desperate to sign star Barry Conrad (played by popular James Stacy) to a new contract for his hit tv show. Conrad refuses to sign, leaving Sidemark in a terrible mess --and is promptly murdered. Open and shut case, right?
Wrong! What happens when Sidemark is also murdered? Enter Perry Mason and the crew.
Lots of terrific actors (and suspects) to boot, such as Dick Clark, who was a very good dramatic actor. He plays a character called Leif Early?? Versatile Jackie Coogan plays Desmond and 80 year old Estelle Winwood (simply the best actress) plays Winifred.
Best of the best, author Erle Stanley Gardner fittingly plays the judge, but plays it down, not to attract much attention to him. Gardner, who was an attorney long before turning to writing, said he based the character of Perry Mason on an actual Los Angeles lawyer who won 77 murder trials, and only lost 3. He was amazed, especially at the attorney's advanced crime solving skills.
Jesse Hibbs did a fine job of directing here (although I don't think Mr. Gardner needed guidence!). In all, Hibbs directed 44 episodes, then moving to the F. B. I. Tv series. An interesting note, is that Gardner himself picked Raymond Burr for the role after seeing his screen test. Burr also lost 100 pounds before the audition. But seemed to gain a lot back in later years.
It paid off well, as Raymond Burr, toward the end of the series run, was earning 1 million dollars a season. At the beginning of the show, each episode cost about $85,000, and by the 1960s was running close to $185,000 each, about 1.7 million dollars today (2023), which is about average.
Gardner sadly died a few years after this episode (of cancer) at his sprawling ranch at Temecula, about 60 miles north of San Diego. Strangely, William Hopper died about a week after him, also a long time smoker. I don't think I ever saw Hopper without a cigarette in any scene. Barbara Hale later commented that everybody smoked on the show, almost like a club, except her!
It was later revealed that there were plans to shoot the final season in color (wouldn't that have been spectacular!), but CBS dragged their feet. Money, money, money!
SEASON 9 EPISODE 30 remastered CBS dvd box set. Buy this one!