FAMOUS CANADIANS:
RAYMOND BURR
We know him best as defense attorney Perry Mason on the long-running television series. But there’s more to Raymond Burr than just the courtroom, as you’ll see. • New Westminster, British Columbia, was the birthplace of Raymond Burr, born to a local hardware salesman and his musician wife in 1917. He spent his early childhood in Canada, but at age 12, his pianist/music teacher mother followed her dream to Berkeley, California, taking Burr with her. • After a year-long stint in the Civilian Conservation Corps, Burr moved on to his true love, the theater. He began serious acting at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 20, and four years later, he had his first Broadway role. His deep and distinctive voice was frequently heard on radio dramas as well. • Although we think of Raymond Burr mainly as a television actor, he actually had roles in more than 60 movies between 1946 and 1957, long before he appeared on the small screen. In 1956, the highly successful novels by Erle Stanley Gardner were to be turned into a new courtroom drama. Burr auditioned for the role of the District Attorney Hamilton Burger. Gardner attended the auditions, and although Burr was auditioning for the opposing role, Gardner immediately spoke up, “He is Perry Mason.” Another actor, William Talman, who was auditioning for the Mason role, was given the District Attorney part. Perry Mason aired from 1957 to 1966, during which time Burr won two Emmy Awards for his performance. Re-runs of all episodes have been in syndication ever since.
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• There was no rest for Burr following the termination of Perry Mason. Television’s 1967 season brought a new drama to NBC, that of Ironside. Burr played San Francisco Chief of Detectives Robert Ironside, an officer critically wounded in the pilot episode and left confined to a wheelchair. Ironside was the first crime drama to feature a disabled police officer. This series was another big hit, and ran from 1967 to 1975, earning Burr six Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. • Burr’s next series, Kingston Confidential, in 1977, in which he played a publishing magnate/amateur detective, was not successful, perhaps due to its time slot opposite the highly-popular Charlie’s Angels. It was cancelled after just 13 weeks. • One of Burr’s many hobbies was collecting seashells, and in 1965, he purchased a 4,000-acre island in Fiji called Naitauba, one extremely rich in shells. He also enjoyed cultivating orchids, something that he could pursue on his island. Burr was also an avid fisherman and loved sailing. • In 1985, television producers figured it was time to bring back Perry Mason, and 26 made-for-TV movies were produced before Burr’s death. • Burr’s philanthropic efforts included the donation of his salaries from the Mason movies to charity. He donated large sums of money to medical and education institutions in Denver, where the movies were primarily filmed. He was the sponsor of 26 foster children through Save The Children. His donations helped establish the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum in Sanibel, Florida. For many years, New Westminster, B.C. was home to the Raymond Burr Performing Arts Centre. • TV Guide has ranked Raymond Burr as #44 on their list of the 50 Greatest TV Stars of all Time.
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