Biography burr film radio raymond television
Raymond Burr
American-Canadian actor (–)
Raymond Burr | |
|---|---|
Burr in | |
| Born | Raymond William Stacy Burr ()May 21, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died | September 12, () (aged&#;76) Healdsburg, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Fraser Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years&#;active | – |
| Spouse | Isabella Ward &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; |
| Partner | Robert Benevides (–) |
Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, &#;&#;&#;September 12, ) was a Canadian actor who had a lengthy Hollywood film career and portrayed the title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside.
Burr's early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television, and film, usually as the villain. He portrayed the suspected murderer in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Rear Window (), and he also had a role in the film Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, which he reprised in the film Godzilla .
He won Emmy Awards for acting in and for the role of Perry Mason, which he played for nine seasons (–) and reprised in a series of 26 Perry Mason TV movies (–). His second TV series, Ironside, earned him six Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations.
Burr died due to liver cancer in , and his personal life came into question, as many details of his biography appeared to be unverifiable.[1] He was ranked number 44 of the 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time by TV Guide magazine in
Early life
Raymond William Stacy Burr[1][2][3]:&#;1&#; was born May 21, , in New Westminster, British Columbia.[4] His father William Johnston Burr (–) was a hardware salesman;[5] his mother Minerva Annette (née Smith, –) was a pianist and music teacher.[6]:&#;4–5,&#;13&#;
When Burr was six, his parents divorced.
He moved to Vallejo, California, with his mother and younger siblings Geraldine and James,[4] while his father remained in New Westminster. Burr briefly attended San Rafael Military Academy in San Rafael, California, and graduated from Berkeley High School.[6]:&#;10–13&#;
In , he told journalist Jane Ardmore that, when he was 12 years old, his mother sent him to New Mexico for a year to work as a ranch hand.
(As with many of Burr's self-reported autobiographical details about his early life, this is unverified and open to question). According to Burr's story, he was already his full adult height and rather large and "had fallen in with a group of college-aged kids who didn't realize how young Raymond was, and they let him tag along with them in activities and situations far too sophisticated for him to handle." In the same article, Burr also stated he developed a passion for growing things and joined the Civilian Conservation Corps for a year in his teens.[7] He did some acting in his teen years, making his stage debut at age 12 in a Vancouver stock company.[4] The experiences Burr described when he was the age of 12 (working in radio in San Francisco, spending a year in New Mexico, appearing in Vancouver theatre, working for the Civilian Conservation Corps) are sometimes mutually contradictory; this would be a pattern that would recur in Burr's autobiographical reminiscences about his pre-Perry Mason personal life.
[citation needed]
Acting career
Theatre
Burr grew up during the Great Depression and hoped to study acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, but he was unable to afford the tuition.[8] By his own account, in he joined a repertory theatre company in Toronto that toured throughout Canada, then joined another company that toured India, Australia, and England.
He briefly attended Long Beach Junior College and taught for a semester at San Jose Junior College, working nights as a radio actor and singer. Burr began his association with the Pasadena Playhouse[3]:&#;9&#; in [9][10][11][12]
Burr moved to New York in and made his first Broadway appearance in Crazy With the Heat, a two-act musical revue produced by Kurt Kasznar.
Despite the veteran cast of stars Willie Howard, Luella Gear, and Gracie Barrie, the show folded after three months.[13] Burr's first starring role on the stage came in November when he was an emergency replacement in a Pasadena Playhouse production of Quiet Wedding. He became a member of the Pasadena Playhouse drama faculty for 18 months, and he performed in some 30 plays over the years.[8][14] He returned to Broadway for Patrick Hamilton's The Duke in Darkness (), a psychological drama set during the French Wars of Religion.
His performance as the loyal friend of the imprisoned protagonist led to a contract with RKO Radio Pictures.[3]:&#;21–22&#; In , he performed in multiple plays during his summer residency at Elitch Gardens Theater in Denver Colorado.[15]
Film
Burr appeared in more than 50 feature films between and ,[17] creating an array of villains that established him as an icon of film noir.[6]:&#;34&#; Film historian Alain Silver concluded that Burr's most significant work in the genre is in ten films: Desperate (), Sleep, My Love (), Raw Deal (), Pitfall (), Abandoned (), Red Light (), M (), His Kind of Woman (), The Blue Gardenia (), and Crime of Passion ().[18]:&#;&#; Silver described Burr's private detective in Pitfall as "both reprehensible and pathetic,"[18]:&#;&#; a characterization also cited by film historian Richard Schickel as a prototype of film noir, in contrast with the appealing television characters for which Burr later became famous.[19]:&#;43&#; "He tried to make you see the psychosis below the surface, even when the parts weren't huge," said film historian James Ursini.
