| RAYMOND BURR | as | Perry Mason |
|
Born Raymond William Stacy Burr on May 21, 1917 in New Westminster, BC, Canada. He left Canada with his mother and younger sister and brother when he was six. They settled in Vallejo for a time where they lived with his maternal grandparents in their hotel. Then, later, they settled in San Francisco. Raymond started in theatre in his late teens, as well as having other jobs to help the family, and provide an income for himself. He joined the services during 1943, got injured (shrapnel), and was discharged in 1946. After his film role in the 1948 film "Pitfall", he became identified as a portrayor of vicious vindictive "villains". He went on to work in over 90 films in the next 11 years before landing the part of Perry Mason. |
1942 Production of "Charley's Aunt"
The book this picture is taken from is "Playhouse"by Diane Alexander. It is available for purchase thru the web. The Pasadena Playhouse was one of Raymond's favourite playhouses, and he writes the forward to the book.
Some of his most remembered movies :
After 9 years of Perry Mason he deserved a break, and went to his island of Naituba (in
Fiji). Then another 7 year stint of Ironside (produced by his own production company,
Harbour Productions Unlimited). He made a few pilots (unsucessful) for other TV series after
"Ironside", as well as other interests away from TV and film, and came back to the TV screen
in 1985 for "Perry Mason Returns". After making "The Case of the Killer Kiss" Raymond
returned to his farm in Sonoma County, Nthn. CA, where he had raised sheep for their special
wool, grew wine grapes and orchids, together with fruit and vegetables. He died on September
12, 1993 from cancer.
| BARBARA HALE | as | Della Street |
Barbara Hale was born in De Kalb, Illinois in April 1921. She first trained as a commercial artist. She later travelled to California, and even did some artwork for the Academy Awards. She had been a contract player at RKO Studios when Raymond was. mmm, wonder whether they met there?
She married actor Bill Williams (I remember him as "Kit Carson" in the series of the same name, and in "Assignment Underwater"). Bill Williams was in four "Perry Mason" eps., playing all three integral parts - i.e . defendant, victim, and murderer. They had two daughters and a son. The son, William Katt later went on to play "The Greatest American Hero", and then, of course, Paul Drake Jnr., in the first few Perry Mason TV movies. Bill Williams died on September 21, 1992 (almost a year before Raymond) - which was the 35th anniversary of the beginning of the TV Series.
When Raymond was asked if he would return to TV in "Perry Mason" returns TV movie, he said only if Barbara Hale plays Della Street. The rest is history. Barbara continued to make some more Perry Mason movies after Raymond died, and eventually gave over the "secretarial" reins to someone else. She lives in California, USA.
The P.I., The D.A., and the Cops
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