Perry Mason – Genius detective, he always finds evidence that acquits his client, and his brilliant interrogative skills always cause the truly guilty party to break down and confess in the courtroom.
Lieutenant Tragg – Stereotypical "bumbling cop", he doesn’t get in Mason’s way, but doesn’t really work with him or make his job any easier. Tragg usually suspects Perry’s client, and doesn’t look much beyond the clear evidence in opposition to the obvious suspect.
Hamilton Burger – Perry’s rival in the courtroom. He always loses the case to Mason, and his client is usually convicted as the guilty party. He’s tried to get Perry Mason in trouble, but Perry is always able to argue his way out of the situation. Also, if you slightly edit his name, you get “hamburger”
Female Characters:
On left: Della Street; Right: Gertie
Della Street - the main female protagonist of the television series. She is Perry Mason's main advisor, and most trusted confidant. She is usually able to offer some much-needed female insight and womanly intuition. Though she and Mason are very close, there is no overt romantic interest between them.
Gertrude "Gertie" Lade - Usually only mentioned in the show as "Gertie", she is rarely seen, but is mentioned in nearly every episode. She works in Perry Mason's outer office, and announces all of his visitors to Della Street, who then asks Mason if he would wish to see them. Her role in the show is minor, but important nonetheless.
The winners in the show are always the victimized woman and Perry Mason. Mason is never wrong and the beautiful bombshell that is in desperate need of help is always innocent, despite the amount of evidence against her. In contrast, the police are always known as the bad guys. They never take the side of Mason, and without due evidence, they always accuse Mason's client of being guilty. Thankfully, Mason always manages to find hidden evidence to prove the police wrong and to acquit the accused.
Perry Mason's world is one of murder and intrigue, and he deals with violence on a day-to-day basis in the name of justice
One of the motifs of violence that is common in the “Perry Mason” television series is murder. Though this may not seem unique from many violent television shows today, the violence is different in that it is more implied and subtle. Though the victim is always seen after their murder, the murder is never witnessed by the viewer. Also, though there is a murder in every episode, there is never any kind of gratuitous or over-the-top violence, like a shootout or bar fight. The television series was filmed and took place during the era that the Hayes code was actively implemented in Hollywood productions, which is the main reason that the violence takes place behind the scenes. But even without open violence, it is implied that the world Perry Mason lives in is dangerous, and that there is murder lurking around every corner. The victims are usually upper-class citizens, and in most cases they don't have any kind of criminal history. The motivations for these crimes vary widely, from advancement in the business world, to regrettable crimes of passion. The victim is typically undeserving of their fate, and may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, thanks to the brilliant investigative work and legal maneuvering that Perry Mason employs, their killer is always brought to justice. In almost every case, the victim is in some way connected to a mysterious, beautiful woman, who eventually become Mason's client. These various consistencies between shows can make the plot feel rote and formulaic at times, but also builds suspense and tension throughout each individual episode.
The idea of Perry Mason began as a book by Erle Stanley Gardner. The name Perry Mason goes back to Gardner’s childhood, when he used to read the magazine called Youth’s companion, famously known for producing the original Pledge of Alliance.
Copy of the Youth's Companion: Inspiration for Mason
Owned by the Perry Mason Company, he used the magazine owner as an inspiration for his protagonist. Gardner spent more that twenty years practicing law in California and therefore was able to attribute his knowledge to his character. The character first appeared in nearly eighty novels and short stories
The books then turned into a popular TV series that was produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957- to May 1966. The show ran for nine seasons and 271 episodes on CBS. It is known as“televisions most successful and longest running lawyer series”. After cancelation, a radio series was created and then a second spinoff television series was created. The radio series was fifteen minutes long and continued under the name Edge of Night because Gardner did not approve.
Sample from radio show
The series also stared Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman, and Ray Collins. Its theme song was Park Avenue Beat. The show was done on location in and around Culver City and a few downtown locales. Examples can including being able to see Los Angeles City Hall and the Hall of Justice.