Raymond Burr - Screen Test as 'Perry Mason' (1956)
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- Опубліковано 18 лют 2012
- Seemingly born to play 'Perry Mason', Raymond Burr did have to test for the role. The woman playing 'Della Street' is a bit too provocative for the character, as Barbara Hale's 'Della' and her understated sexuality was one of the more entertaining facets of the show.
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The casting for Perry Mason was spot-on. No one else could have played the parts so well. Barbara Hale was perfect as Della Street, beautiful, intelligent, down-to-earth; what lawyer wouldn't want her as their Secretary. Casting made all the right calls with Perry Mason.
Raymond Burr Was born to play the Great Lawyer Perry Mason May he RIP & is sadly missed by all of his Fans etc.
He was a great villain, too.
I myself a distant relative of Mr Burr, only finding out recently and now watching all his stuff! Very interesting indeed!
The cast of Perry Mason was magic .Great chemistry between Della Perry and Paul Drake!
Add yes
Barbara Hale brought class and dignity to the role. It helped it to become the classic show it remains today.
I loved Della Street and they likely made the right choice but this actress would have been interesting.
It might have been an audition, but he nailed Perry on the first try.
This is Judith Smith i really like enjoy watching all of Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) movies. They all still make me enjoy and forwarding to watching them every day at 9:00am and then at 11:30 pm on metv channel. I actually look so forward to watching all black& white Perry Mason and Della Street(Barbara Halle) every week night at 11:30 pm on metv channel. They are great. Thank you for continuing to play his movies as you do. Please do not ever stop. Thank you again. Ms. Judith Smith
@@judithsmith6961 yes
I used to read the Erle Stanley Gardner "Perry Mason" books BEFORE
the TV show came out, (showing my age), and the girl playing Della
Street in this clip is actually closer to Gardner's character than the one
portrayed by Barbara Hale.
Of course it was the 1950s and the Della Street character in the TV
show couldn't be throwing herself at Perry Mason like she was constantly
doing in the books!
The show turned out to be among the few truly masterful TV dramas
ever made- just GREAT!
The flirty blonde feels very 1930s. But also dated for the 50s and 60s. Making Della more serious was a good move
.
I love the screen test for Raymond burr it shows what a great actor he was talent like his we will not see ever again thank you u tube for sharing it I am a big fan perry mason opened the door for all the law and order and CSI shows Judith Horne jax fl
Burr was great as Mason.
hey, Raymond Burr was kinda handsome there😜.. glad Barbara Hale got the part of Della. She had the right combination of beauty, class and intelligence to play the part. particularly as Burr was such an intelligent Mason.
Mr. Burr took his part very seriously. He studied law books , and really did know a lot.
I'm glad this chick didn't get Della's part. She is no Della Street!! Couldn't hold a candle to Barbara Hale.
Totally agree this actress is the opposite to Barbara Hale.
Can't see anyone playing Della than Barbara Hale. Raymond was Perry Mason from the git go.
This audition was kinescoped at CBS Television City in late 1956, at the time Burr was winding up his "FORT LARAMIE" radio series for the network.
Yes, Roxanne Arlen is the actress playing Della and she actually appeared in two Perry Mason episodes - "The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink" and "The Case of the Jealous Journalist." Roxanne always played "Sexy" well but that wasn't what Erle Stanley Gardner had in mind for Della. I got a chance to talk with Raymond Burr about Erle Stanley Gardner and the Mason casting. It's on a UA-cam video called "Remembering Perry Mason with Raymond Burr."
+baileyellard1 Read an article about Gardner and these stories. Seems he loved the southwest desert, and spent a lot of time in his camper trailer, camping out, where he did a lot of his writing. I can imagine the desert back in the 1930's. Must've been wonderful, great inspiration.
