Perry Mason Star Raymond Burr Blazed Trails for Gay Actors and Hid Behd a Straight Tragedy

Contents:

• ‘PERRY MASON’ STAR RAYMOND BURR BLAZED TRAILS FOR GAY ACTORS—EVEN IF HE HID BEHD A STRAIGHT TRAGEDY
• THE APPARENTLY TE STORY OF THE MAN WHO SECURED GAY LOVERS FOR OLD HOLLYWOOD
• ‘PERRY MASON’ IS CRAFTG A REVOLUTNARY LBIAN LOVE STORYPROGRESSJENN TULLOCK, WHO PLAYS ANA OPPOSE JULIET RYLANCE’S DELLA, BREAKS DOWN THE REHGLY BETIFUL AND JOYO—AND FORBIDN—RELATNSHIP BETWEEN TWO WOMEN 1930S LOS ANGEL.EMMA FRASERUPDATED APR. 04, 2023 3:50AM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 03, 2023 10:09PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/HBOA YEAR BEFORE RAYMOND BURR FIRST PLAYED PERRY MASON, HE WAS ROMANTILLY LKED TO NATALIE WOOD. DAT TO AVOID SNDAL WAS A MON TACTIC HOLLYWOOD (AND PROBABLY STILL IS), AND THIS GOSSIP BENEFED BURR AND WOOD. THE LATTER WAS TRYG TO HI HER RELATNSHIP WH ROBERT WAGNER, AND BURR WOULD NEVER STAR PERRY MASON IF HIS SEXUALY WERE MA PUBLIC.MORE THAN 60 YEARS LATER, HBO’S GRTY—AND QUEER—REBOOT OF THE ERLE STANLEY GARDNER STORI FEATUR SOME ART IMATG LIFE, G SIAR TACTICS TO LK DELLA STREET (JULIET RYLANCE) AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY HATON “HAM” BURGER (JT KIRK) ORR TO PROTECT THEIR REPUTATNS. SET LOS ANGEL THE EARLY 1930S, THIS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL ARRANGEMENT SHIELDS DELLA OM PRYG MENTS ABOUT HER LACK OF A HBAND—AND HAM ABOUT HIS PERMANENT BACHELOR STAT—ALLOWG HER TO PURSUE A LEGAL REER ALONGSI ASSOCIATE PERRY MASON (MATTHEW RHYS).FOR A SHOW LOTED SO CLOSE TO HOLLYWOOD, THE GLAMORO MOVIE-MAKG BIZ HAD SO FAR ONLY EXISTED ON THE SEEDY PERIPHERY WHEN PERRY, HIS PI DAYS, TOOK SNAPS OF STARS PROMISG POSNS. TSELTOWN EDG CLOSER WHEN SUCCSFUL AND SELF-ASSURED SCREENWRER ANA ST. PIERRE ENTERS THE SERI A PUFF OF TURKISH CIGARETTE SMOKE, OFFERG DELLA RPE OM THE DARK CLOUD HANGG OVER THE OFFICE AND THE ROUTE OF HER RELATNSHIP WH HAND MOL HAZEL (MOLLY EPHRAIM).“THIS IS MY LBIAN PERD PIECE FANTASY,” JEN TULLOCK TELLS THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED ABOUT THE PALM SPRGS GETAWAY A RECENT EPISO OF PERRY MASON. IT HAS BEEN A BY 12-PL MONTHS FOR TULLOCK, WHO IS CURRENTLY SHOOTG THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SEND SEASON OF SEVERANCE—AND NNOT REVEAL ANYTHG OTHER THAN SAYG IS “NOTHG SHORT OF MD-BLOWG.” TULLOCK WAS A CELEBRATORY MOOD WHEN SHE TALKED TO OVER ZOOM OM HER WT VILLAGE APARTMENT, AS SHE HAD JT RETURNED OM THE FAL LEG OF AWARD SEASON LA, WHERE SEVERANCE PICKED UP TWO WGA AWARDS. IN THE TWISTY APPLE TV+ DRAMA, TULLOCK PLAYS MARK’S (ADAM STT) SUPPORTIVE SISTER DEVON, AND IS ONE OF THE ONLY CHARACTERS NOT PRIVY TO THE NER WORKGS OF LUMON INDTRI.PERRY MASON IS A WORLD AWAY OM HER WORK ON SEVERANCE, MORE WAYS THAN S GROUND HISTORIL SETTG. “I HAVEN’T GOTTEN TO PLAY MANY QUEER CHARACTERS AS A GAY PERSON, SO THAT WAS PERSONALLY SPECIAL,” SHE SAYS. TULLOCK MENTNS THE “CRAZY BATN OF PERSONAL VARIABL” THIS JOB REPRENTS. NOT ONLY DID SHE WATCH THE ORIGAL PERRY MASON WH HER GRANDPARENTS WHEN WAS SYNDITN, BUT SHE ALSO “GREW UP ON FILMS MA THAT ERA.” STEPPG ONTO THE WARNER BROS. LOT FULL ’30S HAIR AND MAKP WAS “THE MOST TANGIBLE VERSN OF CHILDHOOD DREAMS G TE.” THAT UPLED WH TELLG “A QUEER LOVE STORY THAT PERD WAS WILD.”CAPTURG THE REALI OF SOMEONE OM THE LGBTQ+ MUNY LIVG (AND LOVG) DURG THIS TIME WAS AT THE FOREONT OF THE NVERSATN. “I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE REMR OF MY FOREMOTHERS—FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM,” SHE SAYS. TULLOCK ALSO REFLECTS ON THE CHASM BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, BUT WH A VEAT: “I HOPE [THIS] IS