Raymond Burr the debut episode of "Dragnet". He went on to appear in such programs as "Gruen Playhouse", "Four Star Playhouse", "Ford Theatre", "Lux Video Theatre", "Mr. and Mrs. North", "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" and "Playhouse 90". In 1956, Burr auditioned for the role of District Attorney Hamilton Burger in "Perry Mason", a new CBS-TV courtroom drama based on the highly successful novels by Erle Stanley Gardner. Impressed with his courtroom performance in the 1951 film "A Place in the Sun", executive producer Gail Patrick Jackson told Burr he was perfect for Perry Mason, but at least overweight. Over the next month,
Burr Sprague Burr Sprague Burr Sprague (April 30, 1836 – April 17, 1917) was an American lawyer and politician. Born in Perrysburg, New York, Sprague moved to Wisconsin in 1848 and lived in the town of Spring Valley, Rock County, Wisconsin and then Brodhead, Wisconsin. He was a lawyer and was the editor and publisher of the "Brodhead Independent Observer". Sprague also served as postmaster of Orfordville and Brodhead, Wisconsin. He also served as judge of the Green County court and Brodhead superintendent of public schools. In 1868, 1880, and 1881, Sprague served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and was a Republican.