William Hopper - Screen Test as 'Perry Mason' (1956)
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- Опубліковано 18 лют 2012
- William Hopper, who became 'Paul Drake' on 'Perry Mason', does a screen test as 'Perry Mason'. Very odd to hear Ray Collins as 'Lieutenant Tragg' refer to Hopper as 'Perry'.
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It’s interesting seeing Bill Hopper as Perry.
Real shame he died at 55 and thus was unable to be involved in the ‘80’s revival of the show.
It's also interesting that Raymond Burr played Hamilton Burger on the screen test footage.
Would *love* to have seen more about Lieutenant Tragg.
Loved the cast of Perry Mason but odd hearing Ray Collins as Tragg refer to William Hopper Playing Paul Drake as “Perry”! Was a great screen test though! 🙏🙏
A very handsome man. They don't make Hollywood actors like this anymore. An era that is long gone. Men looked,dressed and acted like men. There was just something about them their confidence, style I can't explain it, but suffice it to say that you don't really see it anymore.
Billie Little
Thank you. So hard to see Hollywood as it is today. Miss The Real Hollywood Stars.
And he was a frogman in WWII. They were the precursors to today's Navy SEALs. Adds to the manliness!
These manly qualities were attained by abstaining from soy, wearing neckties and smoking! (Lucky Strike, Camel, Old Gold, Phillip Morris, or Chesterfield!)
@@latsnojokelee6434
These days, no one in Hollywood would get caught doing military service.
A bit Richard Gere like character
Raymond Burr is still, one of the greatest and most memorable actors of all time. Mr. Burr was the epitome of grace, dignity, professionalism, and honor. Actors, today, should take notes, and learn from Raymond Burr! God bless Raymond Burr. I am addicted to "Perry Mason".
Since nearly all the commenters here are getting the story wrong:
Raymond Burr was sent in to test for the part of Hamilton Burger.
Burr was trying to get away from villains at that point; he agreed to test for Burger if he could also test for Perry Mason.
Somewhere there's a video clip of Burr's test as Burger (it's included in the 50th Aniversary DVD).
At no time was Burr ever up for Paul Drake.
And anyway, once Erle Stanley saw Burr on the set and called out "That's Perry Mason!" - well, there you are ...
As to William Hopper:
His whole acting career was done to pacify his nagging mom, Hedda Hopper.
Hedda wanted Bill to be a Superstar, while Bill couldn't have cared less.
When he got the Paul Drake part, Bill Hopper regarded it as a nine-year paid holiday; he relaxed and had fun with it - and audiences loved him for it.
Yes that is so. I heard this too..
@@Tea-tl2pv Ditto. By all accounts he was an easygoing and affable person, sort of the way he played Mason in this scene. Given his war record, I'm surprised he suffered from stage fright for years. Of course, he was under a lot of pressure from his most imposing mother, I suppose. I always felt sorry for the guy.
The reason Raymond Burr was tested for Hamilton Burger in the first instance was that he had played the district attorney who successfully prosecuted Montgomery Clift for murdering Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun.
It’s hard to imagine anyone but Raymond Burr as Perry. William Hopper did well in that scene, but his relaxed demeanor made him ideal for Paul Drake. The casting people got it right.
Always trust a writer's intuition - ESG got it right : )
I loved William Hopper and Ray Collins and think about them often.
Quite odd hearing him called Perry Mason and it is neat how in the end they usually get the right person in the right role to make the shows work so well. He made a great Paul Drake and that role fit it so well. Handsome man too. Thanks for the post.
This is always funny because if he had gotten the part you would only think of him as Perry, the part seems so perfect because that person got the part.
he always had a nice presence. Very handsome and a nice voice!
+creolelady182 Very true, and he was very down to earth...
Pushed into acting by his mother, Hopper began in summer stock and on the New York stage. He was signed as a small-part contract player at Paramount, 1935-37. Subsequently received leads at Warner Brothers in second features. Career faltered due to his lack of ambition and ambiguity towards the acting profession in general, and he returned again to bit parts. Stressful wartime military service in the Navy led to a drinking problem. After being demobbed, worked for nine years as a car salesman. Resumed acting in 1954, eventually finding his niche as investigator Paul Drake, right hand man to Raymond Burr's 'Perry Mason', the role for which he is chiefly remembered.
