Discuss Perry Mason

I just migrated from IMDB. Hoped to see other posts here by now. Am I in the right place?

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Hi smile

Hi, back at ya! Thanks for the reply. Happy to know others are here, too.

It will take some time for the boards to get active. They just added boards for individual movies and TV shows recently, when IMDb was in the process of shutting down.

Hi, guys wave.

I don't think I've seen any of the original Perry Mason series (1957 -1965). But, I have seen a lot of the Perry Mason Returns episodes from the 1980s/1990s. Those episodes are listed on tMDB as completely separate items rather than as a series. Maybe they're classed as TV movies rather than a TV series.

My question is "Is it acceptable to discuss the newer series here on the Perry Mason board or am I going to be told to get lost if I mention Ken Malansky or Paul Drake junior ?"

I won't mind discussing anything about Perry Mason here relaxed

There is no general board for the TV movies, perhaps because they are considered individual TV movies and not episodes? But what's in a name? ย  Sherlock is a TV show with episodes, but some of those episodes seem more like a movie.
So this board seems to be the only place where you can have a general discussion.

Discussion should be fun and informative. The message boards are a place to relax and talk about your television and movie experience. grinning
I've already learned something new from your post. When you mentioned Ken Malansky, I had to look him up. Interesting to know that he is the real life son of Barbara Hale (Della Street).

When I want to discuss anything general about Perry Mason, I would do it here. Where else can I ask if you've noticed the difference in makeup Della Street uses in the 1950's TV series and in the '80's and '90's TV movies wink

@wonder2wonder said:

I won't mind discussing anything about Perry Mason here relaxed
this board seems to be the only place where you can have a general discussion.

Thanks @wonder2wonder, I hope everyone else agrees.

Discussion should be fun and informative. The message boards are a place to relax and talk about your television and movie experience. grinning

I agree with that.

I've already learned something new from your post. When you mentioned Ken Malansky, I had to look him up. Interesting to know that he is the real life son of Barbara Hale (Della Street).

Wait, I'm confused. I thought it was William Katt (who played Paul Drake junior) that was Barbara Hale's son.

Sorry to interrupt your program but in case you ever come across The New Perry Mason s1e6 (Deadly Deeds) please write.

@JollyDee said:

Wait, I'm confused. I thought it was William Katt (who played Paul Drake junior) that was Barbara Hale's son.

You are right. grin I got the names of actors and characters mixed up. The actor William Katt who played Paul Drake Jr. is the son of Barbara Hale. Ken Malansky (played by actor William Moses) is the character who replaced Paul Drake Jr. as private investigator.

Hello everyone! I just started binge watching Perry Mason on CBS All Access and I thought I'd check out the board.

@JollyDee said:

Wait, I'm confused. I thought it was William Katt (who played Paul Drake junior) that was Barbara Hale's son.

Yes, Wm. Katt is Barbara Hale's son by Bill Williams (born Herman August Wilhelm Katt).

@wonder2wonder said:

There is no general board for the TV movies, perhaps because they are considered individual TV movies and not episodes? But what's in a name? ย  Sherlock is a TV show with episodes, but some of those episodes seem more like a movie.
So this board seems to be the only place where you can have a general discussion.

Yes, this is where to have a discussion of Perry Mason in general. The later programs are sort of one-off individual TV movies, and are generally inferior to the original classic series.

When I want to discuss anything general about Perry Mason, I would do it here. Where else can I ask if you've noticed the difference in makeup Della Street uses in the 1950's TV series and in the '80's and '90's TV movies wink

Yes, this is probably the place. smile

Terrific! I have a feeling I should watch seasons one and two again so I don't make a fool of myself. But I have a question for you. The first season seemed very Film-Noirish (which is great because I love the genre). Did you ever get that impression when you watched the first season?

@Savage918 said:

Hello everyone! I just started binge watching Perry Mason on CBS All Access and I thought I'd check out the board.


Hi, nice to see you over here. relaxed

Nice to see you too! One of the best things about CBS All Access is that for ten dollars a month, I can watch not only Discovery and the upcoming Picard, but the big archive of CBS classics on my telephone! Is that cool or what?

Got a question for you. The first season seems to be very Film-Noirish to me. Did you ever get that feeling the first time you watched season one? ๐Ÿค”

Yes. relaxed

โ€ข TVโ€™s Mightiest Mouthpieceโ€”The Noir Roots of Perry Mason:


The casting of the principals gave the show its film noir connection. Raymond Burr had already created an indelible cinematic niche as Hollywoodโ€™s most ominous heavy.
...
The supporting performers who appeared on Perry Mason comprise a veritable โ€œWhoโ€™s Whoโ€ of mid-20th-century Hollywood, many familiar film noir faces among them.



โ€ข Perry Mason and the Case of the Film Noir Connections:


Perry Mason also shared tropes in common with film noir. Both the "Perry Mason" novels and the TV series Perry Mason always involved someone wrongly accused of a crime, a trope common in film noir. And while there was no moral ambiguity about Perry Mason, his secretary Della Street, and detective Paul Drake, there could be a good deal of moral ambiguity with regards to the characters appearing in episodes of the TV shows. Of course, moral ambiguity is one of the chief characteristics of film noir.
...
Of course, like most film noirs were, Perry Mason was shot in black-and-white (only one episode, "The Case of the Twice Told Twist" from 1966, was shot in colour).
...
While Perry Mason had a good deal in common with film noir, its strongest connections to film noir may well be its cast.

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