A REMR OF HOW FAR WE'VE E BUT ALSO HOW FAR WE STILL HAVE TO GO MAKG SURE THAT ANY PERSON UNR THE QUEER BANNER IS ABLE TO LIVE LOUDLY AND SAFELY.”PERRY MASON’S FOURTH EPISO IS A BREATH OF H AIR BEE ALLOWS TO SEE THIS UPLE RELAXG ANA’S SECLUD RINCE, WHERE THE PERVASIVE THREAT OF BEG DISVERED IS FOTTEN. THE EPISO IS ABOUT “WHAT DO LOOK LIKE ATHETILLY TO CRAWL SI OF AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS SUDNLY WARM AND TENR AND NOT AAID AND LD,” TULLOCK SAYS.THE REAL-LIFE INSPIRATNSEVERAL CHARACTERS SEASON 2 OF PERRY MASON ARE SPIRED BY REAL FIGUR. TULLOCK’S CHARACTER IS LOOSELY BASED ON THE FORMIDABLE ANA LOOS, A NOVELIST (GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONS), PLAYWRIGHT, AND SCREENWRER THE HEADY EARLY DAYS OF HOLLYWOOD. “SHE WAS A TOTAL BADASS AND HAD TO FIGHT TREMENDOLY TO WORK HER WAY UP. AS SUCH, [SHE] HAD TO PLAY A B LIKE ONE OF THE BOYS,” SAYS TULLOCK. THE ACTRS READ LOOS’ MEMOIR A GIRL LIKE I AS PREPARATN FOR THIS SEASON. TO HER KNOWLEDGE, LOOS WAS NOT QUEER. “I KNOW SHE WAS MARRIED THRICE TO MEN. I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF SHE HAD SOME LADY LOVERS ON THE SI—SHE GAVE ME KD OF A QUEER VIBE.” (A NVERSATN INTERVIEW MAGAZE ALSO NFIRMS THAT LOOS WENT TO AT LEAST ONE LBIAN CKTAIL SOIREE WH THE LIK OF ELSA MAXWELL, AND LOOS’ REMARKS SPEAK TO THE QUEER DG OF THE TIME.)TULLOCK WORKED CLOSELY WH STUME SIGNER CATHERE ADAIR ON ANA’S LOOK, PECIALLY THKG ABOUT WHEN ANA WOULD BE PANTS: “THE ONLY TIME WE SEE ANA TROERS IS WHEN SHE HAS LEFT WORK HER VEHICLE AND THEN GO TO HER HOME. WE HAD TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHEN SHE WAS PANTS BEE WHAT WOULD THAT SIGNAL?”ANA ST. PIERRE IS, THEREFORE, AN “AMALGAMATN OF QUEER WOMEN 1933 AND THIS SPECIFIC HISTORIL CHARACTER,” WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR WOMEN SCREENWRERS TSELTOWN. TULLOCK TRIED OUT LOOS' “INIC, VERY SHORT POST-FLAPPER JET BLACK BOB” THE HAIR AND MAKP TRAILER, BUT END UP LOOKG TOO NTEMPORARY. “I LOOKED AT THE MIRROR; I SAID, ‘FRIENDS, THIS IS A BETIFUL WIG. I LOOK LIKE KENDALL JENNER. YOU N’T FIGHT ME ON THAT BEE NOW NONE OF YOU N UNSEE ,’” SHE RELLS.INSTEAD OF TRYG TO EMULATE LOOS, -STAR RYLANCE SUGGTED TULLOCK E HER OWN HAIR “BEE OF THE CURLS.” AS A BR, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN’T MENTN TULLOCK’S PCH-PERFECT IMPERSONATN OF RYLANCE’S ENGLISH ACCENT, “SHE HAS A VERY POSH ONE. IT’S VERY SPECIFIC, ‘HI, HI EVERYONE, HOW ARE YOU, HI, HELLO.’ I WOULD ROAST HER ENDLSLY ON SET BY IMPERSONATG HER.” TULLOCK ADMS THIS CHOICE HAS PROS AND NS: “IT FELT THENTIC, AND I THK RMED HOW I WALKED AND RRIED MYSELF BEE WHEN YOU’RE WIGGED, YOU ARE NSC OF . BUT DID MEAN I WAS LLED TWO HOURS EARLIER THAN EVERYONE ELSE.”THE BATHROOM MEET-CUTETURNG BACK THE CLOCK TO ’30S LOS ANGEL ISN’T ONLY ABOUT DIALOGUE, STUM, AND PRODUCTN SIGN; ALSO RMS THE LOGISTICS OF THIS BURGEONG ROMANCE. “JULIET AND I TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHERE DELLA AND ANA WERE THEIR CREDIBLY SECRET LOVE LIV,” SHE SAYS. “HOW THAT SECRECY AND DANGER OF BEG OUTED RMS HOW THEY FLIRT, HOW QUEER DG WORKS 1933, AND WHAT A FLIRTATN ULD EVEN LOOK LIKE THAT WAY.”TAKE THEIR FIRST ENUNTER A PLH RTRANT POWR ROOM. “THERE WERE LOOKS, GLANC, AND MOMENTS THAT QUEER PEOPLE ED TO SIGNAL, AND WE WORKED HARD BUILDG THOSE —THEY’RE SUBTLE, BUT THEY’RE THERE,” TULLOCK SAYS. ON DELLA’S WAY TO THE BATHROOM, SHE HOLDS ANA’S GAZE, AND “THAT WAS ALL ANA NEED TO GET UP AND FOLLOW HER .” THIS IS ALSO NOT ANA’S FIRST ROO, AND TULLOCK A NTEMPORARY REFERENCE TO HER CHARACTER’S LOTHAR APPROACH TO DATG. “I IMAGED SHE HAS HAD MANY LOVERS, PROBABLY MOST OF THEM ACTRS, PROBABLY MOST OF THEM YOUNG ACTRS—I