Customer Reviews

Perry Mason: Season One, Vol. 1

5 star:		(133)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

First, to clear up the error in a prior review...this set will be captioned. The official announcement stated this.

For years PM has only been seen in butchered syndicated versions with 6 minutes or more missing from each episode. These DVDs will be mastered from the original elements and will be the complete 52 minute versions. PM was filmed, not videotaped, which will result in very high quality DVDs.

Although all 9 seasons were excellent, the first season is remarkable in that the cast found their stride immediately and delivered 39 noir-like episodes that are as suspenseful as any Hollywood movie. 19 of these episodes will be in the set with 20 to be included in Volume 2.

Paramount has an excellent record in fast tracking releases of their classic shows, hopefully PM will be as well.

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!

It's been a long wait. The best courtroom drama (witness stand confessions and Perry's theatrics included) of all time finally comes to season-by-season DVD box sets. Once more, we'll hear Paul's signature shave-and-a-haircut knock at Perry's door (just in case Tragg happens to be visiting). We'll see the knowing smiles and sidelong glances shared between Perry and Della. We'll watch Hamilton Burger get served up like, well, hamburger once he's well-cooked by Perry's sometimes questionable but always satisfyingly clever tactics. I can't wait until July! Can you?

Let's start off with the negative points about this set:
There are no "bonus" extras.
Only 1/2 of Season 1 is here.
It's a bit pricey.
If any of that is important to you, deduct the appropriate amount of stars.
Now to the good part:
The 1st season of Perry Mason was the best of all, with most of the episodes on this DVD set being taken from Gardner's novels.
The quality of the prints used and the transfer quality are both first rate.
The cool 50's music is excellent and provides a great background to the action.
The performances are exceptional - all the players meshed right away.
William Talman's sputtering, exasperated Burger, constantly threatening Perry with "charges" in this 1st season is a far cry from the friendly attitude he would adopt toward the end of the show's run.
Ray Collins as the sardonic Lt. Tragg steals every scene he's in! A real pro!
And, of course, the performances of Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale and William Hopper are outstanding. What a team! Who wouldn't want Perry to be their lawyer?
Watch Perry change his cars often - a top-of-the-line Ford hardtop convertible, a Cadillac El Dorado convertible, even a Buick Special convertible (which is seen in other episodes being used by persons other than Perry).
Paul must be doing pretty well also since he has both a Corvette and a T-Bird!
Poor old Ham Burger is seen riding around in a cheap Ford.
Even Tragg is driving a Buick!
See the props being reused often in other settings (like Ham Burger's desk lamp which somehow made it into the estate of a millionaire in "Negligent Nymph"!)
All-in-all, a first rate set which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I'm looking forward to the release of Season 1, Part 2.

Perry Mason was certainly the finest courtroom drama ever on television. It was entertainment that kept viewers glued to their seats, waiting for that moment when Perry would nail the killer on the witness stand and free his client.

Raymond Burr had some good roles in films, but will always be remembered for the tough defense attorney you wanted on your side in the toughest jam. Barbara Hale was his pretty secretary, Della Street, who kept Perry human and was in love with him. William Hopper was the dapper detective, Paul Drake. He had a playful and flirtatious relationship with Della but every viewer knew that secretly her heart belonged to Perry.

William Talman as D.A. Hamilton Burger was the perfectly cast guy you almost felt sorry for, as just when he was ready to gloat over his victory in court, Perry would spring his client by revealing the real killer, once again defeating poor old Burger. The relationship of these four people made the mood and mystery of the often gripping conclusion fun to watch. There has never been anything close to it in genre on television since. Its mix of drama, noir, and humor, and its truly likable characters, made for terrific viewing.

Earle Stanley Gardner's original creation of Perry Mason was a bit more two-fisted pulp type reading, but slowly grew into something resembling the show when it became so popular. Gardner's Perry Mason novels, begun decades before the show and continuing for decades more, are still fun to read. The same can be said of every single show in the series.

The first season, unlike many shows, hit its stride immediately, and remained top-notch television for many years. Like the novels, the title of every episode began with "The Case of-" and each one had some wonderful moments, both in and out of the courtroom. Only the first 19 episodes are included in this 5 disc set, with the next 20 coming soon. The episodes for season one, all 39 of them, beginning in the fall of 1957 and ending in 1958, are as follows:

