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72-566: KBYU-TV (channel 11) is a non-commercial educational independent television station licensed to Provo, Utah , United States, serving Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. The station is owned by Brigham Young University (BYU), an arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). KBYU-TV's studios are located on the BYU campus in Provo, and its transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in

144-685: A day, six days a week. I never went home at night. I lived on the lot. I got up at 3 o'clock every single morning to learn my lines for that day, and sometimes I hadn't finished until 9 o'clock. I had a kitchen, bedroom, office space, sitting room—all of that—on every lot I ever worked on." Thirty-nine episodes were filmed in the first year. "Ray had key lines written on his shirtsleeve cuffs," said Gail Patrick Jackson. Directors included Laslo Benedek , Jesse Hibbs , Arthur Marks , Christian Nyby , and William D. Russell . Some, including Lewis Allen and Richard Donner , had or would have notable directing credits in feature films. Many episodes incorporated

216-689: A digital channel realignment coordinated by DTV Utah, a consortium of eight Salt Lake City market television stations, of which KBYU is a member. KBYU-DT began broadcasting its digital signal on November 15, 2000, and it was licensed on January 23, 2003. KBYU-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 11, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 44, using virtual channel 11. Since KBYU's former physical TV channel

288-461: A district attorney lose when he fails to convict an innocent person? Unlike a fist or gun fight, in court you can have a winner without having a loser. As a matter of fact, Burger in a good many instances has joined Mason in action against unethical attorneys, lying witnesses, or any one else obstructing justice. Like any real-life district attorney, justice is Burger's main interest." " Ray Collins came on board as Lt. Arthur Tragg," Patrick said. "He

360-408: A draft script, which was reviewed for continuity, narrative content, and legal error by Patrick and Wang. A revised draft was then forwarded to Gardner, who would respond with a detailed brief indicating particular changes required to conform with the law. Gardner closely supervised the scripts throughout the run of the series, and continued to write new Perry Mason novels. By 1961, the strictures of

432-763: A fully commercial station that operates on 91.7.) NCE stations may also operate on a non-reserved channel. However this was rare in the United States due to the high cost of buying a commercial broadcasting station, and because for years the FCC failed to maintain a process that would ensure that non-commercial applicants would have a chance against those who could afford to bid at spectrum auctions . Two such stations are WGPB FM in Rome, Georgia and WNGH-FM in Chatsworth, Georgia , former commercial stations purchased in 2007 and 2008 and operated by Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB), serving

504-641: A lark" and appeared in more than 60 feature films including My Man Godfrey (1936), Stage Door (1937), and My Favorite Wife (1940). She stopped acting in 1948, started a family, and began to talk to Gardner about adapting the Perry Mason stories for a television series. "We kept talking about what kind of a series he'd want and how much creative control he needed," Gail Patrick told journalist James Bawden in 1979. "I just think he came to trust me and I'd kept up my contacts in show business." Gardner regarded Perry Mason's personal life as irrelevant and wanted

576-499: A line of questioning that reveals the surprise perpetrator, often causing them to break down and confess to the crime in the courtroom. In the closing scene or epilogue, Paul and Della, and sometimes Burger and Tragg, ask Mason what gave him the clue he needed; after Mason explains, he or someone else makes a humorous remark. Recurring smaller roles Erle Stanley Gardner had already allowed his Perry Mason character to be portrayed in other media. A series of Warner Bros. feature films

648-497: A local district attorney when the murder takes place outside Los Angeles County . In the early seasons, the police investigation is usually led by the homicide detective Lt. Arthur Tragg. (Later, other homicide detectives appear with increasing frequency.) In a typical episode, the first half of the show introduces a client, who often hires Mason on non-murder related business, or becomes acquainted with him in some other way. The prospective murder victim and other important figures in

720-471: A month's work in 1962 for a surgical procedure. Four episodes were filmed with guest stars—in succession, Bette Davis , Michael Rennie , Hugh O'Brian , and Walter Pidgeon —who carried most of the action. Burr filmed a few scenes for each episode before reporting for surgery. Burr also missed two episodes in Season Eight; Michael Connors and Barry Sullivan substituted for him. Perry Mason also drew on

