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Through two television incarnations,271 episodes of the original Perry Mason series (1957-1966) and 26 two hour Perry Mason television movies (1985-1993), Perry Mason and Della Street have been a classic UST 'shipper couple. The characters, superbly portrayed by Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale, showed with little more than a subtle look or touch, that they were as fiercely devoted to each other as they were to the work they shared. Actually, this couple has been doing the 'ship dance together since 1933, when William and Morrow Co. published Erle Stanley Gardner's first Perry Mason novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws
If you've never read the any of the more than eighty Perry Mason mystery novels, pick up a couple and try them. Besides being excellent murder mysteries, they're full of wonderful 'shipper romance, humor and angst that will enhance your enjoyment of the Television characters.
Twenty of the Shippier Novels
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Songs that make us think of Perry and Della
A few 'shippy moments
Della (Stops and turns back to him) "Oh, uh…would you like for me to drive around the block three times?"
Perry: (Closes the distance between them) "No…as always, I’ll get you the first time around."
Perry
Della: "You can’t blame her for that. It’s…it’s feminine nature."
Perry: "It surprises some people, Della, to think you find as much loyalty in the Sally Madison’s of the world as you do in women who have followed all the rules."
Della: (Lowering her eyes) "It’s the way a woman’s made, Chief. She’ll do anything for the man she loves
—anything." (Hastily changing the subject) "What time is it, Chief? We don’t want to be late getting to the jail."Perry: (Circling her waist with his arm) "We won’t." (The music stops and the lights blaze into brilliance as they start back to their table) "I even think that Lieutenant Tragg might be grateful enough to delay things a few minutes for us. And the next time you go places with a golddigger, Della, take a look in the purse first."
Della: (Laughing) "I probably won’t. You and I learn everything from our adventures except prudence."
Perry: (Grinning at her) "That’s the way I like to have it."
Della
Perry: "You've been my legal secretary long enough to know that's as leading question."
Perry: (Browses the classified real estate ads) "Right here it is, Della. Listen to this, ‘Four hundred acres, marvelous country estate, within sixty minutes of the heart of the city, completely isolated, timber, lake fed by spring. Rural relaxation within commuting distance of your city business. Priced for a quick sale at twenty thousand. Ellen Cushing Lacey, real estate.’ " Puts down the paper "Della, how about it? We could buy the property in your name."
Della: "Would you put the sale through Ellen Cushing Lacey?"
Perry: "I’m afraid that this is a deal on which Mrs. Lacey is going to lose her five per cent commission. When you stop to think how small a time margin there was between our two picnics that Friday! They must have left not over an hour before we arrived…That property has become a spot that’s filled with pleasant associations for us, Della. Let’s buy it. We could have it for a little hideaway. I could put up a bungalow out under those trees back from the lake. Perhaps some day…"(Regards the horizon with dreamy eyes)
Della: "Go ahead, Chief, even if you are just day dreaming, it’s a swell idea."
C.C. Chang's Mandarin House restaurant.
Della seems distracted, she sighs audibly; Perry studies her intently.
Perry: "Well, can I help?"
Della: (Meets his eyes) "How far would you go for a friend?
Perry: "How long is forever?"
Della: "I need 25,000 dollars.
Perry: "You need what?!
Della: "No questions asked. 25,000 dollars, (Snaps her fingers) like that."
Perry: (Writes a check, hands in to her) "Without questions and without thanks."
Della: "’Lo Chief. (Lowering her legs from the desk, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles) "I fell asleep after the midnight news broadcast. That’s the last one." (Stretches her arms, yawns and making a little grimace, stamps her feet) "Gosh my legs have gone to sleep. What time is it?" (Sways on her numb feet)
Perry: "Half-past two." (Catches her in his arms as she staggers; holds her close) "Steady."
Della: "I’m all pins and needles from the knees down. Gosh, I’ve been asleep a long time. That’s one of the best sleeping chairs I’ve ever sat in." Perry slides an arm around her shoulders while she pillows her cheek against his coat and closes her eyes.
Perry: "Why’d you come up here?"
Della: "There was a news flash on the ten o’clock broadcast that Sam Grieb had been murdered on his gambling ship and that everyone aboard was being held pending a complete investigation, so I thought you might want something or try to get some message to me and I figured I could work things better from here than from the apartment…"
Perry: "Did anything else come in?"
Della: (Frowning) "Gee, Chief, those legs are driving me nuts. Let me walk around." He circles her waist with his arm and together they walk around the office, Della stamping her feet. "Let’s see…There was some hot stuff in the midnight broadcast. It seems that Perry Mason, the noted attorney, was aboard the ship…being detained for questioning. The police are looking for a mysterious white-haired woman…Tell me Chief, why did Mrs. Benson go aboard? Where you to meet her out there?"
Perry: "No, she claims she went out to back me up in case I got into any trouble."
Della: "Then she must have been carrying a gun."
Perry: "How are your legs?"
Della: "Better. I can feel the floor now, but we were talking about a gun. Look here, Chief, are you keeping something from me?"
Perry: "Lots of things."
Della: (Looks down at her legs) "Regrettably Chief, I must inform you that my circulation is now restored." He releases her. She dances a little jig and perches…on the corner of the…desk. "Let’s get this straight while we have the chance. The landlady out at my apartment house is absolutely okay…told her I had some friends coming to visit me…so I wanted to rent the adjoining apartment for a few days. You see my apartment was once part of a double…made into two singles and the other single is vacant…then went out to your place and picked up a suitcase…I thought you might want to hide out…"
Perry: "Good girl. Switch out those lights. We’re on our way."
Della: "You see, in this way you can keep in touch with me and no one will be the wiser. There’s a connecting door between the apartments and I could have you in for meals and…"
Perry: (Slips his arm around her waist) "Della, you’re a life saver. As a matter of fact, I have an idea they’ll be trying to serve a subpoena on me within the next two hours."
Do you have a song lyric or a favorite moment from either the novels, or the television series' that you'd like to add? E-mail us at
ShipperHaven@50megs.comThis page is meant only for the enjoyment of Perry Mason fans. The characters, plots and dialogue will always belong to Erle Stanley Gardner and his designated agents. No copyright infringement is intended.
This page was designed by DLB.
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