Editing Raymond Burr (section)

===Radio===
By the age of 12, Burr was appearing in national radio dramas broadcasting in nearby San Francisco.<ref name="Dougan" />

As a young man Burr weighed more than {{convert|300|lb|kg}}, which limited his on-screen roles. "But in radio this presented no problems, given the magnificent quality of his voice", reported ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''. "He played romantic leads and menacing villains with equal authority, and he earned a steady and comfortable income."<ref name="GAM">{{cite news |last=Downey |first=Donn |date=September 14, 1993 |title=Obituary: Raymond Burr |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] }}</ref>

Working steadily in radio since the 1940s, often uncredited,<ref name="Ona Hill"/>{{Rp|179–85}} Burr was a leading player on the West Coast.<ref name="Digital Deli PM">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2-Research-Perry-Mason-Main.html|title=Perry Mason|website=The Digital Deli Too|access-date=June 8, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060100/http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2-Research-Perry-Mason-Main.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He had a regular role in [[Jack Webb]]'s first radio show, ''[[Pat Novak for Hire]]'' (1949),<ref name="Dunning"/>{{Rp|534}} and in ''[[Dragnet (series)#Radio|Dragnet]]'' (1949–50) he played Joe Friday's boss, Ed Backstrand, chief of detectives.<ref name="Dunning"/>{{Rp|208}}<ref name="Goldin Dragnet"/> Burr worked on other Los Angeles-based series including ''[[Suspense (radio drama)|Suspense]]'',<ref name="Goldin Suspense"/> ''[[Screen Directors Playhouse]]'',<ref name="Goldin Screen"/> ''[[Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar]]'',<ref name="Goldin Yours"/> ''[[Family Theater]]'',<ref name="Goldin Family"/> ''[[Hallmark Playhouse]]''<ref name="Goldin Hallmark"/> and ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]''.<ref name="Goldin Hall of Fame"/> He performed in five episodes of the experimental dramatic radio anthology series ''[[CBS Radio Workshop]]'', and had what is arguably his best radio role in "The Silent Witness" (1957), in which his is the only voice.<ref name="Ona Hill"/>{{Rp|180}}<ref name="Digital Deli CBS Workshop">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-CBS-Radio-Workshop.html |title=CBS Radio Workshop |website=The Digital Deli Too |access-date=June 8, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115221408/http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-CBS-Radio-Workshop.html |archive-date=January 15, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/otr_cbsradioworkshop |title=The Silent Witness |website=CBS Radio Workshop |publisher=Internet Archive |access-date=June 8, 2016}}</ref>

From March 1951 through June 1952 Burr used the name of Ray Hartman approximately 30 times when appearing on radio, mostly on ''[[Dangerous Assignment]]'', ''[[The Lineup (radio series)|The Lineup]]'' and ''[[Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar]]''. This was verified by perusing the scripts for both series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/lineup_sw.log.pdf|title=The Line Up|website=old-time.com|access-date=October 12, 2023}}</ref>

In 1956, Burr was the star of [[CBS Radio]]'s ''[[Fort Laramie (radio)|Fort Laramie]]'', an adult Western drama produced, written and directed by the creators of ''[[Gunsmoke]]''. He played the role of Lee Quince, captain of the cavalry, in the series set at a post-Civil War military post where disease, boredom, the elements and the uncharted terrain were the greatest enemies of "ordinary men who lived in extraordinary times".<ref name="Dunning"/>{{Rp|258–259}}<ref name="Digital Deli FL">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Fort-Laramie.html|title=Fort Laramie|website=The Digital Deli Too|access-date=June 8, 2016|archive-date=June 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160619235205/http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Fort-Laramie.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The half-hour transcribed program aired Sundays at 5:30&nbsp;pm. ET January 22 – October 28, 1956.<ref name="Dunning"/>{{Rp|258–259}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Fort_Laramie_Singles|title=Fort Laramie|date=July 22, 2012|publisher=Internet Archive|access-date=June 8, 2016}}</ref> Burr told columnist [[Sheilah Graham]] that he had received 1,500 fan letters after the first broadcasts,<ref>{{cite news|date=February 28, 1956|title=Sheilah Graham|newspaper=[[Bluefield Daily Telegraph]]|title-link=Sheilah Graham}}</ref> and he continued to receive letters praising the show's authenticity and presentation of human dignity.<ref>{{cite news|date=July 29, 1956|title=On the Air in Radio and Television|newspaper=[[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|Avalanche-Journal]]}}</ref>

In August 1956, CBS announced that Burr would star in the television series ''Perry Mason''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cole|first=I.G.|date=August 31, 1956|title=TV News|newspaper=[[Lawton Constitution]]}}</ref> Although the network wanted Burr to continue work on ''Fort Laramie'' as well, the TV series required an extraordinary commitment and the radio show ended.<ref>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Erskine|author-link=Erskine Johnson|date=August 20, 1957|title=Perry Como's going to have Burr in his side this fall|newspaper=[[Columbus Daily Telegram]]}}</ref>

Known for his loyalty and consciousness of history, Burr went out of his way to employ his radio colleagues in his television programs.<ref name="Digital Deli PM"/> Some 180 radio celebrities appeared on ''Perry Mason'' during the first season alone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2-Research-Perry-Mason-S-01.html#P_M_Season_One_link|title=Perry Mason, Season One|website=The Digital Deli Too|access-date=June 8, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074217/http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2-Research-Perry-Mason-S-01.html#P_M_Season_One_link|url-status=dead}}</ref>