THK SHE’S A B OF A LEONARDO DICAPR IF I'M HONT,” SHE SAYS. BEFORE THIS MEET-CUTE WH DELLA, ANA HAS “KEPT HERSELF OM NNECTG WH SOMEONE.” IN PART, THIS IS “A SAFEGUARD AROUND BEG FOUND OUT AS A GAY WOMAN.” OVER THE URSE OF THE SEASON, TULLOCK PICTS HOW ANA QUICKLY FALLS FOR DELLA, WHICH IS A PARTURE OM HER SELF-ASSURED, “CURATED MALE SEXUALY THE WAY THAT SHE FLIRTS.”LATE-NIGHT PHONE LLS TURN TO LATE-NIGHT VISS TO DELLA’S WORKPLACE WH MUCH-NEED FUEL (CIGARETT AND DNER), AND ADL ARE FOTTEN. THEN THERE’S THE KISS. TULLOCK TALKED TO DIRECTOR JSI LOWERY ABOUT THE CHARACTER’S UNEXPECTED REACTN TO THIS FIRST KISS, WHICH HAPPENS EPISO 3. “WHAT HAPPENS IF SHE WALKS THERE WH ALL OF THIS GTO, BRGG HER FOOD, AND THE SEND DELLA KISS HER, SHE IS SO SRED AND TAKEN ABACK?’” ANA’S “YOU MA ME BLH” MENT WAS IMPROVISED BY TULLOCK “BEE I WAS BLHG, I FELT THAT CHARACTER.”THE PALM SPRGS GETAWAYTHE TIMACY AND TENRNS OF THIS SCENE ARE AT ODDS WH THE DANGER THAT THIS LOTN POSSS. MUCH LIKE THE RTRANT POWR ROOM, THE OFFICE GETS A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC, AND DELLA DON’T WANT TO GIVE AMMUNN TO THE POWERFUL FORC THEY ARE FIGHTG. THEIR TRIP TO PALM SPRGS POTS TO HOW THEY N BREAK EE OF Y SUBTEXT, WHILE STILL ACKNOWLEDGG THE ERA'S REALI. “I THK THE WAY WHICH WE SEE THEM ENTER A RELATNSHIP THAT TIME IS BOTH RPECTFUL OF HOW PEOPLE WOULD HAVE HAD TO DO , AND ALSO STILL ALLOWS TO STEP TO THEIR TIMATE WORLD AS THEY BEE A UPLE,” SAYS TULLOCK.MY MD GO TO CAREY MULLIGAN’S “LBIAN PERD DRAMA” SKETCH ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, AND TULLOCK IMMEDIATELY C THE WASHG RROTS MOMENT. “THAT SNL SKETCH WAS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT THGS I’VE EVER SEEN BEE WAS ALL TOO ACCURATE. THE IA THAT TWO FEMALE PEOPLE FALLG LOVE WH EACH OTHER IS JT FURTIVE GLANC,” SHE SAYS. WHILE SHE QUICKLY NOT THAT SHE IS A BIG FAN OF THE MOVI REFERENCED BY SNL, SHE ALSO SPEAKS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE WORKG ON PERRY MASON. “I WAS SO GRATEFUL WE HAD FOUR BRILLIANT DIRECTORS, AND TWO OF THEM HAPPENED TO BE QUEER WOMEN,” SHE SAYS. “ALL FOUR DIRECTORS HANDLED THE STORY WH SUCH RE, EASE, AND RPECT EQUAL MEASURE, BUT WAS SPECIAL TO HAVE NVERSATNS WH TWO QUEER FEMALE DIRECTORS [LOWREY AND MARIALY RIVAS] ABOUT THIS.” TULLOCK RELLS HER FIRST NVERSATN WH RIVAS (WHO DIRECTS EPISOS 5 AND 6), WHO SAID SHE WAS KEEN TO PICT SEXUALY AND “VULNERABILY THAT ISN'T A TRAGEDY.” AGA, IS ABOUT BALANCG THE REALY OF 1933 WHILE GIVG SPACE TO PLAYFUL (AND SEXY) MOMENTS, LIKE WAKG UP BED TOGETHER THE NEXT MORNG A STATE OF UNDRS. LET’S NOT FET PERRY GOT FUCKED OFF A BED SEASON 1 AND IS NOW ENGAGG A NEW ROMANCE WH HIS SON’S TEACHER (PLAYED BY KATHERE WATERSTON).ANA’S HOE PALM SPRGS ALLOWS THIS UPLE TO OPEN UP BEE IS “THE FIRST TIME WE SEE THEM A SPACE THAT’S SAFE, WHERE THERE ISN’T THE THREAT OF PEOPLE WALKG , OR BEG FOUND OUT.” THIS TRANSLAT VAR WAYS, OM THE SOFTER LOR PALETTE TO THE “BIG, GEO, CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD SUNSET KISS.” LOWRY ALSO DIRECTED THIS STALLMENT, WHICH MOV THE RELATNSHIP OM THE OFFICE SMOOCH TO OKG BREAKFAST (OR ATTEMPTG) FOR A NEW LOVER. “WE WANT THIS TO FEEL LIKE ’S ABOUT TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTIVELY HAVG SEX WH EACH OTHER,” SAYS TULLOCK.“ULTIMATELY, LOVE IS LOVE. I FEEL SO WARM AND TENR ABOUT THIS LTLE LOVE STORY THAT WE CUBATED TOGETHER, AND I’M VERY PROUD OF ,” SHE SAYS.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. EMMA FRASER
• GAY HISTORY: RAYMOND BURR’S SECRET LIFE
• HOW ‘PERRY MASON’ TACKLED QUEERNS WH A CONTEMPORARY LENS: “YOU’VE BEEN GAY, BUT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN GAY THE 1930S”

