“Remember, remember, the fifth of Noirvember . . . “ Happy Guy Fawkes Day, everybody! How fitting that the foiling of this dastardly plot should have occurred in November, the month we have chosen to commemorate so many dastardly plots in film noir. I have a number of special posts prepared for you to celebrate … Continue reading SHADOW DOCKET: Perry Mason and the Film Noir Connection
Erle Stanley Gardner
CUFFS AND SAUCERS, PART TWO: The Perry Mason/Invaders Connection
Happy Halloween, my ghoulish friends! All month we’ve been looking at actors who included devilry (sometimes of the literal kind) on their screen resumes, often popping up The Outer Limits and/or The Twilight Zone and later on in Quinn Martin’s alien invasion series The Invaders . . . and who still found time to be … Continue reading CUFFS AND SAUCERS, PART TWO: The Perry Mason/Invaders Connection
CUFFS AND SAUCERS, PART ONE: The Perry Mason/Invaders Connection
The cancellation of Perry Mason in 1966 brought about a great many changes for this inveterate TV viewer. Burke’s Law, which had been transformed in its third season from murder mystery to spy thriller, was also cancelled. In fact, the whodunnit went into hibernation for several years after 1966, replaced by action series where private … Continue reading CUFFS AND SAUCERS, PART ONE: The Perry Mason/Invaders Connection
“It was beauty killed the beast . . .” Perry Mason and the Monster Makers, Part Two
The witching hour is fast approaching, and as scary as some of the male guest stars on Perry Mason had it in some of their more horror-filled exploits, the four women we’re about to discuss had it even worse! For although one of the ladies in question became a monster herself, the other three became … Continue reading “It was beauty killed the beast . . .” Perry Mason and the Monster Makers, Part Two
PERRY MASON DOES THE MONSTER MASH(-UP): Part One
"It's the most frightening tiiiiime of the year . . . " Halloween is just around the corner, and while it’s a holiday I pretty much got over after I turned twelve, this seems like a good time to turn our spotlight on a few monster makers who, when they weren’t cackling and concocting, made … Continue reading PERRY MASON DOES THE MONSTER MASH(-UP): Part One
GAM JAM: The Case of the Long-Legged Models
“It’s my contention, Della, that an attorney doesn’t have to sit back and wait until a witness gets on the stand and then test his recollection simply by asking him questions. If facts can be shuffled in such a way that it will confuse a witness who isn’t absolutely certain of his story, and if … Continue reading GAM JAM: The Case of the Long-Legged Models
CARRY ON, BARRISTER! Perry Mason and the British Connection
If Perry Mason had practiced law in England, would he have been considered a barrister or a solicitor? According to AI (which untied and fed me in order to allow me to write this article), Mason would have been considered a barrister. “Barristers specialize in speaking in court and trying lawsuits in front of a … Continue reading CARRY ON, BARRISTER! Perry Mason and the British Connection
RISING TEMP-ERATURES! The Case of the Terrified Typist
“‘The typist is here, Mr. Mason.’ Mason nodded and stretched back in his chair. Della started to pick up his brief, but hesitated as Gertie came in and carefully closed the door behind her.“‘What’s the trouble, Gertie?’“‘What did you say to frighten her, Mr. Mason!’“Mason glanced at Della Street. “‘Heavens,’ Della said, ‘I didn’t talk with her … Continue reading RISING TEMP-ERATURES! The Case of the Terrified Typist
BUCOLICS ANONYMOUS: The Perry Mason Connection, Part I
Ask me if I’m a town mouse or a country mouse, and there’s no doubt about it: I’ve always favored the city. I’d rather stay in an Air B&B in the heart of London or a nice hotel in New York City than roll my sleeping bag out under the stars. The same goes for … Continue reading BUCOLICS ANONYMOUS: The Perry Mason Connection, Part I
THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 4: The Birds
Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to take a Daphne Du Maurier short story about an ornithological Armageddon and turn it into a love story about family healing. By the end of 1963’s The Birds, Melanie Daniels (the Hitchcock blonde who has replaced Du Maurier’s doomed farmer, played by "Tippi" Hedren) has traded in her bitterness for true … Continue reading THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 4: The Birds
