Perry Mason - Season 3, Vol. 1 (1957)

"You're that lawyer, aren’t you?" a reluctant material witness addresses the impeccably dressed man asking questions about her soon-to-be-murdered boyfriend. Yep, he's Perry Mason, and his reputation precedes him. In "The Case of the Lucky Legs," one of this three-disc set's twelve black-and-white episodes, a policeman who finds Mason at a crime scene greets him with an impressed, "Well." Mason inspires that kind of admiration with yet another heavy caseload of seemingly guilty clients on trial for murder. Episode after episode, one can only marvel at Mason's courtroom cunning that will allow him to identify the real culprit and make him or her squirm on the witness stand until they confess. The cleverly plotted episodes unfold with compelling twists and turns. In "The Case of the Spurious Sister," a husband is understandably confused that his no-good gambler wife, whose murder he ill-advisedly tried to cover up, should apparently turn up in Las Vegas and sue him for divorce. In "The Case of the Garrulous Gambler," a blackmail scam worthy of David Mamet takes a deadly turn. In only one memorable episode can viewers be absolutely certain of the innocence of Mason's client; it's private detective Paul Drake (William Hopper), who has been charged with the murder of a philandering married man who was involved in a hit and run. Through it all, Mason is characteristically cool and confident. In "The Case of Paul Drake's Dilemma," he jokes that his only concern about Paul is that he will be able to pay Mason's bill. Now and then, Mason will resort to unconventional methods to see that justice is done. In "The Case of the Blushing Pearls," he stages a little arson to roust a suspect from his hotel room. A Saturday night staple during its Emmy-winning nine season run, Perry Mason's pleasures are many, from Fred Steiner's indelible theme song, "Park Avenue Beat" to the character actors with the B-movie names (Lisabeth Hush in "Lucky Legs") and Mason's epilogue summations prompted by his befuddled staff ("Well, there's only thing I don't understand…."). This volume is a must for fans of Erle Stanley Gardner's iconic character who are compiling Mason's complete case history. --Donald Liebenson Amazon.com

Perry Mason - Season 3, Vol. 1

I had hardly received the package, before opening it up and once again savoring the joy of my secret childhood hero... Perry Mason is one of my favorite series... I'm anxiously waiting for Volume 2. September 28, 2008

Perry Mason

I am glad that you released the Perry Mason TV show on DVD. Programs like that are not made anymore and it is important to showcase the beginnings of the modern law shows of today. This is a wonderful program that never loses its appeal. September 24, 2008

Really good stuff.

If you love classic TV the entire series is a must. And it is a lot of entertainment for the money. Pay no attention to the poor reviews, both Vol.1 and 2's combined cost is much less than a dinner for two or a night out at the movies. Great shows for adults without loud crashes, deafening music, or automatic weapons fire. A great cast, good writing, and the cars are incredible. If you love fins and chrome, platinum blondes, and crusty old cops this is for you.
I still can't believe that Burger is as stupid as he seems to be.
Buy it and enjoy. September 23, 2008

More Multi Volume Nonsense

Five stars for this classic series, but again, I won't buy in.

One dud star for CBS/Paramount and (others).

More multi-volume, overblown pricing from Paramount. Buying any complete season (via split seasons) generally will run at least $50.00...for something that should run in the mid thirties (as other complete seasons "generally" do).

CBS/Paramount will keep releasing the split season nonsense as long as there are buyers (albeit emotionally based buying based on fear of not getting or having, or "just gotta have")...guaranteed. It's a venerable cash cow for them; from a business standpoint, they'd be insane to stop releasing split seasons (they can't stop pinching themselves with joy on all the lemmings going for the bait).

Guaranteed Paramount (and others) will/would stop the nonsense if the cash isn't ringing...it's all numbers.

Make a statement with the pocketbook/wallet in conjunction with "we will only buy complete seasons." It's what's called market demand.

As the classic Barnum and Baily statement goes..."A sucker is born every minute." How appopro...and Paramount (and others) are laughing all the way to the bank.

September 22, 2008

Perry Mason Series Keep 'em coming!!!

First of all, I was thrilled that this next installment was available in the first place. I definitely want ALL of the Perry Mason seasons, and after Columbia House dropped the ball on the VHS series, I nervously began the DVD set. I was beginning to get discouraged at how long it was taking them to get past Season 2, and was wondering if, once again, I'd be left with an expensive, partial issue of the series. This one arrived very quickly and the set was flawless. I hardly need to review the actual series as it is far and above one of the best shows to come out of the 1950's. I really hope that CBS/Paramount continue to issue these and do so as quickly as possible. There are MANY more seasons and episodes ahead before the "The Case Of The Final Fade Out", so let's keep them coming guys! September 19, 2008

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