‘PERRY MASON’ STAR RAYMOND BURR BLAZED TRAILS FOR GAY ACTORS—EVEN IF HE HID BEHD A STRAIGHT TRAGEDY

Beg a gay uple isn’t accepted by many societi  2020, now jt thgs how thgs were the 1960s. Robert Benevis‘ gay partner Raymond Burr might no longer be together wh as he died on September 12, 1993, but the streets won’t fet his works on televisn.

The gay uple first met on the sets of Perry Mason  1960 on the set of ‘Perry Mason. Benevis and his partner Burr never got married, but they were proud of their relatnship and reprentatn of the gay muny the tradnal society. Robert Benevis was the gay partner of Raymond Burr.

So, now that his love life is revealed more, we fally have the answer to whether Perry Mason was gay and who was his love tert. Perry Mason is not gay. From the 1930s to this day, there have been many portrayals of his character; any of them, Mason is not scribed as gay.

THE APPARENTLY TE STORY OF THE MAN WHO SECURED GAY LOVERS FOR OLD HOLLYWOOD

Perry Mason wasn’t gay.

No, Perry Mason is not gay; he wasn’t gay any eratn of his character and is not gay HBO’s Perry Mason show, eher. Now I want to share wh you why there were mors that Perry Mason was gay. The mors regardg Mason’s homosexualy started when Raymond Burr portrayed Perry Mason.

Raymond Burr was a closeted homosexual. He hid that fact to protect his reer sce he worked and lived at different tim when beg a homosexual was ntroversial. Portra of Actor Raymond Burr, cir 1950 | Photo: Getty ImagHowever, the inic actor had to say those li bee of the fear that he would lose his role as Perry Mason and his whole reer if people found out he was gay and had a male lover.

