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Here's the one thing that worried Barbara Hale about Perry Mason
Hale wasn't looking for a fight, and neither were her castmates!
A TV show's success can be attributed to many factors—whether it's the characters, the actors' dedication, the writing, or stellar production. For a TV series like Perry Mason, its success turned out to be a perfect mix of all the crucial elements that make a show stand out.
Raymond Burr, who played Perry Mason, dedicated himself to the series by losing weight, putting in extra hours, and working so hard that he ended up in the hospital. Meanwhile, Barbara Hale, who portrayed Della Street, studied law and legal jargon in her free time just to make sure her character came across as believable.
According to a 1965 interview with The La Crosse Tribune, Hale had her own theory about what made Perry Mason work so well. While dedication played a key role, she also offered insight into other factors that helped the series rise in the ranks with fans.
"I think there is a great deal of audience participation in our show," Hale said. "It gives the audience a chance to read into the characters whatever they want to believe. Then at the end, they get a chance to see whether their judgment was right."
Whatever the reason for the series' longevity, Perry Mason lasted nine seasons on air while consistently performing well in the ratings. According to the interview, many people expected tensions between the cast, given how long they had been working closely together.
However, Hale said she had one worry: It wasn’t about fights between them, but about the fact that they didn’t fight enough.
"The only thing that worries me is that we have had no fights," Hale said. "We've never even had a disagreement. People can't believe that, but it's true."
According to the interview, Hale never expected the series to last as long as it did. She was proud of what they had created and even prouder of the chemistry they shared. She said that without Burr, she might not have reached the amount of success she did.
"Ray Burr and I have worked together so much that we can actually speak in a kind of short-hand," Hale said. "I'm a little shy about speaking up when something doesn't seem right in a scene, and I have a nervous habit of clearing my throat when that happens. Ray invariably looks up and asks what is wrong. The next time we do the scene, the matter is corrected, and we go on with our work."
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