One of my favorite Perry and Lt. Tragg exchanges: Perry Mason: Hello, Lt. Tragg, you know I'm always happy to see you! Lt. Tragg: Well, sit down and let me make you unhappy!
Poor old Lt. Tragg, I read that they kept him on the show even when he couldn't deliver his lines. He needed to work, insurance and all that. He couldn't read Q-cards, sometimes he just sat. I think he had a touch of dementia. On Murder, She Wrote, they did the same with Madlyn Rhue, she couldn't walk and had a hard time talking, but had to work. There are good people in this business who do help others that really need it.
I read he had heart problems which left him winded after even the smallest exertion. He definitely declined during the production run and they credited him to shows even when he wasn't appearing in them. He brought a unique flavor to the part, a real shame he had the medical issues.
One of the reasons Raymond Burr kept signing up even though he felt the show had run its course was that he knew if he quit, it would put his fellow actors and the crew out of work. Also, after he died, Barbara Hale agreed to make the four more scheduled "Perry Mason Returns" TV movies because she had promised Raymond not to let the contracted cast and crew down by cancelling, though it must have been heartbreaking for her.. Good people indeed!
@@larry930legendNo, there was always, seemingly, incontrovertible evidence against Mason’s clients, which convinced Lt. Tragg and Hamilton Burger of their guilt! Only Perry, Della and the viewer knew that they did not commit the murder of which they were accused…hell, even Paul Drake would, many times, question their innocence!!!
Two of the best scenes I recall, the grinning gorilla when Victor buono tries to bluff perry in his office and perry slams the desk jumps up and yells "I said good day". A rare outburst. And in my opinion the very best scene ever filmed on the show was the episode where dellas friend was being blackmailed, and perry and Della are at the restaurant and Della says "how far would you go for a friend?" perry says as far as it takes. Della says, "I need $25,000, no questions."perry doesn't hesitate whips out his checkbook and instantly writes her a $25,000 check.. He says no questions. You could the look of admiration in her eyes. Best moment in the entire 10 season series. Case of the weary watchdog
I adore this entire cast and company of actors/characters, but Burger really stands out as the guy who is never reduced to simply being the court jester, despite how the formula demands he somehow manages to lose to our hero almost every week.
I disagree. Yes, Perry was a genius. But his main attribute was that he had a sense of integrity you couldn't break with an atom bomb. Doing what was right is what defined him. Della was indispensable. Without her Perry would have had to work twice as hard to do half of what he did. Paul Drake owned and operated a detective agency that had operators across the country and connections worldwide. But when Perry needed him, he was only a phone call away, day or night. Perry couldn't have solved half the cases without the information provided by Paul. Tragg was a very good detective. He was smart, persistent, well mannered, and learned from his mistakes. You could see the character improving throughout the series. Burger was a very competent prosecutor. He came to logical conclusions based on the information he was given. I know I had the same dumbfounded look on my face as he did when Perry was explaining the crime in court. Most importantly, Burger was man enough to admit when he was wrong. Some prosecutors today would rather convict an innocent person than lose a case.
I watching the daily reruns recently I was fascinated by the intricate plots with so many suspects you really couldn't guess whodunit until the end. I was also appalled at the misogynistic dialog and the ways women of the day were typecast and stereotyped. So glad we have moved beyond that, even if I can lament how simple minded our current generation of plot-writers are.
One of my favorite Della and Hamilton Burger exchanges: Burger: Well, Miss Street, having you here just as a witness for the prosecution is a rare experience for the both of us! Della: I'll try not to be hostile, Mr. Burger! Burger: Well, that'll be a rare experience, too!
Viewers were too hard on Lt. Tragg and Hamilton Burger…you would’ve thrown the book at Mason’s clients, too…they were all extremely difficult, if not hopeless, cases, until the sheer brilliance of Perry’s detective work allowed him to establish the Defendant’s innocence, usually by finding the real culprit!
I've watched every Perry Mason show over and over for the last 10 or 11 years. I loved it! But I remember one show that Burt Mustin was on the witness stand and I never saw that show again. Does anyone else remember that show?? Please let me know if you remember it, too!! Thanks!🙂
Furthermore, they assume facts not in evidence and call for a conclusion on the part of the viewer. Rules of Best Evidence suggest that the entire episodes be uploaded.
What episodes are used in this video? Especially the scene where they are all sitting at different tables in a restaurant and the lady says let’s split, the one where Paul says I will have no part of it, and the end episode clip where Tragg says della is a great host.