‘PERRY MASON’ IS CRAFTG A REVOLUTNARY LBIAN LOVE STORYPROGRESSJENN TULLOCK, WHO PLAYS ANA OPPOSE JULIET RYLANCE’S DELLA, BREAKS DOWN THE REHGLY BETIFUL AND JOYO—AND FORBIDN—RELATNSHIP BETWEEN TWO WOMEN 1930S LOS ANGEL.EMMA FRASERUPDATED APR. 04, 2023 3:50AM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 03, 2023 10:09PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/HBOA YEAR BEFORE RAYMOND BURR FIRST PLAYED PERRY MASON, HE WAS ROMANTILLY LKED TO NATALIE WOOD. DAT TO AVOID SNDAL WAS A MON TACTIC HOLLYWOOD (AND PROBABLY STILL IS), AND THIS GOSSIP BENEFED BURR AND WOOD. THE LATTER WAS TRYG TO HI HER RELATNSHIP WH ROBERT WAGNER, AND BURR WOULD NEVER STAR PERRY MASON IF HIS SEXUALY WERE MA PUBLIC.MORE THAN 60 YEARS LATER, HBO’S GRTY—AND QUEER—REBOOT OF THE ERLE STANLEY GARDNER STORI FEATUR SOME ART IMATG LIFE, G SIAR TACTICS TO LK DELLA STREET (JULIET RYLANCE) AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY HATON “HAM” BURGER (JT KIRK) ORR TO PROTECT THEIR REPUTATNS. SET LOS ANGEL THE EARLY 1930S, THIS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL ARRANGEMENT SHIELDS DELLA OM PRYG MENTS ABOUT HER LACK OF A HBAND—AND HAM ABOUT HIS PERMANENT BACHELOR STAT—ALLOWG HER TO PURSUE A LEGAL REER ALONGSI ASSOCIATE PERRY MASON (MATTHEW RHYS).FOR A SHOW LOTED SO CLOSE TO HOLLYWOOD, THE GLAMORO MOVIE-MAKG BIZ HAD SO FAR ONLY EXISTED ON THE SEEDY PERIPHERY WHEN PERRY, HIS PI DAYS, TOOK SNAPS OF STARS PROMISG POSNS. TSELTOWN EDG CLOSER WHEN SUCCSFUL AND SELF-ASSURED SCREENWRER ANA ST. PIERRE ENTERS THE SERI A PUFF OF TURKISH CIGARETTE SMOKE, OFFERG DELLA RPE OM THE DARK CLOUD HANGG OVER THE OFFICE AND THE ROUTE OF HER RELATNSHIP WH HAND MOL HAZEL (MOLLY EPHRAIM).“THIS IS MY LBIAN PERD PIECE FANTASY,” JEN TULLOCK TELLS THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED ABOUT THE PALM SPRGS GETAWAY A RECENT EPISO OF PERRY MASON. IT HAS BEEN A BY 12-PL MONTHS FOR TULLOCK, WHO IS CURRENTLY SHOOTG THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SEND SEASON OF SEVERANCE—AND NNOT REVEAL ANYTHG OTHER THAN SAYG IS “NOTHG SHORT OF MD-BLOWG.” TULLOCK WAS A CELEBRATORY MOOD WHEN SHE TALKED TO OVER ZOOM OM HER WT VILLAGE APARTMENT, AS SHE HAD JT RETURNED OM THE FAL LEG OF AWARD SEASON LA, WHERE SEVERANCE PICKED UP TWO WGA AWARDS. IN THE TWISTY APPLE TV+ DRAMA, TULLOCK PLAYS MARK’S (ADAM STT) SUPPORTIVE SISTER DEVON, AND IS ONE OF THE ONLY CHARACTERS NOT PRIVY TO THE NER WORKGS OF LUMON INDTRI.PERRY MASON IS A WORLD AWAY OM HER WORK ON SEVERANCE, MORE WAYS THAN S GROUND HISTORIL SETTG. “I HAVEN’T GOTTEN TO PLAY MANY QUEER CHARACTERS AS A GAY PERSON, SO THAT WAS PERSONALLY SPECIAL,” SHE SAYS. TULLOCK MENTNS THE “CRAZY BATN OF PERSONAL VARIABL” THIS JOB REPRENTS. NOT ONLY DID SHE WATCH THE ORIGAL PERRY MASON WH HER GRANDPARENTS WHEN WAS SYNDITN, BUT SHE ALSO “GREW UP ON FILMS MA THAT ERA.” STEPPG ONTO THE WARNER BROS. LOT FULL ’30S HAIR AND MAKP WAS “THE MOST TANGIBLE VERSN OF CHILDHOOD DREAMS G TE.” THAT UPLED WH TELLG “A QUEER LOVE STORY THAT PERD WAS WILD.”CAPTURG THE REALI OF SOMEONE OM THE LGBTQ+ MUNY LIVG (AND LOVG) DURG THIS TIME WAS AT THE FOREONT OF THE NVERSATN. “I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE REMR OF MY FOREMOTHERS—FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM,” SHE SAYS. TULLOCK ALSO REFLECTS ON THE CHASM BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, BUT WH A VEAT: “I HOPE [THIS] IS A REMR OF HOW FAR WE'VE E BUT ALSO HOW FAR WE STILL HAVE TO GO MAKG SURE THAT ANY PERSON UNR THE QUEER BANNER IS ABLE TO