Talman, the actor who played the perpetually unsuccessful district attorney, Hamilton Burger, on the fabled ''Perry Mason'' show from 1957 to 1966, was dying of lung cancer. Hopper was the son of actress/gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. Answer: He is the real-life son of one of the actors. Producer Gail Patrick Jackson wanted Raymond Burr for the part, but he was sixty pounds overweight at the time. The Perry Mason TV Show Book (5.0) William Hopper as Paul Drake The Case of the Reluctant Actor Bill Hopper, the reluctant actor. Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science I quit. He said. The trial itself can be a year after the crime, if not a couple of years. The Perry Mason show, one of television's most dur able, is based on stories written by Erie Stanley Gardner. As a black police officer, Drake is subject to the blatant racism and stereotypes of the day. During the ten-year run of the "Perry Mason" television series (1957-1966), William Hopper played the role of Paul Drake in more than two hundred episodes. William Hopper, son of actor DeWolf Hopper and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, played Drake in the first ''Mason'' series, 1957-68. Per his requests, the commercial wasnt aired until after William Talman died on August 30th, 1968 at the age of 53. Best known and loved by his fans as Paul Drake on the hugely popular Perry Mason television series (1957-1966), William DeWolf Hopper Jr. was born in New York City, the son of movie actress-turned-gossip-columnist Hedda Hopper and the legendary Broadway actor William DeWolf Hopper, who was 32 years her senior. William Talman, the hot-tempered dis trict attorney, Hamilton Burger, who always lost his case to Mason,' died in August of 1968 from lung cancer. Actor. William Hopper. Actor. Why did they replace him?--A.A. He was with the show from its debut in 1957 until his death. William Hopper (aka Paul Drake on Perry Mason). To the best of my knowledge, he never defended Lt. Tragg. Advertisement Years after his death, Burr's life partner, Benevides, named their vineyard after Paul Drake has died, however, and the agency is taken over by his son, Paul Drake, Jr. What is special about the actor who plays the younger Drake? He defended Della Street in the TV-movie Perry Mason Returns. William Hopper was the only child of Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper. %0D %0D Author Robert Hofler alleges in his 2005 book, "The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson", that Burr and He had whitening blond hair and green eyes and spent a lot of his time with a woman with brown hair and a charming smile. Raymond Burr, 76, who became a TV icon as a crime-solving lawyer in the long-running "Perry Mason" series, died of liver cancer Sept. (Movie actor Dennis Hopper is no relation.) He hires Paul to payoff the widow. Distraught Widow Kept Her Financial Woes Secret from Dutiful Son Per his requests, the commercial wasnt aired until after William Talman died on August 30th, 1968 at the age of 53. When, in 1985, NBC produced a TV movie, Perry Mason Returns, Hale was back as Della, and her son, William Katt, was cast as Paul Drake Jr, replacing Hopper, who had died in 1970. I remember it only happening in two or three episodes but to be honest, I might be William Hopper. Paul Drake is a character created by American author Erle Stanley Gardner for his Perry Mason series of novels. 9 Crash Diet. He hires Paul to payoff the widow. He was an actor, known for 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), Perry Mason (1957) and The Bad Seed (1956). He was married to Jeanette Juanita Ward and Jane Gilbert. He died on March 6, 1970 in Palm Springs, California, USA. See full bio Did You Know? 8 Perry Mason uses the services of Drake Detective Agency as he did in the original series. He played Detective Paul Drake on Perry Mason. And this is from real world knowledge. He became best known for his work as private detective Paul Drake in the CBS television series Perry Mason. William Hopper, son of actor DeWolf Hopper and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, played Drake in the first ''Mason'' series, 1957-68. (Movie actor Dennis Hopper is no relation.) William Hopper died in 1970, third of three principles of the original ''Mason'' series who have died. William Talman During the run of the series, Burr kept fairly private, perhaps because his co-star William Hopper (Paul Drake) was the son of gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. With Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William Hopper, William Talman. Drake is described as tall and slouching, nondescript (as suits his profession), and frequently wearing an expression of droll humor. Within a couple days. William Hopper, son of actor DeWolf Hopper and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, played Drake in the first ''Mason'' series, 1957-68. CBS Series - Paul Drake on the Perry Mason TV series was played by actor William Dewolf Hopper son of Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. As the legman for Perry Mason, Paul Drake gets into his share of fights, and in one episode nearly died after being poisoned. It is apparent that the police hierarchy feel that he should be Hopper is the second Perry Mason star to die with in the last two years. And yet Burr musters up a final, lovely smile for the movie's end, his arm around his longtime co-star, Barbara Hale. Paul Drake is a fictional private detective in the Perry Mason series of murder mystery novels by Erle Stanley Gardner. "Perry Mason" started in 1957. in the HBO Series he is portrayed by Chris Chalk. That can take months. He was with the show from its debut in 1957 until his death. Garry Owen played the investigator, now known simply as Paul Drake, in 1936's The Case of the Black Cat, and Joseph Crehan took over in 1937's The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. We were getting worried. Kid, you got to stop running late, Andy joked, you wont be a very good police officer if you keep this up. Jimmy walked right by him, face blank, his hat under his arm. Additionally Perry had a gun he kept in his desk, though often did not take it out. Paul Drake is a street cop for L.A. Police Dept, Newton Division. William Hopper was the only child of Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper. He became best known for his work as private detective Paul Drake in the CBS television series Perry Mason. Hopper played Paul Drake, the detective friend of Perry Mason, in the televised series. Paul Drake is a street cop for L.A. Police Dept, Newton Division. He defended Paul Drake in the TV episode The Case of Paul Drakes Dilemma.. Paul Drake is a character created by American author Erle Stanley Gardner for his Perry Mason series of novels. Burr reprised the role in 1973's "The New Perry Mason" and the 1985-86 season's "Perry Mason Returns," the second-highest-rated television movie. He defended a close friend of Burgers at Burgers request in the TV episode The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor.. He played Detective Paul Drake on Perry Mason. Perry Mason is synonymous with Raymond Burr, an imposing man with a gentle demeanor. Jimmy, there you are. Paul smiled. in the HBO Series he is portrayed by Chris Chalk. He is friend and right-hand man to Mason, a highly successful criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles. Best known and loved by his fans as "Paul Drake" on the hugely popular Perry Mason television series (1957-1966), William DeWolf Hopper Jr. was born in New York City, the son of movie actress-turned-gossip-columnist Hedda Hopper and the legendary Broadway actor William DeWolf Hopper, who was 32 years her senior. Answer (1 of 2): Yes and frequently in episodes Perry will specifically ask Drake to bring his gun,. OK, arraignments take place very quickly after an arrest. It is apparent that the police hierarchy feel that he should be Best to remember him that way. Recently, he started following around another man. He placed his hat, badge, and gun on Traggs desk and turned to Andy. As a black police officer, Drake is subject to the blatant racism and stereotypes of the day. For criminal cases, like what Perry Mason does, a grand jury convenes to explore whether the case should go to trial. Hundreds of actors auditioned for the role, including William Hopper (who eventually played Paul Drake).