792-444: A reserved band. (In Mexico, individual stations belonging to state and federal governments, educational institutions, and non-profit groups are licensed under permits or permisos , which are non-commercial, non-profit licenses that do not permit advertising. Canada, in practice, generally keeps most of the U.S. NCE band as noncommercial or with limited advertising based on each individual licence, but there are exceptions, such as CIXL ,

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864-589: A transmitter on Lake Mountain. The permit was granted in December 1957. Two months later, ground was broken on studio facilities for the station. KLOR went on the air as Utah's first independent television station on December 17, 1958, with its call letters standing for the fact it launched full color television operations on its first day. Channel 11's commercial existence was short-lived. The independent station struggled against larger outlets in Salt Lake City, facing

936-536: A two-month vacation in Hawaii, hoping to get the series ready by September or October. In mid-June, Hopper reported that the Jacksons had left on their annual trip, after stating that Perry Mason would not be ready for TV that fall. The role of Perry Mason proved the hardest to cast. Richard Carlson , Mike Connors , Richard Egan , and William Holden were considered; Connors and Egan went on to make guest appearances in

1008-483: Is a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner . Many episodes are based on stories written by Gardner. Perry Mason was one of Hollywood's first weekly one-hour series filmed for television, and remains one of the longest-running and most successful legal-themed television series. During its first season, it received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Dramatic Series and it became one of

1080-426: Is a whooping success, so much so that the show will be held back until a good time period can be found for it next season." On November 30, 1956, Gardner wrote Gail Patrick Jackson: "I can't get over the feeling that I had sitting there watching that pilot film. … As I saw the manner in which your ideas, your tact and persistence had gradually changed the approach and resulted in a highly polished, finished product I

1152-665: Is also rare in Mexico, though XEIMT-TV , a cultural channel in Mexico City, and XEWH-TV , the main station of the state network of Sonora, operate under commercial concessions and not permits. A number of new low power FM ( LPFM ) NCE stations operating in the non-reserved part of the spectrum have been licensed by the FCC since the Local Community Radio Act was enacted in 2010. The FCC defines several different activities as being commercial in nature. Sponsorship of NCE stations

1224-553: Is called underwriting , and stations may make announcements of these grants on-air. However, they may not accept money for such mentions, only goods and services , unless the sponsor itself is a non-profit , such as a charitable organization or public college . Money can be accepted if there is no on-air mention of the sponsor. NCE stations may also not mention prices or qualities of commercial products or services in any situation which would be construed as promoting or endorsing any company, regardless of whether it sponsors

1296-487: Is to clear a client before they are bound over for trial (based on novels). Jury trials are rarely seen, with "The Case of the Terrified Typist" being an exception. As the courtroom proceedings advance, while Burger and Tragg often uncover new evidence or a new witness that would seem to seal the fate of the accused, Mason's team continue their parallel investigation in what seems to be an increasingly hopeless effort. As

1368-692: The FM broadcast band , the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has reserved the lowest 20 channels, 201~220 (88.1~91.9 MHz ) for NCE stations only. This is known as the reserved band , sometimes known by the term "left of the dial" (taken from the Replacements' song of the same name ), which refers to the college and other non-commercial stations that broadcast from those frequencies. It also includes channel 200 (87.9 MHz), but only for class D NCE stations unable to find another frequency;

1440-705: The Oquirrh Mountains , southwest of Salt Lake City. KBYU-TV airs programming of interest to members of the LDS movement, including religious and instructional shows, as well as family-friendly entertainment programs, often with a moral lesson. The channel 11 allocation in Provo was first intended to be built as a commercial station. In October 1955, the Beehive Telecasting Corporation, owned by Samuel B. Nissley, filed to build channel 11, with studios in Orem and

