383:, wrote of the show's influence on her while she was growing up in a Bronx housing project. Sotomayor granted that the defense attorney was the show's hero, "but my sympathies were not entirely monopolized by Perry Mason. I was fond of Burger, the prosecutor, too. I liked that he was a good loser, that he was more committed to finding the truth than to winning his case. If the defendant was truly innocent, he once explained, and the case was dismissed, then he had done his job because justice had been served."
252:(1957–66). Asked how he felt about Burger losing to Mason week after week, Talman said, "Burger doesn't lose. How can a district attorney lose when he fails to convict an innocent person? Unlike a fist or gun fight, in court you can have a winner without having a loser. As a matter of fact Burger in a good many instances has joined Mason in action against unethical attorneys, lying witnesses, or any one else obstructing justice. Like any real-life district attorney, justice is Burger's main interest."
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have suggested that he must have been the most incompetent lawyer in history, although his record against defense attorneys other than Mason is unknown. He inevitably prosecutes the wrong person – Mason's client – whom Mason exonerates, while revealing the true culprit,
345:, that Burger is helping mainly so that he can run for DA when Barnes is humiliated by losing the high-profile case, but he does not himself confirm this. In the series, he is depicted as a closeted gay man who keeps up his facade by making public appearances with Della, who is herself a lesbian.
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Burger's bag of tricks was comparatively empty, chiefly comprising expressions of exasperation at whatever Mason was doing. Once Mason had exposed the true perpetrator, Burger often joined in Mason's motion to dismiss the charges against Mason's client so that Burger could then charge the actual
259:
The character of
Hamilton Burger temporarily disappeared from the TV series during the series' third season. Talman was fired by CBS March 18, 1960, hours after he entered a not-guilty plea to misdemeanor charges related to his presence at a party that was raided by police. The schedule was
268:, and others, but even dismissal of the charges in June did not soften the network's position. Patrick said that the role of Burger would not be recast, but that various actors would play assistant district attorneys. CBS reinstated Talman only after Gardner himself spoke out, along with
260:
immediately juggled to minimize Talman's presence on the show. "The Case of the Crying Cherub" (episode 3-20) debuts a pared-down title sequence that omits Talman; he is credited only in the four episodes he filmed before he was fired. Talman was defended by the show's executive producer
255:
Burger did defeat Mason twice on the television series: in "The Case of the
Terrified Typist" (episode 1-38), and in "The Case of the Deadly Verdict" (episode 7–4), a much-publicized episode that begins with Mason's client being sentenced to death.
182:, in which he is described as "a broad-shouldered, thick-necked individual with a close-cropped moustache". Gardner describes Burger in the cast of characters of that novel as an "honest but stubborn" D.A. In chapter 15 of
272:, the star of the show, and millions of viewers who wrote to CBS asking for Talman to return. Talman went back to work in December 1960, and Burger returned in "The Case of the Fickle Fortune" (episode 4.15).
308:. In it, a cocky young deputy prosecutor describes her case against Mason's client as a "dead-bang winner," to which the district attorney replies, "You know how many times Hamilton Burger said that?"
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333:. This series takes place 1931–1932, before Mason becomes a defense attorney. The adversary is district attorney Maynard Barnes, a character created for the series, played by
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as a child, explaining, "I was influenced so greatly by a television show in igniting the passion that I had as being a prosecutor, and it was
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Nina
Totenberg's NPR story on Sonia Sotomayor uses an excerpt from "The Case of the Prodigal Parent" (episode 1-36).
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186:(1935), Burger's residential address is given as 3297 West Lakeside, and his phone number is EXposition 9–6949.
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Hamilton Burger appeared in the fifth installment of the Warner Bros. Perry Mason movie series of the 1930s,
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prefaced her remarks on the role of the prosecutor by claiming that she was inspired by watching
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The Perry Mason Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Americ3a's
Favorite Defender of Justice
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of the 1980s and 1990s, but his character was referenced in the first of the series,
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We take the attitude, as our show does, that a man is innocent until proven guilty.
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Nogler, Pat (July 20, 1958). "An Open Case: Snooping Behind Scenes Pays Off".
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560:"Astounding Event! Perry Mason Client Is Found Guilty – Other Items"
338:
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Burger is one of literature's least successful district attorneys, and
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Hamilton Burger first appears in chapter 10 of
Gardner's 1935 novel,
221:, played a larger role in the sixth and final film in the series,
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337:. Burger, meanwhile, is depicted as helping Mason study for the
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1000:
625:"District Attorney of TV Show Is Arrested on Marijuana Charges"
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499:
865:"Harry Guardino, 69, an Actor In Romantic and Gangster Roles"
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325:(2020), assistant district attorney Burger was a graduate of
890:"Review: 'Perry Mason' Returns, Hard-Boiled and Warmed over"
796:"William Talman: TV's Hamilton Burger; Innocent as Charged"
194:
through dramatic and even spectacular courtroom tactics.
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Davidson, Jim (2014). "The First TV Series (1957–1966)".
672:(March 19, 1960). "Behind the Scenes in Hollywood".
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910:. U.S. Government Printing Office. July 13–16, 2009
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585:"The History of the Show: Perry Mason Loses Case!"
421:
1306:Characters in American novels of the 20th century
652:"Perry Mason's DA Foe Fired Without a Hearing".
779:Humphrey, Hal (August 28, 1960). "Tic Tac TV".
747:Humphrey, Hal (August 7, 1960). "Tic Tac TV".
1012:
933:"Sotomayor Memoir: Don't Let a Door Stop You"
329:with 22 years of trial experience, played by
8:
1252:Perry Mason: The Case of the Mandarin Murder
1019:
1005:
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526:
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300:Talman had passed away by the time of the
40:
804:. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp.
