Raymond Burr
Acting • Born 1917-05-21 – Died 1993-09-12
Biography
Raymond William Stacey Burr (May 21, 1917 – September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor, primarily known for his title roles in the television dramas Perry Mason and Ironside. His early acting career included roles on Broadway, radio, television and in film, usually as the villain. He won two Emmy Awards in 1959 and 1961 for the role of Perry Mason, which he played for nine seasons between 1957 and 1966. His second hit series, Ironside, earned him six Emmy nominations, and two Golden Globe nominations. He is also known for his role as Steve Martin in both Godzilla, King of the Monsters! and Godzilla 1985. In addition to acting, Burr owned an orchid business and had begun to grow a vineyard. He was a collector of wines and art, and was very fond of cooking. After his death from cancer in 1993, Burr's personal life came into question as details of his known biography appeared to be unverifiable. Gradually, it was revealed that Burr had possibly contrived a life story that hid his homosexuality.
Filmography
168 credits
Rear Window
Movie • 1954
Lars Thorwald
Crime of Passion
Movie • 1956
Inspector Tony Pope
Airplane II: The Sequel
Movie • 1982
Judge D.C. Simonton
Bride of the Gorilla
Movie • 1951
Barney Chavez
The Blue Gardenia
Movie • 1953
Harry Prebble
A Place in the Sun
Movie • 1951
District Attorney R. Frank Marlowe
Pitfall
Movie • 1948
MacDonald
Walk a Crooked Mile
Movie • 1948
Krebs
Red Light
Movie • 1949
Nick Cherney
Abandoned
Movie • 1949
Kerric
His Kind of Woman
Movie • 1951
Nick Ferraro
Raw Deal
Movie • 1948
Rick Coyle
Love Happy
Movie • 1949
Alphonse Zoto
Adventures of Don Juan
Movie • 1948
Capitão Alvarez
Delirious
Movie • 1991
Carter Hedison
Affair in Havana
Movie • 1957
Mallabee
A Cry in the Night
Movie • 1956
Harold Loftus
Desperate
Movie • 1947
Walt Radak
Station West
Movie • 1948
Lawyer Mark Bristow
Horizons West
Movie • 1952
Cord Hardin
Unmasked
Movie • 1950
Roger Lewis
They Were So Young
Movie • 1954
Jaime Coltos
The Whip Hand
Movie • 1951
Steve Loomis
I Love Trouble
Movie • 1948
Herb
Ruthless
Movie • 1948
Pete Vendig
Please Murder Me
Movie • 1956
Attorney Craig Carlson
Borderline
Movie • 1950
Pete Ritchie
Godzilla 1985
Movie • 1985
Steven Martin
Out of the Blue
Movie • 1981
Dr. Brean
Tomorrow Never Comes
Movie • 1978
Burke
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
Movie • 1956
Steve Martin
Perry Mason Returns
Movie • 1985
Perry Mason
Code of the West
Movie • 1947
Boyd Carter
Count Three and Pray
Movie • 1955
Yancey Huggins
Gorilla at Large
Movie • 1954
Cy Miller
You're Never Too Young
Movie • 1955
Noonan
Tarzan and the She-Devil
Movie • 1953
Vargo
San Quentin
Movie • 1946
Jeff Torrance
Sleep, My Love
Movie • 1948
Detective Sergeant Strake
Black Magic
Movie • 1949
Alexandre Dumas, Jr.
Mara Maru
Movie • 1952
Brock Benedict
Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter
Movie • 1991
Perry Mason
Casanova's Big Night
Movie • 1954
Bragadin
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer
Movie • 1990
Perry Mason
Great Day in the Morning
Movie • 1956
Jumbo Means
Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss
Movie • 1993
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride
Movie • 1992
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin
Movie • 1991
Perry Mason
The Amazing World of Psychic Phenomena
Movie • 1976
Himself (Narrator) (voice)
The Magic Carpet
Movie • 1951
Boreg al Buzzar
Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo
Movie • 1992
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
Movie • 1991
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal
Movie • 1993
Perry Mason
Disaster on the Coastliner
Movie • 1979
Estes Hill
Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel
Movie • 1987
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit
Movie • 1987
Perry Mason
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
Movie • 1957
Steve Martin
Passion
Movie • 1954
Captain Rodriguez
The Bandits of Corsica
Movie • 1953
Jonatto
FBI Girl
Movie • 1951
Blake
Key to the City
Movie • 1950
Les Taggart
The Brass Legend
Movie • 1956
Tris Hatten
Serpent of the Nile
Movie • 1953
Mark Antony
Bride of Vengeance
Movie • 1949
Michelotto
Meet Danny Wilson
Movie • 1952
Nick Driscoll
Khyber Patrol
Movie • 1954
Ahmed Shir
P.J.