Had a continuously difficult relationship with his famous mother, Hedda.
William Hopper died only 4 years after the death of his mother, Hedda Hopper.
Personal Quotes (1)
I didn't dislike movie people, but they were nothing special to me. I'd been around them all my life. My mother's [Hedda Hopper] the kind who could say "Howdeedo" to the king of England and feel perfectly at home. But I couldn't. Source:IMDb
I prefer William Hopper as Paul Drake!
William Hopper would have been a pretty good Mason, but Raymond Burr wouldn't have been that good as Paul Drake. Hopper had the more rough-and-tumble quality about him, and yes, he was a handsome man. They got it right when the show debuted.
So glad they chose the ones they chose. Perfect casting
Odd that at :14 he says "they call me ironpants" Raymond Burr later became "Ironside"
to hammer...I doubt the producer would hire a dedicated director for audition tapes. The producer of course was female, Gail Patrick Jackson.
+Will Law I thought I heard something like that!
There you go!!
I think he would have been fine as perry mason but I can't imagine Raymond Burr as Paul
Raymond Burr was just perfect for Perry Mason..
Thanks for this. A rare and interesting video.
Why would Hopper offer Lt. Tragg a cigarette when he’s already smoking a cigar???? 😂 lol
I’m only guessing, but probably an oversight. Maybe somebody wanted to see how Ray Collins would look on film smoking a cigar, and forgot the scene called for Perry to offer Tragg a cigarette.
Or if not, maybe the producers were more concerned with how well the actors delivered, than with what they were saying.
If Hopper had been cast as Perry Mason the show might have still been popular but not in the way that it was. Hopper was fair-haired and good-looking in an almost boyish way. His naturally easy-going manner and ready smile would have given us a more jovial protagonist. He would have been seen as playing with his adversaries in a more humorous, slightly cocky way as opposed to Raymond Burr's dark and brooding manner and more distinguished good-looks. So I do think the show would have been successful anyway, but it would not have been the "Perry Mason" that we grew up with or watched in syndication.
Wow! Interesting to see William Hopper's screen testing for Perry, which I knew he had. He was better for the part of Paul Drake. He didn't seem as intimidating as Perry in the test as Raymond Burr was in the series. And I like any scene with exchange between Perry and Tragg.
darn those ciggys he wuz always smokin... 55 is so yung
Mr. Hopper would have been a good PM, but Raymond Burr's booming voice and penetrating eyes were perfect for the role. Hoppers character was perfectly portrayed by him in every respect. The show was perfectly cast, which contributed greatly to the shows success.
Richard, I imagine you watched this and enjoyed it. Missing you!
William Hopper was such a handsome man!
Raymond Burr was so perfect as Perry Mason. I think William Hopper was best as Paul Drake.
Love the show
Ray Collins was terrific as Lt. Tragg! Can't think of anyone better. William Hopper as Perry Mason?? You kidding?? Nobody on that show was miscast. Would not have as
popular and successful as it was without the right actors in the proper roles.
'Perry Mason' succeeded basically for two reasons: a charming ensemble cast, and the fact that every episode is a 'rerun' in the sense that you may never figure out the murederer (the scripts are fairly convoluted and unbelievable), but there is nothing more comforting than watching reruns. You know Paul Drake is going to say to Della 'Hey beautiful'. You know Perry's bound to win the case (except in one episode).
Reruns are very comforting. Ferguson, Missouri reminds me of Detroit in 1967.
+Webster Bauer Oh absolutely. I always was a Ray Collins fan. Long ago I read something that when Ray did his part as Sheriff Masters in The Desperate Hours in 1955, that played a big part on him getting cast as Tragg.
+MrJadedtom Actually Perry lost two. In The Case of the Terrified Typist in 1958, he defended an imposter who turned out to be guilty while the real guy had been kidnapped and held hostage in a trailer.
Your impression is entirely due to what you got used to on the show, but there is absolutely NO inherent reason that Bill Hopper would not have been a good Perry Mason also. And that does NOT necessarily mean that Raymond Burr would have been cast as Paul Drake.
