ACTOR · BORN 1917 · DIED 1993
Raymond Burr
- Born
- 21 May 1917, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
- Died
- 12 September 1993
- Known for
- Rear Window (1954), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), A Place in the Sun (1951), Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
42 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
11 Facts From Raymond Burr's Career
- #007
Before beginning his acting career, Raymond Burr sang in nightclubs during his youth. His stage experience laid a solid foundation for his later acting career. The stage presence and ability to connect with an audience that he acquired during this period later made him one of the screen's unforgettable stars. This early experience reveals Burr's versatile talents.
- #008
After Raymond Burr's death, a memorial service was held at the Pasadena Playhouse on January 10, 1993. This theater was where he had taken his first step into an acting career exactly 50 years earlier. At the service, a director's chair bearing his name was placed in the center of the stage, and his friends gathered around it to remember him. This meaningful ceremony demonstrated the respect for the starting point of Burr's artistic life and the legacy he left behind.
- #011
Before joining the U.S. Navy in World War II, Raymond Burr served as director of the Pasadena Community Playhouse. This role revealed his leadership abilities in the theater world and his commitment to the art. Continuing his acting career after the war, Burr secured a firm place for himself in Hollywood with the discipline and stage knowledge he gained from these experiences.
- #012
Beyond his acting career, Raymond Burr also left his mark in academia. He taught drama classes at Columbia University, contributing to the training of young talents. This experience showed that he was not only an artist but also an educator. The knowledge and experience Burr passed on to his students prove how multifaceted his contribution to the world of art was.
- #020
Alongside his acting career, Raymond Burr also served for a time as a deputy sheriff. This role strengthened his bond with the community and his sense of justice. Burr's experience gave depth to the lawyer and detective characters he would later portray. This unusual career step shows that he had a multifaceted personality.
- #029
Raymond Burr brought to life two of the most unforgettable characters in television history: Perry Mason (1957) and Ironside (1967). The two series represented the peak of his career, and he is best remembered by the public for these roles. The lawyer in Perry Mason and the detective in a wheelchair in Ironside showed the wide range of his acting ability.
- #034
Raymond Burr starred in Perry Mason (1957) for nine years and then in Ironside (1967) for eight years. These two long-running series were the cornerstones of his television career. He had signed on to play an investigative reporter in a third long-running series, Kingston: Confidential (1976), but negative reviews led to its cancellation after a few episodes.
- #035
Early in his acting career, Raymond Burr worked at a J.C. Penney catalog store in Vacaville, California. It was an ordinary job he took to support himself and a means of feeding his acting dreams.
- #038
Raymond Burr appeared in Karen Burroughs Hannsberry's book "Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir." The book examines important actors of the film noir genre and discusses Burr's contributions to it. Burr had taken roles in many film noir productions early in his career and had become one of the genre's notable names.
- #041
Raymond Burr was commemorated in the 1991 production If I Could See Me Now. The film aimed to keep his legacy alive by referencing his career and character. Burr's inclusion in this production showed how respected he was by his colleagues and fans. Such tributes prove that his influence in the world of art continues.
- #042
Raymond Burr was referenced in the Taxi episode Jim Joins the Network (1981). In the episode, one of the characters referred to Burr, highlighting his place in popular culture. This reference was an indication of Burr's iconic status in the world of television. Being remembered in this way reveals how broad an impact his career had.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work