"He was able to bring such complexity and different levels to those characters, and create sympathy for his characters even though they were doing reprehensible things."[6]:&#;36&#;
Other titles in Burr's film noir legacy include Walk a Crooked Mile (), Borderline (), Unmasked (), The Whip Hand (), FBI Girl (), Meet Danny Wilson (), Rear Window (), They Were So Young (), A Cry in the Night (), and Affair in Havana ().
His villains were also seen in Westerns, period dramas, horror films, and adventure films.[20]
"I was just a fat heavy," Burr told journalist James Bawden. "I split the heavy parts with Bill Conrad. We were both in our twenties playing much older men. I never got the girl but I once got the gorilla in a 3-D picture called Gorilla at Large.
I menaced Claudette Colbert, Lizabeth Scott, Paulette Goddard, Anne Baxter, Barbara Stanwyck. Those girls would take one look at me and scream and can you blame them? I was drowned, beaten, stabbed and all for my art. But I knew I was horribly overweight. I lacked any kind of self esteem. At 25 I was playing the fathers of people older than me."[21]
Burr's occasional roles on the right side of the law include the aggressive prosecutor in A Place in the Sun ().[20] His courtroom performance in that film made an impression on Gail Patrick[22] and her husband Cornwell Jackson, who had Burr in mind when they began casting the role of Los Angeles district attorney Hamilton Burger in the CBS-TV series Perry Mason.[23]:&#;&#;
Radio
By the age of 12, Burr was appearing in national radio dramas broadcasting in nearby San Francisco.[24]
As a young man Burr weighed more than pounds (&#;kg), which limited his on-screen roles.
"But in radio this presented no problems, given the magnificent quality of his voice", reported The Globe and Mail. "He played romantic leads and menacing villains with equal authority, and he earned a steady and comfortable income."[25]
Working steadily in radio since the s, often uncredited,[3]:&#;–85&#; Burr was a leading player on the West Coast.[26] He had a regular role in Jack Webb's first radio show, Pat Novak for Hire (),[27]:&#;&#; and in Dragnet (–50) he played Joe Friday's boss, Ed Backstrand, chief of detectives.[27]:&#;&#;[28] Burr worked on other Los Angeles-based series including Suspense,[29]Screen Directors Playhouse,[30]Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar,[31]Family Theater,[32]Hallmark Playhouse[33] and Hallmark Hall of Fame.[34] He performed in five episodes of the experimental dramatic radio anthology series CBS Radio Workshop, and had what is arguably his best radio role in "The Silent Witness" (), in which his is the only voice.[3]:&#;&#;[35][36]
From March through June Burr used the name of Ray Hartman approximately 30 times when appearing on radio, mostly on Dangerous Assignment, The Lineup and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.
This was verified by perusing the scripts for both series.[37]
In , Burr was the star of CBS Radio's Fort Laramie, an adult Western drama produced, written and directed by the creators of Gunsmoke. He played the role of Lee Quince, captain of the cavalry, in the series set at a post-Civil War military post where disease, boredom, the elements and the uncharted terrain were the greatest enemies of "ordinary men who lived in extraordinary times".[27]:&#;–&#;[38] The half-hour transcribed program aired Sundays at &#;pm.
ET January 22 – October 28, [27]:&#;–&#;[39] Burr told columnist Sheilah Graham that he had received 1, fan letters after the first broadcasts,[40] and he continued to receive letters praising the show's authenticity and presentation of human dignity.[41]
In August , CBS announced that Burr would star in the television series Perry Mason.[42] Although the network wanted Burr to continue work on Fort Laramie as well, the TV series required an extraordinary commitment and the radio show ended.[43]
Known for his loyalty and consciousness of history, Burr went out of his way to employ his radio colleagues in his television programs.[26] Some radio celebrities appeared on Perry Mason during the first season alone.[44]
Television
Burr emerged as a prolific television character actor in the s.
He made his television debut in , appearing in episodes of Stars Over Hollywood,[45]The Bigelow Theatre,[46]Family Theater[47] and the debut episode of Dragnet.[48] He went on to appear in such programs as Gruen Playhouse,[49]Four Star Playhouse,[50]Ford Theatre,[51]Lux Video Theatre,[52]Mr.
and Mrs. North,[53]Schlitz Playhouse of Stars[54] and Playhouse 90.[55]
Perry Mason
Main article: Perry Mason ( TV series)
In , Burr auditioned for Perry Mason, a new CBS-TV courtroom drama based on the highly successful novels by Erle Stanley Gardner.
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. had already been tentatively cast as Perry Mason.[56] Burr told associate producer Sam White, "If you don't like me as Perry Mason, then I'll go along and play the part of the district attorney, Hamilton Burger."[57] Executive producer Gail Patrick Jackson had been impressed with Burr's courtroom performance in A Place in the Sun (), and she told Burr that he was perfect for Perry Mason but at least 60 pounds (27&#;kg; &#;st) overweight.
