William Hopper, the actor who played the stalwart private detective Paul Drake on the hit 1957 legal drama "Perry Mason," was a notoriously prolific smoker, often seen with a cigarette hanging from his lips on camera. In 1970, Hopper suffered a stroke and succumbed to smoking-related health issues a month later. He was 55 years old.
As Paul Drake, Hopper was a cynic, a more grizzled presence built to balance Perry Mason's serious intellect. He was the Dr. McCoy to Perry Mason's Spock. For those unfamiliar with the series, "Perry Mason" was about a Los Angeles defense lawyer, played brilliantly by Raymond Burr, who was always careful to investigate the clients he was hired to defend. Typically, innocent people came to Mason, and he was always curious about the details of their case. Mason would always face off against the L.A. District Attorney Hamilton Burger (William Talman), who never won a case against him.
As Paul Drake, Hopper was a cynic, a more grizzled presence built to balance Perry Mason's serious intellect. He was the Dr. McCoy to Perry Mason's Spock. For those unfamiliar with the series, "Perry Mason" was about a Los Angeles defense lawyer, played brilliantly by Raymond Burr, who was always careful to investigate the clients he was hired to defend. Typically, innocent people came to Mason, and he was always curious about the details of their case. Mason would always face off against the L.A. District Attorney Hamilton Burger (William Talman), who never won a case against him.
- 4/13/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
1973: CBS aired the final episodes of Where the Heart Is and Love is a Many Splendored Thing.
1987: The Bold and the Beautiful premiered on CBS.
2004: All My Children and One Life to Live came together for a baby switch storyline."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1955: On Valiant Lady, Mickey wanted an explanation from Bonny.
1955: On The Inner Flame, Portia's former law partner offered her bail money for Walter.
1955: On the Brighter Days, Charlie Garrett told Reverend Dennis how the Garrett Bakery...
1987: The Bold and the Beautiful premiered on CBS.
2004: All My Children and One Life to Live came together for a baby switch storyline."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1955: On Valiant Lady, Mickey wanted an explanation from Bonny.
1955: On The Inner Flame, Portia's former law partner offered her bail money for Walter.
1955: On the Brighter Days, Charlie Garrett told Reverend Dennis how the Garrett Bakery...
- 3/26/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
2009: CBS aired the final episode of Guiding Light."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1967: Love is a Many Splendored Thing premiered on CBS. The network, which hadn't premiered a soap in seven years, enlisted Irna Phillips in adapting a serial very loosely from a famous novel and movie. Love is a Many Splendored Thing concerned the in-laws of the book's protagonist Mark Elliot, who intermarried with other surrounding families in San Francisco. A stylish and refreshing story, it was a fabulous stepping stone for David Birney, Donna Mills and Leslie Charleson, all beautiful and talented young performers.
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1967: Love is a Many Splendored Thing premiered on CBS. The network, which hadn't premiered a soap in seven years, enlisted Irna Phillips in adapting a serial very loosely from a famous novel and movie. Love is a Many Splendored Thing concerned the in-laws of the book's protagonist Mark Elliot, who intermarried with other surrounding families in San Francisco. A stylish and refreshing story, it was a fabulous stepping stone for David Birney, Donna Mills and Leslie Charleson, all beautiful and talented young performers.
- 9/18/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1973: CBS aired the final episodes of daytime soap operas
Where the Heart Is and Love is a Many Splendored Thing.
1987: The Bold and the Beautiful premiered on CBS.
2004: All My Children and One Life to Live came together for
a baby switch storyline."Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1955: On Valiant Lady, Mickey wanted an explanation from Bonny.
Where the Heart Is and Love is a Many Splendored Thing.
1987: The Bold and the Beautiful premiered on CBS.
2004: All My Children and One Life to Live came together for
a baby switch storyline."Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1955: On Valiant Lady, Mickey wanted an explanation from Bonny.
- 3/23/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
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