LIVE LOUDLY AND SAFELY.”PERRY MASON’S FOURTH EPISO IS A BREATH OF H AIR BEE ALLOWS TO SEE THIS UPLE RELAXG ANA’S SECLUD RINCE, WHERE THE PERVASIVE THREAT OF BEG DISVERED IS FOTTEN. THE EPISO IS ABOUT “WHAT DO LOOK LIKE ATHETILLY TO CRAWL SI OF AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS SUDNLY WARM AND TENR AND NOT AAID AND LD,” TULLOCK SAYS.THE REAL-LIFE INSPIRATNSEVERAL CHARACTERS SEASON 2 OF PERRY MASON ARE SPIRED BY REAL FIGUR. TULLOCK’S CHARACTER IS LOOSELY BASED ON THE FORMIDABLE ANA LOOS, A NOVELIST (GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONS), PLAYWRIGHT, AND SCREENWRER THE HEADY EARLY DAYS OF HOLLYWOOD. “SHE WAS A TOTAL BADASS AND HAD TO FIGHT TREMENDOLY TO WORK HER WAY UP. AS SUCH, [SHE] HAD TO PLAY A B LIKE ONE OF THE BOYS,” SAYS TULLOCK. THE ACTRS READ LOOS’ MEMOIR A GIRL LIKE I AS PREPARATN FOR THIS SEASON. TO HER KNOWLEDGE, LOOS WAS NOT QUEER. “I KNOW SHE WAS MARRIED THRICE TO MEN. I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF SHE HAD SOME LADY LOVERS ON THE SI—SHE GAVE ME KD OF A QUEER VIBE.” (A NVERSATN INTERVIEW MAGAZE ALSO NFIRMS THAT LOOS WENT TO AT LEAST ONE LBIAN CKTAIL SOIREE WH THE LIK OF ELSA MAXWELL, AND LOOS’ REMARKS SPEAK TO THE QUEER DG OF THE TIME.)TULLOCK WORKED CLOSELY WH STUME SIGNER CATHERE ADAIR ON ANA’S LOOK, PECIALLY THKG ABOUT WHEN ANA WOULD BE PANTS: “THE ONLY TIME WE SEE ANA TROERS IS WHEN SHE HAS LEFT WORK HER VEHICLE AND THEN GO TO HER HOME. WE HAD TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHEN SHE WAS PANTS BEE WHAT WOULD THAT SIGNAL?”ANA ST. PIERRE IS, THEREFORE, AN “AMALGAMATN OF QUEER WOMEN 1933 AND THIS SPECIFIC HISTORIL CHARACTER,” WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR WOMEN SCREENWRERS TSELTOWN. TULLOCK TRIED OUT LOOS' “INIC, VERY SHORT POST-FLAPPER JET BLACK BOB” THE HAIR AND MAKP TRAILER, BUT END UP LOOKG TOO NTEMPORARY. “I LOOKED AT THE MIRROR; I SAID, ‘FRIENDS, THIS IS A BETIFUL WIG. I LOOK LIKE KENDALL JENNER. YOU N’T FIGHT ME ON THAT BEE NOW NONE OF YOU N UNSEE ,’” SHE RELLS.INSTEAD OF TRYG TO EMULATE LOOS, -STAR RYLANCE SUGGTED TULLOCK E HER OWN HAIR “BEE OF THE CURLS.” AS A BR, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN’T MENTN TULLOCK’S PCH-PERFECT IMPERSONATN OF RYLANCE’S ENGLISH ACCENT, “SHE HAS A VERY POSH ONE. IT’S VERY SPECIFIC, ‘HI, HI EVERYONE, HOW ARE YOU, HI, HELLO.’ I WOULD ROAST HER ENDLSLY ON SET BY IMPERSONATG HER.” TULLOCK ADMS THIS CHOICE HAS PROS AND NS: “IT FELT THENTIC, AND I THK RMED HOW I WALKED AND RRIED MYSELF BEE WHEN YOU’RE WIGGED, YOU ARE NSC OF . BUT DID MEAN I WAS LLED TWO HOURS EARLIER THAN EVERYONE ELSE.”THE BATHROOM MEET-CUTETURNG BACK THE CLOCK TO ’30S LOS ANGEL ISN’T ONLY ABOUT DIALOGUE, STUM, AND PRODUCTN SIGN; ALSO RMS THE LOGISTICS OF THIS BURGEONG ROMANCE. “JULIET AND I TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHERE DELLA AND ANA WERE THEIR CREDIBLY SECRET LOVE LIV,” SHE SAYS. “HOW THAT SECRECY AND DANGER OF BEG OUTED RMS HOW THEY FLIRT, HOW QUEER DG WORKS 1933, AND WHAT A FLIRTATN ULD EVEN LOOK LIKE THAT WAY.”TAKE THEIR FIRST ENUNTER A PLH RTRANT POWR ROOM. “THERE WERE LOOKS, GLANC, AND MOMENTS THAT QUEER PEOPLE ED TO SIGNAL, AND WE WORKED HARD BUILDG THOSE —THEY’RE SUBTLE, BUT THEY’RE THERE,” TULLOCK SAYS. ON DELLA’S WAY TO THE BATHROOM, SHE HOLDS ANA’S GAZE, AND “THAT WAS ALL ANA NEED TO GET UP AND FOLLOW HER .” THIS IS ALSO NOT ANA’S FIRST ROO, AND TULLOCK A NTEMPORARY REFERENCE TO HER CHARACTER’S LOTHAR APPROACH TO DATG. “I IMAGED SHE HAS HAD MANY LOVERS, PROBABLY MOST OF THEM