We get used to shows or movies with a certain cast, and then, looking back, we think that absolutely NO other possible cast or cast combination would have worked. But this is nonsense actually. Do you know that Jack Lord (of "Hawaii Five-O" fame) was originally selected to be Captain Kirk on "Star Trek"? It is hard to imagine anyone but Bill Shatner in that role, but I actually think that Lord would have made a great Kirk.
"Beam me up, Danno!!"
Ray Collins was 68 when this show first aired in 1957. Back then were people forced into retirement at 65?
Is interesting after watching a show and seeing who played what and like now seeing some cast auditioning for other parts. I read that Raymond Burr wanted to be the D.A. and William Talman wanted to be the defense attorney.
Too funny to make a Perry Mason! Great 4 Paul Drake's role! couldn't help but chuckle a little!
I think it's funny how Perry Mason just called up Paul Drake any hour of the day when he needed something.
Detective agencies are like that. They run 24/7.
Burr got the role but he didn't get the nicer office.
He did ok 👌 ..... but they got it right Burr was Mason
And William Hopper was Paul Drake great series!!!!!
William Hopper was so handsome. You just don't see men like him anymore.
Right. What the hell happened??
linscats There are no real men left. To my knowledge James Garner was the last one.
Soy boys, sadly.
Very manly and a believable actor.
What a handsome man he was. He was the perfect Paul Drake, Perry Mason definitively no.
Richard agree....they even have the same walk, on the balls of their feet. Both these actors are terrific, Hopper and Collins
Hopper was SOLID
William Hopper oddly has similar voicing delivery and mannerisms as say Peter Graves..am I imagining this?!
Bob, you're right on.
Sounds more like a Private 👁️ than a lawyer!
Bill Hopper was the son of Hedda Hopper. He had just played the Dad of Natalie Wood in "Rebel without a Cause" a year earlier. Always cracked me up that he had The Paul Drake Detective Agency but seem to be doing work for Perry Mason 99% of the time...
he normally doesn't. normally he has one of his many, many operatives do the grunt work. consider also that Perry makes a ton of money and the people who work for him undoubtedly get very well recompensed. certainly better than going out in person to take photos of somebody sleeping around, for the purposes of a divorce proceeding.
was he Dennis Hoppers dad?
Wow!
I sure wish they'd put full episodes of Perry Mason on You Tube w/out charging for them.
There is an itsy bitsy Easter egg here for those who are super attentive. Did you notice Drake's line "they call me iron pants..."? The fast forward to when Burr would become too big to be Mason, he ended up in a show called Ironside. Funny.
If Burr delivered that line in his screen test for Mason, somehow I just can’t see it coming off the same way. 🙂
Characters aside, I think the line just fit Hopper better.
I think he did a good Perry Mason.
I agree. It's difficult for people to imagine ANYONE as Perry, after watching Raymond Burr perform the role so well for years.
I agree. Ray's Perry was the best. Bill's Paul Drake was the best.
Wow, I think he could have been a good Perry Mason, too.
I also heard they wanted Bill Tallman as Perry. And Ray Burr as the DA
Вильям Хоппер -лучший! Красавец.
Glad he got the role as Paul Drake.Raymond Burr is the only true star to play Mason.
two men who died of lung cancer
Never saw this;good vid.
Paul Drake can't be Perry Mason! This isn't Ace Attorney, we can't do swaps like that. 😂
He was tall and handsome and built like a brick shit house! Built like a football player.
where can i get tje case of the lazy lover book
Burr had more of a concerned low key manner as Mason, unless it was a court room scene in which he would be aggressive. Always thinking the different scenarios in which his client may or may not have been involved. Hopper was seemingly just made for Drake as Burr was almost w/o argue born to play Perry Mason.
I so want a giant praying mantis to bust through the window.
made for the part.thanks
Hopper died in 1970 at age 56.
Having Paul Drake be Perry Mason is making my head hurt.
Wow, interesting.
Great! Appreciate the post. A little to casual for Perry Mason. But still made a beter Perry Mason than Monte Markham was! Ha! Ha!
Monte markham as Perry Mason??? uuuuummmmm. NO!
