Tuesday, 27 July 2010

Opening Theme: PERRY MASON RETURNS

With the release of my new whodunit Nursing a Grudge starring geriatric amateur sleuth Earl Walker, this blog is featuring senior citizen detective shows the next several weeks ...

Years after the legendary series Perry Mason (CBS, 1957-1966), star Raymond Burr and co-star Barbara Hale reunited for a series of Perry Mason TV movies starting in 1985. The first, Perry Mason Returns, found Mason resigning his position as appellate court judge to defend his secretary, Della Street, on murder charges. William Katt (Hale's son) played Paul Drake, Jr. (son of private investigator Paul Drake, portrayed by the late William Hopper in the original series.)

The series was produced by Dean Hargrove and Fred Silverman -- they also produced Matlock, Jake and the Fatman, and Diagnosis: Murder.

The Perry Mason TV movies continued even after Burr's death in 1993 -- his final performance as Mason was in The Case of the Killer Kiss. Subsequent telefilms starred other actors as lawyer friends of Mason -- one with Paul Sorvino as Anthony Caruso (1993), and three with Hal Holbrook as "Wild Bill" McKenzie (1994-95). Hale appeared in these as Street.



Related links:
Detectives: PERRY MASON by Erle Stanley Gardner
Mystery TV Themes: PERRY MASON

More TV Main Titles:
Opening Theme: DIAGNOSIS MURDER
Opening Theme: MATLOCK
Opening Theme: BARNABY JONES
Opening Theme: NBC Mystery Movie (COLUMBO)
Opening Theme: THE ROCKFORD FILES

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