794:Kelleher, Brian; Merrill, Diana (1987).
593:. New York: St. Martin's Press. p.
583:Kelleher, Brian; Merrill, Diana (1987).
480:. New York: William Morrow and Company.
412:
392:
379:. In her 2013 memoir, Sotomayor, now a
1311:Literary characters introduced in 1935
21:
695:"The Talman Case: 'Most Unfortunate'"
7:
140:Los Angeles County District Attorney
658:. Associated Press. March 18, 1960.
217:. The character, now portrayed by
888:Poniewozik, James (18 June 2020).
634:. Associated Press. March 14, 1960
282:In the short-lived CBS-TV series,
246:in the long-running CBS-TV series
14:
1134:The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
224:The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
49:(right) as Hamilton Burger, with
1195:The Case of the Restless Redhead
558:Adams, Val (September 8, 1963).
288:(1973–74), Burger was played by
478:The Case of the Caretaker's Cat
451:The Case of the Counterfeit Eye
424:The Case of the Counterfeit Eye
184:The Case of the Caretaker's Cat
180:The Case of the Counterfeit Eye
863:Stout, David (July 18, 1995).
515:Pasadena Independent Star-News
476:Gardner, Erle Stanley (1935).
449:Gardner, Erle Stanley (1935).
420:Gardner, Erle Stanley (1942).
1:
1102:The Case of the Curious Bride
841:Daytona Beach Morning Journal
721:"Finally! Victory for Burger"
302:Perry Mason television movies
1118:The Case of the Velvet Claws
801:The Perry Mason TV Show Book
590:The Perry Mason TV Show Book
296:Perry Mason television films
1094:The Case of the Howling Dog
311:
16:Fictional district attorney
1327:
1202:The Case of Constant Doyle
1110:The Case of the Lucky Legs
455:William Morrow and Company
359:Senate Judiciary Committee
341:. Mason believes, as does
1126:The Case of the Black Cat
209:The Case of the Black Cat
39:
29:
242:Burger was portrayed by
142:(D.A.) in the series of
765:Middletown Daily Record
101:In-universe information
1301:Perry Mason characters
1217:Television film series
783:. Hayward, California.
751:. Hayward, California.
674:The Brazil Daily Times
781:Hayward Sunday Review
749:Hayward Sunday Review
381:Supreme Court justice
355:confirmation hearings
53:in the CBS-TV series
1270:Perry Mason syndrome
1028:Erle Stanley Gardner
931:(January 15, 2013).
262:Gail Patrick Jackson
231:Television portrayal
213:He was portrayed by
168:Erle Stanley Gardner
166:attorney created by
69:Erle Stanley Gardner
1211:The New Perry Mason
1142:Granny Get Your Gun
836:"Talman Back On TV"
676:. Brazil, Indiana.
319:In the HBO series,
306:Perry Mason Returns
285:The New Perry Mason
277:The New Perry Mason
158:programs featuring
19:Fictional character
1265:Perry Mason moment
894:The New York Times
869:The New York Times
845:. December 9, 1960
843:(Associated Press)
564:The New York Times
1296:Fictional lawyers
1283:
1282:
1245:The Edge of Night
693:(April 9, 1960).
670:Carroll, Harrison
655:Big Spring Herald
219:Charles C. Wilson
138:is the fictional
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118:District Attorney
83:Charles C. Wilson
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729:. June 18, 1960
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1189:episode list
1185:(1957, CBS)
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1077:Bibliography
1061:Della Street
1045:
971:. New York:
967:
957:
946:. Retrieved
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912:. Retrieved
902:
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872:. Retrieved
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847:. Retrieved
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453:. New York:
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343:Della Street
335:Stephen Root
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266:Raymond Burr
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75:Portrayed by
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51:Raymond Burr
30:
1229:(2020, HBO)
1223:Perry Mason
1179:Perry Mason
1161:Perry Mason
1056:Perry Mason
1032:Perry Mason
691:Thomas, Bob
631:Star-Banner
376:Perry Mason
371:Perry Mason
357:before the
331:Justin Kirk
322:Perry Mason
314:Perry Mason
249:Perry Mason
237:Perry Mason
198:wrongdoer.
160:Perry Mason
124:Nationality
95:Justin Kirk
56:Perry Mason
32:Perry Mason
1290:Categories
1275:P. K. Basu
1171:Television
1051:Paul Drake
1039:Characters
975:. p.
948:2015-08-15
914:2015-04-07
874:2015-08-15
849:2015-05-23
821:2015-05-23
733:2015-05-23
706:2015-05-23
638:2015-05-23
610:2015-05-20
569:2015-08-15
545:B00OOELV1K
407:References
156:television
114:Occupation
65:Created by
349:Influence
215:Guy Usher
174:Character
79:Guy Usher
59:(1957–66)
35:character
965:(2013).
365:nominee
339:bar exam
327:Yale Law
128:American
700:The Day
486:1833522
463:1655952
353:In her
202:In film
191:critics
164:defense
1227:
1183:
1145:(1940)
1137:(1937)
1129:(1936)
1121:(1936)
1113:(1935)
1105:(1935)
1097:(1934)
983:
812:
629:Ocala
601:
543:
537:e-book
484:
461:
432:
312:HBO's
150:, and
144:novels
106:Gender
1237:Other
1153:Radio
1086:Films
1070:Books
973:Knopf
806:67–74
387:Notes
152:radio
148:films
981:ISBN
810:ISBN
599:ISBN
541:ASIN
482:OCLC
459:OCLC
430:ISBN
154:and
109:Male
1030:'s
977:102
943:NPR
539:).
1292::
979:.
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935:.
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723:.
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597:.
595:19
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562:.
523:^
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709:.
641:.
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572:.
547:.
535:(
517:.
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465:.
438:.
211:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
