As the star of Perry Mason, Raymond Burr had little time for anything else but his acting career. Those who were close to him lauded the actor's kindness and his great sense of humor, but much of Burr's life was dedicated to his work.

Perry Mason had a seemingly endless lifespan, not only exceeding expectations as a series but also living on after television through its many sequel films.

According to executive producer Gail Patrick Johnson, the filming schedule for Perry Mason was also nothing to sneeze at

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"It takes a year and six weeks to turn out a year's supply of Perry Mason episodes," said Johnson during an interview with The Ithaca Journal. "Thus far, we've never been able to beat the calendar year. Some day - who can tell - we may be able to come out ahead."

On a seemingly never-ending hamster wheel of work, Burr took his brief moments of freedom where he could.

"My social life has to be squeezed into the few hours I have on weekends," said Burr.

Despite all of his hard work, Burr was still able to keep a good sense of humor throughout his time on set. The actor was a notorious prankster who, according to his co-star, was extremely effective in boosting the morale of his castmates.

"Those gags are really a godsend," said Hale, who played Mason's secretary Della Street. "They usually occur around four o'clock. That's just the time when all of us are at our lowest point, and the relief it provides seems to pep us up and carry us through the remaining hours."