The Case of the Final Fade-Out

Hollywood certainly is a dog-eat-dog world, but that's exactly why Barry shouldn't have been so smug.

In reality Sidemark would have simply found somebody else to fill the role, star or no, or just written him off the show. Even if ratings tanked, it still beats just walking away from the mess and taking a big loss. Now *THAT* would be how the Hollywood machine handles this.

For all of us who grew up on PERRY MASON, the show will never end. However, there was an actual final episode, and this is it. It's excellent.

Fittingly, set in Hollywood, not too far from Perry's office, at a movie studio. In fact, this was cost effective; the La Brea studio where the series was filmed was used. Today, the studio at 1416 North LaBrea, near Hollywood High School, is known as The Jim Hensen Recording Studios. Originally, Charlie Chaplin's famous silent film studio.

What a neat mystery. Producer Denver Pyle (Jackson Sidemark) is desperate to sign star Barry Conrad (played by James Stacy) to a new contract for his hit tv show. Conrad refuses to sign, leaving Sidemark in a terrible mess --and is promptly murdered. Open and shut case, right?

Wrong. What happens when Sidemark is also murdered? Enter Perry Mason.

Lots of terrific actors (and suspects) to boot, namely Dick Clark, who was a very good dramatic actor. He plays a character called Leif Early? Jackie Coogan plays Desmond and 80 year old Estelle Winwood (simply the best actress) plays Winifred.

Yes, author Erle Stanley Gardner (himself) fittingly plays the judge, but plays it down, not to attract much attention. Gardner, who was an attorney long before turning to writing, said he based Perry Mason on an actual Los Angeles lawyer who won 77 murder trials, and only lost 3. He was amazed, especially at the attorney's advanced crime solving skills.

Jesse Hibbs did a fine job of directing, although I don't think Mr. Gardner needed assistance. In all, Hibbs directed 44 episodes, then moving to the FBI tv series. An interesting note, Gardner personally picked Raymond Burr for the role after seeing his screen test. Burr also lost 100 pounds before the audition.

Raymond Burr, toward the end of the series run, was earning 1 million dollars a season. At the beginning of the show, each episode cost about $85,000, and by the 1960s was running close to $185,000 each, about 1.7 million dollars today (2023), which is about average.

Gardner sadly died a few years after this episode (of cancer) at his sprawling ranch at Temecula, about 60 miles north of San Diego. Strangely, William Hopper died about a week after him, also a long time smoker, as was William Talman, who passed in 1968. Barbara Hale later commented that everybody smoked on the show, almost like a club.

It was later revealed there were plans to shoot the final season in color (wouldn't that have been spectacular), but CBS dragged their feet.

SEASON 9 EPISODE 30 remastered CBS dvd box set. Volumes 1 and 2. Buy this set for the memories.

Weak in a few spots but very good overall. At least Marks was not directing Great that the behind the scenes crew was shown.

Appropriately entitled The Case Of The Final Fadeout, the Perry Mason show came to an end fortunately just left Perry Mason, Della Street, and Paul Drake just looking forward to yet another case that was never to be broadcast. That fadeout ending allowed the writers considerable freedom when Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale revived their characters in about 20 years for a class series of made for TV feature length films.

There's a twist on the Perry Mason paradigm, eager young star James Stacy is murdered on the set of his television series. Stacy was the last of several victims who really do get what they deserve on the show, though by no means were all of the victims so hateful. His producer Denver Pyle is arrested and Perry gets a dismissal when one of William Talman's witnesses is caught in a lie on the stand. Talman is steaming when he leaves the courtroom, but later on Pyle is found murdered in the editing room of his studio.

Old time eccentric actress Estelle Winwood is the new suspect and Burr might clear her if Winwood would stop being the diva. Of course he does would you suspect he would do otherwise?

Not the best episode, but a good one to go out on.

This is kind of a fun episode with two murders at the center of it. It's about a hit TV show where the star is insufferable and leaves his producer out to dry. The star is eventually shot to death while shooting a scene. There are plenty of suspects and a couple of courtroom scenes. The biggest weakness is the casting of Dick Clark as a significant character. He is one of he worst actors I've every scene. I would give him a 2 because he was easy to dance to.