Moses coming aboard as new private eye Ken Malansky. William Katt bowed out after the 1988 season, with William R. NBC showed two to four Mason films annually for the next eight years. The film’s ratings went through the roof and a series of equally high-rated made-for-TV movies quickly evolved.

The premise had a bearded Perry resigning as appellate court judge to defend Della when she is accused of murder. Then, in 1985, NBC brought back Raymond Burr in the TV-movie Perry Mason Returns, reuniting him with Hale and introducing William Katt (Hale’s real-life son) as Paul Drake’s son. It has never been released on video, but you still might find a few episodes on the video website Daily Motion. It co-starred Sharon Acker as Della, Albert Stratton as Paul, Dane Clark as Tragg, and Harry Guardino as Burger. In 1973, CBS revived the show as The New Perry Mason starring Monte Markham, but it folded after half a season. Interestingly, William Hopper also auditioned for the part of Perry (you can probably find his screen test on YouTube). Burr played the lead, of course, with Barbara Hale as Della Street, William Hopper as detective Paul Drake, William Talman as prosecuting attorney Hamilton Burger, and Ray Collins as police Lieutenant Arthur Tragg (Collins died prior to the 1965-66 season). The Perry Mason TV series debuted in 1957 and enjoyed a nine-year run on CBS. In 1936, former Sam Spade Ricardo Cortez replaced William in The Case of the Black Cat and Donald Woods finished the Warner series with 1937’s The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. Meanwhile, The Case of the Velvet Claws found Mason and secretary Della Street (Claire Dodd) married and trying to take a honeymoon! Comic actor Allen Jenkins played Perry’s detective assistant Spudsy (not Paul) Drake in some of the films. The Case of the Curious Bride featured superstar-to-be Errol Flynn as a murder victim and Donald Woods, a future Perry Mason, in another supporting role. Two of William’s films are of special interest. In fact, William’s Mason did so much detection that it was easy to forget he was a lawyer and some entries were devoid of courtroom scenes. William seemed a natural for the part, having already played that urbane sleuth Philo Vance and destined to play the Lone Wolf, a jewel thief and detective. films, beginning with 1934’s The Case of the Howling Dog. Warren William was a sharp-witted, gourmet-minded Mason in four Warner Bros. Raymond Burr will always be Perry Mason for millions of mystery fans, but Erle Stanley Gardner’s lawyer hit the big screen twenty years before the long-running TV series.

Daily motion inspector lewis season 8