5/22/1966 Perry Mason's final fadeout

May 22, 1966.  On this evening millions of people tuned in to watch the 271st and last episode of Perry Mason, "The Case of the Final Fadeout."  Of course, Erle Stanley Gardner's great lawyer couldn't stay off the tube forever.  Monte Markham played him in a 1973 revival that flopped, but Raymond Burr returned starting in 1985 to play him in almost 30 TV movies.

Burr originally tried out for the part of Hamilton Burger but, supposedly, when Gardner saw him he said "That's Perry Mason!"  The TV audience certainly agreed.