Movie • 1968
William Orbison
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Movie • 1983
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ride The High Iron
Movie • 1956
Ziggy Moline
Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host
Movie • 1993
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun
Movie • 1986
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love
Movie • 1987
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star
Movie • 1986
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake
Movie • 1988
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam
Movie • 1987
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder
Movie • 1989
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson
Movie • 1989
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen
Movie • 1990
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter
Movie • 1990
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin
Movie • 1989
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception
Movie • 1990
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace
Movie • 1988
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion
Movie • 1991
Perry Mason
Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing
Movie • 1992
Perry Mason
M
Movie • 1951
Pottsy
Survival of Spaceship Earth
Movie • 1972
Self - Narrator
Fighting Father Dunne
Movie • 1948
Attorney in Trial Montage
New Mexico
Movie • 1951
Pvt. Anderson
Kingston
Movie • 1976
R.B. Kingston
Mallory: Circumstantial Evidence
Movie • 1976
Arthur Mallory
Showdown at Williams Creek
Movie • 1991
The Judge
Night of 100 Stars III
Movie • 1990
Self
A Star Shall Rise
Movie • 1952
Balthazar
The Curse of King Tut's Tomb
Movie • 1980
Jonash Sabastian
Love's Savage Fury
Movie • 1979
Lyle Taggart, Sr.
A Man Alone
Movie • 1955
Stanley
Secret of Treasure Mountain
Movie • 1956
Cash Larsen
Grass Roots
Movie • 1992
Judge Boggs
Thunder Pass
Movie • 1954
Tulsa
The Greer Case
Movie • 1957
Lester Friedman
Godzilla
Movie • 1977
Steve Martin
Desire in the Dust
Movie • 1960
Col. Ben Marquand
Fort Algiers
Movie • 1953
Amir
Without Reservations
Movie • 1946
Paul Gill (uncredited)
Ironside
Movie • 1967
Robert Ironside
Portrait: A Man Whose Name Was John
Movie • 1973
Angelo Roncalli, Pope John XXIII
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Movie • 1968
Self (uncredited)
The Return
Movie • 1980
Dr. Kramer
Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood
Movie • 1999
Self (archive footage)
FantastiCozzi
Movie • 2016
(archive footage)
The Night the City Screamed
Movie • 1980
The Mayor
Aliens from Spaceship Earth
Movie • 1977
Self
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Movie • 1954
Self
The Return of Ironside
Movie • 1993
Robert T. Dacier
The Jordan Chance
Movie • 1978
Frank Jordan
Split Second to an Epitaph
Movie • 1968
Robert Ironside
The House Without a Name
Movie • 1956
Doctor
Festival at Ford's
Movie • 1971
Self
Interrupted Morning
Movie • 1961
Narrator
The Priest Killer
Movie • 1971
Robert T. Ironside
The Immortal City
Movie • 1954
Narrator
Godzilla Resurrection
Movie • 2018
Steve Martin
When Sally Fell
Movie • 1962
Titans of Destruction: The Evolution of Giant Monster Movies
Movie • 2021
Self - (archive footage)
Keep U.S. Beautiful
Movie • 1973
Host
The Sonny and Cher Show
TV • 1976
Self
Donny & Marie
TV • 1976
Self
Dragnet
TV • 1951
Perry Mason
TV • 1957
Perry Mason
Centennial
TV • 1978
James Clark
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
TV • 1979
The Godfather
The Don Knotts Show
TV • 1970
Self
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
TV • 1969
Self
Kingston: Confidential
TV • 1977
R.B. Kingston
Lux Video Theatre
TV • 1950
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Dr. Sutton
Climax!
TV • 1954
Lieutenant Shea
The Flip Wilson Show
TV • 1970
Self
Eischied
TV • 1979
Police Commissioner
Tales of Tomorrow
TV • 1951
The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show
TV • 1968
Self
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
The Captain and Tennille
TV • 1976
Self - Guest
The Emmy Awards
TV • 1949
Self
Mr. & Mrs. North
TV • 1952
Charles
The 20th Century Fox Hour
TV • 1955
Major Tetley
It Takes a Thief
TV • 1968
SIA Bureau Chief
The Ford Television Theatre
TV • 1952
Red Lefwick
Dinah!
TV • 1974
Self
Lux Video Theatre
TV • 1950
Colby
Lux Video Theatre
TV • 1950
Dan Reynolds
Lux Video Theatre
TV • 1950
Major Blakestone
The Ed Sullivan Show
TV • 1948
Self
Four Star Playhouse
TV • 1952
Gonzales
Peter and Paul
TV • 1981
Herod Agrippa I
What's My Line?
TV • 1950
Self - Mystery Guest
Climax!
TV • 1954
Philip Moran
Climax!
TV • 1954
Sergeant Ben Gurnick
Keep US Beautiful
TV • 1973
self
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Malcolm Dwyer
Ironside
TV • 1967
Robert Ironside
79 Park Avenue
TV • 1977
Armand Perfido
Perry Mason Returns
TV • 1985
Perry Mason
The Red Skelton Show
TV • 1951
Man in Bathroom Mirror (uncredited)
The Red Skelton Show
TV • 1951
Rick Santy
The Bob Hope Show
TV • 1950
Self
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self
The Bastard
TV • 1978
Narrator (voice)