1512-642: The Perry Mason formula led Writer's Digest to declare, "This show has the reputation among writers as being the hardest one in Hollywood to work for." A test film, "The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink", ultimately aired December 14, 1957, as the 13th episode of the first season. The pilot was filmed October 3–9, 1956, after Raymond Burr completed a film in Havana and made a two-week tour of military hospitals in

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1584-643: The mountains northwest of Atlanta which previously had no GPB radio service. In addition, there were at least four stations with commercial licenses that formerly operated as PBS member stations ( WNYC-TV in New York City , WMHX in Albany, New York , KAUT-TV in Oklahoma City , and KCPQ-TV in Seattle are a few examples of this); most of those stations now broadcast as affiliates of commercially owned networks. This

1656-462: The 1930s. Another former Columbia editor, Art Seid, began as an editorial supervisor on Perry Mason and advanced to producer. All but one of the episodes in the series were filmed in black-and-white . The episode " The Case of the Twice-Told Twist ", an episode heavily influenced by Charles Dickens 's Oliver Twist , was the sole exception. The president of CBS, William Paley, commissioned

1728-471: The 20th Century-Fox studios near Western Avenue and Sunset Boulevard (where the show's production offices were located) and at CBS Studio Center , with at least one location in each episode. Burr had lost 100 pounds, but continued to lose weight when filming began: "I just don't have time to eat," he said. "Every six days Burr stars in what almost amounts to a full-length feature movie," wrote syndicated columnist Erskine Johnson . "He's in 98 percent of all

1800-479: The Future of Poverty , produced in 2005, explored the business of Microcredit through eleven providers of the service. Another show produced by KBYU was Hooked on Aerobics , which was on the air for many years. The station's digital signal is multiplexed : KBYU-TV also utilizes the alternate audio tracks that can be activated through the second audio program function, both carried on the third alternate audio track:

1872-520: The KBYU-TV callsign was instituted on October 15. In 1964, BYU filed to relocate the studio to the Fine Arts Center on the campus and the transmitter to Mount Vision in the Oquirrh Mountains . The KLOR-TV studios were sold to two local businessmen and became other offices before being demolished. The station returned to the air with regular programs on November 15, 1965, though the station was already on

1944-457: The Mason character, would be adapted for television as the long-running crime soap opera The Edge of Night . After the film and radio ventures, Gardner refused to license his popular character Perry Mason for any more adaptations. His literary agent was advertising executive Thomas Cornwell Jackson, who had married actress Gail Patrick in 1947. She had studied law before she went to Hollywood "for

2016-528: The Prairie ; as such, it was one of the few public television stations in the United States that broadcasts programming normally acquired for U.S. commercial syndication. The only exception that KBYU-TV currently airs from the straight simulcast of BYU TV is the weekday student-produced half-hour newscast, Eleven News at Noon. As an educational station it does not carry advertising, and BYU TV itself does not carry advertising, instead carrying promotional spots for

2088-513: The West Indies. " 'The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink' is written and directed very much like a noir B-feature of the period, from its stylishly dramatic opening to its violent climax," wrote film scholar Thomas Leitch . He noted that the pilot film "provides a fascinating laboratory for the formula, since it combines trademark elements that would become long-running features of the series with others that would be swiftly abandoned." The episode

2160-449: The actor playing Perry," Patrick said. "And I Love Lucy had taught the value of filmed reruns." Paisano Productions absorbed the costs for a filmed pilot. In February 1956, CBS announced its new series, Perry Mason , anticipating it would begin that fall. The network obtained the rights to 272 stories by Gardner, including Perry Mason and 11 other principal characters. The rights were purchased from Paisano Productions, which would film

2232-600: The air during the daytime for broadcasts to schools in association with the Utah State Department of Public Instruction. Originally a member of National Educational Television (NET), it joined PBS when it largely replaced NET in 1970. For most of the next half-century, Salt Lake City was one of the smallest markets with two PBS member stations ; its main competition was the University of Utah 's KUED (channel 7). In 2010, KBYU-TV rebranded as "Eleven". On July 2, 2018,

