Perry Mason - Season Two, Vol. 1 (1957)

There's something about Perry! Perry Mason, as a canny 14-year-old remarks in the episode "The Case of the Pint-Sized Client," is "the best lawyer in town." Here's the evidence. In 15 chronological second-season episodes from the classic series by which all lawyer shows are judged, Los Angeles attorney Perry Mason successfully defends a host of clients so seemingly guilty that Nancy Grace would have had them incarcerated by the first commercial break. Created by Erle Stanley Gardner, Mason was already a popular character in books, films, and radio before coming to television in 1957, and Raymond Burr, usually typecast as a heavy in feature films, did Mason justice (Mason was ranked 28th on the Bravo network's list of television's 100 best characters). Punctuating his sentences with that dramatic intake of breath, Burr's Mason exudes gravitas and expertise. He gets capable support from Barbara Hale as his secretary, Della Street, and William Hopper as private detective Paul Drake.

In what may be television's most thankless role, William Talman costars as district attorney Hamilton Burger, who nearly every week loses what looked to be an open-and-shut case, usually as the result of some dramatic surprise witness (in one episode, a parrot!), an unorthodox legal maneuver, or a cross-examination courtroom confession ("I didn't mean to kill him, your honor"). There is no delving into Mason's private life, although one episode hints at Mason being something of a ladies man. When Della suggestively tells him a new client is in his waiting room, he replies, "Blonde or brunette?" Cleverly plotted, and infused with a palpable noir sensibility , Perry Mason holds up as more than TV Land nostalgia, although it is fun to see such familiar faces as Jesse "the Maytag Repairman" White, Edgar Buchanan (Petticoat Junction), and Joseph Kearns and Herbert Anderson from Dennis the Menace. No extras, but these entertaining episodes will definitely please the court. --Donald Liebenson Amazon.com

Great show, horrible release.

When Paramount released the first season of Perry Mason in two parts, I picked it up and enjoyed the heck out of it. I may not be the consumer they were looking for as a nigh-30 year-old, but thankfully I love noir and Perry did a great job on atmospherics. It's aged extremely well. I wasn't happy about them splitting it in two, but I understood. After all, a modern series only has 22 episodes per year and the first season offered nearly that per volume.
The second season is a different story, however. With fewer episodes in this season, it's unacceptable for Paramount to divide the show and still charge the same amount. The same thing has been done with Gunsmoke, but that's even worse because the early episodes were only half an hour long. I understand that "classic TV" is a bit more niche than the latest huge blockbuster of a series and it won't sell as well. (In many instances, I'm thrilled just to see some of the '50s classics that don't even show up on TV Land anymore.) It's just not worth the high cost for many of these series. I plan to pick up the rest of the Perry Mason releases, but without a large sale, it won't be soon and will probably be used. August 27, 2008

Aging well

My evidence professor at the University of Georgia Law School was an expert on scientific evidence who had taught many years at the University of Southern California. Professor Ball knew Erle Stanley Gardner well, and would sometimes have him speak to his classes there.

Ball was somewhat dismissive of Gardner however saying that Gardner would insist on talking about how individual blood droplets at a crime scene could point to the killer. Time has proven that Gardner was right and that blood splatter evidence even in pre-Dexter, pre-DNA days could be effectively used to convict murderers. The best real life example of this is contained in Joe McGinniss' classic account of the investigation of Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald.,[ASIN:0451165667 Fatal Vision]],

My point is that Perry Mason has aged well. This enormous collection of episodes, many based on original work by Gardner, shows Mason continuing his incredible victory streak over Hamilton Burger, who in today's legal climate would be run out of town on a rail in the manner of Marcia Clark and Chris Darden.

Trial lawyers understand that no DA ever gets it as wrong as Burger and no lawyer can hope to represent only the falsely accused. Mason's show gives us something to savor and learn from. Mason's success is the product of incredible preparation and mastery of details. Even if the experts (like Professor Ball) think something can't be done, Mason is unafraid to try. This is what separates real lawyers from cartoon lawyers like Denny Crain.

Forty years from now, people will still be watching Perry Mason. You can't say that for Boston Legal - Season 2. August 8, 2008

love it

I absolutely love Perry Mason and all the characters. I have watched it since the series was first on tv. Quess that makes me real old. I don't care because there is nothing on like it today. August 1, 2008

Perry Mason -Season 2, Vol. 1

I have enjoyed Perry Mason, Season 2, Vol.1. I forgot how "good" these episodes were. I was wondering if they would hold my interest as they use to. They did, and were even better than I remember. They hold their own with today's similar programs. April 27, 2008

Very enjoyable

I have very much enjoyed the quality and content of this dvd. It has been a joy to watch. April 27, 2008

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