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
Raymond Burr because they aren't there. And that wouldn't be good for NBC." In later life, his distinctive physique and manner could be used as a reference that would be universally recognized. One journal for librarians published a writer's opinion that "asking persons without cataloging experience to design automated catalogs … is as practical as asking Raymond Burr to pole vault." A character in a 1989 short story refers to Burr as "grossly overweight" in "Ironside". He had a low basso voice, capable of expressing villainous menace and commanding power. Burr married actress Isabella Ward (1919–2004) on January 10, 1948. They met