Perry Mason: Season 1, Vol. 1

I enjoyed the Perry Mason series as a child; they were part of a family tradition which included visits to family friends so my parents could play cards together and so the children of both families could watch their favorite television programs. When I saw the series offered on DVD, I decided to purchase some of them. I'm so glad I did. I actually get much more out of them now than I did at the time.It's amazing to see how much of US culture has changed over time; it's also impressive to see how much television has contributed to it. While I, having lived through it, have felt that things "haven't changed much" technologically, in fact they really have! Seeing the old television sets, the automobiles, the typewriters, etc. makes me realize how "primitive" we were back then. More than that, even, is the very obvious lack of convenient devices that we enjoy now. When Paul Drake had to stop by a phone booth to call Perry in two different episodes, I realized how instant our communications have become in recent times.Our society has changed a lot in other ways, too. While it was nice seeing men open doors for women, etc. the attitude of "woman the helpless" gets pretty tiresome. Seeing their overwhelming dependence on men, the legal and sociological obstacles that prevented its being any other way, made me realize how far our society has come in leveling the playing field between the genders. Seeing the incredible burdens placed on men during those times makes me realize that equalizing that playing field in the interest of a more collaborative relationship was probably good for both men and women. Seeing where the country had started with respect to ethnic and racial attitudes and to their liberalization through the medium of television was also interesting. While Perry Mason was hardly in the front lines of social reform--black people are always in the background where they appear at all--the presentation of Asians in a positive light, especially so soon after World War II, suggests a trend was already starting in the very early 60s.Probably most importantly to the average person is the major change in our legal system. While I enjoy Perry's overwhelming belief in and loyalty to his clients and his capacity to see through to the real culprit, I still cringe when he tampers with evidence and aids his clients in their evasion of the law. I also cringe when I see the rather cavalier handling of evidence by the police; it makes one wonder how many people were convicted by virtue of such bungling! I think that our more recent expectation that there be a clear "history" of the handling of evidence is a very positive and necessary one. The one tradition that appears to be solid from Perry's time to ours is the rule of law and its mediation by both clear standards and past practice. While justice may be misdirected by adherence to these principles, it is only by maintaining them without fail for everyone, that anything like justice can be served. If nothing else, the system makes at least an attempt, to the best of human abilities, to serve the interests of society and of the individuals within it. Inequities occur, but here as in other human endeavors, it's the attempt that counts. That's a good lesson.

From the stirring music to the brilliant acting, Perry Mason remains one of the best courtroom dramas ever produced, even though it was one of TV's earliest.Based on the successful books by Erle Stanley Gardner, the production quality of the series was so high that the many of the episodes have the feeling of a movie, or as some reviewers have noted, true film noir.Debuting in 1957, Perry Mason ran for nine seasons and became a part of popular culture. It propelled its star, Raymond Burr, into the status of an icon, even though he already had a distinguished career as a movie actor, ironically primarily playing bad guys. In Mason, Burr brought incredible depth, quick intelligence and an amazing robust energy that remains as fresh today as it was almost 50 years ago!The first season had 39 episodes, 19 of which are being released in this DVD boxed set, while the remaining 20 will be released in Season One, Volume 2.In addition to Burr, the stellar cast includes Barbara Hale, who portrays Mason's devoted secretary, Della Street; William Hopper as Mason's private investigator Paul Drake; William Talman as the perennially losing District Attorney Hamilton Burger; and Ray Collins, as the acerbic but honest Lt. Arthur Tragg.Although Mason often acted as an investigator, won all but one of his cases, and he managed to evoke witness stand confessions from the majority of the guilty parties, the show still managed to convey a courtroom realism seldom seen, and is still often sadly missing in modern TV series dealing with crime and punishment.The crimes were believable because they were drawn from the realistic fodder of real life conflicts and temptations, not the twisted and often sadistic crimes that are too often shown on TV today on current courtroom dramas.Even though the series began in the 50's, it hinted at a more-than-platonic relationship between Mason and Street. The bantering that the two actors brought to their roles heightened the tension between them on the show and is still wonderful to watch. In real life, the two were very close friends and remained so until his untimely death from cancer. Burr, a nationally renowned amateur horticulturist, named a specific type of orchid that he had developed after Hale. Hale's son, William Katt, joined the series as Paul Drake Jr. when the show was reprised in the late 80's as a series of successful recurring made-for-TV-movies.This series fully deserves the full-season box set release that it is finally receiving, and represents the first time the entire first season of the landmark show has been available on DVD.The episodes included here are: The Case of the Restless Redhead; The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece; The Case of the Nervous Accomplice; The Case of the Drowning Duck; The Case of the Sulky Girl; The Case of the Silent Partner; The Case of the Angry Mourner; The Case of the Crimson Kiss; The Case of the Vagabond Vixen; The Case of the Runaway Corpse; The Case of the Crooked Candle; The Case of the Negligent Nymph; The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink; The Case of the Baited Hook; The Case of the Fan Dancer's Horse; The Case of the Demure Defendant; The Case of the Sunbather's Diary; The Case of the Cautious Coquette; and The Case of the Haunted Husband.Let us hope the remaining half of the first season as well as the entire run of this incredible series are released on DVD quickly. The jury has spoken!

Perfect gift for those who love old series.

If memory serves, this series won several awards. Burr and his posse were always pretty fabulous. The bottom line is that this is excellent drama, and the courtroom antics are always worth watching.

Great

Just loved the DVD and the speed of the delivery. Also thank you for refunding my $89 so quickly when I did not wish to be a "Prime" member.

My Dad felt this show too violent for children but on the infrequent occasion he was not home when it was on, I remember cuddling up with my Mom and together watching her favourite show. I felt special then and it brings back warm memories when I watch it now. It is fun watching the courtroom drama and comparing the acting and forensics 50-60 years ago to what you see now. And seeing Raymond Burr in action is always a pleasure too. Loved the series then and still do now!

Classic series from the '50's (black and white) starred Raymond Burr (Ironside) as Perry Mason - defence attorney extraordinaire. Based on the books, these who-dunnits also keep you guessing, right up to the final moments. Great entertainment! Also interesting from a historical perspective to see what life was like back in the "good old days", when the "only" worry was the atom bomb and the Cold War.