He went on a crash diet over the following month; he then tested as Perry Mason and was cast in the role.[22] While Burr's test was running, Gardner reportedly stood up, pointed at the screen, and said, "That's Perry Mason."[23]:&#;&#;William Hopper also auditioned as Mason, but he was cast instead as private detective Paul Drake.[58] The series also starred Barbara Hale as Della Street, Mason's secretary, William Talman as Hamilton Burger, the district attorney who loses nearly every case to Mason, and Ray Collins as homicide detective Lieutenant Arthur Tragg.[22]
The series ran from to and made Burr a star.
In the early s, the show had 30 million viewers every Saturday night and Burr received 3, fan letters a week.[59] Burr received three consecutive Emmy Award nominations and won the award in and [60] for his performance as Perry Mason. The series has been rerun in syndication ever since, and was released on DVD between and Burr's character is often said never to have lost a case, although he did lose two murder cases off-screen in early episodes of the series.[61]
Main article: Ironside ( TV series)
Burr moved from CBS to Universal Studios, where he played the title role in the television drama Ironside, which ran on NBC from to In the pilot episode, San Francisco Chief of Detectives Robert T.
Ironside is paralyzed by a sniper during an attempt on his life and, after his recovery, uses a wheelchair for mobility, in the first crime drama show to star a policeman with a disability.
The show earned Burr six Emmy nominations—one for the pilot and five for his work in the series[60]—and two Golden Globe nominations.[63]
Other series
After Ironside went off the air, NBC failed in two attempts to launch Burr as the star of a new series.
In a two-hour television movie format, Mallory: Circumstantial Evidence aired in February with Burr again in the role of the lawyer who outwits the district attorney. Despite good reviews for Burr, the critical reception was poor, and NBC decided against developing it into a series.[6]:&#;–78&#;
In , Burr starred in the short-lived TV series Kingston: Confidential as R.B.
Kingston, a publishing magnate similar to William Randolph Hearst, owner of numerous newspapers and TV stations, who, in his spare time, solved crimes along with a group of employees. It was a critical failure that was scheduled opposite the extraordinarily popular Charlie's Angels. It was cancelled after 13 weeks.[6]:&#;–80&#;
Burr took on a shorter project next, playing an underworld boss in a six-hour miniseries, 79 Park Avenue.[64]
One last attempt to launch a series followed on CBS.
The two-hour premiere of The Jordan Chance aroused little interest.[6]:&#;&#;[65]
On January 20, , Burr hosted the television special that later served as the pilot for the long-running series Unsolved Mysteries.[66]
Television films
Main article: Perry Mason (TV film series)
In , Burr was approached by producers Dean Hargrove and Fred Silverman to star in a made-for-TV movie, Perry Mason Returns.[67] The same week, Burr recalled, he was asked to reprise the role he played in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (),[68] in a low-budget film that would be titled Godzilla .[69]
"When they asked me to do it a second time, I said, 'Certainly,' and everybody thought I was out of my mind," Burr told Tom Shales of The Washington Post.
"But it wasn't the large sum of money. It was the fact that, first of all, I kind of liked 'Godzilla,' and where do you get the opportunity to play yourself 30 years later? So I said yes to both of them."[69] Although Burr is best remembered for his role as Perry Mason, a devoted following continues to appreciate him as the actor that brought the Godzilla series to America.
He agreed to do the Mason movie if Barbara Hale returned to reprise her role as Della Street.[70] Hale agreed, and when Perry Mason Returns aired in December , her character became the defendant.[67] The rest of the principal cast had died, but Hale's real-life son William Katt played the role of Paul Drake Jr.[67] The movie was so successful that Burr made a total of 26 Perry Mason television movies before his death.[16] Many were filmed in and around Denver, Colorado.[24]
After several of the TV movies, Burr's age and health issues forced him to use a cane onscreen, which was jokingly explained as a "skiing accident." By , when Burr signed with NBC for another season of Mason films, he was using a wheelchair full-time because of his failing health.
In his final Perry Mason movie, The Case of the Killer Kiss, he was shown either sitting or standing while leaning on a table, but only once standing unsupported for a few seconds.[71] Twelve more Mason movies were scheduled before Burr's death, including one scheduled to film the month he died.[72]
As he had with the Perry Mason TV movies, Burr decided to do an Ironside reunion movie.
The Return of Ironside aired in May , reuniting the entire original cast of the –75 series.[73] Like many of the Mason movies, it was set and filmed in Denver.[72]
Personal life
Physical characteristics
Burr said that he weighed pounds (&#;kg) at birth, and was chubby throughout his childhood.