Monte Markham was best at voice overs for World war2 blunders on History channel
HHHHH PAuLLLLLLL
Jennifur Sun3 years ago
very GOOD looking. sadly he died young of Cancer.
Date of Birth 26 January 1915, New York City, New York, USA
Date of Death 6 March 1970, Palm Springs, California, USA (pneumonia following a stroke) Source:IMDb
He looked just like his mother Hedda....
I never saw it at all.
pretty sure he had a heart attack/massive stroke. Lifelong smoker, back in the day when a lifelong smoker was consuming at least two packs a day.
Yeah, smoking and probably other poor health habits caught up to him.
(Nervous laugh)
Why did he offer him a cigarette when Tragg was holding a cigar?
Well, it was in the script, so Hopper had to be there!
Hopper as Perry Mason? Just doesn't work.
True but my guy has this way..... Minus some 50 dollars..sentences.. Aka = lawyer talk..
William Hopper, like George Peppard, never dyed (colored) his hair. That did William Hopper seem older. In sharp contrast, Raymond Burr probably had his hair dyed almost weekly.
Hopper would have been a more cool, detached Perry Mason.
Very similar to Michael Rennie in "The Third Man" TV series.
Perry Mason fans should watch law firm series "The Practice" (1997-2004).
to Billie Little : You wrote: "An era that is long gone. Men looked, dressed and acted like men." ... Well, you DO know that Perry Mason was portrayed by Raymond Burr... And he was 100% - Rock Hudson GAY! ... So yes... It was in the day when Men "Acted" like men" Raymond Burr Acted the hell outta his role!
I totally understand Billie Little's point. The women also enjoyed being feminine and enjoyed doors being opened and compliments about how they looked. Everyone knows Burr was gay, Mr. Dixon. Unlike Rock Hudson (who I can't bring myself to watch), Burr played the part with dignity and, I agree with you, he was a hell of an actor.
What I see here is an alternative universe with William Hopper as Perry Mason... 😆
So awkward. You can tell they picked the right people for the two roles. Raymond Burr's timing was perfect for a lawyer.
I believe had the producers of "Perry Mason" had of cast William Hooper in the title role, the producers would have gotten a smaller man in stature to portray the character of Paul Drake as not to offset the handsomeness of William Hooper, who also a great actor, but I think in the end Raymond Burr was the better choice for the title role
Hopper had a famous mother. I forgot her name. Hopper was gay I'm told.
Richard Gere ........bastard auto correct
He looks like RIchard Gere.
Yes! I thought all the comments would be about that....I must be nuts (at least I'm not alone)
OK, Sorry! He's NOT making it as Perry Mason. He just doesn't look, sound, act like, nor come across as a lawyer. Did "Lt. Tragg" screen test as "Perry" too?
Hooper reminds me if
The Series,"
Blue Blood "
Tom Selleck charactor...side kick...
Pretty obvious why he didn't get the lead. Too wooden, not as much expression in his eyes that showed he was listening to Tragg. Plus although he was only 40 or 41 in this audition, he looks at least 10 years older, thanks to the heavy smoking.
+DDumbrille They all "heavy smoked " in those days. I found it sad that "Lt Tragg" died with COPD, "Hamilton Berger" with lung cancer and handsome "Paul Drake" so early from a stroke. As I watch the old black and white, I am amazed as every scene has a box of cigarettes are passing around as they talked.
ldavis8 I know they did, but he was a particularly heavy smoker. Prior to 1970 or so I would guess that 70% of all actors smoked. It's probably down to 30-40% now...
It's like watching Ronald Reagan as Perry Mason.
William Hopper always reminds me of Richard Gere, including the premature greying hair. But Hopper was 6' plus and Gere is actually quite a little bloke. Both good actors.
David Andrews LOL! I definitely agree. The expression he gave while he was thinking of an answer was priceless though.
+Michael Hunt Prior to being a Navy frogman doing underwater demolition in the Pacific during WW II his hair was dark blonde. The stress of the danger turned it permanently white. Source IMDb
Now that would have been interesting!!
Reagan better as the DA. Reagan was always on the side of the law.
Too blonde for Masonry work, but great for combing the beach:)
Ray Collins was miscast as the Lieutenant...
where can i get tje case of the lazy lover book