ACTRS, PROBABLY MOST OF THEM YOUNG ACTRS—I THK SHE’S A B OF A LEONARDO DICAPR IF I'M HONT,” SHE SAYS. BEFORE THIS MEET-CUTE WH DELLA, ANA HAS “KEPT HERSELF OM NNECTG WH SOMEONE.” IN PART, THIS IS “A SAFEGUARD AROUND BEG FOUND OUT AS A GAY WOMAN.” OVER THE URSE OF THE SEASON, TULLOCK PICTS HOW ANA QUICKLY FALLS FOR DELLA, WHICH IS A PARTURE OM HER SELF-ASSURED, “CURATED MALE SEXUALY THE WAY THAT SHE FLIRTS.”LATE-NIGHT PHONE LLS TURN TO LATE-NIGHT VISS TO DELLA’S WORKPLACE WH MUCH-NEED FUEL (CIGARETT AND DNER), AND ADL ARE FOTTEN. THEN THERE’S THE KISS. TULLOCK TALKED TO DIRECTOR JSI LOWERY ABOUT THE CHARACTER’S UNEXPECTED REACTN TO THIS FIRST KISS, WHICH HAPPENS EPISO 3. “WHAT HAPPENS IF SHE WALKS THERE WH ALL OF THIS GTO, BRGG HER FOOD, AND THE SEND DELLA KISS HER, SHE IS SO SRED AND TAKEN ABACK?’” ANA’S “YOU MA ME BLH” MENT WAS IMPROVISED BY TULLOCK “BEE I WAS BLHG, I FELT THAT CHARACTER.”THE PALM SPRGS GETAWAYTHE TIMACY AND TENRNS OF THIS SCENE ARE AT ODDS WH THE DANGER THAT THIS LOTN POSSS. MUCH LIKE THE RTRANT POWR ROOM, THE OFFICE GETS A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC, AND DELLA DON’T WANT TO GIVE AMMUNN TO THE POWERFUL FORC THEY ARE FIGHTG. THEIR TRIP TO PALM SPRGS POTS TO HOW THEY N BREAK EE OF Y SUBTEXT, WHILE STILL ACKNOWLEDGG THE ERA'S REALI. “I THK THE WAY WHICH WE SEE THEM ENTER A RELATNSHIP THAT TIME IS BOTH RPECTFUL OF HOW PEOPLE WOULD HAVE HAD TO DO , AND ALSO STILL ALLOWS TO STEP TO THEIR TIMATE WORLD AS THEY BEE A UPLE,” SAYS TULLOCK.MY MD GO TO CAREY MULLIGAN’S “LBIAN PERD DRAMA” SKETCH ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, AND TULLOCK IMMEDIATELY C THE WASHG RROTS MOMENT. “THAT SNL SKETCH WAS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT THGS I’VE EVER SEEN BEE WAS ALL TOO ACCURATE. THE IA THAT TWO FEMALE PEOPLE FALLG LOVE WH EACH OTHER IS JT FURTIVE GLANC,” SHE SAYS. WHILE SHE QUICKLY NOT THAT SHE IS A BIG FAN OF THE MOVI REFERENCED BY SNL, SHE ALSO SPEAKS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE WORKG ON PERRY MASON. “I WAS SO GRATEFUL WE HAD FOUR BRILLIANT DIRECTORS, AND TWO OF THEM HAPPENED TO BE QUEER WOMEN,” SHE SAYS. “ALL FOUR DIRECTORS HANDLED THE STORY WH SUCH RE, EASE, AND RPECT EQUAL MEASURE, BUT WAS SPECIAL TO HAVE NVERSATNS WH TWO QUEER FEMALE DIRECTORS [LOWREY AND MARIALY RIVAS] ABOUT THIS.” TULLOCK RELLS HER FIRST NVERSATN WH RIVAS (WHO DIRECTS EPISOS 5 AND 6), WHO SAID SHE WAS KEEN TO PICT SEXUALY AND “VULNERABILY THAT ISN'T A TRAGEDY.” AGA, IS ABOUT BALANCG THE REALY OF 1933 WHILE GIVG SPACE TO PLAYFUL (AND SEXY) MOMENTS, LIKE WAKG UP BED TOGETHER THE NEXT MORNG A STATE OF UNDRS. LET’S NOT FET PERRY GOT FUCKED OFF A BED SEASON 1 AND IS NOW ENGAGG A NEW ROMANCE WH HIS SON’S TEACHER (PLAYED BY KATHERE WATERSTON).ANA’S HOE PALM SPRGS ALLOWS THIS UPLE TO OPEN UP BEE IS “THE FIRST TIME WE SEE THEM A SPACE THAT’S SAFE, WHERE THERE ISN’T THE THREAT OF PEOPLE WALKG , OR BEG FOUND OUT.” THIS TRANSLAT VAR WAYS, OM THE SOFTER LOR PALETTE TO THE “BIG, GEO, CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD SUNSET KISS.” LOWRY ALSO DIRECTED THIS STALLMENT, WHICH MOV THE RELATNSHIP OM THE OFFICE SMOOCH TO OKG BREAKFAST (OR ATTEMPTG) FOR A NEW LOVER. “WE WANT THIS TO FEEL LIKE ’S ABOUT TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTIVELY HAVG SEX WH EACH OTHER,” SAYS TULLOCK.“ULTIMATELY, LOVE IS LOVE. I FEEL SO WARM AND TENR ABOUT THIS LTLE LOVE STORY THAT WE CUBATED TOGETHER, AND I’M VERY PROUD OF ,” SHE SAYS.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. EMMA FRASER

