Even before becoming a TV star, Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason character, the flawless lawyer found its way on the big screen. However, those turns did not prove quite successful. Following the overwhelming success of the printed version of Perry Mason, Warner Brothers did not wait for long to purchase the film rights of a number of Gardner's books. In the year 1935, they released The Case of the Howling Dog, starring Warren William as Perry. The form was however not to Gardner's liking. In an interview given to the magazine in 1964, Gardner candidly charged Warners of ruining his hero. Even Warren William, the actor who represented Perry Mason, did not seem to like it. Once Powell scored great in The Thin Man, Warren William was compelled to act like a William Powell clone in the film. Warner Brothers claimed that their main intention was to capitalize on the most successful "sophisticated murder-comedy" trend triggered by The Thin Man. But contrary to their belief, neither their first Perry film nor the two others released during that year could capture the "big time" status.

Once again in 1936, Warners made an attempt through The Case of the Black Cat. This venture portrayed Ricardo Cortez, a Rudolph Valentino clone, as a kind of Latino Perry, which also bombed. In 1937 followed The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. This venture made Perry Mason fall flat while some experts at Warners set themselves to work with The Case of the Dangerous Dowager. The product was Western released in 1940, which was eventually retitled as Granny Get Your Gun. In this attempt, Perry Mason's character was totally written out. Therefore, Gardner could never excuse Hollywood.

Perry Mason tv serial is a sort of courtroom drama. During the very start, a murder is committed and the police arrest the wrong person. Following this, Perry is engaged for the defense. Perry and Paul investigate the case. The fancy footwork of Perry adds a great deal of interest to the storyline. While Perry solves the case, he succeeds in making the guilty party confess letting his client finally go free. Though there are several variations and tricks, ultimately this is the formula around which the episodes are made.