#raymond burr

William Hopper, Raymond Burr, and Barbara Hale on the set of “The Case of the Clumsy Clown.”

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason, and Barbara Hale as Della Street in “The Case of the Missing Melody.”

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason and Barbara Hale as Della Street in “The Case of the Sulky Girl.”

Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale on the set of “The Case of the Desperate Daughter.”

Barbara Hale and Raymond Burr on the set of “The Case of the Buried Clock.”

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason and Barbara Hale as Della Street in “The Case of the Malicious Mariner.”

Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale on the set of “Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star.”

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason and Barbara Hale as Della Street in “The Case of the Angry Dead Man.”

From the March 4, 1961 issue of TV Guide:

Five years ago, when [Raymond] Burr’s agent Lester Salkow sent him to see Gail Patrick Jackson, the pretty ex-actress who is executive producer of the Perry Mason series, Burr’s weight had gone up by 25 pounds.  Mrs. Jackson was trying to get William Holden to play the lead role. She saw Burr as Hamilton Burger, the district attorney who would be defeated by Mason in court week after week.

Burr, who actually is about as villainous as the late Joseph Welch, was wary of playing heavies.  He said he wished to test for the part of the hero and forthwith concentrated on shedding the excess pounds his fondness for fine food had caused him to gain.

“All right, we’ll humor him,” Mrs. Jackson said to her associates. “If he’ll test for Burger, we’ll test him for Mason too.”

Practically every available leading man in Hollywood and a few from the East Coast went to test for Mason.  Finally it was Burr’s turn.

In the projection room, watching the test, the dynamic Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of the character, leaped to his feet and waved his arms exuberantly the instant he saw Burr.

“That’s Perry Mason!” he cried.