“‘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
Erle Stanley Gardner
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
THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 3: The Men of Psycho
When Alfred Hitchcock decided to adapt Robert Bloch’s 1959 horror novel Psycho for the big screen, he faced a mountain of objections from the heads of Paramount Studios, who were appalled at the subject matter. Hitchcock’s negotiations included his offer to film on the cheap, in black and white, using the crew from his successful TV series, Alfred … Continue reading THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 3: The Men of Psycho
MASON IN THE EMERALD CITY: The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister
Since time immemorial – well, say the last hundred years – a detective’s secretary has been the front line of information about new clients. Her first impression says everything! “’There’s a girl wants to see you. Her name’s Wonderly.’ “’A customer?’ “’I guess so. You’ll want to see her anyway: she’s a knockout.’” Okay, Effie … Continue reading MASON IN THE EMERALD CITY: The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister
THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 2: The Biddies
I’m a big fan of screen biddies, those wonderful older women who always steal the scene from the big stars with their sarcastic eye-rolling and witty shenanigans. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were all the better for having had Helen Broderick in two of their films. Broderick became the second biddy to play Miss Hildegarde … Continue reading THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 2: The Biddies
THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 1: Rear Window
My favorite author is Agatha Christie. My favorite director is Alfred Hitchcock. And never the twain shall meet. And why should they? Hitchcock wasn’t much interested in whodunnits, and goodness knows what Christie thought about the movie industry. (Actually, she loved going to the movies . . . as long as they weren’t based on … Continue reading THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 1: Rear Window
“The stuff that dreams are made of, Della” – The Perry Mason/Maltese Falcon Connection
It should come as no surprise to you how much I love and admire The Maltese Falcon. It seems I’m always ranking the book or the film on one list or another. Why, only recently, I named it the best film noir of all time. As for detective Sam Spade, I placed him among the Top Twenty Greatest … Continue reading “The stuff that dreams are made of, Della” – The Perry Mason/Maltese Falcon Connection
THE FAMILY THAT SLAYS TOGETHER: The Perry Mason/Peyton Place Connection
In the early days of television, serialized programming was rarely to be found in prime-time. This might seem odd because people like long sagas with character arcs and cliffhangers. (Think of all those people waiting on the docks of New York to find out if Little Nell was alive or dead in The Old Curiosity Shop!) … Continue reading THE FAMILY THAT SLAYS TOGETHER: The Perry Mason/Peyton Place Connection
DARRIN’S GOT TWO DADS! The Perry Mason/Bewitched Connection, Pt. 2
In our exploration of the original teleplays developed for Perry Mason and all the terrific character actors who appeared on that show, we’ve been looking at the crossover these performers had with other favorite shows of mine from the 1960’s. Last time, we looked at four actors who crossed over from the sparkling ABC sitcom Bewitched to everyone’s favorite … Continue reading DARRIN’S GOT TWO DADS! The Perry Mason/Bewitched Connection, Pt. 2
Ah Sweet Mystery! 