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Raymond Burr

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Raymond Burr was a famous actor who spent his life telling stories. He was born on May 21, 1917, in New Westminster, British Columbia. His father worked as a hardware salesman. His mother was a pianist and a music teacher.

Gravestone of Raymond Burr’s family in Canada
Gravestone of Raymond Burr’s family in Canada

Burr started his acting journey through the power of sound. He began acting on the radio when he was only 12 years old. He worked in San Francisco and later in Los Angeles. Radio was perfect for him because he had a magnificent voice. He could play romantic leads or scary villains just by speaking. He even starred in a Western radio show called Fort Laramie. In that show, he played a cavalry captain named Lee Quince.

Raymond burr ironside
Raymond burr ironside

As he moved into movies, Burr became known for playing the bad guy. This type of role is often called a film noir villain. He appeared in over 50 feature films between 1946 and 1957. He was in the movie Godzilla, King of the Monsters! He also had a famous role in the film Rear Window.

Burr-Rear-Window
Burr-Rear-Window

Even though he played villains, he was very good at making people feel for his characters. He could show many different layers of a person through his acting.

Television eventually made him a household name. He auditioned for a show called Perry Mason in 1956. To get the part, he even went on a crash diet. He played the lawyer Perry Mason for nine seasons from 1957 to 1966.

Perry-Mason-Look-1961
Perry-Mason-Look-1961

He won two Emmy Awards for his work on that show. He also starred in a second series called Ironside. That show earned him several more award nominations. Millions of people watched him on their television sets every week.

Burr's life was full of many different experiences. He worked as a ranch hand in New Mexico when he was young. He also joined the Civilian Conservation Corps for a year. Some parts of his early life are hard to prove with facts. However, his talent was very real to everyone who saw him. In 1996, TV Guide named him one of the 50 greatest TV stars ever. He passed away from liver cancer in 1993.

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🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:Burr-Rear-Window.jpg
Burr-Rear-Window.jpg
File:Perry-Mason-Look-1961.jpg
Perry-Mason-Look-1961.jpg
File:Raymond burr ironside.JPG
Raymond burr ironside.JPG
File:Kingston confidential premiere 1977.JPG
Kingston confidential premiere 1977.JPG
File:RaymondBurrVineyards.jpg
RaymondBurrVineyards.jpg
File:Bailey Matthews, Sanibel, Florida.JPG
Bailey Matthews, Sanibel, Florida.JPG
File:Gravestone of Raymond Burr’s family in Canada.jpg
Gravestone of Raymond Burr’s family in Canada.jpg
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