Perry Mason: Season 6, Vol. 2

By their sixth season most television series have run out of gas. Not so "Perry Mason" (1957–1966): extraordinary when you remember that, during those decades, most seasons produced over thirty episodes per year. (Nowadays it's in the neighborhood of twenty-two.) Many aficionados believe "Mason"'s first season may have been its best. I agree. Whereas most shows need at least one season to find their footing, "Mason" had the advantage of radio and movie tryouts before shifting to television. Season One gave us the richest crop of one-hour adaptations of creator Erle Stanley Gardner's own novels: an abundance of story material created over decades. That first season also hit the ground running with its principal cast and stylish production values: TV noir. Nevertheless, Season Six (1962–63) demonstrates a lot of creative spark in this classic show.The sixth was a transitional season in more ways than one. It's the well-known season during which star Raymond Burr was hospitalized and on-camera only for cameos in four episodes, with high-profile, special guest stars subbing as defense attorneys: Bette Davis (!), Michael Rennie, Hugh O'Brien, and Walter Pidgeon. (The stories featuring Messrs. Rennie and Pidgeon are especially sly.) Poor Ray Collins, succumbing to emphysema, made fewer appearances as the old bulldog, Lt. Tragg. Respectfully the producers continued to give Collins featured player credit in the opening titles. Gradually phased in was a younger lieutenant, competently played by Wesley Lau but lacking Collins's gruff intimidation: needful in a series that always culminated with Mason's winning the case for his hopeless clients. Still on hand are the ever dependable Barbara Hale as Mason's splendid secretary, Della Street, William Hopper as P. I. Paul Drake, and the outstanding William Talman as Mason's nemesis, D. A. Hamilton Burger. Watching Talman and Burr spar in the courtroom is one-half the entertainment of each hour—but remember, in this volume, Burr is all but absent from four of fourteen episodes.Besides the episodes with Rennie and Pidgeon ("The Case of the Libelous Locket" and "The Surplus Suitor"), the standout episodes include "The Velvet Claws" (an adaptation of Gardner's very first Mason novel), "The Lover's Leap," "The Elusive Element" (featuring some deft sleight-of-hand in the courtroom), and "The Witless Witness" (Mason's defense of a judge before whom, in the teaser, he has just lost a civil case). The latter is one of the finest episodes in the entire series."Perry Mason" is the ultimate formula show, with a structure as rigid as a sonnet: a teaser and first Act that introduces the suspects and usually culminates in a murder, followed by a second act that tosses in some useful tidbits among a barrel of red herrings, and the third and fourth acts in the courtroom. Trial procedure is followed, occasionally spiced with Mason's legal hijinks, in a show that's ultimately a mystery that doesn't play quite fair with with the audience: the information we most need to know to solve the case before or with Mason is usually explained in a five-minute tag. Nevertheless, the series provides solid entertainment with crafty scripts, written or overseen by Samuel Newman and Jackson Gillis (who later helped preside over "Columbo"); atmospheric location work in early '60s LA; fine character actors of the '50s and '60;, and that marvelous main cast. Actors and staff who worked on the show claimed that there were few happier studio sets than that of "Perry Mason," because Burr, Hopper, Talman, and Hale were such a close family and treated their guest players royally. Even when playing adversaries, that affection registers onscreen and makes the show a delight to watch.

Bette Davis, Michael Rennie, Hugh O'Brien...in early 1963 these were big stars. So with Perry (Raymond Burr) recuperating from some illness, the gang at Paisano Productions spared no expense getting credible substitutes for the ailing star. Actually, and to my surprise, it worked.In the Case of Constant Doyle, one of only three episodes not titled "Case of the" with the "the" underlined, Bette Davis stars as the widow and law partner of a great lawyer who undertakes to represent a young man accused of, what else, murder. Better yet the murder is connected to one of her husbands old clients. The CEO gives sage advice like, there are opportunities for women lawyers in divorces and juvenile justice. Bette, a veritable Portia, tears up the prosecution as neatly as Perry ever did, undoubtably causing young girls of the sixties to wonder if there could be life at the bar for them. Consider that when I entered law school in 1972 we had 9 women in a class of 200, yet by the time I left three years later the entering class was 35% female. Many of us were there because of Perry which makes the Bette Davis episode intriguing.Michael Rennie, the space man from  The Day the Earth Stood Still  takes over a case where one of the suspects could be a "Martian nine feet tall." Don't tell me the writers didn't have fun with that line. Hugh O'Brien plays Bruce Jason, an OSS operative implicated in an assassination plot but nonetheless defending the accused. The foreign actors, hired for the shoot, marvelously overacted like they were still doing war-era B movies. O'Brien, for his part, was familiar to all TV viewers of the time as the star of  Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp .As good as these interludes are, Perry does return for his courtroom heroics, and the bathrobe cameos are soon forgotten. This set however is a tribute to the producers and writers of the best lawyer show of the 20th century.

