The Case of the Alliterative Attorney: Guide to the Perry Mason TV Series and TV Movies

This is an exceptional work, co-authored by Bill Sullivan and Ed Robertson. The authors interviewed a number of people involved with the TV series Perry Mason in its initial network run from 1957 to 1966 and the subsequent TV movies from 1985 to 1993. Recognizing that the show is still being rerun and DVDs are being actively sold, they are careful not to list the "who done it" in their capsule episode synopsis. There are all kinds of tidbits, as well as fleshed-out articles within the book which are designed to enhance your enjoyment of the TV series.It would be quibbling, I guess, to pick on problems with the book, but I do want to point out that the reproduction quality of the pictures is not very good -- they look more like faded newspaper pictures. Also, unfortunately, there are a few factual errors, mostly in the list of a decedent/defendant. In "The Case of the Duplicate Daughter," a family member, not a blackmailing detective, is named as a "decedent" which is decidedly wrong.One area where I was disappointed was in their writeup of the 1973-74 New Perry Mason series which lasted for only 15 episodes on the network. Only a couple of pages are given to that series, almost dismissing it entirely. It's understandable, in a way, since only "bootleg" copies of the series (I admit to owning an incomplete set) are available and it's very, very doubtful that an official DVD release will ever happen.Again, this is quibbling, because the entertainment/educational value of the book far outweighs its detriments. If you are a big fan of the series and would like to read more about how some episodes were made and find out some trivia and some necessary facts of the filming of the series/movies, you will benefit greatly from this book.

What a useful book about Perry Mason and its every episode and guest star.

This book is a great resource for fans of the TV series. It's packed with interesting background information on the shows, and made me realize how much work went into each show and how many people it took to get a season's worth of shows finished. One of the best features of the book is a complete cast list for each show. The supporting cast members lists are just what I wanted. I was always watching a show and recognizing familiar faces of character actors I'd seen on many other TV shows and movies, but couldn't remember their names. Now I can look them up after each show. My only complaint about the book is that the synopses of the shows are very brief, usually 200 to 300 words.. The authors said they didn't want to give spoilers, which I understand, but I still would have liked to see a little more information on each plot. I guess that might have made the book too long, though, and it's already a big book at 676 pages. Thanks to the authors for producing such a well-organized, large and detailed reference book about the Perry Mason shows. Your work was worth the trouble.

An exhaustive and well written guide to an excellent and important television series. My wife have been binge watching our way throught Perry during the pandemic, and I've become a huge fan. The show is a pioneer on many counts (It's like the dramatic "I Love Lucy") and often holds up amazingly well. I spotted this book and didn't know what to expect, but it's great. An episode guide plus tons of articles, photos, and behind the scenes articles and info you won't find on the internet. If you love Perry, mystery, or TV history, this is a book for you.

"Alliterative Attorney" includes info about the 1950-60's Perry Mason TV show with Raymond Burr and it also includes information about the 1980-1990's Perry Mason movies.

I'll rate this book as 4 stars because the information about the specific episodes is very good.But trying to find that information in the book is frustrating. There is a chronological list of episode titles by season at the beginning of the book, but no alphabetical index of the episode titles, and for that matter, there is no general index at all in this massive book.The layout of the book is also difficult with little separation of the sections, with one section running into another, which again, makes it hard to locate information. There are few pictures in the book, which are small in size, which is disappointing.I was also disappointed there was almost no information about "The New Perry Mason" which starred Monte Markham, a 1973 TV series that wasn't given half a chance but was actually quite good.Last, I think the cover illustration is grotesque. Surely there were photos of the Perry Mason cast that could have been used instead of that.I appreciate the detailed information in the book about the classic series, but it's just very frustrating trying to find what I'm looking for each time I want to check on something. I hope if this book is reprinted that the deficiencies can be improved upon.

This is book designed not for the fan of the Perry Mason series, but for the super-fan. Amazing research has resulted in a volume that covers virtually ever facet of the series covering not just the actors but the production staff as well. I was a fan of the series from the very first show in 1957 and remain dedicated to the series. I cannot recommend this book to highly for anyone who really wants to know as much as possible about the series. Sadly, one thing that has bothered me for years was not covered; What was up with Perry and his choice of cars? He swaps off between Cadillac's, Fords and Lincolns all within one season. A minor point, but one that has bugged me for years. With that said, this is still one of the finest volumes ever dedicated to a TV series.

If you watch the original Perry Mason on CBS this is a most useful book. If you buy, from Amazon, the DVD's of the first 3 series then this book is equally useful. It gives details and tit-bits about each of the about 295 shows, without giving the result away!! If you like the ORIGINAL (and only) Perry Mason, get this book!!

If you're a Perry Mason fan you will Iove this book. So many interesting facts we never knew before. Even though we google the shows and look up actors, this book has even more little known or documented stories.

This is the book for anyone who wants details of each of the Perry Mason series with Raymond Burr. Full cast lists and plot details of each episode and other facts thrown in as well. Tells everything there is to know.

Thus is an excellent guide to the Perry Mason series

Excellent reference book for all fans of the brilliant Perry Mason.