Thanks, I just popped over to watch your video. That voice! My Raymond Burr experience was far briefer! In Toronto, one hot summer day, I was walking in the Yorkville area, and WHAM! out steps Raymond Burr from an antique shop and he walked right toward me. He was HUGE - very tall, taller than I'd imagined, and at that time quite overweight. But I was not interested in that really. It was his face. So handsome, compelling, the whole nine yards. I was totally star-struck, and could not even venture a "hello". Lots of famous folk hung around there and I was often saying a friendly hello to various stars in a quiet polite way - and almost always getting friendly responses. But Raymond Burr was SO much of a star in my mind that I was struck dumb. Now I kick myself for missing the chance to shake his hand. He made eye contact and I knew he knew I'd recognised him, but we just walked past each other. (sigh)
No need to sigh, Tim ... sounds like your encounter went just the way it was supposed to. He knew that you knew who he was and he would have gone out of his way to be friendly if you approached him. But I'm sure he appreciated you much more for respecting his privacy as he was going about his business. You're right about how tall he was - it came as a surprise when you saw him in person. But that had nothing to do with the main impression we all got of him. I know it's an over-used phrase, but Raymond Burr was "larger-than-life" in so many ways!Brian McFadden
Thanks Brian. :-)
from the screen test looks like the producers wanted a different dynamic between Perry & Della. They made the right choice going with Barbara Hale & keeping a more formal, professional relationship between the 2. To this day people when discuss the show they wonder what made Della tick. Most say she was married to her career.
You never caught on to the fact that she had feelings for Perry? Della was not really a closed book.
Actually, if you watched the series and the movies, those feelings were reciprocated; albeit only in hints. Hell, he actually kisses her in one of the movies, I think. I really felt bad for Barbara when Raymond Burr died, the two of them were close friends.
Roxanne Arlen is the actress playing opposite and IMDB says the following about her: A former "Miss Detroit" and WAMPAS Baby Star of 1956, pouty Roxanne Arlen popped up on 1950's and 60's screens as sexy second leads in B-movies and TV episodes. She was tagged "The Wiggle" for a trademark walk she claimed to have developed at grade school, and, curiously, found herself unable to 'get rid of' (!).
OMG I love this Della!
Terrible Della stand in but Raymond Burr was right on.
He was born to play that role.
CBS and the FCC would never let that segment go on the air.
I am addicted to "Perry Mason"! I highly respect Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William Talman, and William Hopper. Classy, grace, dignity and honor....they all had! The times when men were men and women were true women.
I'm amazed at what the power of a great ensemble cast and one of the greatest television theme songs achieved. I find many of the stories convoluted, confusing and often unbelievable. Yet Diane, I must admit, Burr personified dignity in his attorney Mason. I think Barbara Hale handled the role of 'Della Street' with the quietest of sexual tones...her part was written perfectly. There aren't too many memorable 'Mason' episodes..there are some favorites...the early seasons are clearly more 'film noir' oriented, and I love seeing the beautiful old cars of the era. Plus, seems like women were more naturally 'sexy' back then, and didn't go in for the 'hard sell' like so many actresses today.
I am getting over a little, but am obsessed with the Perry Mason Show. It's on MEtv morning and almost midnight daily M-F
Oh come on! I still loved the show, and the casting, but it was as sexist as almost every show of it's time.
This Della looks like Faye Spain. She was a good actress IMO.
I had forgotten how slim he was, back in the day.
Mick Daley He looks dynamite thin. Before this in roles he was on the heavier side. Looks so different thin. Looks good.
I hated the way he looked in the newer Perry Masons epis and for that matter on Ironside.
Great clip with a very different Della, indeed.
Such an elaborate screen test. Burr looked right in the role, but that cornball sex kitten as Della is ridiculous. Thank goodness they went with another type.
Raymond Burr is a fucking legend!
I remember reading "Terrified Typist", and the murderer was an imposter. Mason did not know he was defending the wrong person, so technically, the murderer was not his client. Furthermore, because the prosecution had introduced letters from Mason's real client, they had to prosecute the murderer again because such evidence was immaterial to the defendant.
This is one of a series of audition tapes available on the 50th anniversary edition of the show. In others Burr plays Burger opposite Todd Andrews as Mason and William Hopper plays Mason. The actress playing Della, (Roxanne Arlen) was obviously told to play her as a sex bomb, (or else she wouldn't be dressed in just a fur coat. The concept of the character was obviously changed and Barbara Hale got the part. ESG's original concept of Della was sexier than the way Hale played her. .
