Perry Mason was a hit legal drama series which aired during the 1950s and up until the late 1960s. The show was based on the detective books written by Erle Stanley Gardner, following the adventures of the title character, Perry Mason, a criminal defense lawyer who turned around wrongful convictions. In the show, the protagonist was portrayed by Canadian actor, Raymond Burr, while the role of Mason’s secretary was given to Barbara Hale. Other notable characters included the prosecutor, Hamilton Burger and private investigator Paul Drake.
Since its original broadcast in 1957, “Perry Mason” has been considered a hallmark in Hollywood’s history. It was one of the first one-hour shows that premiered weekly on television and garnered numerous awards throughout its run. Among its many achievements were three Emmy Awards and one Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Dramatic Series. “Perry Mason” has stood the test of time, remaining one of the longest-running legal-themed series in television history.
After the show’s conclusion in 1966, “Perry Mason” was revived several times throughout the decades. In 1973, an unsuccessful reboot was canceled after 15 episodes. However, in 1985, Raymond Burr reprised his role in a series of “Perry Mason” films which proved to be a hit with NBC. In 2020, the show was restored once again, this time focusing on Mason’s origin story. The pilot was picked up by HBO and starred Welsch actor, Matthew Rhys, as the title character.
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the protagonist of “Perry Mason,” especially regarding his sexuality. Throughout the show’s run, the lawyer wasn’t explicitly paired up with a love interest. It didn’t help that Burr was extremely private about his love life and didn’t squash the rumors that came from his relationships. So, was Perry Mason gay? Was Burr similar to the character he portrayed on the screen? Let’s find out the truth below.
VOTE: What was Perry Mason’s Sexuality?
Perry Mason’s Sexuality
When it came to the character’s sexuality, Perry Mason was undoubtedly straight. In the books, he was paired up with his secretary, Della Street. In fact, they had many romantic encounters with the lawyer even proposing to her several times. However, Street turned down his proposals because she wanted to remain his secretary. At the time, married women couldn’t work, so in turn, Street wouldn’t have been as effective as a partner to Mason had she been his wife.
Mason and Street’s relationship was toned down in the show. While they were never officially together onscreen, it was heavily hinted that the characters had an affectionate relationship. This was confirmed in the film series when it was revealed that Mason eventually married Street. Unfortunately, this decision by the production executives was frowned upon by the book’s original author.
In the 2020 reboot, Street’s character was changed into a lesbian who was living with her girlfriend. The show also turned Hamilton Burger’s character into a closeted gay officer. It’s understood that these changes were made in order to adapt to the times and to portray more queer love stories on television. The reboot was warmly received but was unfortunately canceled after only two seasons.
Raymond Burr’s Personal Life
Although the character of Perry Mason was straight, it was a different story when it came to the actor, Raymond Burr. Before his role as a defense lawyer, the actor was best known for being the main antagonist of Alfred Hitchcock’s acclaimed thriller film, “Rear Window.” Burr was also known for his physical characteristics. He was bigger and looked older than his age which helped him bag mature roles or villainous characters.
The most interesting thing about Burr was his personal life. He had the tendency to share outlandish details about his past that were difficult to verify, even for his biographers. For instance, the actor claimed to have been married at least twice. According to Burr, his first wife was an actress named Annette Sutherland who died in a plane crash. On the other hand, his second wife, Laura Morgana, reportedly passed away due to cancer. Burr also claimed to have had a son by his first marriage. Unfortunately, his child died due to leukemia.
The details were hard to believe considering that there was no Annette Sutherland listed on the passenger manifests of the plane crash. There were also no marriage or death records for Burr’s second wife and son.
However, it’s important to note that Burr was married at least once in his life. In 1943, Burr met another actress, Isabella Ward, while he was teaching at the Pasadena Playhouse. They worked together on multiple productions before eventually tying the knot a few years later. Unfortunately, the marriage was brief and ended before the year was over. Burr and Ward finalized their divorce and never remarried.
After his separation from Ward, the actor met Robert Benevides while working on the set of “Perry Mason.” The pair would become close, although it won’t be revealed until after Burr’s death that they were actually lovers. Throughout the years, Burr and Benevides lived in California where they managed a vineyard. They became domestic partners, with Benevides receiving most if not all of the actor’s private estate.
Shortly after Burr’s death, biographies and stories came out detailing his closeted homosexual life. Fans started speculating that the dating rumors surrounding the actor during his peak were false and orchestrated to cover up the fact that he was gay. This was an important detail because, at some points in his life, Burr was supposedly romantically connected to high-profile actresses including Natalie Wood.
I had always assumed that Raymond was gay, because he had a relationship with Robert Benevides for a very long time. Whether or not he had relationships with women, I had no idea. I did know that I had trouble keeping track of whether he was married or not in these stories. Raymond had the ability to mythologize himself, to some extent, and some of his stories about his past … tended to grow as time went by.”
Dean Hargrove, executive producer of the “Perry Mason” TV films, 2006
Was Perry Mason Gay?
No, Perry Mason wasn’t gay. However, the actor portraying the role, Raymond Burr, was a homosexual. Although Burr was married to a woman once, the relationship didn’t last long. After that, he was romantically involved with his colleague, Robert Benevides. They were lovers who lived together until the actor’s death. With these facts on hand, it’s safe to assume that Burr was gay.
Featured Image: “Perry Mason”, by Robert Vose, Cowles Communications, Inc., licensed under CC0 1.0 DEED