"When you're a little fat boy in public school, or any kind of school, you're just persecuted something awful," he said.[69] His weight was always an issue for him in getting roles, and it became a public relations problem when Johnny Carson began making jokes about him during his Tonight Show monologues. Burr refused to appear as Carson's guest from then on, and told Us Weekly years later: "I have been asked a number of times to do his show and I won't do it.
Because I like NBC. He's doing an NBC show. If I went on I'd have some things to say, not just about the bad jokes he's done about me, but bad jokes he does about everybody who can't fight back because they aren't there. And that wouldn't be good for NBC."[6]:&#;&#;
Family life
Burr married actress Isabella Ward (–)[74] on January 10, [75] They met in while she was a student at the Pasadena Playhouse where Burr was teaching.
They met again in when she was in California with a theater company. They were married shortly before Burr began work on the film noir Pitfall.[76]:&#;75–76&#; In May , they appeared on stage together in a Pasadena Playhouse production based on the life of Paul Gauguin.[3]:&#;30–31&#; They lived in the basement apartment of a large house in Hollywood that Burr shared with his mother and grandparents.
The marriage ended within months, and Ward returned to her native Delaware.[76]:&#;77&#; They divorced in , and neither remarried.[6]:&#;26–30&#;
In , Burr met Robert Benevides, an actor and Korean War veteran, on the set of Perry Mason.[77] Benevides gave up acting in ,[6]:&#;–03,&#;&#;[77] and he became a production consultant for 21 of the Perry Mason TV movies.[78] They owned and operated an orchid business and then a vineyard[79] in California's Dry Creek Valley.
They were domestic partners until Burr's death in [78] Burr bequeathed his entire estate to Benevides,[6]:&#;–17&#; and Benevides renamed the Dry Creek property Raymond Burr Vineyards[80] (reportedly against Burr's wishes) and managed it as a commercial enterprise.[77] In , the property was sold.[81]
Although Burr had not revealed that he was homosexual during his lifetime, it was reported in the press upon his death.[82]
Biographical contradictions
At various times in his career, Burr and his managers and publicists offered spurious or unverifiable biographical details to the press and public.
Burr's obituary in The New York Times states that he entered the U.S. Navy in , after The Duke in Darkness, and left in , weighing almost pounds (&#;kg).[4] Although Burr may have served in the Coast Guard, reports of his service in the U.S. Navy are false, as apparently are his statements[83] that he sustained battle injuries at Okinawa.[6]:&#;57–58&#;[a]
Other false biographical details include years of college education at a variety of institutions, being widowed twice, a son who died young, world travel, and success in high school athletics.[6]:&#;17,&#;20,&#;23–24,&#;40–41&#; Most of these claims were apparently accepted as fact by the press during Burr's lifetime, up until his death[4][16] and by his first biographer, Ona Hill.[3]:&#;27&#;[b]
Burr reportedly was married at the beginning of World War II to an actress named Annette Sutherland[85]—killed, Burr said, in the same plane crash that claimed the life of actor Leslie Howard.
However, multiple sources have reported that no one by that name appears on any of the published passenger manifests from the flight.[3]:&#;19–20&#; A son supposedly born during this marriage, Michael Evan, was said to have died of leukemia in at the age of ten.[3][4][16] Another marriage purportedly took place in the early s to a Laura Andrina Morgan—who died of cancer, Burr said, in Yet no evidence exists of either marriage, nor of a son's birth, other than Burr's own claims.[6]:&#;44–45&#; As late as , Burr stood by the account of this son's life and death.
He told Parade that when he realized Michael was dying, he took him on a one-year tour of the United States. "Before my boy left, before his time was gone," he said, "I wanted him to see the beauty of his country and its people."[16] After Burr's death, his publicist confirmed that Burr worked steadily in Hollywood throughout , the year that he was supposedly touring the country with his son.[6]:&#;&#;
In the late s, Burr was rumored to be romantically involved with Natalie Wood.[1] Wood's agent sent her on public dates so she could be noticed by directors and producers, and so the men she dated could present themselves in public as heterosexuals.
The dates helped to disguise Wood's relationship with Robert Wagner, whom she later married.[6]:&#;64–70&#;[86]:&#;–06&#; Burr reportedly resented Warner Bros.' decision to promote her attachment to another gay actor, Tab Hunter, rather than him. Robert Benevides later said, "He was a little bitter about it.
Radio raymond larnaca American-Canadian actor — Arthur Mallory. Later accounts of Burr's life say that he hid his homosexuality to protect his career. Retrieved June 1,He was really in love with her, I guess."[87]:&#;&#;[c]
Later accounts of Burr's life say that he hid his homosexuality to protect his career.[77] "That was a time in Hollywood history when homosexuality was not countenanced", Associated Press reporter Bob Thomas recalled in a episode of Biography.