William Talman was fired from the show for that party which he did not know was a drug & sex orgy. He was cleared of the charges, but the producers fired him anyway, which Burr to strike against the producers of the show. This, in turn, caused the producers of the show to rehire Talman. The events in question ocurred in March of 1960.
This Della is closer to the way she was in the books. I rather liked it.
I totally agree, Hardknock. 'Pay TV' (cable, satellite) is awful. So basically, you get a thousand channels and there are a total of three (3) that you may watch. Back in the old days, we had a total of three (3) channels but we got them for free. And there was Ed Sullivan. And Andy Griffith. And Dick Van Dyke.
can you please post the other auditions. :) I'd love to see them. Including Della's/Barbara Hale if you have it
Even though Burr is still a large man, it must have been torture to get him down this slim. A life long effort to not become Orsen Wells, or Marlon Brando, which after his two series he gave up on.
raymond burr born to wear a suit
Raymond Burr played a L.A.. cop Thom Brown in the first episode of Dragnet
Yes, she wasn't quite Della.
Perry looked super handsome here. And yes it would have been interesting to have Della like this. Would have brought out something interesting in Perry I think. His character without the supporting players was a bit wooden and boring. He would get mad at times of course and demonstrated a dry humor bit this Della would have made him have to react more.
Yep, this is the real Perry Mason. I saw where they had Paul Drake audition for the part and I said uh, no. I don't think there will ever be another actor quite like Raymond Burr. It came on where I lived every Friday night at 10:00 so you had to stay up late to watch it. My dad agreed because he liked Perry, too. It's a damned shame that he lived in a time when homosexuality was a crime.
"He lost only 2 cases, does anyone know which ones they were? I've been trying to find that info..."
Six months later, I can say that Perry Mason lost *three* cases, depending on your definition of "lose." Without getting into all of the details, check out "The Case of the Terrified Typist," "The Case of the Witless Witness," and, of course, "The Case of the Deadly Verdict."
wow amazing stuff
Actually, he was reprising his original radio role of "Chief Ed Backstrand" on the initial TV episode of "DRAGNET" in December 1951 ("The Big Human Bomb" script was first done on radio in 1949). By that time, the police chief was known as "Thad Brown" [after the real L.A. police chief]....and was Burr's only appearance on the TV edition.
Burr really knew how to wring meaning out of lines that seem banal. He must have understood Zen or something.
I know this was a 'screen test', but was it taken from a filmed episode? It looked interesting and I don't recognize any of the lines.
Thanks for the info. I was under the mistaken notion that screen tests were drawn from proposed scripts. Too bad. This looked interesting as a story line.
Looks to me as though the scene is based on the Case of the Counterfeit Eye: the objects in the box look like false eyes to me, and the screen test would have to be based on one of the early novels.
Supposedly The Case of the Counterfeit Eye was turned into The Case of the treacherous Toupee (9/17/60: the one with Robert Redford). It was thought the glass eye was too gruesome so they turned it into a toupee. But I don't recall a scene comprable to this one. I would haven been interesting to see Barbara Hale wearing a mink and a slip!
AllenCajah Playz The dialogue isn't Perry any more than it was Della. It's imprecise and slangy, as if a criminal were impersonating the lawyer, the way they played it on MacMillan and Wife when someone took the place of Mac. I can't imagine them using anything from this scene in the show.
Anyone know played Della in this screen test?
He made a good heavy, in more ways than one.
interesting choice for Della - i haven't read any Perry Mason novels yet - their titles and covers were suggestive - and this sexy version comes right out of pulp whodunnit novels - - we've become used to the tame Barbara Hale version - who makes the atmosphere less pulp - more holmesian - - frankly - Wm Hopper would have done just as well as Raymond Burr - and was a leading contender - until Erle Stanley Gardner say Burr - and insisted he was the spitting image of his vision of Mason - i wonder what he thought after Burr lost 60 lbs he is rumored to have lost
A little time in the gym and he could have been James Bond.