Dpe the risk he faced if the tails of his private life ever beme known, Burr lived unr the radar as a closeted gay man. Perry isn’t a queer in like RuPl or Ellen or Elton—but the kids gettg to HBO’s Perry Mason should know their history and know the character’s place wh the gay non.

Perry Mason serv a ltle regnn durg Pri bee of the actor most associated wh the role: Raymond Burr, one of the first—if not the first—gay actors to ever star the lead role of a succsful TV seri. Blanche Deverex’s gay brother) played him a short-lived ’70s TV revival, and Matthew Rhys is the current Mason. Burr was also gay, and he achieved a level of notoriety on televisn that was unrivaled by every other gay TV actor of the era(s)—and like all of his gay peers, Burr was also eply closeted.

GAY HISTORY: RAYMOND BURR’S SECRET LIFE

To put Burr’s imposg stature ntext, of urse there were closeted gay actors workg on televisn when Burr land the lead role of Mason 1957. It’s speculated that Burr or his people paid money to tone down the story om “Raymond Burr hooks up wh gay male bartenr” to “Raymond Burr unknowgly kiss a drag queen. In Burr’s se, his tth was gayer and greater than his fictn.

I was left thkg about the gay role mols I never had — who were right ont of me.I realized there was missn Burr’s work. This is a story, I realized, about a gay lawyer who keeps quiet about .The story was then a ltle funny.

Christians were out sultg the evil homosexuals— sermons, Sunday school class and potlucks and everywhere Christians gather. Then they me home to watch their favore gay lawyer show, as he tri teach them how to see.He shows you this is a world full of li, that everyone is lyg, if jt to themselv. He picts Old Hollywood as teemg wh closeted gay stars willg to pay for discreet sex bee they were worried about morals cls, stud snch, Confintial magaze and those self-appoted Hollywood watchdogs, lumnists Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper.

HOW ‘PERRY MASON’ TACKLED QUEERNS WH A CONTEMPORARY LENS: “YOU’VE BEEN GAY, BUT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN GAY THE 1930S”

G., that Charl Lghton liked sh sandwich, that the De and Duchs of Wdsor were both gay, that Cole Porter would suck off as many as 15 young men at a time — heavily sanized. Y, Bowers equently “troduced” young gay guys to olr men like Burr. In fact, Benevis nfirmed three of the most ntroversial claims Full Service: that Bowers, now 88, was the go-to procurer for many Hollywood stars — gay and straight — the pre-sexual revolutn, pre-AIDS, pre-Craigslist, postwar era; that he gladly shared his sex partners of both genrs; and that he was not a “pimp” the tradnal sense bee he llected money only when he personally serviced the ctomer.

) “It ma me look very gay, like I was the No. 1 gay person Hollywood. Story reads like a pre-Facebook versn of iendg: Once he “tricked” Pidgeon, Pidgeon told all his gay iends about his new iend, Stty.