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2304-521: The auxiliary service within the allowable bit rate . NCE digital television (DTV) stations do not pay the FCC a percentage of their revenue from these leases as commercial DTV stations do. No such datacasting fee is levied on any analog or FM/AM station, whether commercial or NCE. Perry Mason (1957 TV series) Perry Mason is an American legal drama series originally broadcast on CBS television from September 21, 1957, to May 22, 1966. The title character , portrayed by Raymond Burr ,

2376-534: The burden of having to buy an additional 18 hours of programming per day. In December 1959, Nissley sued General Electric , which provided and installed the transmitter, for more than $ 1 million, claiming negligent transmitter installation impaired KLOR's signal in the market's most lucrative portion, the Salt Lake Valley . Nissley claimed that the station's signal was sent over a desert area west of Provo, rather than areas closer to Salt Lake City. by this time, KLOR

2448-437: The case are introduced, and then the client is wrongly accused of murder. Once the crime has been committed, while Tragg and Burger work to gather evidence against Mason's innocent client, Mason, Paul Drake and Della Street engage in a parallel investigation in order to exonerate him or her. In the second half, Mason and Burger spar in the courtroom. This usually takes place during the preliminary hearing because Mason's technique

2520-621: The color episode so he could see what the show would look like in color, should it be renewed for a tenth season (the season most prime-time shows went color). Perry Mason is set in Los Angeles; interior scenes were filmed on the 20th Century-Fox Western Avenue studio lot, and most exteriors were filmed at Fox Studios in Westwood, California, or the Movie Ranch in Malibu Canyon. Later episodes in

2592-476: The court clerk) until his health made it impossible for him to work any longer. Patrick went to considerable lengths to find a part for an actress who had become paralyzed on one side; she played with her good side toward the camera. "This isn't being the least altruistic," Patrick said. "They are all fine performers and bring to the shows something interesting and vital—even when they only have one line." Patrick also accommodated Raymond Burr, when he had to miss

2664-757: The distinguished West Coast radio pool. Working steadily in radio since the 1940s, Raymond Burr was a leading player on the West Coast and in 1956 was the star of CBS Radio 's Fort Laramie . Noted for his loyalty and consciousness of history, Burr went out of his way to employ his colleagues. Some 180 radio celebrities appeared on Perry Mason during the first season alone. The production staff of Perry Mason worked at being technically correct and responsive to an audience that included lawyers and judges. Producer Ben Brady practiced law in New York before entering show business; story editor Gene Wang (pronounced "vahng"; he

2736-456: The essential elements of film noir. "The crew is giving it the best of Hollywood's techniques," Burr told columnist Erskine Johnson. The series was filmed at 20th Century-Fox and had veteran Fox staffers behind the scenes, including art director Lewis Creber and sound mixer Harry M. Leonard . Cameraman Frank Redman and makeup artist Mel Berns had been with RKO in the 1940s. Editor Richard Cahoon had been with Columbia Pictures in

2808-506: The first couple of pictures, he said, 'You're right. He's perfect for the role.'" Gardner was so impressed by Collins that he actually changed the character in the novels to reflect the Collins interpretation. Lt. Tragg was now being described as "grandfatherly" and "paternal." Each episode's casting interviews were conducted by Gail Patrick Jackson, producer Ben Brady, and the director. Episodes typically employed 10 featured players in addition to

2880-612: The first season were adapted from Gardner's stories. In season two, 14 of the 39 episodes came from Gardner originals. With the backlist exhausted, later seasons presented between one and five episodes drawn from Gardner stories, with occasional remakes of earlier adaptations. By the summer of 1958, Patrick was already supervising the work of 31 writers who were developing original scripts based on Gardner's characters. "Funny thing about writers," Patrick told TV Guide . "A lot of them think they'll improve on Erle. Most of them find out they can't even duplicate him." Writers submitted

2952-429: The five most popular shows on television. Burr received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series , and Barbara Hale received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Mason's confidential secretary Della Street . Perry Mason and Burr were honored as Favorite Series and Favorite Male Performer in the first two TV Guide Award readers' polls. In 1960,