"Ray was not a romantic star by any means, but he was a very popular figure If it was revealed at that time in Hollywood history it would have been very difficult for him to continue."[6]:&#;&#;[d]
Arthur Marks, a producer of Perry Mason, recalled Burr's talk of wives and children: "I know he was just putting on a show.
That was my gut feeling. I think the wives and the loving women, the Natalie Wood thing, were a bit of a cover."[6]:&#;&#;Dean Hargrove, executive producer of the Perry Mason TV films, said in , "I had always assumed that Raymond was gay, because he had a relationship with Robert Benevides for a very long time.
Whether or not he had relationships with women, I had no idea.
Biography burr film radio raymond television series He told Parade that when he realized Michael was dying, he took him on a one-year tour of the United States. Fighting Father Dunne. Archived from the original on March 4, Because I like NBC.I did know that I had trouble keeping track of whether he was married or not in these stories. Raymond had the ability to mythologize himself, to some extent, and some of his stories about his past tended to grow as time went by."[6]:&#;&#;
Hobbies and businesses
Burr had many hobbies over the course of his life: cultivating orchids and collecting wine, art, stamps, and seashells.
He was very fond of cooking.[4] He was interested in flying, sailing, and fishing. According to A&E Biography, Burr was an avid reader with a retentive memory. He was also among the earliest importers and breeders of Portuguese water dogs in the United States.[89]
Burr developed his interest in cultivating and hybridizing orchids into a business with Benevides.
Over 20 years, their company, Sea God Nurseries, had nurseries in Fiji, Hawaii, the Azores, and California, and was responsible for adding more than 1, new orchids to the worldwide catalog.[citation needed] Burr named one of them the "Barbara Hale Orchid" after his Perry Mason costar.[90] Burr and Benevides cultivated Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and grapes for Port wine, as well as orchids, at Burr's farm/estate in Sonoma County, California.[91]
In , Burr purchased Naitauba, a 4,acre (16&#;km2) island in Fiji, rich in seashells.
There, he and Benevides oversaw the raising of copra (coconut meat) and cattle, as well as orchids.[77][91] Burr planned to retire there permanently. However, medical problems made that impossible and he sold the property in [92]
Philanthropy
Burr was a well-known philanthropist.[3]:&#;&#;[93] He gave enormous sums of money, including his salaries from the Perry Mason movies, to charity.
He was also known for sharing his wealth with friends. He sponsored 26 foster children through the Foster Parents' Plan or Save the Children, many with the greatest medical needs.[7] He gave money and some of his Perry Mason scripts to the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California.[94]
Burr was an early supporter of the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum in Sanibel, Florida, raising funds and chairing its first capital campaign.[95] He also donated to the museum a large collection of Fijian cowries and cones from his island in Fiji.[96]
In , Sonoma State University awarded Burr an honorary doctorate.[97] He supported medical and educational institutions in Denver, and in , the University of Colorado awarded him an honorary doctorate for his acting work.[6]:&#;–98&#; Burr also founded and financed the American Fijian Foundation that funded academic research, including efforts to develop a dictionary of the language.[98]
Burr made repeated trips on behalf of the United Service Organizations (USO).
He toured both Korea and Vietnam during wartime and once spent six months touring Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. He sometimes organized his own troupe and toured bases both in the U.S. and overseas, often small installations that the USO did not serve, like one tour of Greenland, Baffin Island, Newfoundland and Labrador.[6]:&#;53–57&#; Returning from Vietnam in , he made a speaking tour of the U.S.
to advocate an intensified war effort. As the war became more controversial, he modified his tone, called for more attention to the sacrifice of the troops, and said, "My only position on the war is that I wish it were over." In October , NBC aired Raymond Burr Visits Vietnam, a documentary of one of his visits. The reception was mixed. "The impressions he came up with are neither weighty nor particularly revealing", wrote the Chicago Tribune; the Los Angeles Times said Burr's questions were "intelligent and elicited some interesting replies".[6]:&#;–61&#;
Burr had a reputation in Hollywood as a thoughtful, generous man years before much of his more-visible philanthropic work.
In , Ray Collins, who portrayed Lt. Arthur Tragg on the original Perry Mason series, and who was by that time often ill and unable to remember all the lines he was supposed to speak, stated, "There is nothing but kindness from our star, Ray Burr. Part of his life is dedicated to us, and that's no bull.
If there's anything the matter with any of us, he comes around before anyone else and does what he can to help. He's a great star—in the old tradition."[99]
Illness and death
During the filming of his last Perry Mason movie in the spring of , Burr fell ill. A Viacom spokesman told the media that the illness might be related to the renal cell carcinoma (malignant kidney tumor) that had been removed from Burr that February.[72] It was determined that the cancer had spread to his liver and was at that point inoperable.[] Burr threw several "goodbye parties" before his death on September 12, , at his Sonoma County ranch near Healdsburg.[4] He was 76 years old.