Thank you Mr. Menken .
Steve Jump A little? Raymond Burr had a terrible weight problem. He probably had to spend half his life at the gym to look as he does here. I am very proud of him for keeping down his weight so he could play not only Perry Mason, but Ironside, and in his earlier work, Rear Window, The Bride of the Gorilla, and so on...
He was heavy in Ironside Rear Window and the later Perry episodes.
Never seen him look better than here.
Steve Jump Even if Burr dropped some weight, He was a little too old to play 007
If I am not mistaken on the radio version Della and Perry were portrayed as having a much closer relationship. I am sure the actress chosen and her demeanor had as much to do with television censorship issues as anything else. It would have been very unseemly for Mason to have a relationship with his "confidential" secretary.
+S Carter I think a sexual relationship would have worn thin quickly...keeping the friendship and a little tension here and there was just right for a long running show. Love affairs are not possible for many people...but work and friendship are easier to relate to year after year! I love the family unit of the cast.
+blathermore You are so right. Barbara Hale as 'Della Street' is one of the more compelling members of a great ensemble cast. That her sexuality is barely vaguely hinted at makes her all the more hot and mysterious! I'm old enough to realize that in its strange way, the Hays code (censorship) was a very good thing for Hollywood, as it taught actors and directors to think more imaginatively. It's an old cliche because it is true ....'less is more'....
Man, even as a kid I found Della (Barbara Hale) really incredibly sexy! When she'd give Perry those come-hither looks my little-kid self got very interested indeed! Imagine her having that effect on an 8 - 10 year-old boy! If they'd done a romance, you're quite right: it would have been awful.
Agree totally, Perry with some fur-draped moll, get outta here. Barbara Hale as Della was the hottie Mason would never have and TV viewers knew it and is why it lasted.
How were they portrayed in the books?? I thought more like this actress.
If your objection lasts more than four hours, I would call a doctor.
I feel like I just watched a casting couch audition.
Saint Rude 😆👏🏼
That actress later turned up as a waitress in the first season episode, The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink.
Thanks. Good catch.
She was cut out for waitressing.
Not classy enough to play Della.
Very enjoyable.
who is the girl ? anyone know ? in the novels there was much more to della than we saw in the series.
Wow! Very we'll done. Except for the audio.
Where's Della's screen test?? ☺️
That should read "which caused Burr to strike against the producers of the show."
Anyone know who's the actress playing Della? She would have fit in better as Edie Hart (Peter Gunn's girlfriend).
Looks a lot like Faye Spain but I cannot be sure.
the actress in Raymond's screentest lookslike a good actress, but not right 4 Della
I kind of like it , it would have been more fun than the stiff relationship he had with the real Della,
Wow! What a great "Della Street"! Probably would have turned Raymond Burr straight after a couple of seasons!
He was married to a lady and they lived with his parents, that didn't last but about 5 years. Look on WIKI. Then he met Robert Benavides while he was doing Perry Mason. They started as a couple in 1960 untill he died in Sept. of 1993
Not Faye but she is very beautiful.
Just what are you getting at, rw???? ;>D
You misspelled sultry!
Perry Mason worked out of L.A., not San Francisco.
I'm from San Francisco, pal. Connect the dots...
Della as a mink coat wearing hottie?
That the role is simlar
The girl playing Della acts so low.
...and incompetent! Lol.
Yugg, no della!
Your argument is irrelevant, immaterial and out of order.
The predictable, skanky, and slick-talking Della here, wearing a full-length fur, is a joke. The actress played it like all the other film noirs, with the tough-talking dame routine. Good thing they classed Della up a lot, otherwise this series goes nowhere. I mean seriously, a secretary wearing a full-length fur who talks like a longshoreman?? Absurd in any era.
This actress is SO bad!
Who wrote the atrocious dialogue? The producer's wife?
Bad acting, but boy I miss his amazing voice!
raymond burr was gay. so he did not like women anyway. Watch the series and see how he talks down to Della and disrespects her. He respected Paul much more.
Oh shut up!