Raymond Burr Burr went on a crash diet. When he returned, he tested as Perry Mason and won the role. While Burr's test was running, Gardner reportedly stood up, pointed at the screen and said, "That's Perry Mason." William Hopper also auditioned as Mason, but was cast instead as private detective Paul Drake. Also starring were Barbara Hale as Della Street, Mason's secretary; William Talman as Hamilton Burger, the district attorney who loses nearly every case to Mason; and Ray Collins as homicide detective Lieutenant Arthur Tragg. The series ran from 1957-66. Burr received three consecutive Emmy Award nominations and won the
The Night That Made America Famous The Night That Made America Famous The Night That Made America Famous is a 1975 musical revue featuring the songs of Harry Chapin. The music consists of a combination of songs written for the musical and songs from Chapin's previous albums, the latter including "What Made America Famous?", a song about a plumber who rescues a group of hippies from a fire, which includes the lyric that gave the musical its title. Chapin appeared in the musical, alongside a cast that included a young Lynne Thigpen. Chapin's brothers Tom and Stephen, in addition to being featured performers, were also in