Perry Mason is a fictional American criminal defense lawyer created by Erle Stanley Gardner. Featured in 82 novels and 4 short stories, the character tackles cases where his clients are accused of murder, often needing to uncover the real culprit to prove their innocence. The inspiration behind Perry Mason is attributed to Earl Rogers, a renowned criminal defense attorney from Los Angeles.
1933: The Case of the Velvet Claws
The first Perry Mason novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws, was published in 1933.
1934: The Case of the Howling Dog and The Case of the Curious Bride
In 1934, The Case of the Howling Dog, in which Perry Mason manipulates evidence, leading to the acquittal of a murderer, was published. The Case of the Curious Bride was also published in 1934.
1935: The Case of the Caretaker's Cat
In 1935, The Case of the Caretaker's Cat, District Attorney Hamilton Burger, Perry Mason's principal antagonist is introduced.
1935: The Case of the Counterfeit Eye
The Case of the Counterfeit Eye, in which Perry Mason breaks the law several times, was published in 1935.
1935: The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece
The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece, in which Perry Mason's astrological sign is revealed to be Leo, was published in 1935.
1937: The Case of the Dangerous Dowager
The Perry Mason novel The Case of the Dangerous Dowager was published in 1937.
1940: Granny Get Your Gun
The 1940 Warner Bros. film, Granny Get Your Gun, was loosely based on the 1937 Perry Mason novel The Case of the Dangerous Dowager.
1943: Perry Mason premieres on CBS Radio
Perry Mason premiered on CBS Radio as a 15-minute daily crime series in 1943.
1943: The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito
The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito, in which Lieutenant Arthur Tragg of the homicide squad discusses Mason's approach to law, was published in 1943.
October 16, 1950: Perry Mason Comic Strip Debuts
On October 16, 1950, a comic strip based on the Perry Mason character debuted.
June 21, 1952: Perry Mason Comic Strip Ends
The Perry Mason comic strip came to an end on June 21, 1952.
1952: The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink
The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink was published in 1952.
1955: Perry Mason on CBS Radio ends
Perry Mason ended its run on CBS radio in 1955.
1956: The Edge of Night premieres
The Edge of Night, which carried on the general theme of the Perry Mason radio series with a different title and characters, premiered on CBS in 1956.
1957: CBS television series Perry Mason premieres
The CBS television series Perry Mason premieres in 1957, requiring new material to be generated for the show, as there were only about 80 existing Perry Mason novels at the time.
1957: Perry Mason premieres on CBS television
The CBS television series Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr as Perry Mason, Barbara Hale as Della Street, William Hopper as Paul Drake, William Talman as Hamilton Burger and Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg, ran from 1957 to 1966.
1957: CBS television series Perry Mason premieres
The CBS television series Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr, premiered in 1957.
1966: Perry Mason on CBS television ends
The CBS television series Perry Mason ended in 1966.
1966: CBS television series Perry Mason ends
The CBS television series Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr, ended in 1966.
1970: Erle Stanley Gardner dies
Erle Stanley Gardner, author and creator of Perry Mason, died in 1970.
1973: The New Perry Mason Premieres
A new television series, The New Perry Mason starring Monte Markham, premiered in 1973.
1973: The New Perry Mason premieres
The New Perry Mason, starring Monte Markham, aired for 15 episodes in 1973 before being cancelled.
1974: The New Perry Mason Ends
The New Perry Mason, starring Monte Markham, ended in 1974 after one season.
1985: Perry Mason Returns
Perry Mason Returns, starring Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale, premiered in 1985.
1985: Perry Mason Returns
Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale reprised their roles as Perry Mason and Della Street in Perry Mason Returns, a new series of television films for NBC, in 1985.
1986: "The Whole Truth" by James Cummins
In 1986, James Cummins published "The Whole Truth," a book-length collection of sestinas inspired by the Perry Mason novels.
1993: Raymond Burr dies, ending Perry Mason television movies
Raymond Burr, star of the Perry Mason television series and television movies, died from kidney cancer in 1993.
1993: The Case of the Killer Kiss
The Case of the Killer Kiss, Raymond Burr's final performance as Perry Mason, aired after his death in 1993.
1995: Last Perry Mason television film airs
The last of the Perry Mason television films aired in 1995.
2008: The Colonial Radio Theatre Adapts Perry Mason Novels
The Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air began producing a series of full-cast audio theater dramatizations of Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason novels in 2008, adapted by M. J. Elliott.
July 2009: Sonia Sotomayor Cites Perry Mason as Inspiration
During her confirmation hearings in July 2009, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor shared that watching the Perry Mason television series as a child had inspired her.
2012: Judge Robert M. Bell Acknowledges Influence of Perry Mason
In 2012, Robert M. Bell, the former Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, recalled how reading the Perry Mason novels while growing up inspired him to become a lawyer.
June 2015: Ankerwycke announces reissue of Perry Mason novels
The American Bar Association announced in June 2015 that its new publishing imprint, Ankerwycke, would reissue Gardner's Perry Mason novels.
2015: Ankerwycke reissues Perry Mason books
In 2015, the American Bar Association's publishing imprint, Ankerwycke, began reissuing Gardner's Perry Mason books, which had been out of print in the United States.
August 2016: HBO Announces Potential "Perry Mason" Series
In August 2016, HBO announced that they were developing a new series based on Perry Mason.
August 2017: Change in Writing Staff for HBO's "Perry Mason"
In August 2017, HBO announced that Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald would be taking over writing duties on the upcoming "Perry Mason" series.
January 2019: Matthew Rhys Cast as Perry Mason
Robert Downey Jr. announced in January 2019 that Matthew Rhys would be playing Perry Mason in HBO's new series.
June 21, 2020: HBO's "Perry Mason" Premieres
On June 21, 2020, HBO premiered a new miniseries based on Perry Mason, set during the Great Depression in Los Angeles.
July 2020: HBO Renews "Perry Mason" for Second Season
In July 2020, following the success of the miniseries, HBO announced that "Perry Mason" would be renewed for a second season, transitioning from a miniseries to a regular series.
2020: HBO's Perry Mason Premieres
A new television series, HBO's Perry Mason starring Matthew Rhys, premiered in 2020.