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3024-543: The frequency has been unused for its intended purpose in the United States since KSFH shut down in 2021. Many of the reserved-band channels are used by stations bordering the United States, such as with broadcasting in the San Diego/Tijuana metropolitan area . Additionally, neither the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission nor Mexico's Federal Telecommunications Institute have such

3096-471: The identity of the real murderer. (For example, in "The Case of the Lazy Lover", the prosecution's case relies on a complicated set of footprints left at the crime scene. Mason notices that the prints left by a neighbor's dog were inconsistent with Burger's interpretation, leading Mason to realize that the neighbor's testimony was contrary to the truth.) Armed with this new insight, Mason then usually embarks upon

3168-415: The investigation or examination progresses, Mason and sometimes Burger uncover the morally ugly or even illegal conduct of some of the witnesses or participants, thus complicating the moral and legal intrigue of the case. Eventually, some detail is uncovered, a different interpretation of the evidence is found, or a remark is made inside or outside the courtroom which gives Mason the clue he needs to discover

3240-442: The list. The New Perry Mason , a 1973 revival of the series with a different cast, was poorly received and ran for 15 episodes. In 1985, Burr returned to play Mason in a successful series of Perry Mason television films airing on NBC . A total of 30 films were made; Burr starred in 26 of them before his death in 1993. Another series focusing on Perry Mason's origin story began airing in 2020 on HBO , with Matthew Rhys in

3312-577: The network's programming during breaks (the national feed also carries KBYU-TV's hourly legal station identification ). KBYU-TV has produced some notable programs for national distribution. Ancestors , produced in conjunction with the LDS Church's Family History Library and PBS, was a highly successful series of videos on family genealogy. It was so well received that KBYU-TV produced a second series of videos, also entitled Ancestors , which proved to be even more successful. Small Fortunes: Microcredit and

3384-412: The next month, Burr went on a crash diet. When he returned, he tested as Perry Mason. Burr's tryout performance as Mason was a triumph, according to White: "He was so great that everybody looked at each other and said, 'What do we do now? This guy is far superior. He'll give this thing a dimension that Zimbalist could never give it.'" By July 1956, word was out that Burr had the role, and an announcement

3456-445: The present rules, a new agreement is negotiated every three years, and stations must choose must-carry or retransmission consent for each cable system they wish their signal to be carried on. Non-commercial stations (such as local PBS stations) may not seek retransmission consent and may only invoke must-carry status. Like commercial stations, NCE stations are allowed to lease subcarriers in exchange for money , essentially making

3528-505: The principal cast and extras. Numerous actors famous for past and future roles in film and television made guest appearances on the show. "Many were people I'd worked with in movies," said Gail Patrick Jackson. "They were grateful and delivered on time—and powerfully. … Gloria Henry , Vaughn Taylor , Hillary Brooke , John Archer , Morris Ankrum , Don Beddoe , Fay Wray , Olive Blakeney , Paul Fix , Addison Richards . We also had newcomers like Darryl Hickman , Barbara Eden . The trick

3600-449: The scenes." This punishing schedule for Burr was soon adjusted, as by midway through the first season a typical Perry Mason episode would open by focusing on the story of the client for most of the first act — Perry himself (and the other regular series characters) might not be introduced until 10–12 minutes into the show. Still, the workload was enormous. "I had no life outside of Perry Mason ," Burr recalled. "And that went on 24 hours

3672-470: The series in association with CBS and own a 60% interest in the films. Perry Mason was one of Hollywood's first hour-long weekly series filmed for television. Gail Patrick Jackson was its executive producer. "We were the first bona fide law show and we spent two years preparing Perry for the television bar," Patrick said. Gail Patrick Jackson was immersed in auditions throughout 1956. Columnist Hedda Hopper wrote that Cornwell Jackson had postponed

