Raymond Burr would star in the television series "Perry Mason". Although the network wanted Burr to continue work on "Fort Laramie" as well, the TV series required an extraordinary commitment and the radio show ended. Known for his loyalty and consciousness of history, Burr went out of his way to employ his radio colleagues in his television programs. Some 180 radio celebrities appeared on "Perry Mason" during the first season alone. Burr emerged as a prolific television character actor in the 1950s. He made his television debut in 1951, appearing in episodes of "Stars Over Hollywood", "The Bigelow Theatre", "Family Theater" and
Raymond Burr May 21, 1917, in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. His father, William Johnston Burr (1889–1985), was a hardware salesman; his mother, Minerva Annette (née Smith, 1892–1974), was a pianist and music teacher. When Burr was six, his parents divorced. Burr's mother moved to Vallejo, California, with him and his younger siblings, Geraldine and James. His father remained in New Westminster. Burr briefly attended San Rafael Military Academy in San Rafael, California and graduated from Berkeley High School. In later years, Burr freely invented stories of a happy childhood. In 1986 he told journalist Jane Ardmore that when he was 12