LibertyForward1 on Nostr: So I've been binge watching the original Perry Mason series starring Raymond Burr. ...
So I've been binge watching the original Perry Mason series starring Raymond Burr. It's been an eye-opening glimpse into history. Here are some of the things I've learned so far:
* There were no black people in Southern California in the late 1950's. Not a single one. NONE. They didn't arrive in the LA county/Hollywood area until several seasons into the show. And only a handful of Latinos in a city called "Los Angeles".
* Everyone wore suits all the time. Leisure attire was the same outfit sans jacket and tie, and if you get a little tipsy you also have to roll up your sleeves. People apparently weren't allowed to drink without rolled up sleeves. Only children and drunks could wear t-shirts in public, adults weren't permitted to do so.
* There was only one homicide detective in all of Los Angeles. The nearly-elderly Lt. Tragg handled every single murder case in one of the most populous areas of the country with scrupulous, meticulous care but could easily be hoodwinked on the witness stand. Police corruption did not exist.
* Virtually everyone owned a handgun. Way too many white women kept guns in their glove box. Adults could easily steal them to plant at a murder scene and/or use for committing murder, but children somehow never discovered these loaded guns.
* In criminal court, the judge always allows a person to wax into personal monologue without time limitations provided they're polite to the judge. You could just burst into courtroom proceedings and start pontificating, and everything would come to a complete halt until you finished your speech.
* You could fool even your own spouse or family member by placing a hanky over the telephone receiver. People had no ability to distinguish speech patterns or mannerisms if you used a hanky. It was like autotune but much, much more effective.
* In the first season, there were several occasions where drivers simply slid across the bench seats of their car and exit out the passenger side. Evidently this became illegal after season one because it hasn't occurred a single time since.
* If you make an appointment with Perry Mason of your own volition, you're virtually guaranteed to be arrested and falsely accused of murder within 48-72 hours. You would think this happening frequently would build a reputation of danger for prospective clients, but somehow this is never the case.
* In the late 1950s, people who discovered dead bodies seemed to be compelled by what I can only suspect is an innate, natural born instinct to touch the fucking murder weapon for absolutely no goddamn reason.
* If you owned a heavy, stone bookend, someone will eventually be bludgeoned with it. It's just the rules (and of course Mason's innocent defendant will be unable to resist picking that up either).
Seriously though, I grew up with the Perry Mason TV movies in the 80's and loved them. This is the first time I've had a chance to see more than glimpses of the original series and it's quite fun.
* There were no black people in Southern California in the late 1950's. Not a single one. NONE. They didn't arrive in the LA county/Hollywood area until several seasons into the show. And only a handful of Latinos in a city called "Los Angeles".
* Everyone wore suits all the time. Leisure attire was the same outfit sans jacket and tie, and if you get a little tipsy you also have to roll up your sleeves. People apparently weren't allowed to drink without rolled up sleeves. Only children and drunks could wear t-shirts in public, adults weren't permitted to do so.
* There was only one homicide detective in all of Los Angeles. The nearly-elderly Lt. Tragg handled every single murder case in one of the most populous areas of the country with scrupulous, meticulous care but could easily be hoodwinked on the witness stand. Police corruption did not exist.
* Virtually everyone owned a handgun. Way too many white women kept guns in their glove box. Adults could easily steal them to plant at a murder scene and/or use for committing murder, but children somehow never discovered these loaded guns.
* In criminal court, the judge always allows a person to wax into personal monologue without time limitations provided they're polite to the judge. You could just burst into courtroom proceedings and start pontificating, and everything would come to a complete halt until you finished your speech.
* You could fool even your own spouse or family member by placing a hanky over the telephone receiver. People had no ability to distinguish speech patterns or mannerisms if you used a hanky. It was like autotune but much, much more effective.
* In the first season, there were several occasions where drivers simply slid across the bench seats of their car and exit out the passenger side. Evidently this became illegal after season one because it hasn't occurred a single time since.
* If you make an appointment with Perry Mason of your own volition, you're virtually guaranteed to be arrested and falsely accused of murder within 48-72 hours. You would think this happening frequently would build a reputation of danger for prospective clients, but somehow this is never the case.
* In the late 1950s, people who discovered dead bodies seemed to be compelled by what I can only suspect is an innate, natural born instinct to touch the fucking murder weapon for absolutely no goddamn reason.
* If you owned a heavy, stone bookend, someone will eventually be bludgeoned with it. It's just the rules (and of course Mason's innocent defendant will be unable to resist picking that up either).
Seriously though, I grew up with the Perry Mason TV movies in the 80's and loved them. This is the first time I've had a chance to see more than glimpses of the original series and it's quite fun.