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3744-471: The series received the first Silver Gavel Award presented for television drama by the American Bar Association . Perry Mason has aired in syndication in the United States and internationally ever since its cancellation, and the complete series has been released on Region 1 DVD . A 2014 study found that Netflix users rate Raymond Burr as their favorite actor, with Barbara Hale number seven on

3816-441: The series to concentrate on crime and Mason's fight for the underdog. "You must remember," Patrick said, "Erle was in love with the law and its finer points." Patrick, her husband, and Gardner formed a production company, Paisano Productions, of which she was president. When she first tried to sell Perry Mason to CBS, the network wanted it to be a live hour-long weekly program. "That would have been impossible—it would have killed

3888-518: The series were filmed at the former Charlie Chaplin Studios in Hollywood. In the early years of the series, filming would be done on location in and around Culver City and a few downtown locales. In one episode, Drake gets out of a car on Wilshire Boulevard and goes into an apartment building; in the distant background, the lights and cameras from the set filming an episode of Peter Gunn are visible. Numerous establishing shots are used, including

3960-484: The series. In early April, Fred MacMurray and CBS were reportedly in the midst of negotiations. Patrick saw hundreds of actors audition in April 1956. "We couldn't afford a big star," Patrick later said. At last, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. , already a star at Warner Bros. , was signed without a screen test. Raymond Burr initially read for the role of district attorney Hamilton Burger, with Tod Andrews standing in as Mason. Burr

4032-407: The state of Utah. Prior to July 2, 2018, programming on KBYU-TV consisted of general PBS fare, with emphasis on children's, informational and entertainment programming. The station also airs special programs related to the LDS Church, and offered a nightly block of classic television programs, such as I Love Lucy , Perry Mason , My Three Sons , The Andy Griffith Show and Little House on

4104-504: The station a common carrier . This may be for a commercial audio , video , or data service, or a non-commercial one like a radio reading service for the blind . NCE stations broadcasting in digital TV or HD Radio may lease part of their bandwidth (actually bitrate ) in a similar manner, however, the commercial use is limited. The main program must always be non-commercial, and must not have its quality diminished excessively by increased lossy compression done in order to fit

4176-401: The station ended its membership with PBS and began simulcasting BYU's co-owned specialty channel BYUtv on its primary subchannel. BYU Broadcasting managing director Michael Dunn noted that two-thirds of channel 11's schedule was identical to that of KUED, something that "makes no sense" in the current era of broadcasting. This leaves KUED as the sole PBS station for the Salt Lake City market and

4248-496: The station's main channel features an audio simulcast of KBYU-FM (89.1). Digital subchannel 11.2 featured an alternate audio feed of BYU Radio (which is commonly found streamed over the Internet), but was taken off-the-air on June 30, 2018, when BYU TV International ceased operations. In 1997, KBYU-TV was allotted UHF channel 39 for its digital signal, but in 1999, the station changed its digital allotment to UHF channel 44 as part of

4320-449: The station. Underwriting spots are brief and to-the-point, as they must not be disruptive to programming. Additionally, underwriting spots on public TV are at the beginning or end of the TV show rather than in the middle, as they have increasingly become on commercial stations. Retransmission consent has often been chosen over must-carry by the major commercial television networks. Under

4392-458: The title role. Perry Mason is a distinguished criminal-defense lawyer practicing in Los Angeles , California , most of whose clients have been wrongly charged with murder. He is ably assisted by his confidential secretary Della Street and by private investigator Paul Drake . The innocent suspect is usually prosecuted by district attorney Hamilton Burger , though the prosecution is handled by

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4464-455: Was also facing lawsuits from potential creditors, including program suppliers. KLOR went silent March 12, 1960, when a power surge blew out a transformer. Beehive went into bankruptcy on July 1, 1960. In March 1962, BYU filed an application to buy KLOR's license, but not its Orem studio facilities. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the sale on September 25, 1962, with the stipulation that channel 11 become non-commercial ;

4536-423: Was directed by Ted Post , whose camera movement, use of deep space, and film noir stylings were softened or absent in subsequent episodes. Laurence Marks and Ben Starr adapted Erle Stanley Gardner's 1952 novel, retaining all its plot features and characters. In her TV column in early November 1956, journalist Eve Starr reported, "Word is seeping down from CBS brass that its hour-long Perry Mason pilot film