Simply a Classic!!!

In the second half of Season Six we continue to slip away from the early film noir feeling of this series, and more into a sixties flavor. The acting and writing are not at their peak. But Perry Mason is a great show no matter what. Here are the episodes:1. The Case of the Prankish Professor2. The Case of Constant Doyle - Bette Davis filling in for an absent Raymond Burr (who makes a short appearance on the phone, in his bathrobe)3. The Case of the Libelous Locked - Michael Rennie filling in for Raymond Burr4. The Case of the Two-Faces Turn-a-bout - Hugh O'Brien filling in5. The Case of the Surplus Suitor - Walter Pidgeon filling in6. The Case of the Golden Oranges - Perry is back!7. The Case of the Lawful Lazarus8. The Case of the Velvet Claws9. The Case of the Lover's Leap10. The Case of the Elusive Element11. The Case of the Greek Goddess12. The Case of the Skeleton's Closet13. The Case of the Potted Planter14. The Case of the Witless Witness

Enjoyed this immensley. I love Perry Mason and this part of the collection has the other actors who subbed for Raymond Burr when he was in the hospital. I liked the episodes with Betty Davis, Michael Rennie, and Walter Pidgeon. plus one other whose name I forgot.

I have purchased all nine season of perry mason. I love each and everyone of them

Great show to watch as Perry and his staff get their man.

Arrived within indicated time scale. Two new intro /title sequences. Good stories. Very enjoyable. I enjoy seeing well known actors who were not so well known then. 3 episodes on the first disk Raymond Burr is almost invisible. The story line indicates he is in hospital and we get fleeting appearances. In one episode Bette Davis is the lawyer. Never a fan of hers and she was not very good. In another Michael Rennie is a law professor and court room lawyer and is quite good and the lovely Harry Van Zayle (hope I spelled that right as a down at )in that episode as the eventual murderer. Hugh O'Brien is the lawyer in another. Liked the story line but never a fan of his style. Felt a bit cheated. Still find it strange when Tallman and Collins appear in the main actor credits and do not in fact appear.Regards David Barton-Smith

I have found all the seasons to be excellent productions, some have subtitles but not all, It would be nice for all seasons to have them.The video and audio quality in my opinion is second to none and the stories are top class.It is sad that the series beyond 2 are not available in region 2. Maybe they are only of interest to old timers like me and perhaps they do not sell well over here!

I love this late 50s/early 60s courtroom TV series. Marvellous acting, beautifully restored footage, fiendishly clever plots and great acting. What more could anyone ask for? Especially at this bargain price. Excellent prints.

First class product and service.

A Great Volume to add to your Perry Mason Collection. With Guest appearances by Bette Davis, Walter Pidgeon and more. Episodes include:Disc 1The Case of The Prankish ProfessorThe Case of the Constant DoyleThe Case of The Libelous LocketThe Case of The Two-Faced Turn-a-boutDisc 2The Case of The Surplus SuitorThe Case of the Golden OrangesThe Case of The Lawful LazarusThe Case of the Velvet ClawsDisc 3The Case of The Lover's LeapThe Case of The Elusive ElementThe Case of The Greek GoddessDisc 4The Case of The Skeleton's ClosetThe Case of The Potted PlanterThe Case of The Witless WitnessYou're sure to enjoy this four disc set of Perry Mason!!!!