The day after Burr's death, American Bar Association President R. William Ide III released a statement: "Raymond Burr's portrayals of Perry Mason represented lawyers in a professional and dignified manner.
Biography burr film radio raymond television Retrieved March 25, A great humanitarian This book is a must for Raymond Burr fans. Adventures of Don Juan. Uploaded by stationMr. Burr strove for such authenticity in his courtroom characterizations that we regard his passing as though we lost one of our own."[]The New York Times reported that Perry Mason had been named second—after F. Lee Bailey, and before Abraham Lincoln, Thurgood Marshall, Janet Reno, Ben Matlock and Hillary Clinton—in a National Law Journal poll that asked Americans to name the attorney, fictional or not, they most admired.[61]
Burr was interred with his parents and sister Geraldine ()[] at Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, British Columbia.[] On October 1, , about family members and friends paid tribute to Burr at a private memorial service at the Pasadena Playhouse.[]
Burr bequeathed his estate to Robert Benevides, and excluded all relatives, including a sister, nieces, and nephews.
His will was challenged, without success, by the two children of his late brother, James E. Burr.[6]:&#;–18&#; Benevides' attorney said that tabloid reports of an estate worth $32&#;million were an overestimate.[][]
Accolades
For his work in the TV series Perry Mason, Burr received the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series at the 11th Primetime Emmy Awards in Nominated again in , he received his second Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series (Lead) at the 13th Primetime Emmy Awards in [60] Burr was named Favorite Male Performer, for Perry Mason, in TV Guide magazine's inaugural TV Guide Award readers poll in [] He also received the second annual award in [][]
In , Burr was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard.[] Burr received six Emmy nominations (–72) for his work in the TV series Ironside.[60] He was nominated twice, in and , for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama.[63] A benefactor of legal education, Burr was principal speaker at the founders' banquet of the Thomas M.
Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, in June The Raymond Burr Award for Excellence in Criminal Law was established in his honor.[61][]
Burr was ranked No. 44 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time in [] Completed in , a circular garden at the entrance to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum in Sanibel, Florida, honored Burr for his role in establishing the museum.
Burr was a trustee and an early supporter who chaired the museum's first capital campaign, and made direct contributions from his own shell collection.[95][] A display about Burr as an actor, benefactor and collector opened in the museum's Great Hall of Shells in []
From to , the Raymond Burr Performing Arts Society leased the historic Columbia Theatre from the city of New Westminster, and renamed it the Raymond Burr Performing Arts Centre.
Although the nonprofit organization hoped to raise funds to renovate and expand the venue, its contract was not renewed. The group was a failed bidder when the theater was sold in [][][][]
In , Canada Post issued a postage stamp in its "Canadians in Hollywood" series featuring Burr.[] Burr received the Canadian Legends Award and a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.
The induction ceremony was held on September 12, [] A article in The Atlantic that examined how Netflix categorized nearly 77, different personalized genres found that Burr was rated as the favorite actor by Netflix users,[][] with the greatest number of dedicated microgenres.[]
Acting credits
Theatre
| Date | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 26, | Crazy With the Heat | Boston[3]:&#;12&#; | |
| January 14–18, | Crazy With the Heat | 44th Street Theatre, New York City[13] | |
| November 11–22, | Quiet Wedding | Dallas Chaytor | Pasadena Playhouse, directed by Lenore Shanewise[3]:&#;14&#;[14] |
| December 23, – January 3, | Charley's Aunt | Pasadena Playhouse[] | |
| February – February 21, | Arsenic and Old Lace | Jonathan Brewster | Pasadena Playhouse[3]:&#;14&#;[] |
| March–April | Jason | Mike Ambler | Pasadena Playhouse, directed by Onslow Stevens[] |
| July | The Intimate Strangers | Mr.
Ames | Pasadena Playhouse, directed by Lenore Shanewise[][] |
| July–August | Monsieur Beaucaire | Pasadena Playhouse[] | |
| January 24 – February 12, | The Duke in Darkness | Voulain | Playhouse Theatre, New York City[] |
| May - August | Multiple productions | Various | Elitch Gardens Theater, Denver, Colorado,[] Additional Citation: [] |
| June 12–23, | While the Sun Shines | Pasadena Playhouse[] | |
| December 1, – | Murder Without Crime | Pasadena Playhouse, directed by Raymond Burr (also actor)[3]:&#;23&#; | |
| January 21 – February 15, | Miss Julie | Jean | Forrest Theatre, Philadelphia; Plymouth Theatre, Boston; Shubert Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut[][] |
| May 26, – | Gauguin | Paul Gauguin | Pasadena Playhouse, directed by Catherine Turney[3]:&#;30–31&#;[] |
| June 11 – July 15, | Critic's Choice | Suburbs of Detroit and Chicago[] | |
| Underground | Tour including Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto, Theatre Royal, York and Prince of Wales Theatre, London[] |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earl of Puddlestone | Mrs.