4608-829: Was in the 600 MHz band being sold off in the FCC's incentive auction , with channels 38 to 51 being eliminated, the station filed for a construction permit in September 2017 to move to physical channel 17 at the same location, power and height. KBYU-TV uses an extensive network of translator stations to extend its signal throughout Utah, plus parts of northern Arizona , western Colorado , southern Idaho , and eastern Nevada : BYU Broadcasting also operates classical music radio station KBYU-FM (89.1), BYU Radio , and other internet-exclusive radio services. Repeater of KXLY-TV , Spokane, WA Repeater of KREM , Spokane, WA Repeater of KAYU-TV , Spokane, WA Repeater of KHQ-TV , Spokane, WA Non-commercial educational On

4680-399: Was made at the beginning of August. William Hopper also auditioned as Mason, but was cast as private detective Paul Drake . Patrick recalled, "When Bill Hopper came in to read for Paul Drake he blurted out, 'You hate my mother.' And that was Hedda Hopper . Well, I disliked what she stood for, but 'hate' is something else—and anyway he was perfect as Drake, and we got him." Barbara Hale

4752-457: Was more interested in the Perry Mason role and told associate producer Sam White , "If you don't like me as Perry Mason, then I'll go along and play the part of the district attorney, Hamilton Burger." Patrick had been impressed with Burr's courtroom performance in the 1951 film A Place in the Sun , and told him he was perfect for the title role in Perry Mason , but at least 60 pounds overweight. Over

4824-449: Was of German heritage) graduated from law school in Florida; and executive producer Gail Patrick Jackson studied law for two years before becoming an actress. Many episodes are based on novels and short stories by lawyer-turned-writer Erle Stanley Gardner. Only two of the 69 Perry Mason novels Gardner published before January 1963 were not adapted for the series. All but three episodes in

4896-506: Was produced between 1933 and 1937, starring Warren William in four and Ricardo Cortez and Donald Woods in one each. A seventh Warner adaptation, based on Gardner's novel The Case of the Dangerous Dowager , was filmed in 1940 as Granny Get Your Gun , with the Mason character written out of the story entirely. A radio series followed, which Gardner despised because it emphasized romance over legal matters. The radio series, without

4968-531: Was still prominent in feature films, but had a young family and wished to avoid going away on long periods of location shooting. Patrick said that Hale telephoned about the role of Della Street. Patrick had an actor in mind for the Los Angeles district attorney. "I'd seen a brilliant little movie, The Hitch-Hiker , and had to have William Talman as Burger—and he never disappointed us," Patrick said. Later asked about how he felt about Burger losing to Mason week after week, Talman said, "Burger doesn't lose. How can

5040-443: Was such a wonderful actor—beautiful voice, trained in radio's Mercury Theatre . We overlooked the fact that on an actual police force, he would probably be long retired." Collins was 68 at the time the series debuted. Gardner had always presented Lt. Tragg in his novels as being about the same age as Mason, and Gardner was apprehensive about casting a much older actor as Tragg. Director Christian Nyby recalled, "When he [Gardner] saw

5112-492: Was to only use them once a year. People like Fay Wray came back several times, but as other characters." Patrick made it a point to hire her Hollywood acting contemporaries whenever possible. Some were semiretired and financially well-off, but still enjoyed performing. Character actor George E. Stone was struggling financially after a series of medical procedures failed to improve his vision, and for years he appeared on Perry Mason (twice in character roles, then regularly as

5184-533: Was tremendously proud of you and of my association with you. I think that you saw possibilities in Raymond Burr which no one else saw. I think that you developed those possibilities and I think you have inspired not only the cast but the producers and directors. I think we are on the trail of a highly successful presentation." The series began filming in April 1957. Each episode was budgeted at $ 100,000, equivalent to $ 830,000 in 2023. Filming took place on Stage 8 at

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