The Scandals and Heartache of 'Perry Mason' Actor William Talman: 5 Decades After His Tragic Death

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Actor William Talman was born on February 4, 1915, in Detroit, Michigan, and died from lung cancer in Los Angeles on August 30, 1968. He was best known as District Attorney Hamilton Berger on TV's long-running legal series, Perry Mason (CBS, 1957 to 1966). Berger never won a case on the show, and Talman had legal issues with the law behind the scenes. This is his story.

A Closer Look

William Talman was born the first son of Ada B. Talman and William Talman, Sr., who was the vice president of an electrical company that manufactured industrial heat-measuring recording devices and yachts. The family had money, and subsequently, young William would be driven to school in a limousine. Unfortunately, that led to more than just a few physical altercations with jealous classmates.

In the early 1940s, Talman commenced his acting career on Broadway in plays like Yokel Boy and Of Mice and Men.

In January 1942, during his run of Spring Again at Henry Miller's Theatre, Talman was drafted into the U.S. Army. Before leaving for duty, he wed his first of three wives: actress Lynne Carter.

In 1949, Talman moved to Hollywood and began making movies beginning that year with Red, Hot and Blue, in which he played gangster Bunny Harris. Several other film and TV performances followed, including his benchmark role of Hamilton Burger on Perry Mason.

Scandalous Behavior

During the run of that popular series, William Talman was one of eight individuals arrested during a Hollywood raid. Four men and four women, all nude, had been smoking marijuana inside a private home.

Talman said he was just dropping someone off, but that didn't stop the story from being plastered all over the press. As a result, Talman was fired for violating the morals clause in his Perry Mason contract. The charges were dropped, but CBS refused to rehire their Hamilton Burger actor.

The show's cast, including leading man Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale (Della Street), William Hopper (Detective Paul Drake), and Ray Collins (Lt. Tragg) stood by their friend and colleague. Due mostly to a letter-writing campaign ignited by Burr, CBS rehired Talman.

Triple Jeopardy

Although CBS brought William Talman back to Perry Mason, the actor's troubles were far from over. Talman and his second Barbara Reed divorced. In 1963, she sealed herself in her California home and turned on the gas stove. She left a suicide note blaming her poor health.

That same year, Talman wed Peggy Flanigan, a free-spirited soul he met at a poker party.

On May 22, 1966, however, CBS canceled Perry Mason. Shortly after, Talman embarked on a six-week tour of Vietnam to entertain the Troops. Upon returning home, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. His final movie was The Ballad of Josie, (1967), starring Doris Day.

Final Jeopardy

With his days numbered, William Talman volunteered to make a short film for the American Cancer Society, part of which was broadcast as an anti-smoking TV commercial (in this case, a public service announcement) in late 1968 and 1969.

That was the first time any celebrity would make any such presentation until Yul Brenner would do the same in 1985.

On August 30, 1968, William Talman died of cardiac arrest due to complications from lung cancer at West Valley Community Hospital in Encino, California. Gone at only 53, he left behind seven children from his three marriages, some biological; some adopted; all dearly loved.