The Trouble with
Blondes
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| Although Raymond Burr sailed away to Fiji
after the Mason series closed up shop, he sailed
right back again a year later to star as Chief
Robert Ironside, a tough ex-cop investigator who
foiled crooks even though he was confined to a
wheelchair. Courtesy of AP
Newsfeatures |
In the early episodes, Perry Mason was
a young and dynamic lawyer who appeared to be something
of a ladies' man. He actually flirted with some of his
female clients, and there were plenty of them in the
early days. (It was TV Guide that first remarked
that many of Mason's clients in those early episodes
seemed to be unfailingly blonde and female.)
In the very first episode, "The
Case of the Restless Redhead," Perry made numerous
flattering remarks about his client, Evelyn Bagby, and
her "big, blue eyes." In "The Case of the
Haunted Husband," a grateful Doris Stephanak told
Perry that if he ever needed anything, "Just
ask." Perry replied that he might just do that.
Then, during "The Case of the Screaming Woman,"
he hired an actress to do a voice-over on a tape
recording he was using in court. When the job was done,
the shapely actress wiggled up to the lawyer and asked,
"Is there anything else I can do for you,
Perry?" We could only wonder if he ever took the gal
up on her offer. And what happened during "The Case
of the Glittering Goldfish," when, while Perry was
investigating a murder, one of the victim's secretaries
invited him to her home for "questioning?"
But all this was left to speculation.
Despite the opportunities, we never saw Perry in a social
setting with any woman except Della. We rarely even got
to see his living quarters. Just as in the original
books, we never knew what Perry did in his off-hours.
Then gradually, as the show progressed, the TV character
changed. Perry didn't flirt as much. He became an older,
more serious professional. just like the actor who
portrayed him, it was as if Perry was too busy, too
committed to have any social life.
And what about him and Della? Well,
that's another story....
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