Millicent Potter's chauffeur | Uncredited[3]:&#;11&#; | |
| Without Reservations | Paul Gill | Uncredited[17] | |
| San Quentin | Jeff Torrance | [17] | |
| Code of the West | Boyd Carter | [17] | |
| Desperate | Walt Radak | [17] | |
| I Love Trouble | Herb | [17] | |
| Sleep, My Love | Sgt.
Strake | [17] | |
| Ruthless | Peter Vendig | [17] | |
| Fighting Father Dunne | Prosecuting attorney | Uncredited[17] | |
| Raw Deal | Rick Coyle | [17] | |
| Pitfall | J.Biography burr film radio raymond television show Toledo Blade. Archived from the original on June 24, Audio Software icon An illustration of a 3. Inspector Hellman. B. MacDonald | [17] | |
| Station West | Mark Bristow | [17] | |
| Walk a Crooked Mile | Krebs | [17] | |
| Adventures of Don Juan | Captain Alvarez | [17] | |
| Bride of Vengeance | Michelotto | [17] | |
| Black Magic | Dumas, Jr. | [17] | |
| Red Light | Nick Cherney | [17] | |
| Abandoned | Kerric | [17] | |
| Love Happy | Alphonse Zoto | [17] | |
| Unmasked | Roger Lewis | [17] | |
| Key to the City | Les Taggart | [17] | |
| Borderline | Pete Richie | [17] | |
| M | Pottsy | [17] | |
| A Place in the Sun | District Attorney R.
Frank Marlowe | [17] | |
| New Mexico | Pvt. Anderson | [17] | |
| His Kind of Woman | Nick Ferraro | [17] | |
| The Whip Hand | Steve Loomis | [17] | |
| Bride of the Gorilla | Barney Chavez | [17] | |
| The Magic Carpet | Grand Vizier Boreg al Buzzar | [17] | |
| FBI Girl | Blake | [17] | |
| Meet Danny Wilson | Nick Driscoll | [17] | |
| Mara Maru | Brock Benedict | [17] | |
| Horizons West | Cord Hardin | [17] | |
| The Bandits of Corsica | Baron Cesare Jonatto | [17] | |
| The Blue Gardenia | Harry Prebble | [17] | |
| Serpent of the Nile | Marc Antony | [17] | |
| Tarzan and the She-Devil | Vargo | [17] | |
| Fort Algiers | Amir | [17] | |
| Casanova's Big Night | Minister Bragadin | [17] | |
| The Immortal City | Narrator | Documentary[17] | |
| Gorilla at Large | Cyrus Miller | [17] | |
| Rear Window | Lars Thorwald | [17] | |
| Khyber Patrol | Capt.
Ahmed Shir | [17] | |
| Thunder Pass | Tulsa | [17] | |
| Passion | Capt. Rodriguez | [17] | |
| They Were So Young | Jaime Coltos | [17] | |
| You're Never Too Young | Noonan | Martin and Lewis comedy[17] | |
| Count Three and Pray | Yancy Huggins | [17] | |
| A Man Alone | Stanley | [17] | |
| Please Murder Me | Craig Carlson | Attorney successfully defends the woman he loves, charged with murder, then finds out that she is guilty.
Courtroom scenes foreshadow Perry Mason. | |
| Godzilla, King of the Monsters! | Steve Martin | [17] | |
| Great Day in the Morning | Jumbo Means | [17] | |
| Secret of Treasure Mountain | Cash Larsen | [17] | |
| A Cry in the Night | Harold Loftus | [17] | |
| Ride the High Iron | Ziggy Moline | Pilot for proposed ABC-TV series Command Performance, released as a feature film[17][]:&#;56&#; | |
| The Brass Legend | Tris Hatten | [17] | |
| Crime of Passion | Tony Pope | [17] | |
| Affair in Havana | Mal Mallabee | [17] | |
| Desire in the Dust | Col.Biography burr film radio raymond television schedule: Good Money. Archived from the original on March 8, Archived from the original on April 22, March 18, Ben Marquand | [17] | |
| "Interrupted Morning" | Himself (introduction) | Short film on traffic safety for the U.S. Public Health Service[][] | |
| "When Sally Fell" | Himself (introduction, conclusion) | Short film on home safety[][] | |
| "Look Alive" | Himself | Short film on pedestrian safety[] | |
| "Midsummer's Nightmare" | Himself | Short film on water safety[] | |
| "Giant Steps" | Himself | Short film on child safety[] | |
| "Why Daddy?" | Himself | Short film on fire prevention[] | |
| "No Defense" | Himself | Short film on community organization for accident prevention[] | |
| P.
