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14 revealing, playful behind the scenes photos from Perry Mason
The cast even had cute custom coffee mugs made!
Perry Mason is a twisty legal drama filled with murder, courtroom tension, and whodunnits. The show is rooted in film noir, detective novels, and classic crime cinema. In other words, it's pretty far from a comedy.
But behind the scenes? The tight cast and crew were often all smiles. That shows in these candid pictures snapped by TV Guide, the network, and other media outlets during the series' run. See stars Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale at home — and goofing off together.
Which is your favorite?
Family Portrait
The Everett CollectionThis pic reminds us of the family portraits we used to take at Kmart and Olan Mills. Well, the outtakes.
A Budding Career
The Everett CollectionBurr tends to his orchids at home.
Mugging for the Camera
The Everett CollectionThe cast and crew had custom coffee mugs made. The principal cast holds their cups. On the wall behind them, you can see personalized mugs for behind-the-camera folks like assistant director Musky Harmell, hairdresser Annabell Levy, and executive producer Gail Patrick. We'll see some of them below.
A True Collector
The Everett CollectionBurr's love for art ran deep. He ran his own gallery, which was located on 456 North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
Art and Style
The Everett CollectionAnnabell Levy combs Burr's hair as he preps for a scene. Levy would get a chance to appear on camera, with most of the crew, in "The Final Fade-Out," the series finale. She played a hairdresser!
Once Upon a Mattress
The Everett CollectionBurr reads scripts and smokes in bed.
Love Bites
The Everett CollectionBurr and Hale show their tight bond — and some teeth.
My Name Is Erle
The Everett CollectionErle Stanley Gardner, author of the Perry Mason book series, in the study of his ranch home, Rancho del Paisano, in Temecula, California, surrounded by memorabilia collected from his travels. He called his ranch his "writing factory."
Pipe Down
The Everett CollectionBurr curls up on his floor with a good read — well, it looks more like fireplace kindling.
Back in Action
The Everett CollectionWilliam Talman returns to work on Perry Mason after being cleared of morals and narcotics charges, greeted by Raymond Burr in 1960. Read the full story here.
Coffee Mates
The Everett CollectionTalman and Burr take a break with the mugs we saw earlier.
Uke and Me
The Everett CollectionHale harmonizes at home with hubby Bill Williams, a fellow actor.
Home Study
The Everett CollectionActor couple Hale and Williams read their respective scripts at home on the couch.
All Hail Gail
The Everett CollectionA true TV pioneer, Gail Patrick was the only female executive producer in prime time during the nine years Perry Mason was on the air.
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73 Comments
You have only one of Ray Collins.
What made his message really poignant was the fact that he was dying of lung cancer when he made it; in fact the PSA was released after his death.
Big Tobacco had the ad removed, but I'm convinced that it helped pave the way to the total ban on smoking commercials in 1970.