THE CASE OF THE------- Restless Redhead -- Sleepwalker's Niece -- Nervous Accomplice -- Drowning Duck -- Sulky Girl -- Silent Partner -- Angry Mourner -- Crimson Kiss -- Vagabond Vixen -- Runaway Corpse -- Crooked Candle -- Negligent Nymph -- Moth-Eaten Mink -- Baited Hook -- Fan-Dancer's Horse -- Demure Defendant -- Sun Bather's Diary -- Cautious Coquette -- Haunted Husband -- Lonely Heiress -- Green-Eyed Sister -- Fugitive Nurse -- One-Eyed Witness -- Deadly Double -- Empty Tin -- Half-Wakened Wife -- Desperate Daughter -- Daring Decoy -- Hesitant Hostess -- Screaming Woman -- Fiery Fingers -- Substitute Face -- Long-Legged Models -- Gilded Lily -- Lazy Lover -- Prodigal Parent -- Black-Eyed Blonde -- Terrified Typist -- Rolling Bones

You can't beat this for entertainment, any more than Hamilton Burger could beat Perry Mason in court. There were great stories, often taking Perry out of the courtroom and his office, but always returning in those final moments of doom for the real murderer. This is one DVD set everyone who loves great television will want to own. Just hearing that opening theme song will make you nostalgic. Don't pass this one up.

Could this be the most anticipated multi-disc television DVD box set release of all time? Well, maybe not for most, but for me it has certainly been a questionably long wait, considering it was on 9 seasons and placed in the top 20 for 4 of them. Not to mention garnering 3 Emmy Awards. This show has fascinated me since seeing the first run airings in the 60's.
The comradery and chemistry that Perry, Della, and Paul shared is absolutely amazing and unequaled. The always mounting conflict between Perry and his allies, pitted against the formidable district attorney Hamilton Burger and Lt. Tragg, make for TV's most famous adversaries.
The atmospheric noir quality, particularly in the first few seasons, along with the cast achieving precise character development from the premiere episode, solidify this as an instant TV classic.
Throughout the series "Perry Mason" featured the greatest character actors of all time, including an array of glamorous female guests including Whitney Blake, Joanna Moore, Nancy Kovack, Constance Towers, and Patricia Barry, only to name a few.
See you in court.

No arguing here that Perry Mason was and is the standard bearer when it comes to courtroom drama. It was the best, bar none, with just a touch of film noir. You really can't compare this series with more contemporary entities such as "Law & Order" as Perry Mason was set in an era long past. It will be pure delight to see each episode complete and uncut.

My objection is the way whole seasons are split up in Volume 1 then Volume 2. It drove me nuts when they released Combat! in that manner. So, I held out for the whole Combat! series set and haven't a single regret about it. The problem here is that I will have a loooong wait as this is a 9-year series. BUT, I've waited this long I'll hold out for the whole enchilada.

BTW, the entire series WAS filmed in B&W; EXCEPT for one episode. It's only been broadcast twice. I'm sure it will show up when the final season is released and after you've seen it, I'm sure you'll understand why they stuck with B&W.

FINALLY! Perry Mason as it is meant to be seen. Beautiful crisp transfers and clear soundtracks. It's nice to see the set follow the initial broadcasting order, you get to see the characters develop. The GREAT Raymond Burr grows into the role as these episodes progress and you can tell why this series was such a hit after the first few episodes. I remember watching Perry Mason with my Mom, it was her favorite show. Watching these episodes brings back warm memories, and the scripts keep you guessing what will happen next. I also like the end titles showing the original Purex sponsorship, brings back a lot of nostalgia. I can't wait for the next set, HURRY UP, PARAMONT AND BRING US MORE EPISODES!

The first two years of PM were the best -- snappy, witty dialogue, lots of action, intricate plots, and a wonderful snapshot of 50's mores and attitudes (e.g. everybody drinks and smokes, guys wear great-looking hats, "bad girls" are announced by a smoky sax on the soundtrack). As the years went on, Perry himself became stodgier, as did the storylines. The wonderfully crusty Ray Collins was never adequately replaced as Lt. Tragg, but Bill Talman as Hamilton Burger hung in there until the end, and was the perfect foil for Raymond Burr. And don't overlook Barbara Hale's Della Street, the sexiest secretary in the history of TV; the early years showed Perry and Della as surprisingly intimate partners, e.g. cooking steaks and tossing salad at Perry's apartment, or Della giving the exhausted Perry a shoulder rub. At times, Della seemed to have a LOT more on her mind than legal writs when she looked at Perry with those wonderfully expressive eyes ...

The transfer to DVD looks stunning, and it's wonderful to have the episodes released in their original order. But I'm disappointed that there's no commentary included. When Columbia House released about half the episodes on VHS several years ago, they included notes on the guest stars and other fun trivia. But except for that small complaint, this is a great boon to PM fans. I can hardly wait for Volume 2!

Nice to see Perry Mason back. No commercials, no cursing, no sex, just good mystery, good acting. Those were the days!