J. | William Orbison | [17] | |
| "The small boat Navy" | Presenter | Navy film MN is a short film from the U.S. Navy that offers viewers a look at how the U.S. Navy uses small boats to create trade and travel stability in Vietnam. Available on YouTube, ?v=-GXFuM4ZfYU | |
| Tomorrow Never Comes | Burke | ||
| Out of the Blue | Dr.
Brean | [] | |
| The Return | Dr. Kramer | [] | |
| Airplane II: The Sequel | The Judge | [17] | |
| Godzilla | Steve Martin | Nominee, Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor[6]:&#;71,&#;&#;[] | |
| The Legend of Kootenai Brown | Judge Webster | [] | |
| Delirious | Carter Hedison | [17] |
Radio
| Date | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 14, August 10, | Tarzan and the Diamond Of Asher | Akaru | approximately 15 of 39 episodes |
| December 30, | Favorite Story | "The Suicide Club"[] | |
| October 18, | The New Adventures of Michael Shayne | "The Case of the Eager Victim"[] | |
| October 26, | Favorite Story | "The Jest of Hahalaba"[] | |
| November 4, | Suspense | "Death Sentence"[29] | |
| December 25, | Wrigley Christmas Party | [] | |
| January 23, | Screen Directors Playhouse | "The Exile"[30] | |
| February 13 – June 26, | Pat Novak, for Hire | Inspector Hellman | [27]:&#;&#;[] |
| February 17, | Suspense | "Catch Me If You Can"[29] | |
| April 21, | Suspense | "The Copper Tea Strainer"[29] | |
| May 15, | Screen Directors Playhouse | "Hold Back the Dawn"[30] | |
| June 17, – August 24, | Dragnet | Ed Backstrand | [27]:&#;&#;[28] |
| July 16, | Dangerous Assignment | "Sunken Ships"[][] | |
| August 24, | Family Theater | "Robert of Sicily"[32] | |
| September 21, | The Amazing Mr.
Malone | Paul Conrad | "The Paul Conrad Case"[] |
| September 27, – | Dr. Kildare | Repertory cast | Eight transcribed episodes[27]:&#;&#;[] |
| October 17, | Screen Directors Playhouse | MacDonald | "Pitfall"[3]:&#;&#;[30] |
| November 23, | Family Theater | "The Courtship of Miles Standish"[32] | |
| January 25, | Family Theater | "Lodging for the Night"[32] | |
| February 19, | The Amazing Mr.
Malone | Alan Walsh | "When the Cat's Away the Mice Will Play"[] |
| March 8, | Family Theater | "The Prince and the Pauper"[32] | |
| March 24, | Screen Directors Playhouse | "Chicago Deadline"[30] | |
| April 7, | Screen Directors Playhouse | "The Fighting O'Flynn"[30] | |
| April 11, | Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar | "The Dead First Helpers"[31] | |
| May 9, | Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar | "The Harold Trandem Matter"[31] | |
| June 28, | Family Theater | "Lancelot of the Lake"[32] | |
| July 20, | Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar | "The Henry J.
Unger Matter"[31] | |
| July 26, | Family Theater | "Julius Caesar"[32] | |
| August 10, | Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar | "The Hartford Alliance Matter"[31] | |
| September 21, | Presenting Charles Boyer | "The Adventure of Painting "[] | |
| October 7, | Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar | "The Richard Splain Matter"[31] | |
| October 16, | Lux Radio Theatre | "House of Strangers"[] | |
| October 28, | Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar | "The Joan Sebastian Matter"[31] | |
| November 11, | Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar | "The Adam Kegg Matter"[31] | |
| November 15, | Family Theater | "The Story of Peter Zenger"[32] | |
| November 16, | The Lineup | "The Candy Store Murder"[] | |
| December 6, | Family Theater | "Robert of Sicily"[32] | |
| December 21, | The Lineup | "The Holstedter Case"[] | |
| December 28, | Screen Directors Playhouse | "Alias Nick Beal"[30] | |
| This Is the Story | "Hometown U.S.A.: Seattle, Washington"[] | ||
| January 4, | Screen Directors Playhouse | "Prince of Foxes"[30] | |
| January 11, | The Lineup | "The Mad Bomber"[] | |
| March 24, | Dangerous Assignment | "Loaded Dynamite with a Lit Fuse"[][] | |
| April 19, | The Pendleton Story | "The Declaration"[] | |
| April 24, | The Lineup | "The Brommel and Bellows Bloody Bullet Case"[] | |
| June 15, | The Pendleton Story | "The Warning"[] | |
| July 18, | Escape | "Macao"[] | |
| October 28, | The Silent Men | "The Case of the Rubber Gloves"[] | |
| November 8, | Hallmark Playhouse |